Intimacy Remixed

Intimacy (The Original Version) was fairly well received when released in 2009, the album apparently took 2 weeks to record and master then the album was discreetly released on the bands website as a download. The album incorporated traditional a rock set up with electronic sounds and ideas, however I felt Intimacy to be slightly scrambled and it lacked any real conviction,there were many good ideas in the songs especially Ares,Mercury and signs but these good ideas were counter-acted with constant loud sounds and electronic edits that made the music sound jerky and hard to follow.

I felt Intimacy Remixed fine tuned the better parts of the songs,steadied the tempo and allowed the listeners to take in everything unlike the originals that I felt kind of chucked themselves at you in one go. For example ”Ares (Villians Remix)” took the only audible part (“it's all getting, quite highly charged”) and turned it a heavy bass and beat song which actually worked better than the distorted echo's and effects on the guitar and vocal parts. “One Month Off – Filthy Dukes Remix” was a song that was also greatly improved in this remix album. The original was too sharp and nippy but the remix softened the harshness and actually made quite an angry song almost happy and funny. The only song that I felt was worse on this album was Signs. The Armand Van Helden Remix was bouncy light hearted and exciting to listen to but it lost the sincerity of the original. The quiet glockenspiel introduction and the soothing sounds behind a cautious sounding Okereke has a really special feeling about it and its the only really moving track on the original.

The idea of releasing remixed versions of an album is what really makes the album of the week because its an unusual route for rock set-up bands to take but also because it allows the listener to hear what others interpretations of songs which is especially nice when you love an original version and its made even better . Bloc Party did take a similar approach with Their first album Silent Alarm however it didn't sound as captivating or as risky and dangerous as Intimacy.