Just like Smokey the Bear Said, “ONLY YOU can prevent forest fires…”
Yaz, or Yazoo, was an UK band of the early 80s featuring Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke. Their splendid signature tune, “Only You” has been covered by Satellite Mode in the video below.
Yaz was the first Woman vs. Man/Voice vs. Keys duo in electronic music to hit it big. In the intervening decades, similarly gender-split duos have become common. Satellite Mode is one of many such modern day pairings, a trend for which the abrupt start can be firmly dated to August 20, 1982, and the release of Yaz’s groundbreaking debut, Upstairs at Eric’s.
While quarantining on different islands and with modes of transportation limited, Satellite Mode used a series of digital back and forth collaborations to develop their own renditions of these songs.
“We found inspiration within our new constraints and in some ways it actually made the process easier. We came up with ideas we otherwise might not have.” says Jess Carvo(vocals).
Modest Mouse’s “Float On” is aimed to spread a positive message of resiliency and paint a picture of a post Covid world that’s carefree and spongeworthy. Partnering with Brooklyn’s own “Wild Honey Pie” for a Buzzsession, Satellite Mode documented the making of the track through the parallel points of view of members Jess Carvo and Alex Marko.
Compared to the tear-jerking original performed by Yaz, “Only You” took on a less romantic meaning in Satellite Mode’s version. The video gives a nod to the hard-hit state of New York, from Montauk to New York City. Featuring the world premiere of Jackal the dog, the song took on a heartwarming and upbeat energy in an otherwise dark time.
“Covering this song just felt right,” says Alex Marko (production). “We used this old favorite as an outlet to have some fun and focus on what matters most: friends and family.”Satellite Mode released their EP Robots vs. Party Girls in the summer of 2020. Throughout the pandemic, Satellite Mode has continued to collaborate on new music in this same style, a la “Pony Express,” and is looking forward to releasing new music in the nearer, brighter, future.
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