Zen RMX - A Ninjatune Remix Retrospective

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  • Part two of the Ninjathon moves on to the remixes, and these prove every bit as rewarding as the originals. It's also interesting to hear how artists not from the label approach their art. And you couldn't really ask for a much better start than the Cornelius mix of Coldcut's 'Atomic Moog', a real spacey number that takes helium vocals, euphoric chords and a frantic drum track, blending them all together. Then it's two Squarepusher remixes, the impact of the chords in DJ Food's 'Scratch Yer Head' really hitting home. More experimental tracks follow, with Bonobo via Fourtet and DJ Food via Luke Vibert. Manitoba's mix of Mr Scruff's 'Sweetsmoke' heads down a spacier, dubby path. So far so good - and CD2 continues the quality with Ashley Beedle stepping up to remix DJ Food (again, with 'Consciousness'!) and Sakamoto ('Salvation'). There are two Herbaliser tracks here too, and the Bossa remix of 'Something Wicked' really is a special moment, Seaming To reaching notes seemingly impossible without surgery! A couple of Cinematic Orchestra tracks are also present, 'Dr Rockit' and 'Domu' providing some detailed reworkings. It seems the originality of the Ninjatune artists is matched equally well by their mixers, and it must have been a tough job compiling this little lot. A shame we couldn't enjoy some of Coldcut's other remixes, but the music copyright business being what it is I guess that would be too much to ask for! It goes without saying that this is pretty much essential stuff for Ninja fans, who look to have an expensive time on their hands if you read the other two reviews on RA!
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