Listen: AURAM – “Never Again”

Vancouver beatsmith AURAM’s “Never Again” is, at its core, a remix of a cover (Waterstrider’s “Twice”, originally by Little Dragon) by a producer who’s made his name self-releasing his sample-heavy brand of atmospheric electronica on Tumblr. If that doesn’t capture the essence of the way we make, discover, and enjoy music in 2014, I don’t know what does.

“Never Again” is more than that, of course; it is greater than the sum of its parts and AURAM adds enough of a personal touch to justify the change in title. Skittering high hats pop like fireworks in a cacophony of drums, and the original’s female vocals are slowed down to the point of ambiguous androgyny. There’s also something less tangible, an enveloping quality not present in either of the originals that washes over and invades the ears from start to finish.

Maintaining that sensation is something of a feat with a runtime of seven and a half minutes, but the slow burn of “Never Again” never gets stale.