Underworld – Riverrun Remix / 2006 Underworldlive.com / 6 Tracks / http://www.underworldlive.com / Reviewed 06 December 2006

I must say that a number of the songs on the “Riverrun Remix” album are not tracks that I was already familiar with. The only time that listeners have a base line to work off of comes during the “Play Pig’ tracks, which have two different iterations of the songs. Taking the tracks as their own thing, “Jal To Tokyo” is a nice dance / techno track that has enough of the way of different iterations of the instrumentation to keep individuals interested throughout the track’s near eight minute runtime. While I cannot see this album as being something that will spawn hit after hit for normal radio, these remixes of “Riverrun” tracks will allow DJs and fans of the band alike to vary their approach to Underworld music in a way that only remixes can allow.

The Pete Heller vocal version of “Peggy Sussed” gives individuals a very different verson of the Underworld sound. The same dance meets techno beats are present during this track as were present in the opening track, but the different vocal style of Heller over Woolford makes it almost feel as if there are two acts on this disc, even at this early stage. “Play Pig” (the buick project mix 1) version has a very low-key flavor. While there is a beat that is maintained through the track, one would expect more individual sitting and chilling while the track plays rather than on the dance floor. This version of “Play Pig” may be the track that pushes the limits of length.

This track is the longest of the CD, and clocks in just a shade below the ten minute mark. There is not enough in the way of material for individuals to keep attention to the track, something that the Pig and Dan Mix 2 version of the song combats by increasing the tempo of the backing beat and lopping around two minutes off of the ultimate run time. The disc that I can liken “Riverrun Remix” to is the Pet Shop Boys’ album “Introspective”, which was an album released in the earliest days of the nineties that had different iterations of the PSB’s most famous hits, as well as retooled versions of songs. It was enough to re-launch a band that had not had much American success post “West End Girls”. I believe that, given the right exposure, that “Riverrun Remix” can be an album that does much of the same thing for Underworld.

Top Track: Play Pig Pig and Dan Mix 2

Rating: 6.0/10

[JMcQ]