'Heaven', originally released by Parks in April, features her delicate vocals paired with soft electronic percussion, synthesisers, and brief instrumental sections that catch the ear of listeners. Jacques Greene's remix takes those already prominent components and emphasises them without completely reinventing the song. His remix features a 'ramp-up' of crisper percussion and louder synthesisers, two aspects that notably come to the forefront of the piece. Greene also speeds up the pulse and tempo of the track, a trait that can be felt more deeply when listening to the two songs (original and remix) back-to-back. Despite the shifts in Greene's remix, Parks' vocals remain a standout, maintaining the dreamlike quality of 'Heaven'. The result is a hypnotic rework that feels like a natural expansion of the original rather than a completely separate piece of work.
The collaboration between Greene and Parks feels particularly natural given the backstory of the song's creation. In an interview posted to her YouTube, Parks says the song came from a diary entry after a "transcendental" night spent beneath Los Angeles' Sixth Street Viaduct, where she watched her friend, Welsh electronic musician and producer Kelly Lee Owens, DJ alongside Canadian musician and producer Caribou. Parks said, 'Heaven' "pays homage to dance music, to club culture, to the fact these spaces have always been a space for people who are searching for belonging". She added in another interview that the song embodies the textures of the atmosphere that night in Los Angeles: "minimal, thumping, and confident".
Greene's remix draws out those qualities, especially the "thumping" of the original track. He reconstructed it to feature heavier bass and loud, pulsating beats that make the connection to raves and club culture that Parks mentions even more prominent. 'Heaven (Jacques Greene Remix)' translates Parks' inspiration for the song into something more palpable, a track that can be felt even more on a late-night dance floor.
Jacques Greene's remix and collaboration with Arlo Parks comes just before the October 16th release of his upcoming album, 'jg'. Parks is set to begin her DESIRE World Tour, which will stop at venues across North America, the UK, and Europe from late August through December. Her first show kicks off on August 29th at The Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C.
Sam Russo
Image: 'Heaven (Jacques Greene Remix)' Official Single Cover