- Achterbahn D'Amour's 2014 debut LP, Odd Movements, stayed fresh by moving fluidly through genres while keeping the 303 firmly in the foreground. To kick off the new year, Absurd have augmented the album with a set of four remixes. The producers involved each bring their own distinct style, but the results are uneven.
Detroit's Marcellus Pittman is first with a nearly nine-minute remix of album opener and highlight "Holy Romance Empire." Raw and just a little unhinged (as usual for Pittman) it makes a few twitchy piano and synth loops out of the original's melody, and layers on some of the duo's sci-fi pads, while dropping continuous volleys of snare hits. But it's too flat and drawn-out, especially compared to the tightly arranged original. Chevel, taking on the album's ambient title track, turns in a terse cut of buzzing half-time techno, but its emphasis on sound design yields a track that's too clean and clinical.
The other two remixes are stronger. Convextion, AKA veteran Dallas techno and electro producer Gerard Hanson, has consistently delivered in a singularly sleek, futuristic style, and his rework of "Passagen" is no different. Although electro-leaning, it's one of his more subdued efforts. The original's percussive shudders are present, while its distorted synths lurk further in the background to make way for Hanson's starlit chords and crisp drum work. But SW's wonderfully dense and energetic remix of "Königstr" really takes the cake here. Filled with swaggering percussion, subtly panoramic pads and all sorts of chirping, ringing and chiming, the SUED affiliate's rework ends the record on a high note.
Lista de sequência de músicasA1 Holy Romance Empire (Marcellus Pittman remix)
A2 Odd Movements (Chevel remix)
B1 Passagen (Convextion remix)
B2 Königstr (SW remix)