More about: Deftones

Even before Deftones had written any music for the Grammy award winning White Pony, Chino and co. were hatching a plan to release a remixed version of the album entitled Black Stallion. In a recent interview, the frontman even explained how he and turntablist Frank Delgado approached the legendary DJ Shadow at one of his shows before White Pony was released to ask if he would remix the album in its entirety.  

Unbeknown to Deftones, it would take two decades for Black Stallion to see the light of day - and with DJ Shadow rearranging just one track. He features alongside a plethora of artists including The Cure’s Robert Smith, Mike Shinoda and Clams Casino to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of one of the most seminal albums to surface this side of the millennium. 

Shadow’s own interpretation of ‘Digital Bath’ is worth the wait alone, as he pairs Moreno’s sensual vocal with a trap-flavoured beat, before introducing cascading synths during its climax that hark back to the originals unbridled sense of euphoria. British drone specialist Blanck Mass then sets pulses racing on the cataclysmic ‘Elite’, morphing it into an industrial sonic assault that refuses to let up. 

Black Stallion is most rewarding when its guests strip White Pony’s tracks down to their foundations and reimagine them entirely. Enigmatic beatmaker Clams Casino is testament to this, as he transforms ‘Feiticeira’ into a mesmeric haze, utilising its opening riff and chants of “soon I’ll let you go” to provide an ominous opening to proceedings. The same can be said for audio and visual pioneer Trevor Jackson, who takes the poleaxing ‘Korea’ and moulds it into an indecipherable throbbing techno track, complete with shimmering samples. British producer Tourist revamps bona fide classic ‘Change (In the House of Flies)’ into a rousing house tune, packed with misty atmospherics and a shapeshifting bassline.  

Black Stallion also excels during its sombre moments, especially on Phantogram’s delicate rendition of ‘Street Carp’, which sees Sarah Barthel’s tender voice intertwine with Moreno’s to convert a 3-minute blast of promiscuity into an ode to ambience. The prevalence of a female vocal also works seamlessly on Purity Ring’s glistening rendition of ‘Knife Prty’, as Megan James ghosts Moreno’s trademark croon throughout, creating an affecting back and forth between the two. The iconic Robert Smith then removes ‘Teenager’s trip-hop inspired beat in favour of glistening keys and nuanced harmonies that propel it further into the ether than ever before.  

Some guests utilise White Pony’s musical arrangements and instrumentation to their advantage on Black Stallion, as evidenced by Salva who bends ‘RX Queen’s off-kilter beat to breaking point, integrating crushing synths and pummelling loops to spawn a different beast altogether. This can also be heard on Squarepusher’s adaptation of ‘Pink Maggit’, as he manipulates Abe Cunningham’s drum track to use as a canvas for his trademark warped effects and scratching samples. Mike Shinoda chooses to refer back to ‘Passenger’s song structure, but trades its alt-metal backdrop for an EDM inspired beat that captures Black Stallion at its most cinematic.   

This is White Pony as you’ve never heard it before - processed through a distorted, electronic filter that forms an extraterrestrial listening experience. The eclectic array of artists that feature on Black Stallion give an insight into Deftones’ far reaching musical preference that had a marked influence on White Pony becoming the transcendental masterpiece that we know and love today. Ultimately, there is no better way to honour an album as influential as White Pony. Black Stallion proudly stands up as an expansive and immersive body of work. 

Black Stallion is out now via Reprise Records.

More about: Deftones