By Lewis Park
Many are quick to write off remix albums as a quick and easy way for an artist to cash in on a recent wave of success, and are consequently inclined to pass them by. Champion has certainly had success lately with the album Chill ’em All, receiving positive reviews and getting nation-wide radio play for the single “No Heaven.” That being said, every so often there’s a remix album that is, in fact, an honest and sincere artistic endeavor which turns out to offer great takes on old tracks for devoted fans. Thankfully, Champion’s latest effort, creatively titled the Remix Album, falls into the latter of the two categories.
The Remix Album definitely leans toward the electronic side of Chill ’em All. The guitars take a back seat to the beats and synthesizers, and the result is a more ambient and relaxed sound than Chill ’em All. The sense of ambiance remains consistent over the course of the disc, something surprising from a remix with multiple contributors.
The song “Two Hoboes” is even remixed twice–the Mocky Remix is upbeat and funk inspired, while the Detroit Grand Pubah’s Gutter Mind Mix is much darker sounding, driven by a deep-and-dirty bass line. The two songs could be taken as a microcosm for the entire experience; without looking at the titles one would be hard pressed to realize that they were the same song.