SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: VARIOUS ARTISTS – REMIX/REMODEL – THE VINCE CLARKE REMIXES

VARIOUS ARTISTS
REMIX/REMODEL – THE VINCE CLARKE REMIXES
CHERRY RED RECORDS

Vince Clarke is well known as a solo artist, musician, and one-time member of Depeche Mode, Yazoo, and The Assembly, and as a current member of Doublespeak and Erasure. He is equally known for his production and remix skills. Remix/Remodel – The Vince Clarke Remixes collection (two-CD set) does an excellent job of compiling some of the songs Clarke has remixed over the years. It is not exhaustive, but it does provide a nice overview of Clarke’s side career.

The beauty of Clarke’s remixing talent is his ability to adapt to the artist, rather than the artists’ songs adapting to his trademark sound. This two-CD collection provides excellent examples of this. For example, his work with his former bandmates Depeche Mode sounds like Depeche Mode rather than a Vince Clarke track. He also has the ability to preserve everything good about the song while enhancing it, rather than just creating a solid beat and losing the beauty of the original.

It is excellent that several bands and artists with whom Clarke have worked are included. Andy Bell, his partner in Erasure, is here with “Dance For Mercy,” and Clarke manages to remix it without turning it into an Erasure track. It is original, high energy, and very danceable. The same can be said for his remixes for VCMG (a project he created with Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore.) Reed and Caroline (the fantastic “Electrons”) and Alka (both Alka and Reed and Caroline were signed to Clarke’s record label Very Records). Again, Clarke enhances what is already great about these songs in his remixes.

This is a brief but interesting sampling of Vince Clarke in his remix chair. There is a nice cross-section of well-known bands (his remix of “Bedsitter” is absolutely stunning) to lesser-known, independent artists (such as the excellent Dubfire & Miss Kittin.)  Remix/Remodel – The Vince Clarke Remixes is an album of songs that are worth hearing and enjoying. It is good to have them collected and given so many more out there; perhaps there could be a part two.

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