KMFDM - Krieg

Title: Krieg
Artist: KMFDM
Genre: Electro, Remix
Release Date: 19th February 2010
Label: Danse Macabre



Album Review

Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid, KMFDM, show no signs of slowing down in their 26th year. Let’s face it; they are one of the hardest working bands around today when they could very easily rest on their substantial laurels. While some people are turned off by remix albums, I happen to quite like them. And KMFDM tend to put out some of the best (alongside NINE INCH NAILS of course) due to the fact that to them a remix doesn’t automatically entail “dance music”. Instead we get a variety of reinterpretations from a myriad of contributors. In this case the mixers are past and present members of acts such as Nine Inch Nails, White Zombie, Danzig, Static-X, Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Prong, Combichrist and even ex-KMFDM members get their hands on the raw files that formed last year‘s album ‘Blitz’. Those names alone should let you know this album isn’t messing around.

The first track sees a dark industrial re-imagining of ‘Bait & Switch’ complete with thumping rhythms and infectious Synth work from COMBICHRIST - this will make it onto plenty of dance floors I suspect. Next Andy Selway works his magic on the Disco Balls mix of ‘Strut’ - it’s cheesy, really cheesy, but annoyingly memorable. Seismologist’s Harmonic Tremors mix of ‘Potz Blitz!’ is the kind of stuff I want to hear - dark, abrasive and unsettling it’s the kind of track that gets you hooked. Next track ‘Bait & Switch (Sacred Cow mix)’ turns the guitars up for a rockier version of the song that makes it sound not unlike early GODHEAD. ‘Never Say Never (Naughty Habit mix)’ by Ivan de Prume again opts to bring out the rockier side of KMFDM, but if it wasn’t for the naturally catchy chorus it would be a rather bland offering.

Koichi Fukuda’s Requiem mix of ‘People of the Lie’ is sheer brilliance with its minimalist drum track and haunting piano (though it does beg the question “why he can’t work this well on Static-X’s albums?”). The next track ‘Bitches (Pop Will Eat This mix)’ by Vile Evils is a standard remix in all fairness - there is little there to make it qualify as anything other than a filler. KOMOR KOMMANDO’s Confessional mix of ‘Never say Never’ is, as you’d expect, bloody good; it’s driving beat and immaculate dance floor synths are a great kick on a decent track. The next song ‘People of the Lie (Crooked Illusion mix)’ by Mary Byker is a nice minimalist electro track but it lacks that extra kick to give it any lasting impact. On the other hand, Tweaker’s Cyrillic mix of ‘Davai’ takes no prisoners with its hard drums, and industrial synths it brings out the militaristic menace of the original but keeps its dance floor appeal. The genius that is Dave “Rave” Ogilvie’s Candy Apple mix of ‘Never say Never’ injects some cute J-pop groove into it to radical alter the original beast into a playful kitten.

The final track ‘Davai (Bloody Fog mix)’ by ASSEMBLAGE 23 is nice and abrasive EBM that gets the body moving more effectively than most other tracks on the album. I was disappointed to see no remix of ‘Me and My Gun’ on here, which was easily the most addictive track on ‘Blitz’. But no matter, this album still shows how relevant and diverse the KMFDM sound is after 26 years. The calibre of the artists displaying their remixing prowess is beyond question, even if they may fall short of their own aims. So, as far as remix albums go this is one of the better ones.


Tracklist

01. Bait & Switch (All 4 One Mix)
03. Potz Blitz! (Harmonic Tremors Mix)
04. Bait & Switch (Sacred Cow Mix)
05. Never Say Never (Naughty Habit Mix)
06. People of the Lie (Requiem Mix)
07. Bitches (Pop Will Eat This Mix)
08. Never Say Never (Confessional Mix)
09. People of the Lie (Crooked Illusion Mix)
10. Davai (Cyrillic Mix)
11. Never Say Never (Candy Apple Mix)
12. Davai (Bloody Fog Mix)


Line-up

Sascha Konietzko
Lucia Cifarelli
Jules Hodgson
Andy Selway
Steve White


Websites

http://www.kmfdm.net/ / www.myspace.com/officialkmfdm


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 7
Sound: 8
Extras: -
Total: 7.5 / 10


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