This is a nicely compiled selection of some of the biggest hits from the 1980s New Wave/Modern Rock school, remixed and refreshed for modern times. "Retro:Remixed" is especially of note as, though a handful of the selections (Todd Terry's skittering House revamp of Yaz's "Don't Go" or Matt Darey's excellent Trance-NRG stomp through Erasure's "Oh L'amour" for example) have already seen the light of commercial CD release in the US, most of the cuts are either being released for the first time on CD in North America or being released for the first time on commercial CD at all.
Starting off, the Paul Van Dyk Long Run remix of Alphaville's "Dance with Me" is one of the particular standouts with swirling electronics soaring in epic style over a drum track that throbs powerfully beneath Marian Gold's haunting vocal. Just as good, though more on a light and sprightly tip, is Hartmann's Radio Mix of Nik Kershaw's "Wouldn't It Be Good" which turns the mid-tempo pop charmer into a sparkling Hi-NRG delight.
The Bug Bump Mix of "Need You Tonight" from INXS arrives with mixed results, while the increased tempo definitely makes it more suitable to the current club climate, the big room House arrangement also sits somewhat irregularly with the slowly slinking feel of the the late Michael Hutchence's vocals. Similarly the Koishii & Hush Do as the Romans Mix of When In Rome's seminal "The Promise" comes across as a bit jarring with the delicately emoted vocals placed amidst a comparatively frantic Trance backing that is jacked up to almost 20 bpm faster than the original and uses only a modicum of the piano arrangement.
Book Of Love's "I Touch Roses" is also sped up a bit in Markus Schulz's Dark Rose Mix but here the song works well in the new incarnation filled with darkly rolling beats and looming synths. It then provides a pleasing companion to the Infusion Mix of Icehouse's "Hey Little Girl" which is also given an ominous strip down with little more than a pulsing beat underlying the vocal. Now Howard Jones' 1983 hit "What Is Love?" was a song that relied as much on its synth chords as it did on vocals for its popularity, which makes the churning dba Mix-HoJo Vocal Version featured here almost unrecognizable with its completely re-tooled rhythm track and mildly discordant arrangement. The result, though far removed from the feel of the original, is not entirely unsuccessful though.
Also featured are a Redanka Plugged Mix of "Nova Heart" from The Spoons which successfully melds the brooding vocal and guitar lines to a new revved-up pace and "Shout" by Tears For Fears, a song that gets turned inside out with a funky House remix by Beatchugger and brings the song to life in a whole new way. Overall, lots of fun for collectors and general 80s music fans alike.
