Lena Willikens Turns rRoxymore’s “Ministry Of Silly Talks” Into A Hard-Hitting Club Incantation

The prolific Cologne-based DJ plays MoMA PS1’s Warm Up this Saturday, July 2.

June 29, 2016
Lena Willikens Turns rRoxymore’s “Ministry Of Silly Talks” Into A Hard-Hitting Club Incantation Photo by Phil Struck

German DJ and producer Lena Willikens heads stateside this Saturday for an afternoon performance at MoMA PS1's ongoing Warm Up series. Willikens, known for her spooky, relentless club tracks and a penchant for salvaging vinyl gems from the past, shares her take on rRoxymore's 2014 song "Ministry of Silly Talks." The original track is a whirling, percussion-ridden carnival, but Willikens's remix streamlines the beeps and clicks, which intensify the sleek, haunting synth lines that course resolutely through the song. Look out for it on a Huntleys + Palmers remix compilation to be released in August.

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Speaking to The FADER over email, Willikens explained the story behind her edit: "I was playing this specific track for quite a while before doing the remix, even before it was originally [released]. Hermione [Frank, who performs as rRoxymore] is a good friend of mine. It was not a remix coming easy to me as I love it so much — I tried to catch the silliness of the original — but in [my] very own way."

This Saturday, July 2, Lena Willikens plays MoMA PS1's Warm Up along with an impressive roster of techno legends. Check out who else is playing below, and find out more about the event here.

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Warm Up lineup: July 2

Theo Parrish / Sound Signature / Detroit, MI
DJ STINGRAY / 313 / Detroit, MI
Lena Willikens / Cómeme + Salon Des Amateurs / Cologne, Germany
Kiki Kudo / Zero Balance / Tokyo, Japan

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Lena Willikens Turns rRoxymore’s “Ministry Of Silly Talks” Into A Hard-Hitting Club Incantation