El Hardwick - 8 Remixes (2022)

8 Remixes is a collective reworking of 8: El Hardwick’s debut album, released on London multidisciplinary label 33-33 in 2020. The release includes reworks from 96 Back, Nailah Hunter, Tiiva, Laura Misch, Memory Play (AKA ASTRYD), Tony Njoku and gaïko (AKA Tsugi). All purchases of the full remix album also include Ciel’s remix of BNND WDTH, which was originally released as the single’s B-Side on West Friends in 2019.

Hardwick explains how 8 Remixes’ list of collaborators emerged: “Before I had even released 8, I dreamed of putting together a remix project from the album. When my dear friends Tiiva and Memory Play both individually expressed to me that they would like to rework tracks from the album, I thought that putting a release together would also be the perfect opportunity to support both O and We Exist’s fundraisers.

"I first worked with Nailah Hunter when she contributed to the Desire Lines Vol. 1 compilation I curated in 2020, and it’s so magic to hear her harp reimagining of Avatar. I’d followed 96 Back for a while and Tom Lea (of Local Action) introduced us when I mentioned the remix project, and it’s such an honour to have his musical touch on Tidal! Laura Misch’s rework came about very naturally, after she asked to include a saxophone rework of U-Turn in her mix for BBC Radio 6. Lastly, Gaïko and I connected online after he discovered the 8 album on a Facebook group, and we began emailing back and forth about collaborating. So all of the collaborations have been really organic, and it’s wonderful to see where so many different artists I admire can take the songs when put under their sonic spells.”

All profits from 8 Remixes will be split 50-50 between We Exist, whose trans* hardship fund directly supports trans people in need, and surgery recovery costs for O, who is a trans non-binary artist, and a driving force in London’s queer and trans communities as an organiser and musician.