Erasure - Pop! Remixed
Review by Jack Foley
ERASURE are splashing out on all things Pop! related… it seems. In addition to the release of Pop! Remixed, there’s also Total Pop!, a collection of their first 40 hits (due February 23), which comes in a variety of formats.
First up, though, is this remix album, that transforms one of their greatest albums and gives it a contemporary kick.
The 10-track EP features a new Jeremy Wheatley remix of Always as its biggest selling point, as well as remixes from Vince Clarke, Andy Bell, Mark Picchiotti, Manhattan Clique, Komputer and Sweden’s Sound Factory.
As with most remix packages, it’s a hit-and-miss affair. Some remixes needlessly transform faultless originals into a complete mess, while others drag tracks out for far too long!
But Pop! seems to have better success than most at giving Erasure fans what they want to hear.
The Jeremy Wheatley 2009 remix of Always, for instance, is instantly appealing, emerging like a slick cross of Erasure-styled pop cheesiness and slightly darker Depeche Mode style synth rock. It’s a great starting point.
Freedom, meanwhile, benefits from a flamenco guitar makeover that really adds extra zip and heightens the excitement and energy of listening to it – so hats off to Mark Pichiotti’s Strumapella Remix!
Fingers & Thumbs, by Sound Factory, just about works, as does the still appealing Ship Of Fools (even if the intro is unrecognisable with its orchestral flourishes and hard dub beats), and Vince Clarke’s ’82 Remix of Stop! succeeds in dropping a pumped up back-beat that genuinely exhilarates.
But there are some forgettable moments, too, which suggests that some fans should also approach with caution if they don’t like hearing their nostalgic favourites played around with a little too much.
As they say, though… you pays your money, you takes your chances! Especially when it comes to remixes!
Download picks: Always [2009 Remix], Freedom [Mark Pichiotti remix], Ship Of Fools [Soil in the Synth Remix]
Track listing: