Thursday, April 23, 2009

Bloc Party Intimacy Remixed

Bloc Party
Intimacy Remixed
(May 12th; Atlantic Records)

Bloc Party will digitally release Intimacy Remixed, their second full-length remix album, on May 12 on Atlantic Records. "Signs (Armand Van Helden Remix)" is the first single and will also be available May 12 via all digital service providers. Intimacy Remixed is the companion remix album to 2008’s Intimacy, the band’s third full-length release, and features remixes by the likes of No Age, Mogwai, Armand Van Helden, Phones and more. Segments of three tracks from Intimacy (“Signs”, “Ion Square” and “Ares”) are now available to download from www.blocparty.com as high quality MP3 files, allowing fans to create their own remixes and upload them to the site for all to hear.

In August 2008, Bloc Party generated lots of excitement when they surprised fans during a web chat by announcing their third album, Intimacy, was complete and would be released digitally that month. While receiving critical acclaim for the album and touring the world for the past seven months, the band, always looking toward the future, was crafting Intimacy Remixed. This album elevates Intimacy’s tracks into a musical stratosphere filled with mashes, splices, loops and layers that swirl and fold together in a way that will inspire even the most stubborn wallflower to find a dance floor. Vocalist Kele Okereke’s voice blends seamlessly into the fabric of each song, as each remixer’s individual musical stamp helps transform the original creation into something bold and exciting. Indeed, on Intimacy Remixed, even the empty sonic spaces are just as striking as the chaotic ones.

Album opener "Ares (Villains Remix)" teases with the sliding guitar crunch of the original version over a propulsive, grinding beat complete with zippy synths and handclaps. “Mercury (HervĂ© is in disarray Remix)”‘s high energy, intense vocal loops and buzzing synths settle into organized musical chaos, while “Biko (Mogwai Remix)”’s sonic structure is reflective of its heavier lyrical subject, with syncopated beats and electronic blips that punctuate echoing, haunting vocals layered over a labored, pounding rhythm. From the urgency created by the blitz of staccato beeps in “Trojan Horse (John B Remix)” to the pulsing, fuzzy “Signs (Armand Van Helden Remix)” with beats so fast they meld into a solid tone, Intimacy Remixed encompasses everything a remix album should. With the electronic-influenced “One Month Off (Filthy Dukes Remix)”, the rock-tinged “Better Than Heaven (No Age Remix)” and the haze of “Ion Square (Banjo Or Freakout Remix)”, these songs each move in their own musical directions while retaining the melodic spark of the band’s original creations.

Bloc Party will complete a tremendously successful North American tour in the beginning of May and then head back home to the U.K. to prepare for a run of summer tour dates and festivals overseas.

The track listing for Intimacy Remixed…
1. Ares (Villains Remix)
2. Mercury (Hervé is in disarray Remix)
3. Halo (We Have Band Dub)
4. Biko (Mogwai Remix)
5. Trojan Horse (John B Remix)
6. Signs (Armand Van Helden Remix)
7. One Month Off (Filthy Dukes Remix)
8. Zephyrus (Phase One Remix)
9. Talons (Phones R.I.P. Mix)
10. Better Than Heaven (No Age Remix)
11. Ion Square (Banjo Or Freakout Remix)
12. Letter To My Son (Gold Panda Remix)
13. Your Visits Are Getting Shorter (Optothetic Remix)

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