Izy are back with another suite of remixes from their Irene album. Irene - Remixes Vol 2 follows on from 2022’s Volume 1 and where the previous edition was focused on house remixes, Volume 2 takes the material to a more head-nodding, downtempo and soulful space with inspired reworks from Silentjay (Sampa The Great, Hiatus Kaiyote) Sensible J (V V Brown, Remi) and the production debut of Izy’s own drummer Kawel Che aka Maru Nitor-Zammataro.

First up is Sensible J’s chunky boom-bap edit of Smile, a complete transformation from the psych-jazz exotica of the original. He keeps the ensemble vocals and much of Ryotaro Noshiro’s lead vocal and guitar and rearranges all the rhythmic furniture around them. Next up is a darker, clubbier remix of No Further Than You where the production duo of Kawel Che and Surana has switched up the groove to a clubby, percussive Latin-influenced banger. This is by far the fastest, stormiest remix and features fiery NSFW verses from two of Australia’s most promising First Nations vocalists. Jamahl Yami hails from Waanyi/ Gaangaliida country in North West Queensland, is now based in Naarm (Melbourne) and T Rookie T originally from The Torres Strait now based in Meanjin (Brisbane). Both vocalists grew up alongside the members of Izy in the tropical melting pot of Gimuy (Cairns) so this is a real family affair. Finally on a much gentler, spacier tip we have the dreamy Silentjay rework of Out The Door, taking the original vocal and draping it on a bed of lush Rhodes, ambience and downtempo beats with a distinctly 90s flavour.

Izy are in the studio working on new music with new singles scheduled for release later in 2023, and these remixes mark the end of their Irene album era. Recording takes time for Izy as the three members Ryotaro Noshiro, Warrigo Tyrrell and Maru Nitor-Zammataro have become three of the most in demand sessional musicians in Australia forming key parts of the bands behind Kee’ahn, Harry James Angus, Osunlade and Miss Kannina among others, and working their magic as an exceptional rhythm-section-for-hire most notably for Joey Badass on his seminal ‘Live A Version’ reinterpretation of Mos Def’s Umi Says.