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Bloc Party
Silent Alarm Remixed
Wichita
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Article
written by Hattie N
Sep 25, 2005.
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Blame Franz Ferdinand. It was their now infamous claim that they wanted to “make music for girls to dance to” that changed the ethos and aspirations of modern rock music, perhaps forever. First Franz took over the world with their toe-tapping tunes, and then a whole plethora of bands followed. This included Bloc Party, who, not content with making one of the albums of the year, have decided to take the whole indie/dance love-in to perhaps its logical conclusion; a remix album.
But does this brave gesture produce anything vaguely listenable? Obviously, some of it doesn’t work: take the Phones Disco Edit of “Banquet” for example, proving that such pop perfection as the original really can’t be improved with added effects and stuntedness. Whitey's take on “Helicopter”, meanwhile, suffers from the fact that the original was so sharp and spiky that this version is likely to cut your eardrums to pieces. But there are times when, whisper it, these remixes are better than the originals. Add DFA 1979 to “Luno”, and you get a ferocious electro-grunge fest full of distorted guitars and even more vicious vocals from Kele Okereke. A touch of magic from Ladytron means that “Like Eating Glass” is sleeker, spookier and sexier than before, and “The Pioneers” is transformed by M83 into an emotive orchestral masterpiece. Blissful.
Fans of “Silent Alarm” will either find this an interesting and educational take on a work they already love, or see it as nothing more than sacrilege. But the importance of this album isn’t what it sounds like, but what it stands for. This signals a new era in music, a time when genres can be interspersed and boundaries can be crossed. So, to all you indie-geeks out there who look down on dance music as the soundtrack to morons getting pissed on Bacardi Breezers in some dodgy club, open your mind and give this a go; you might just be surprised.
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