My fondest memory of the Auckland, New Zealand producer, Cross Them Out, is having his Falling Deeper EP play in the background of my first hotel experience without parents (I know this is random). I had tripped down to Chicago with a buddy of mine, eager to see a favorite artist of ours, the rapper, Logic, play at the House of Blues downtown. We had time to kill before heading to the show, though, and naturally utilized the iHome provided by the Hyatt Regency room we were situated within. All there was at that point in the day was anticipation, and, of course, the aforementioned EP alive in the airwaves. It was a beautiful string of moments for me, and I attribute many of them to the uplifting, energetic vibes Cross Them Out administered that day. After that point, I sort of lost touch with the producer, for no reason in particular. I was whisked away into the turbulent current of college and all that comes with the life of a young adult, unable to pace myself with the multitude of musicians, like Cross Them Out, whom I had grown to adore over the time. And I'd have to say that the ensuing absences didn't make much of a difference to me, at least not perceptibly; I filled in my time and auditory withdrawals with whatever I could find on the fly, because that seemed to be the necessary adoption of habit nature intended for me to have. I'd say it worked for a while. I noticed, however, that the artists were not themselves as eager to stray as my antsy ears, and slowly but surely, the very same artists were beginning to creep back into my conscience. Cross Them Out was at the forefront of the reemergence, and today firmly entrenched himself within my focus with his remix of Emily Underhill's spectacular "Dreamcatcher" single. The fresh interpretation accents all the majesty of the original, keeping composed the airy, electronic elagance of old, while integrating controlled bassy overtones, dragged percussion, and more enchanting synths than had appeared on the former work. It's a breathtaking effort from the NZ producer, from start to finish, and makes me wonder why I ever left the individual (and his work) wander out of my eyes and ears.
Emily Underhill