Soulwax: Most of the Remixes CD
A New Album of Popular Remixes from the Alternative Duo Soulwax
Mar 17, 2008
To dedicated fans of the electro/alternative duo, ‘Most of the Remixes’ lacks the originality and bite showcased by their earlier collaborations and the pure ingenuity juxtaposing Royksopp with Dolly Parton on ‘As Heard on Radio Soulwax part 2’ under the 2 Many DJs name.
However, for the casual listener it’s hard to find a gap in the general quality that hails from their debut under this moniker back in 1996 and there are enough highlights to show Soulwax are still capable of mixing up an electronic treat.
A History of Remix
Perhaps best-known for their production of landmark record ‘As Heard on Radio Soulwax part 2,’ the Belgian-born Dewaele brothers have proven themselves adept at remixing in an official and unofficial capacity since their debut in 1996 with ‘Leave the Story Untold.’
Since the release of “E Talking” as a single from the duo’s 2004 effort ‘Any Minute Now,’ whose controversial video depicted clubbers on different drugs from A-Z in London’s Fabric nightclub, Soulwax have concentrated on more popular tracks from the indie, electro and nu-rave scenes.
‘Most of the Remixes’
Rather than concerning themselves with thinking of a title for their latest CD, the new album remixed by Radio Soulwax has been dubbed ‘Most of the Remixes’ in abbreviation of the longer summary that covers its sleeve.
The brothers introduce their electro mixes in self-depreciating ambiguity as “some we really love, one we think is just ok, some we did for free, some we did for money…but never on time.”
Notable Tracks
From the 2007 album, the edit of “Dominator” and Justice’s “Phantom Pt. 11” stand out as enjoyable and high quality tracks, although it is difficult to tell whether this is due to Soulwax’s interpretation or the well-constructed nature of the original tracks.
It is the distortion of Kylie’s “Can’t Get You out of My Head,” therefore, with jarring guitars and a heavy beat that deserves most recognition. The affect is slightly out of tune, contrasting the studio-edited note perfect tone of this pop anthem and its kitsch lyrics. Similarly, Soulwax manage a rare treat with “Round Round,” turning an average pop song into a toe-tapping electro classic. The new dirty electro baseline harmonises surprisingly with the vocals, though whether the Sugababes would view this as an improvement or destruction is impossible to know.
The CD ends with Muse’s “Muscle Museum” which lends itself beautifully to an increased tempo and the introduction of a predominant drum beat. However, it provides a rather abrupt ending that leaves the impression that this album is the result of thoughtless playing in a studio, reflecting the lack of coherent title, instead of a example of careful creation.
Like the name and introduction suggest, this is like a ‘best of’ compilation more typical of pop artists than electro DJs and, even though it is unlikely to shoot straight to the top of your i-tunes ‘most played’ list, ‘Most of the Remixes’ retains Soulwax’s quality and acts as a must-have archive of their work and the idea behind the group.
The real success of the album lies not in individual moments or flashes of brilliance but the habitual Soulwax cohesion of sound and texture that turn their versions of the songs into ones for the permanent collection rather than the car-boot sale.
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