Soulwax – Nite Versions / 2006 Modular / 10 Tracks / http://www.soulwax.com / http://www.modularpeople.com / Reviewed 09 October 2006

I like how “Teachers” starts out, but having a listing of bands as a track just does not work. The only way that a song of listed items works is if the act cuts it off early, as is the case with Radiohead’s “Fitter Happier”. This is not what happens with Soulwax’s “Teachers”, as the track ends at the two and a half minute mark. There is too little in the way of extra material for individuals to chew on beyond the listing of bands.

The second track is “Miserable Girl”., and Soulwax moves into a current Nine Inch Nails approach for this track. While this shift is light years ahead from “Teachers”, there does still seem to be some space where Soulwax could go to increase their returns. “E-Talking” seems to show the band at this capacity, but the lack of vocals straight off during this track seems to reduce the impressiveness of this track. The song might work well at the onset of a movie, but there is too much repetition present to keep individuals interested throughout. The same vocals that finally break through on “E-Talking” start out “Accidents and Compliments”, but the same problem with Soulwax remains. This is that the band does not add enough in the way of new material to any of their tracks on “Nite Versions”. I can understand pounding a riff into listeners’ skulls, but there needs to be more than two or three phrases spread out over the entirety of a six minute track.

Soulwax is a good act for tripping out to, as the tracks are of a reasonably high tempo that individuals can be dancing around for the entirety of the disc’s fifty-plus minutes. However, if someone would try to open up the act to normal consumption, individuals would turn off “Nite Versions” within the first ten minutes. A few of the tracks are solid (such as “Accidents and Compliments”), but there is little here for anyone but the most hardcore listeners of techno. I would like Soulwax if they were remixing an infernal or a Pet Shop Boys track, but an entire disc of their antics just is not borne out by the lack of material on the disc.

Top Tracks: Compute, Accidents and Compliments

Rating: 4.7/10

[JMcQ]