Khruangbin - Mordechai Remixes (2LP)

The art of the remix has been around for several decades, from the fervid imaginations of JA pioneers like Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid or King Tubby to the disco enthusiasts of New York, such as Tom Moulton, who bequeathed us the modern iteration of the remix and provided a template from which most remixers still work. Moulton’s first commercial remix, a reworking of BT Express’ appropriately-named ‘Do It ’Till You’re Satisfied’, which stretched it from three minutes to a luxurious five, assisted the band in securing its first Billboard R&B Number One, as well as providing a pathway for remixers like Walter Gibbons, Larry Levan, Richie Rivera and Tee Scott, to completely reinvent the concept of a remix (and in some instances, deconstructing the idea of what comprised a song).

It has subsequently been used as a marketing tool, a dancefloor-devastator, a gimmick (both cheap and expensive) or even as a way of reaching a different audience (think Tori Amos’ ‘Professional Widow’). Khruangbin are no slouches when it comes to the remix themselves. They’ve been reworked before, in 2016, with the highly collectible EP on Boogiefuturo. But this time, they’re taking it a step further with an album dedicated to the art. Entering the tight-knit world of a Khruangbin song can be a little daunting. They have created this entire universe in which the trio seem to function telepathically in the way the music is composed, arranged and played. To mess with their delicate eco-system can invoke feelings similar to that of an unwanted guest crashing a good-time party. “We write our music to be interpreted; this is another wonderful interpretation of the music,” reassure Khruangbin. “There is something very vulnerable about letting others work on your music. But through the correspondence with the different artists, we gained a bigger connection to the songs themselves.”

1. Father Bird, Mother Bird (Sunbirds)
2. Connaissais de Face (Tiger?)
3. Dearest Alfred (MyJoy)
4. First Class (Soul in the Horn Remix)
5. If There is No Question (Soul Clap’s Wild, but not Crazy Mix)
6. Pelota (Cut a Rug Mix
7. Time (You and I)(Put a Smile on DJ’s Face Mix)
8. Shida (Bella’s Suite)
9. So We Won’t Forget (Mang Dynasty Version)
10. One to Remember (Forget Me Nots Dub)