At first listen, there’s almost nothing about The Great Escape that sounds like EDM. The weird, fun indie/rockabilly/pop trio from Venice Beach are nonetheless involved with the EDM scene, as well as the fringe art community at large. Before releasing their newest album Universe in Bloom, The Great Escape commissioned remixes of at least three tracks off the album from various producers with different styles. They then created a mini-documentary series highlighting other forms of art and culture and featuring fusions of their original tunes and the remixes.
For the remixes thus far, The Great Escape have tapped some pretty well-known EDM producers. Their single “Good Day” was remixed into a roots reggae/dub track by Soul Syndicate and Kreesha, “I Can’t Resist” was turned into a theatrical, heavy dubstep tune by Nebbra and probably most prominently the track “Let me Go Wild” was remixed into a fully EDM halftime/dubstep smasher by Robot Koch.
The Robot Koch remix of “Let Me Go Wild” will be of interest to EDM heads not only because he’s a very recognizable producer but also because the mini-doc that was born out of this mash-up with The Great Escape is quite relevant to dance and dance culture. It explores the birth of and feeling behind the Los Angeles krump dance movement, splicing dancers’ personal stories, incredible moves and the two versions of “Let Me Go Wild” into a powerful multimedia collage which, while describing the reasons why dancers got into krumping, also speaks to the reason music, dancing and art in general is so important to culture and even to human existence. 
The Great Escape have chosen an interesting way to present an album to say the least, but it’s pretty clear that the band want to highlight the unifying potential of art, music and dance in whatever form it may take by celebrating it in as many forms possible. It’s not often that indie groups reach across genres and media in this way, and if the “Let Me Go Wild” mini-doc, all the remixes and Universe inf Bloom are any indication, The Great Escape are planning on heading up a movement toward this kind of unity. They’re definitely a group to watch, no matter what kind of music or art you prefer.
Universe in Bloom by The Great Escape is out now and can be purchased on a number of platforms by clicking here. All the remixes they’ve released thus far are on their Soundcloud page and check out their YouTube channel for the rest of their fascinating mini-documentaries.
