Photo by Tiffany Yoon

Big Ups were a constant force within a mythlike era of NYC DIY scene culture — perhaps the final breath before gentrification and corporate sieges of property made it impossible for the artist to creatively thrive without privilege and/or their parents’ bank accounts to finance it. The post-hardcore band called it a day in 2018 after three albums, but its the 10th anniversary of their debut, Eighteen Hours of Static, that’s sparks those same memories with news that it will include a remix album featuring a severely interesting list of artists from that certain era in DIY rock and today that speak to both what made Big Ups great, plus a more earnest authenticity in art. It’s rare to make a first impression twice, but in hearing This Is Lorelei (a.k.a. Nate Amos of Water From Your Eyes) take on the albums’ brainy, existential headbash, “Goes Black”, you get to do that. As frontman Joe Galarraga waxes poetic like Henry Rollins spoken word (“I feel like I’ve led a pretty happy life, then how come all I can remember is the strife?”) in between a fired up chorus where he escapes his own skin (“What happens when it all goes black? / And I’m lying here dying / And I’m trying to think back?”,) This Is Lorelei pulls its velocity ten years forward through an electronic centrifuge. Every particle of rage that went into making “Goes Black” an all-timer during that era is made all the more visible today.

Big Ups’ Eighteen Hours Of Static (Hxπ Decoded) will be released September 20th on Dead Labour.