Faithless’ Insomnia is one of the few electronic records that genuinely transcends the dancefloor. Released in 1995, its rolling, hypnotic bassline, Sister Bliss’s glacial piano hook and Maxi Jazz’s murmured spoken-word verses made it a fixture of the UK’s mid-nineties rave renaissance and, eventually, a pop-cultural touchstone. Now Maceo Plex delivers an official rework on Ministry of Sound Recordings, made in direct collaboration with Sister Bliss herself—and it’s the week’s defining melodic-techno crossover moment.
The collaboration is the key to the record’s success. The Ellum boss had been teasing a version of Insomnia through his sets for the best part of two years, but here the rework arrives with one of its original architects at the helm. Sister Bliss re-records the piano, and her playing forms the heart of the single: the same crystalline motif as 1995, now allowed to ring out over Maceo Plex’s production—deeper, weightier, and wrapped in the cavernous reverb and polished pads of his signature melodic techno.
Insomnia 2021 - Epic Edit condenses the idea into just under five minutes. It’s an efficient, floor-ready take that retains the original’s loping, swung bassline and that unmistakable piano phrase, whilst Plex keeps the arrangement lean, the drums four-to-the-floor and the tension rolling towards a restrained but euphoric peak. For those who want the full journey, Insomnia 2021 - Epic Mix extends the idea to nearly eight minutes, building with genuine patience—the vocal held back until the breakdown, the pads swelling into a proper, stadium-sized release.
Both versions demonstrate a rework done properly: Maceo Plex updates the sound without flattening the soul, and Sister Bliss’s presence ensures the record never loses its connection to the original. It’s an epic, yes, but one with a surprisingly tender centre, and it should soundtrack plenty of sunrises this summer. An anthem, respectfully and brilliantly refreshed.
