Low, owL Remix Low (Vernon Yard - Astralwerks)
from CMJ Issue 581, 3 August 1998.
Given the amorphous and evocative quality of Low's glacially slow music, it's hardly a surprise that it thrives as much as it does in the hands of the downtempo/abstract beat heads who work over the band's tracks on this remix album. Neotropic (a.k.a. Small Fish With Spine) takes on three of the eight tracks here, mining Low's originals for their stark, ominous ambiance and then dropping in an array of tripped-out beats and haunting instrumental accents from odd angles. Tranquility Bass ingeniously manages to turn the lullaby "Over The Ocean" into a swinging, quasi-bossa nova dance track, replete with a crisp snare rhythm, playful Casio synth riffs and jazzy trumpet breaks. DJ Vadim, Porter Ricks, Skull Valley Dub and Jimmy Somerville/Sally Herbert round out the album with equally imaginative and well-conceived reinterpretations.
- Colin Helms: CMJ New Music Report Issue: 581 - Aug 3, 1998
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