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Isis > Oceanic Remixes / Reinterpretations > Reviews
Isis - Oceanic Remixes / Reinterpretations

They should of left the classic alone... - 38%

Cravinov13, March 18th, 2007

If you ask me, Oceanic was far too good to be messed with. This 2-Disc set is a compilation of the four EPs containing remixes of Isis songs from Oceanic. It’s an all star cast of brilliant artists, including Mike Patton, Tim Hecker, and JK Broadrick, yet hardly any of them give the songs fair justice. Die hard fans of Isis will either love this or hate this, mainly because it tilts entirely on the band’s ambient, atmospheric side, and that’s it. Every song is a drug out, twisted, and redundant mass of beautiful soundscapes and electronic ambiance that will leave you saying “Okay, okay, it’s good, now what?”

Don’t get me wrong, I love ambient and atmospheric music, but this is Isis music that is not Isis! Where is the amazingly heavy, sludgy guitars? (hardly anywhere on this release). When is the part where the music bursts into an amazing sweeping melody hidden n a wall of dense atmospheric sound? (never). Where is that Isis magic? (gone). Basically saying, this is a compilation of cover songs with the band members playing their parts Long with the other artists.

The best tracks to hear to get an idea of this double disc’s sound are False Light (remix by Ayal Noar of 27), Maritime (remix by Mike Patton), and Like I Will Love Her Forever? (Fuckin Die!!!) ("Carry" remix by DJ Speedranch featuring Guilty Connector).

If you are looking for something outrageously different and unique, this is a perfect CD set to pick up, but if you’re looking for another good Isis record to add to your collection, be best you pass, since their is hardly any trace of the band’s real talent and skill in this release.

Very different, very weird, very good. - 83%

caspian, August 23rd, 2005

Oceanic was a monster of an album, an so when this CD arrived, I was both enthusiastic and apprehensive. Theres no denying that the remixers (Mike Patton, JK Broadrick) are all great at their own thing.. But could they do justice to what is maybe the album of the decade? Well, while it isn't as life changing as Oceanic this is still throughly entertaining and really quite good.

The first song starts off faithfully enough. Ayal Naor does a great remix of False Light, adding a bit of Carry into it. It works really well, but otherwise, it's basically the same as False Light. So nothing really original there.

But that's where the straight up covers end. A lot of the songs are almost completely unrecognisable. Some of the songs are stripped down to ambient noise and static, like Teledubgnosis's version of Maritime, which sounds nothing at all like the original. Some songs go in the opposite direction, but none of them sound like the originals. Venetian Snares do a bizarre cover of "The beginning and the end" Turning the first half into a drum and bass song, and then drifting into calmer waters, before going back to more drum and bass madness. It's crazy.

The best songs in this though, are ones that go beyond merely screwing with the songs and attempt to create maybe just a better version of the songs. Enter Broadrick. Broadrick did an amazing remix of Celestial for their SGNL05 album, turning a pumping metal song into an expansive trance track. He does it again for Hym, which turns into a 15 minute long epic. Tim Hecker's brilliant 2nd remix of Carry is amazing as well, turning the song into a soaring piece of sound. It's really beautiful, and extremely Oceanic in it's approach.

While I wouldn't recommend this to people who don't own Oceanic, anyone who has Oceanic should enjoy this. A little bit inconsistent, perhaps, but overall quite an entertaining album.

Standout Tracks: Carry (Second Version) JK Broadrick: Hym