Soulwax: Most Of The Remixes...

Throughout their career, Soulwax have remixed a number of tracks from big name artists such as Kylie and Daft Punk. This release, the title in full being 'Most of the remixes we've made for other people over the years except for the one for Einstürzende Neubauten because we lost it and a few we didn't think sounded good enough or just didn't fit in length-wise, but including some that are hard to find because either people forgot about them or simply because they haven't been released yet, a few we really love, one we think is just ok, some we did for free, some we did for money, some for ourselves without permission and some for friends as swaps but never on time and always at our studio in Ghent,' celebrates 14 of their biggest remixes up to 2007, with a second CD mixed by their 2 Many DJs counterpart.

Soulwax: Most Of The Remixes...

The compilation begins with Soulwax's remix of 'Robot Rock' by the French duo Daft Punk, consisting of an incessant electronic chord which constitutes largely the only material in the first minute, while a talk box-ed "robot rock" is modulated in various ways. In typical form, this degenerates into synthetic bleeps reminiscent of the video games of yesteryear. Fans of Daft Punk may also be pleased that 'Daft Punk Is Playing At My House' by LCD Soundsystem is also remixed and appears as track 3.

Among the later tracks come several other big names, including a syncopated low-fi remix of 'Dare' by Gorillaz and a particularly grunge influenced remix of Kylie's 'Cant Get You Out Of My Head.' One of the highlights is certainly the remix of 'Phantom Part 2' by Justice, which epitomises the upbeat distorted style of Soulwax.

Looking at the second disk, which features a different tracklisting to include additional tracks such as the Sugarbabes' 'Round Round,' the combination of Soulwax remixing and 2 Many DJs mixing of that material leads to an accomplished collection of material, which illustrates great skill. For those who are unacquainted with the stylings of Soulwax, the remixes contained within this release present a very unusual interpretation of pop music.

Save on Delicious

Soulwax: Part Of The Weekend Never Dies

In 2006, Soulwax, the electronic music duo from Belgium, released a rockumentary and accompanying live album of their 2006 'Part Of The Weekend Never Dies' tour. The live CD comprises of material from various previous releases in their own unique dance-punk style.

Soulwax: Part Of The Weekend Never Dies

The album begins with 'Teachers,' an uptempo homage to the duo's spiritual fathers, quoting names such as Van Halen among their other influences. The track begins with a gradual accelerando, once the tempo is reached however, the pace remains throughout the entire album. This track is followed by 'Move My Body,' which also begins with a brief excerpt of 'Theme From Discotheque' which was released under the alias of Soulwax, Samantha Fu. Throughout the album, the pair sample numerous works produced both by Soulwax and other aliases, as well as other established acts.

Later in the album come 'E-Talking' and 'Another Excuse,' both of which fans will know from earlier Soulwax releases. This live performance of both tracks injects even more energy into the the tracks than was seen in the original releases, likening them even more stylistically to the French duo Justice.

It is this reviewer's belief that anyone who has seen the duo perform live, either as Soulwax or their 2ManyDJs counterpart, will testify that their live performances remain largely unparalleled in terms of energy. This release presents a highly exciting series of performances which show off the duo's material at its finest. While the CD/DVD set is no replacement for being at a live gig, the music on this release serves as a great example of the duo's exuberance during a live set.

Save on Delicious