Unless you have been hiding under a rock or been absent from a club for the past few years, there is no way that you haven't heard the seductive sounds of iiO. Their songs have become such massive hits and have spawned so many remixes and received enough airplay that you would almost believe they were hellbent on conquering the dance world. Even though their hits have experienced such great longevity on the charts, iiO as a group haven't fared as well with the departure of Nadia Ali, whose seductive voice gave the songs its alluring appeal, for a solo career. I guess that is why we are seeing a greatest hits CD coming out so early in their career and that CD is Reconstruction Time: the Best of iiO Remixed.
Reconstruction Time is a mixture of new remixes of their greatest hits and the addition of a megamix and two bonus tracks. These aren't as strong as their original hits, and the CD might have been stronger with a couple of alternate remixes, but the tracks still amuse nonetheless. The remixes on Reconstruction Time are, for the most, part minimal techno/trance takes on the originals and will feel fresh since most of the mixes are not the standard ones we have heard over the past few years.
While the remixes of the bigger hits are a great listen, the most unique part of this CD is the remix treatment of several former album-only tracks such as "Chastity," "Tantric," and the very explosive and funky mix of "Be It," which are less known.
Overall, this collection of remixes are inspired and definitely fun to listen to but most of the tracks don't really show the full potential of iiO. If you appreciate a more mellow and melancholy version of iiO, then this will definitely be a great CD to have, but if you are looking for more uptempo mixes of their greatest hits, then you might find yourself a bit disappointed even though some of the tracks on the CD are absolutely amazing. Either way, most iiO fans will enjoy something from this CD and will wonder what the future could hold for them.
