“Sugar Water (Polybit Remix)” is sugar-spun and throbbing. It still carries the weight of queer emotion, yet in contrast to its predecessor, this version positively pulses with energy. The remix is the work of Polybit, whose brief but sharp list of collaborations includes Sydney’s hazy pop outfit, Coffee Beach. His percussive rework of Okayden’s alternative pop track transforms “Sugar Water” into a drum and bass number built for dancing and momentum. The central meaning the mysterious rush of falling in love for the first time as a queer person remains intact, now pulsing through with a new kind of emotional electricity. The remix gives the song a fresh life, moving away from the relaxed, minimalist tone of Okayden’s original version. This new take is built on crisp, sharp production edges that slice through the original’s introspection but never compromise its emotional depth. With thoughtful additions like a flitting bass guitar lick and a bouncing synth break, Polybit injects a mechanical precision that adds dynamism to the track, while still honoring the lyrics’ core intent.
As the two versions exist in distinct genres and emotional tones, their backstories mirror that separation in form and flow. Okayden, based in Melbourne, originally connected with Sydney artist VRDA online to create the original version of “Sugar Water”, which found life in late 2020 and achieved modest success. It eventually lay quiet “floating around in the atmosphere”, as Polybit described until a mutual musician friend introduced him to Okayden. At the time, Polybit was working on a separate remix album and felt drawn toward “Sugar Water”. He asked to remix the track and, after receiving Okayden’s approval, began crafting the version that now closes out the EP ‘Okayden’, released on 5 May.
The remix’s production was scattered across different cities and continents from Melbourne to Sydney, and wherever Polybit happened to be while traveling for work. The track stands as a reflection of how digital collaboration can birth something vibrant and borderless. Okayden’s unique vocal editing style shaped the original track, incorporating chopped, reversed, and re-sampled vocals. Polybit embraced this texture and took it even further, morphing the vocals into a new, energetic form. A great remix doesn’t just update a song; it reintroduces it with purpose. “Sugar Water (Polybit Remix)” has found its second wind, full of life, motion, and emotional resonance.
Follow Okayden on Spotify, Sound Cloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok
