Oh, remix albums. Who loves ‘em? Some are not a very good idea whatsoever, like Jennifer Lopez doing J to tha L-O!: The Remixes. Some sell a crapload of copies, like Michael Jackson’s Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. Apparently everyone loves using colons in their remix album titles. Anyway, remix albums usually only prompt one question from curious listeners, namely, are the remixes going to be better or worse than the originals?
Au Revoir Simone made a pretty decent album with Still Night, Still Light, and now a host of characters has churned out remixes of the original material. Still Night, Still Light was, in a word, subtle. Au Revoir Simone is composed of three cute girls with bangs (Erika Forster, Annie Hart, and Heather D’Angelo) from Williamsburg, wielding keyboards and drum machines. For music that is entirely synthesized, it is impressively rich and well arranged, without that icky technological headache normally associated with the absence of ‘real’ instruments. Au Revoir Simone produce music that is delicate, restrained, wholeheartedly pretty. You get a sense that they strive for this kind of harmonious arrangement; they may be ‘cute’ but they will never be sloppy.
So it’s safe to say that remixing Still Night, Still Light into Night Light undoubtedly perverts the subtlety of the songs simply by making some of their elements bigger, louder, brighter, and weirder. A ‘remix’ here doesn’t mean someone took mildly danceable tunes and made them more so, but everything that was carefully orchestrated is now strangely off-kilter. Take “Organized Scenery,” remixed by Bass Clef. The original is a cautiously chugging organ number, perfectly pretty and subdued. The remix is eight minutes of dubstep synths and beats and a thorough vocal chopping that turns the lyrics into Prefuse 73-style “ahs” and “ohs.” It feels weirdly vulgar to turn “Organized Scenery” into techno.
“Anywhere You Looked (Your Twenties Remix) is also jarring in its departure, mostly because of how cheesy it becomes when turned into pseudo-lounge music. The vocals are made into background noise compared to the goofy guitar licks and ‘90s LA hip-hop synth whine—not a good sound, and who are Your Twenties anyway? Other songs are made similarly chintzy; the choppy, bouncy Silver Columns remix of “We Are Here” does nothing for Au Revoir Simone’s sweet vocals and mellow delivery, and the Game Boy blips on “Knight of Wands (Dam Mantle Remix)” are an unwelcome addition. It’s not a good sign if you listen to these remixes and the only response that comes to mind is Why?
It’s not all bad. The Neon Indian remix of “Another Likely Story” is listenable and even fun, especially if you’ve always wondered how Au Revoir Simone would sound as chillwave. It’s got a cool, squiggly, stoned vibe, but the Aeroplane remix of the same song feels cheap. “All Or Nothing (Jensen Sportag Remix) is an enjoyable mix of retro guitars and swingy brass. There are two standouts here: “Only You Can Make You Happy (Deradoorian Remix),” a chamber pop track that retains its prettiness thanks to Angel Deradoorian of Dirty Projectors, and “Shadows (Tanlines Remix),” which sounds like a chilled-out ‘80s electro ballad.
Still, if we’re going to question the necessity of the remixes, the majority of them lean closer to ‘optional’ than ‘obligatory.’ Remixes are supposed to alter certain elements of the original material in a way that makes them feel fresh and exciting, not odd and off-kilter as is the case with so many of the songs on Night Light. It seems like a case of flooding the market with a product that no one has demanded. Stick with the originals on Still Night, Still Light; they are perfectly calibrated for happy listening. Now, who’s up for a round of J to tha L-O!: The Remixes?
Track List:
1. Another Likely Story (Neon Indian Remix)
2. Shadows (Jens Lekman Remix)
3. All Or Nothing (Jensen Sportag Remix)
4. Knight Of Wands (Dam Mantle Remix)
5. The Last One (Mack Winston Dub Remix)
6. Trace A Line (Montag Remix)
7. Only You Can Make You Happy (Deradoorian Remix)
8. Take Me As I Am (Max Cooper Remix)
9. Anywhere You Looked (Your Twenties Remix)
10. Organized Scenery (Bass Clef Remix)
11. We Are Here (Silver Columns Remix)
12. Tell Me (Clock Opera Remix)
13. Another Likely Story (Aeroplane Remix)
14. Shadows (Tanlines Remix)
