Swedish synthwave/synthpop duo Sally Shapiro (Sally Shapiro and Johan Agebjörn) have dropped the NICOLAAS Remix of their cover of Pet Shop Boys classic “Rent“, featuring Steve Moore on saxophone.
The 4-track maxi/EP is out now via Johnny Jewel’s Italians Do It Better Music, featuring two remixes and an instrumental version. Grab it here.
“Sally Shapiro’s cover of this Pet Shop Boys classic keeps the original close to the heart. Emphasizing the baroque leanings of the chord progression, they take it further with a 8th note melody careening over icy pads. The result is a Synthwave skyline scraping the upper atmosphere in the never-ending race to survive the first of the month. It’s a twisted tale of the politics of economy in relationships where the currency is love. Sally’s crystalline coo glides over Johan’s elegant Italo production as the bass line anchors the galloping rhythm section. Home is where the heart is…but shelter comes first in this game of love.”
Johnny Jewel
The duo’s Johan Agebjörn said of the cover: “I am a longtime fan of Pet Shop Boys and have been thinking from time to time about covering some PSB song, without any clear idea of how to do it. Suddenly it became apparent that the melancholic and painfully beautiful harmonies of ‘Rent’ would suit our style perfectly, and I started playing a synth line over the chorus.”
Shapiro added: “We also think the lyrics to Rent are intriguing, how the singer – in our version, a mistress – tries to convince herself that she’s happy, while the melancholy shines through. Pet Shop Boys is also very much childhood nostalgia for me.”
Take a listen below.
Sally Shapiro’s music is heavily influenced by 80s italo disco. The project also includes the composer and producer Johan Agebjörn, both live in Lund, Sweden. Sally Shapiro’s real name is something else and they don’t perform live.
Tracklist:
- Rent
- Rent (NICOLAAS Remix) feat. Steve Moore
- Rent (Extended Mix)
- Rent (Instrumental)
