From: Kevin J. O'Conner dba Tinty Music <tntmusic@halcyon.halcyon.com>
Subject: Never mind the distortion (a review, sort of)
The Nav Katze remix CD finally arrived in today's mail. Here's my attempt
at a review:
Never mind the distortion - Nav Katze (Invitation/Victor VICL-568, 3,000 yen)
1. Nobody home (Ultramarine mix) - remixed by Ultramarine
2. Ziggy (Aphex Twin mix #1) - remixed by Aphex Twin
3. Never not (Black Dog mix #1) - remixed by Black Dog Productions
4. Crazy dream (retro 313 future memory mix) - remixed by Reload
5. Change (Aphex Twin mix #2) - remixed by Aphex Twin
6. More than a feeling (Black Dog mix #2) - remixed by Black Dog Productions
7. Wild horse (Global Mix Communication) - remixed by Global Communication
total playing time - 53:40
Overall, this is a very good album, though to refer to it as a "remix album"
is something of an understatement. Most of the tracks bear very little
resemblance to the original versions; only the first and third tracks keep
any substantial part of the vocals (the rest contain a few wordless samples
here and there), and very few of the original instrumental tracks are
retained. In that sense, this album resembles the YMO remix album that came
out a year or two ago.
Most of the new mixes could probably be best described as pop-techno. That
is, techno, yes, but nothing hardcore - no need to worry about speaker
damage from heavy bass. The Aphex Twin remixes are the weakest of the bunch
- their intentionally "dirty" sound quality doesn't work against them; they
just don't sound much different from other Aphex Twin tracks I've heard
(none of which I've really liked). Particlarly irritating are the pinging
sounds that run throughout both tracks.
The two Black Dog mixes are both very similarly constructed to each other,
but work very well (especially since they both follow Aphex Twin mixes).
Lots of space. I especially like the various percussion used. I guarantee,
though, that "More than a feeling" will be unrecognizable to just about
everyone - it doesn't even sound like the remake of which it is a remix
(figure that one out).
The Reload remix is probably the hardest track on the album. Part of it
sounds to me like Tangerine Dream gone techno.
The Ultramarine mix works the best, I think. It has a bit of a light reggae
feel to it - or at least it feels as though that's where it really wants to
go. It also keeps much of the original vocal tracks, thereby putting the
song in a fresh new setting.
The Global Communication mix is the most ambient track on the album,
creating a swiriling, blissed-out atmosphere for the first two-thirds of its
15 minutes and 15 seconds. The beats come in around one-third of the way
through, and provide the focal point for the about the last five minutes of
the track.
Unfortunately, I've never heard anything by the artists who remixed these
tracks (except for Aphex Twin - I don't listen to much ambient techno), so I
don't really know how they compare to these artists' own records. Still, I
do know that I like these tracks, and I would recommend this album to
others. And, since most of these tracks don't sound much like their
original versions, even folks who might not like Nav Katze themselves would
probably like this. Check it out...
Kevin J. O'Conner d.b.a. Tinty Music
P.O. Box 85363 Seattle, WA 98145-1363
vox: (206) 632-9369 fax/modem: (206) 545-2868
e-mail: tntmusic@halcyon.com tintmeister@pan.com
k.oconner@genie.geis.com zzs32874@pcvan.or.jp.
"Sheesh! The times they're a-gettin' loopy!" - Milquetoast