We have yet to hear a Land Below cover that didn’t surprise us. Though he’s only been at it a couple years, Sweden’s Erik Lindestad has developed something of a cover speciality: Taking a song with one instantly recognizable element, and stripping it away. For instance, on our tenth birthday he covered “Hooked on a Feeling” without a single “ooga chaka.” When he tackled Moby’s ubiquitous “Porcelain,” he ditched the string sample melody that soundtracked all those commercials. And his new cover of Blur’s “Song 2” walks the same path.
“Song 2” is best known for two words, instantly recognizable to soccer fans everywhere: “Woo hoo!” Most people would build their covers around that holler, since it’s the only part many people recognize. For Lindestad, they’re an afterthought. On his mellow electronic cover, he croons the words over a soft synth bed.
“If you’ve heard my previous covers, it will come as no surprise I like music from the ’90s,” he says. “Blur is no exception. While this may not be their strongest work, it makes for a fun song to turn into something else. I only used one mono synth recording this, going for a lo-fi cosy vibe. I soon realized I never knew the words to this track growing up. I guess not that many people do.”
“Song 2” comes off The Land Below’s new covers album These Are Not Mine, out tomorrow. Hear it exclusively below.
Check out more Land Below covers here (including the one he recorded just for us).
