Ween has tried on just about every genre of music in its 20-plus years of existence, but never before has the Pennsylvania duo embraced the dancefloor quite like on “Friends,” the title track of a new self-released EP.
The song was produced by Reinhard “DJ Voodoo” Raith, one of the principal figures behind the Crazy Frop ringtone phenomenon of the past few years. “We were doing the demos for it and Aaron [“Gene Ween” Freeman] thought it would be good to get a European dance guy to re-do that song,” guitarist Mickey “Dean Ween” Melchiondo tells Billboard.com. “We don’t even play any instruments on the EP version.”
Raith’s version is straight out of a European dance club, with profuse vocal effects, vintage synths and a programmed beat that would make Rednex proud. A different take on the track will appear on Ween’s next studio album, due in September on a label to be announced. “On the record it sounds more like Ween than the full remix,” Melchiondo says. “It’s more of an LSD version.”
Ween also were graced by the presence of Jamaican music veteran King Jammy, who produced the EP track “King Billy.” Having just completed a short tour at the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tenn., the group is putting the finishing touches on the new album and is expected to return to the road in the fall.
