Amazon.co.uk Review
Given that remixers' recourse to acoustica is the next logical link to down-tempo electronica, it's no surprise that the Kings of Convenience's beguiling debut has undergone this treatment.
Versus sees the winsome, lovelorn ditties of
Quiet is the New Loud reinterpreted by the likes of fellow Norwegians
Royksopp (whose lovely remix of "I Don't Know What to Save You From" appeared on the "Failure" single),
Four Tet,
Ladytron and
Alfie, amongst others. Apart from Ladytron, who opt for their characteristic warped synth-pop, on the whole the assembled cast choose to gently tweak the songs, rather than offer any radical reworking of them. Evil Tordivel update "Leaning Against the Wall" with sprightly horns and keyboards, leaving the song less introspective, but still recognisable. Wayward folksters Alfie remake "Failure" (also included on the single), but are less successful, as its skewed lo-fi tends to overbear much of the all-important melody.
Riton's remix of "The Girl From Back Then" adds gentle sprinkles of nonchalant, shuffling beats, but the highlight, is the "Weight of My Words" remix by Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet. As showcased on his glorious
Pause album, he melds bubbling electronica with an organic, folky ambience, perfectly demonstrating the premise of
Versus. -
Suzannah Brown
CD Description
'Versus' is a collection of rare and previously unavailablemixes all culled from the bands debut album 'Quiet Is The New Loud'. Various artists and DJ's have remixed or completely reworked the acoustic pop tracks and given them a contemporary dance sound.