Most diehard house lovers have been ensnared by the insatiable groove of Channel Tres‘ breakout hit, “Controller,” a track that took the effortless cool of Detroit house and added a West Coast melange. It wasn’t long after its release that Channel was throwing down sets all around the country, selling out Elsewhere in Brooklyn, New York, and generally reconceptualizing house for a new generation in a bold way.
Dirtybirds Walker & Royce quickly caught wind of this new style, remixed “Controller,” and subsequently worked it into their late night sets as early as 2019, sparking curiosity and excitement among fans when the rework didn’t translate from their live sets to digital streaming platforms. However, many fans felt that the remix would eventually enjoy an official release after Channel opened for Justin Martin in Chicago in December 2019. They were on to something, of course, for now, the rework has landed.
Admittedly, the gap in time that separates the arrival of “Controller” and the release of Walker & Royce’s remix makes sense. “Controller” is above all else a celebratory christening of an artist’s career. Any remix of a track with this character might be liable to fall flat in comparison and could even discourage fellow artists from re-imaginatively taking on the production, but Walker & Royce found a way to make theirs fly.
The duo retain the distinct cadence of Channel’s voice as he repeats, “Your body is a game fuck lames fuck the fame I am the controller,” throughout the track, while adding the deep house flair that they’re known for. Walker & Royce lend further idiosyncrasy to the revised number by throwing “some sub on that bitch,” and doubling the run-time of Channel’s original.
Featured image: The Sights and Sounds