There's no denying that Bloc Party were one of the huge hits of the singles and album worlds and the concert circuit. It's easy to see and hear why everyone was clamoring to get their hands on nearly every single available as well as their eagerly anticipated album, Silent Alarm. So how about a remix album? Everyone from Sarah McLachlan to Curtis Mayfield have been remixed, so why not an album only six months old? Whereas a lot of remixes can be overlong, boring, unnecessary and uncreative, Silent Alarm Remixed is an entirely new take on one of the best and most innovative albums of the year.

One of the remixes appeared previously on the EP, Bloc Party, that being the "Phones Disco Edit" of "Banquet," `Phones' being Bloc Party themselves plus Maxïmo Park producer Paul Epworth. The rest are brand spanking new and some of them amazing and fresh arrangements of songs we have grown to revere over the last half year. The best of the bunch? Try Whitey's version of "Helicopter," Dave P. and Adam Sparkles' take on "This Modern Love," and M83's brilliant Tangerine Dream-ish study of "The Pioneers." But hands down the stunner is Engineers' subtle meditative and beauteous version of "Blue Light." It floats and soars alternately, and makes you think that just when a song can't get any better, well, it can, yesiree!

Then there is the, if nothing else, interesting complete re-recording of one of the songs by the likes of Death From Above 1979. They make "Luno" a more muscular tirade, fuzzy and rocket fueled. I personally loved their idea of covering rather than remixing to shake things up, and it takes things back to a more primitive and raw level than the rest of the album. Appearances by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner, Mogiwai, Four Tet, Automato, J. Clark from Pretty Girls Make Graves, and Ladytron round out the album, a worthwhile addition to your post-punk / electronic collection. All this, plus an extra disc of three new songs and two acoustic tracks. How can you miss?

Similar Albums:
The Rapture- Echoes
LCD Soundsystem- LCD Soundsystem
Out Hud- Let Us Never Speak of It Again


Terrance Terich
10.09.2005