Boundzound - Louder
Given the currently high trading value of Martin Buttrich and Henrik Schwarz and the recent continental (re)discovery of all things house, you’d have to say that this record is a missive aimed squarely at the heart of the now. But the thing is, a lot of these apparently strategic remix releases (I’m thinking of the Tracey Thorn EP a few months back) swerve strangely in mid-flight, hitting something unintended and missing the intended point.
“The All Mighty Club Mix,” while labeled a Martin Buttrich production, seems to be the closest thing to the “original mix” here, as it stands in stark contrast to the rest of the tracks. It’s a hit. Potentially a huge hit. This cut has got the same crossover appeal of the old Daft Punk records—it’s got enough balls for the big-room boom boom, but also undeniable pop hooks and a chorus so infectious you’ll hear it in your sleep. Well, I did. So the question is, why didn’t they get likeminded artists to remix the record? I would have liked to see the EP done over by Basement Jaxx, Masters at Work, Cajmere, Tim Goldsworthy, or Ewan Pearson, all of whom (in their best work) manage to channel the energy of the source material in interesting directions.
Schwarz’ mix strips things back for an oldskool feel, but the looping melody he introduces doesn’t seem to follow the progression of the tune, leaving the new elements floating at a distance where it should be following like a Bootsy bassline. Buttrich sticks a big kick under it, then tries to be all Carl Craig, restraining the vocals and pushing things along with a big synth line. It’s a fairly dull track that’s meant to tease, but never “happens,” although it does betray Buttrich’s past as a co-producer of prog dishwater. I was hoping against hope that he’d let things really tense up, then release into the chorus around the five minute mark, but nope. Maybe if you were DJing, you could play this version, spin a few builders, then mix the original back in… meh.
So, ironically enough, an EP that was supposed to position the work in relation to (and generate appeal from) its connection to Buttrich and Schwarz has shot itself in the foot. The EP is less appealing for the boring remixes, and both remixers come off looking bereft of ideas and energy. Having said all that? It’s still almost worth getting just for “The All Mighty Club Mix.”
Warner / Island / ISL 1726486
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[Peter Chambers]