Various Artists - Third Ear Re:Imagined

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  • Plenty of labels have given fresh ears the keys to their vaults. But with such a singular aesthetic, Beatdown powerhouse Third Ear makes for an especially exciting prospect. The London-via-Tokyo label has assembled a cast of top-flight tinkerers for the Third Ear Re:imagined EP, and the best of the bunch here don't remix so much as find new ways of stating the originals' intent. Take Upperground Orchestra, for example. The electronic jazz group fronted by Morphosis more or less covers Theo Parrish's "Falling Up," and their live reinterpretation makes a vengeful golem from the ground-up bits of Parrish's MPC. Red Rack'em also takes some nice liberties. The producer's sound has grown more urgent of late, and he lights a fire under the easy groove of Ibex's "Spiritual War" and watches mischievously as the panicked original fills with smoke. The other re-imaginings are more standard fare. XDB defies the title of Benjamin Brunn's "No Kicks" and loses much of the original's delicious tension in the process. With Pirahnahead's "Self-Conscience," Lorca Music spruces up the sound nicely but plays things a little safe. It's the mixes that don't, however, that make this mixed bag well worth grabbing.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Ibex - Spiritual War (Red Rack'em Remake) A2 Benjamin Brunn - No Kicks (XDB Reshape) B1 Pirahnahead - Self Conscience (Lorca Music Remake) B2 Theo Parrish - Falling Up (Upperground Orchestra Re-Imagination)
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