Icarus - Sylt Remixes

by Maarten Schiethart

published: 8 / 11 / 2009

Label: Rump Recordings
Format: CD

Extensive collection of remixes of tracks from British electronica act Icarus's album of the same name, which are of wildly varying quality and best listened to in instalments

Review

'Sylt' is a small holiday island resort north off the coast of Hamburg and Icarus's original album of the same name was rather quiet and short. It is a great surprise to find a wealth of remixer DJs eager to give their version of Icarus's electronica! That particular Rump sound gets extended over no less than fourteen tracks. Fragile loops turn thick. Gentle tingling turns to a pounding noise, such as on Frank Bretschneider's Psittacidae mix of 'Keet', while Opiate in contrast treats the same track with more of a twist. Isan's remix of 'Keet' offers neat microhouse with dramatic breaks. In most mixes, the original lines become hard to detect. Crunky breakbeats on Ital Tek's snappy rendition of 'Selfautoparent' takes this mixed bag to more greater challenges. Svartbag uses screeching guitars on his orgasmic mix of 'Jyske' which paves the way for the introversion of 'Keet' by CoH. Lothar Ohlmeier and Isambard Khroustaliov use typical electronica as little as possible and push themselves to the front row of the avant-garde with brass and snare contributions. Badun's 'Keet' mix comes close to early and modest Isan. On the Xela mix tahuman voice is heard for the first time. 'First Inf(ERænce' is the only straightforward contribution. The second inference by GoTo80 drifts back to early computer glitch nostalgia and, deliberately yet still so, sounds outdated. Icarus's crisp original of 'Keets' is included, I assume to set a standard for this bunch. The last track is Digitonal who ease up the original complexity of 'Jyske' and give it a cinematic touch that works like a lullaby. (For animation check the icarus.nu website). The '[Sylt]Remixes' are lengthy, but put together in a sequence that allows for pauses. As with a set of several vinyl records, this record is best taken in doses.

Track Listing:-

1 Volks! (Volked Up By Nabo)
2 Keet (Opiate Mix)
3 Keet (Psittacidae Mix By Frank Bretschneider)
4 First Inf(E)Rænce (Karsten Pflum Remix)
5 Keet (Isan Saved By The Bell Mix)
6 Selfautoparent (Ital Tek Remix)
7 Keet'98 (Oxy Mix Aka Ivan Pavlov/Coh)
8 Jyske Rugkiks (Lothar Ohlmeier / Isambard Khroustaliov Version)
9 Keet (Badun Remix)
10 First Inf(E)Rænce (Xela Remix)
11 Second Inf(E)Rænce (Goto80 Gbc64 Remix)
12 Keets (Original 2005 AD Mix By Icarus)
13 Jyske (Digitonal Remix)