Tim: I’ve been watching all the Jason Bourne films recently, since there’s a new one out and I want to be up to date, as you do. They all use Extreme Ways in the closing credits, and, FUN FACT, from the third one on they’ve got Moby to redo it each time, fiddling it slightly. Such as this, my favourite of the bunch.
Tim: You may want to refresh your memory of the original, since it wasn’t one of his best performing releases.
Tom: No, I don’t. Because this song means something very different to me: it’s the “reveal-music” from the brilliant, smart Korean reality-game show The Genius. That opening string sample means something big is about to go down (that video’s a minor spoiler, obviously).
Tim: This one still uses that opening string sample, and still that same percussion sample, but there are smaller differences that make it my preferred version – for starters the piano line the kicks off the main line is funked up a notch, the vocals are less distorted and there’s a female vocalist joining in later.
Tom: I’m so used to the original that I’m not sure it improves it: there’s certainly more, but is that a good thing?
Tim: For me yes, because of the most noticeable thing: the drums are brought in a whole lot more prominently. Originally they just kicked in at some point underneath the main line, but here everything drops off and we get a “right, let’s GO” moment.
Tom: For me, that first string sample has always been the “let’s GO” moment, but that’s because of the context I find it in.
Tim: Yes, but like you said, they’re an “about to happen” noise – that drum intro is an “it’s ON”. The rolling strings come along, the vocals follow soon after, and we’re know we’re off to a good start. Or, if you’re in the cinema, a good ending.