Attrition
The Hand That Feeds: The Remixes
Invisible
Attrition’s new remix record is the first and only remix record (that I am aware of) that has fulfilled the simplest and yet most elusive criterion of such a project: it actually sounds like a record, not a slapdash assortment of egotistical experiments and general wankery. Face front, true believer, this is real deal beauty and perhaps Attrition’s strongest release to date. None of the contributors rounded up by Invisible Records fuck with the formula to an insane degree, and there are no meanderings in house or garage, so I’m good. What you do end up with is a coherent whole that brings out aspects of Attrition’s songcraft that have perhaps been overlooked in the past.
All the contributors to this project are smart enough to keep with Attrition’s downer aesthetic sense, and working within those parameters, have managed to pull out some moments of austere beauty. For instance, I’ll refer you to Chris and Cosey’s remix “I Am Eternity” or the Regenerator remix of “My Friend is Golden.” And though I’m obviously way biased towards the bleaker moments, more danceable fare like “The Second Hand,” “White Men Talk,” and even Attrition’s own remix of “The Mercy Machine” appeal to me as stellar dark pop gems. And then when you’ve got In The Nursery’s sinister, wonderful, and all points in between remix of “IAE” nearly closing out the record, I just know that everything is gonna be all right.
I just can’t even adequately express how much I loooove this here record, it•s such a satisfying experience on so many levels. A non-shitty remix record! Who woulda thunk it?
Invisible Records, PO Box 16008, Chicago, IL, 60616, http://www.invisiblerecords.com
