They'll give you laid-back ride
Remix albums are a funny old game aren't they? With remixes usually being seen as a handy way to perform as the "bonus" tracks on CD singles or "international bonus" numbers, it's easy to see why they can be overlooked from time to time. A whole album of them can lead to a right mixed bag, usually lacking in a coherent style or thread which leads to them grating long before their end.
The Telefon Tel Aviv remix album 'Remixes Compiled' overcomes this by managing to sculpt an album that sounds as though it came straight from the same stable and it's a rather laid-back album they've managed to compile. Fans of Air and the seminal 'Moon Safari' will get the vibe here immediately and it's a pretty laid-back record which rides over the differing styles of the original artists to create a record that washes over the listener in a unassuming manner. This thought is placed into people's minds early on with Bebel Gilberto's track 'All Around' featuring some adorable female vocals, cooing over a dream-like soundscape that very much puts the listener in mind of the heady days where that French duo ruled the airwaves and the nations hearts (for that summer at least!)Nine Inch Nails are the biggest name to be subjected to the remixing skills of Joshua Eustis and Charlie Cooper.
With the album being a slow-burner, the tracks with vocals spring to the forefront first and 'The Green Green Grass' by American Analog Set follows on from the afore mentioned tracks to be another early favourite. There's a lot of electronic quietness on this record, a lot of glitches and clicks that hang around the background so when something does make itself obvious, its quickly grabs the attention. That's not to say the musical backing is slight, it's rather beautiful at times but it can all become a bit similar track after track.
With new band material supposedly on the way, this album will no doubt be viewed as a stop-gap by the act's fans and probably dismissed as being lacking in value for money by fans of acts who are actually featured on the CD, it's a strange proposition to put out to the record buying public but at least it's a coherent and compelling record. It fits the mood for a laid-back setting with slight electronic wizardry and for that reason alone, there's definitely a market for this album to find a home with. It's laid-back, it's pretty cool and it'll get you a one-up on any of they Nine Inch Nails fans you hang about with.