PREMIERE: CNTRAST releases remix of Bantum’s ‘Clang Clang’ with music video shot in Antarctica

Irish electronic musician CNTRAST - Ciaran O’Neill - is set to release his pummelling remix of Bantum’s ‘Clang Clang’, accompanied by a video shot in Antarctica.

The track follows a busy 2024 for CNTRAST, having carved out a name for himself in DJ circles and embarking on the Artists in Antarctica trip which has taken the likes of Diplo and Oliver Tree on a creative expedition through the Southern Ocean.

‘Clang Clang’ (CNTRAST Remix) marks O’Neill’s first official release and foregrounds another busy year for the budding DJ.

The video, featuring footage from the trip, highlights the untamed landscapes and wildlife of the region. Being surrounded by artists and inspiring figures during the expedition—including Oliver Tree and Wim Hof—played a key role in motivating CNTRAST to finally share his music with the world.

“Being down there was incredibly inspiring for me. It’s so hard to explain the sheer size of it,” he recalls. “You’re looking at this big wall of ice and it doesn’t seem that big on it’s own. I suppose when you’re in a city, it’s very easy to tell the perspective because you see houses and cars around it. Over there, there’s just nothing.

“You’d see a very small amount of ice falling off the cliff and, once it hits the water, it’s thunderous and you realise, ‘wow, that cliff is ten times bigger than I thought it was.

“It was an epic time. I went out a lot to film the lovely nature scenes and knew I wanted to include them in the video”.

Speaking about CNTRAST’s take on the track, Bantum (aka Ruairí Lynch) says Ciaran’s approach “melded nicely” with the original track.

“Rhythmically, I think Ciaran nailed what I’d have in mind to remix the track myself,” Lynch recalls. “I was already thinking of redoing the track for live shows and Ciaran immediately brought this two-step garage beat and these big swells and builds that really clicked with me”.

O’Neill first played the remix on the ship in Antarctica, where other DJs could offer feedback and constructive criticism. Being in the icy surrounds gave the DJ the idea to incorporate the environment into the margins of the track.

“The surroundings ended up having a big impact on the song. I recorded penguins and ice sloshing around in Antarctica. When I was putting the remix together, [Ruairí and I] sort of joked that it would be funny to include penguins on the track to go with the visuals.

“The first time I played that song was on a ship in Antarctica along with other DJs who were playing there, too. I got chatting to them and realised that the track needed more of an intro. That’s when I added the [found] sounds from Antarctica”.

Tune into the exhilarating video to ‘Clang Clang’ (CNTRAST Remix) below.