"Sexy & Dirty House Music Vol. 1" (2011)

Sexy & Dirty House Music Vol. 1 (compilation)
release date: Oct. 19, 2011
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

Album excerpts: 1. Johny S "Can't Get Enough (Original Mix)" - 5. Chantola "Chicago (I Need You) (Original Mix)" - 8. Johny S "Smooth Operator (Chantola Remix)"

A compilation album of club house. This may be a series in many volumes, but this specific album is surprisingly quite good.

The Sugarcubes "It's-It" (1992)

It's-It, remix album
release date: Oct. 27, 1992
format: cd (MRCD 3205)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: various
label: Mega Records - nationality: Iceland

Track highlights: 2. "Leash Called Love (Tony Humphries mix)" - 3. "Blue Eyed Pop (S1000 mix)" - 4. "Motorcrash (Justin Robertson mix)" - 6. "Gold (Todd Terry mix)" - 7. "Water (Bryan 'Chuck' New Mix)" - 11. "Hit (Tony Humphries Sweet & Low mix)"

A remix album by The Sugarcubes originally released on One Little Indian. No, it's not an original studio album of new compositions but it's neither a mere compilation of best of, left overs or rarities but an interesting remix album. The songs are taken from the band's three studio albums and most of them have been heavily remixed by various artists. Only "Regina" comes in a Sugarcubes remix, and that's also the compositions sounding most alike the original version. Some tracks have little in common with the familiar song and others still carry recognisable traits from the blue print, and then some are very fine remixes with new stylistic qualities, and yet others are too strange.
The album was the second album that I bought with the band, and perhaps the reason why I didn't bother buying the other two until later. 'Cause many of the best songs from both Here Today... (1989) and Stick Around for Joy (1992) appear on this in heavily "remixed" versions, and frankly, I found these better than the original album versions, although "Birthday" comes in two versions, none of which are better than the original. "Leash Called Love (Tony Humphries mix)" is an even better song here, and all remixes are composed as dance-pop or alt. dance with house as a common denominator, which only add that extra energy to some of the more ('artsy-farty') art pop original compositions.
All in all, a very fine collection.

Bloc Party "Intimacy Remixed" (2009)

Intimacy Remixed (remix)
release date: May 11, 2009
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5]

Tracklist 1. "Ares (Villians Remix)" - 2. "Mercury (Hervé Is in Disarray Remix)" - 3. "Halo (We Have Band Remix)" - 4. "Biko (Mogwai Remix)" - 5. "Trojan Horse (John B Remix)" - 6. "Signs (Armand Van Helden Remix)" - 7. "One Month Off (Filthy Dukes Remix)" - 8. "Zephyrus (Phase One Remix)" - 9. "Talons (Phones RIP Remix)" (4 / 5) - 10. "Better Than Heaven (No Age Remix)" - 11. "Ion Square (Banjo or Freakout Remix)" - 12. "Letter to My Son (Gold Panda Remix)" - 13. "Your Visits Are Getting Shorter (Double D Remix)"

Remix album by Bloc Party. Again, a remix release of their latest studio album. This time I actually find it a welcome release. Stylistically, the band has moved into electronic and alt. dance, which makes this more of a digestible remix. Kele obviously has a certain something for club and dance, and this only adds to their new style. "Talons" is still a great track in this outfit.

Bloc Party "Silent Alarm Remixed" (2005)

Silent Alarm Remixed (remix)
release date: Aug. 29, 2005
format: cd
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]

producer: various

label: Wichita - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Like Eating Glass (Ladytron Mix)" (2 / 5) - 2. "Helicopter (Sheriff Whitey Mix)" (2,5 / 5) - 3. "Positive Tension (Jason Clark Remix)" (2 / 5) - 4. "Banquet (Phones Disco Edit)" (3,5 / 5) - 5. "Blue Light (Engineers Anti-Gravity Mix)" (2 / 5) - 6. "She's Hearing Voices (Erol Alkan's Calling Your Dub Reworking)" (1,5 / 5) - 7. "This Modern Love (Dave Pianka's Making Time Remix)" (1,5 / 5) - 8. "The Pioneers (M83 Remix)" (2 / 5) - 9. "Price of Gas (Automato Remix)" (1,5 / 5) - 10. "So Here We Are (Four Tet Remix)" (2 / 5) - 11. "Luno (Bloc Party vs Death From Above 1979)" (1,5 / 5) - 12. "Plans (Replanned by Moqwai)" (2,5 / 5) - 13. "Compliments (Shibuyaka Remix by Nick Zinner)" (2,5 / 5)

A remix album by Bloc Party of the band's debut released 6 months after the original album. Now, why was this ever necessary? I bought the album without listening to it first. Having heard only good music from this band, I just wanted everything they released, but this was a waste of money. Everything they had done so far was in the spirit of the new post-punk revival wave. Even the cover is a 'repro' of the artworks by Peter Saville and Joy Division but here the music goes elsewhere. In retrospect, it only signals that the band is much more than just post-punk but the result is not good, although a lesser version of "Banquet" doesn't manage to ruin the song. Almost all tracks are club dance remixes of every song on the original album with a few daring exceptions.