Intimacy Remixed

Last updated

Intimacy Remixed
IntimacyRalbumcover.jpg
Remix album by
Bloc Party
Released11 May 2009
Recorded2008–2009
Genre Alternative dance, electro house
Length65:15
Label Wichita
Producer Paul Epworth, Jacknife Lee, various artists
Bloc Party remix albums chronology
Silent Alarm Remixed
(2005)		Intimacy Remixed
(2009)
Singles from Intimacy Remixed
  1. "Signs (Armand Van Helden Remix)"
    Released: 27 April 2009

Intimacy Remixed is the remix album to Intimacy , the third album by indie rock band Bloc Party. It was released on 11 May 2009 in the United Kingdom through Wichita Recordings, the band's primary label, in limited edition CD and triple LP formats to coincide with Bloc Party's worldwide touring schedule. The record entered the UK Album Chart at number 79. In the United States, it achieved a peak of number 15 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart.

Contents

The band members gave each of the original tracks, including those on the deluxe edition of Intimacy, to a number of musicians from different genres; Mogwai, Filthy Dukes, and No Age were amongst those who reworked the songs. "Signs (Armand Van Helden Remix)" was released as a single and a music video was also made for "Ares (Villains Remix)". Critics often considered the record as a poor showcase for electronic music, although a minority of reviewers commented that it was a forward-thinking piece of work.

Release

Intimacy Remixed is the second remix album of Bloc Party's work following Silent Alarm Remixed , the remix album to debut full-length release Silent Alarm . [1] Details of the record and its track listing were confirmed on 16 March 2009 after the band's European tour in support of Intimacy. [2] [3] Several dance acts, DJs, and alternative music groups were asked to rework tracks. [4] Mogwai, whose debut album Mogwai Young Team is frontman Kele Okereke's musical "Year Zero", [5] were drafted in to remix "Biko". [4] "Talons (Phones R.I.P Remix)" is Intimacy co-producer Paul Epworth's last song remix under the "Phones" name. [6] Pitchfork Media's reaction to the release news was mixed; Tom Breihan indicated that the concept could be successful, but noted that the idea of remix albums in rock music has become stagnant. [4]

Bloc Party spent much of March and April 2009 touring in the US and Canada in support of Intimacy Remixed. [3] The band members invited fans attending their one-off London Olympia concerts on 11–12 April to film the performances on their mobiles and send the recordings to the band online. A music video for "Ares (Villains Remix)" was created by collating the resulting footage and was webcast. [7] "Signs (Armand Van Helden Remix)" was released as a promotional single on 27 April 2009. [8] Intimacy Remixed was released in Europe on 11 May 2009. [7] The album was distributed in the rest of the world on 26–27 May but no physical copies were released on US record labels. [4] The cover art is a negative of the close-up of a couple kissing by freelance photographer Perry Curties used on Intimacy. [6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 2.9/10 [9]
Review scores
SourceRating
Drowned in Sound 2/10 [10]
The Irish Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
NME 3/10 [12]
Planet Sound 5/10 [13]
PopMatters 3/10 [14]
Pitchfork Media 3.2/10 [15]
RockfeedbackStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]
This Is Fake DIY 4/10 [17]

Media response to Intimacy Remixed was generally negative: AnyDecentMusic? sums up critical consensus as a 2.9 out of 10, based on five reviews, making it one of the lowest-rated albums on the site. [9] Emily Tartanella of PopMatters explained that the remixers' efforts ultimately make Bloc Party's work "less engaging, less meaningful". [14] Ben Patashnik of NME stated that the album is largely monotonous and includes too many pedestrian experiments in dance music. [12] Drowned in Sound's Chris Power indicated that "in putting their names to the album Bloc Party seem to be saying they either don't care about what they ask fans to spend their money on or they don't know much about electronic music". [10]

BBC's Lou Thomas was more receptive and commented that Intimacy Remixed is unprecedented in its field and entirely better than Intimacy. [18] James Hendicott of State.ie described the album as "something special" that should appeal to both Bloc Party fans and dance music lovers due to its "highly listenable, subtly energetic sound". [19] Pitchfork Media's Ian Cohen was largely disappointed with the record and concluded, "Remix albums all but acknowledge their own inessentiality—why not take more chances when only the diehards are going to subject themselves to 60 minutes of someone else's idea of what Intimacy could sound like?" [15]

Composition

Electronic music duo Villains reworked "Ares" by replacing the big beat percussion of the original with electronic drums and synthesisers. [20] The result was compared to the music of French band Justice by Lou Thomas of the BBC. [18] British DJ Hervé's mix of Mercury" removes the horns of the original and instead includes keyboards in an electro house-like composition. [10] [20] We Have Band's version of "Halo" is the only dub song on the Intimacy Remixed and incorporates a modulating synth line on top of cut-up vocals. [10] Alex Hibbert of Rockfeedback noted its "euphoric" percussion. Scottish post-rockers Mogwai infused Bloc Party's blueprint in "Biko" with electronica elements. [16]

Armand Van Helden added trance elements and extensive studio effects to "Signs". Vanheldenforum160404-4.jpg
Armand Van Helden added trance elements and extensive studio effects to "Signs".

"Trojan Horse" was given a drum and bass reworking by English DJ John B, [10] while another U.S. DJ, Armand Van Helden, remixed "Signs" through the inclusion of trance beats and studio effects such as high-pass filters. [19] [17] Synthpop group Filthy Dukes took charge of "One Month Off" and created an electro house version of the track according to Chris Power of Drowned in Sound. [10] Paul Epworth's "Talons (Phones R.I.P Remix)" contains samples from "You Don't Know Nothing About Love" by Carl Hall and the use of a vocoder. [6] [20] "Better Than Heaven" was remixed by American noise pop duo No Age and begins with a rhythmic pattern on the piano. [17] The song features feedback, distorted drumming, and backmasked vocals. [15]

London-based Italian solo act Alessio Andalusia, under his Banjo or Freakout alias, [18] provided the remix for "Ion Square" and created an ambient version of the original. [12] The track infuses Bloc Party's blueprint with keyboards, [17] looped strings, and ethereal vocals. [16] Power concluded, "By taking the percolating synth from the end of the original version and wrapping the sweet ee cummings-borrowed lyric—"I carry your heart here with me"—in a dense cloud of treated, looped guitar, he produces a remix that ... offers an interesting, possibly even superior, reading of its source material." [10] Album closer "Your Visits Are Getting Shorter (Optothetic Remix)" was named as a "generic commercial dance music" song by Lee White of This Is Fake DIY. [17]

Track listing

All songs originally written and composed by Bloc Party and remixed by each credited artist.

No.TitleLength
1."Ares" (Villains Remix)5:31
2."Mercury" (Hervé Is in Disarray Remix)4:49
3."Halo" (We Have Band Dub)4:34
4."Biko" (Mogwai Remix)4:24
5."Trojan Horse" (John B Remix)6:53
6."Signs" (Armand Van Helden Remix)5:47
7."One Month Off" (Filthy Dukes Remix)5:47
8."Zephyrus" (Phase One Remix)4:10
9."Talons" (Phones R.I.P Mix)5:16
10."Better Than Heaven" (No Age Remix)3:01
11."Ion Square" (Banjo or Freakout Remix)4:24
12."Letter to My Son" (Gold Panda Remix)5:33
13."Your Visits Are Getting Shorter" (Optothetic Remix)5:06

Bonus tracks on the Japanese edition

  2. "Talons" (Acoustic) – 4:32
  3. "Signs" (Acoustic) – 3:24

Release history

RegionDateLabelFormat(s)Catalog
United Kingdom11 May 2009 Polydor Limited edition LP3621210 [21]
Wichita RecordingsLimited edition CD, digital download WEBB210 [6]
EuropeCD
United States26 May 2009 Atlantic Records Digital download—
Japan27 May 2009HostessCDHSE-70062 [22]

Chart positions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armand van Helden</span> American DJ (born 1970)

Armand van Helden is an American DJ, record producer, remixer and songwriter from Boston, Massachusetts. He is considered one of house music's most revered figures, with a career spanning three decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloc Party</span> English indie rock band

Bloc Party are an English rock band that was formed in London in 1999 by co-founders Kele Okereke and Russell Lissack. Their first four albums all featured Gordon Moakes (bass) and Matt Tong (drums), who have since left the band. Their current lineup also contains Louise Bartle and Harry Deacon. Their brand of music, whilst rooted in rock, retains elements of other genres such as electronica and house music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Moakes</span> Musical artist

Gordon Peter Moakes is an English musician, best known as the bassist of rock band Young Legionnaire and former member of indie rock band Bloc Party.

<i>Happy Songs for Happy People</i> 2003 studio album by Mogwai

Happy Songs for Happy People is the fourth studio album by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mogwai</span> Scottish post-rock band

Mogwai are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite, Barry Burns, Dominic Aitchison, and Martin Bulloch (drums). Mogwai typically compose lengthy guitar-based instrumental pieces that feature dynamic contrast, melodic bass guitar lines, and heavy use of distortion and effects.

<i>Silent Alarm Remixed</i> 2005 remix album by Bloc Party

Silent Alarm Remixed is the remix album to Silent Alarm, the debut album by British indie rock band Bloc Party. It was released on 29 August 2005 in the British Isles on Wichita Recordings, the band's primary label, and on 13 September 2005 in the United States through Vice Records to coincide with Bloc Party's worldwide touring schedule. The record peaked at number 54 on the UK Albums Chart. In the US, it achieved a peak of number four on the Billboard Top Electronic Albums.

<i>Kicking a Dead Pig: Mogwai Songs Remixed</i> 1998 remix album by Mogwai

Kicking a Dead Pig is a remix album from Scottish band Mogwai consisting of remixes of previously released tracks by various artists, including Alec Empire, My Bloody Valentine, and Max Tundra.

Van She were an electropop band formed in early 2002 in Sydney, Australia, with Matt Van Schie on bass guitar/vocals, Tomek Archer on drums/sequencer, Michael Di Francesco on synth/guitar and Nicholas Routledge on vocals/guitar. The band's debut album, V was released on the Australian label Modular Recordings in August 2008, and peaked at number 10 on the ARIA Charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metronomy</span> English electronic music group

Metronomy are an English electronic music band, formed in Totnes in 1999. Their lineup consists of founding member and leader Joseph Mount, Oscar Cash, Anna Prior, Olugbenga Adelekan, and Michael Lovett. Their music consists of vocal and instrumental electronic pop music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banquet (song)</span> 2004 song by Bloc Party

"Banquet" is a song from British band Bloc Party's debut album Silent Alarm. Originally released on a double A-side single along with "Staying Fat" in May 2004 by Moshi Moshi Records, it was re-released as a regular single in the United Kingdom by Wichita Recordings on 25 April 2005. It was their first single to chart on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks where it came in at number 34, and is often credited as their breakthrough single in North America. It was also featured in the song "Bloc Party" on the Fort Minor Mixtape: We Major. It was ranked No. 31 in NME's top 100 tracks of the decade, and was number 54 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of all time. It peaked at No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2011, NME placed it at number 20 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". The song was featured in the 2018/19 video game Life Is Strange 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mogwai discography</span>

This is a discography of Mogwai, a Scottish post-rock band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloc Party discography</span>

The discography of Bloc Party, a British indie rock band, consists of six studio albums, three extended plays (EPs), and two remix albums released on primary label Wichita Recordings. Bloc Party were formed in 1999 by chief songwriter and frontman Kele Okereke and Russell Lissack. Bassist Gordon Moakes and drummer Matt Tong joined the band later. The first song by them that we know of is called "This Is Not A Competition" although it hasn't been officially released, it was the first song the band put on their official website. The quartet's first release was the Bloc Party EP in 2004; the first single, "She's Hearing Voices", was released and it failed to chart in the United Kingdom. The next EP, Little Thoughts was released the same year only in Japan; it included Bloc Party's first UK Top 40 entry, the double A-side "Little Thoughts/Tulips", which peaked at number 38.

<i>Intimacy</i> (Bloc Party album) 2008 Bloc Party album

Intimacy is the third studio album by English indie rock band Bloc Party. It was recorded in two weeks at several locations in London and Kent during 2008 and was produced by Jacknife Lee and Paul Epworth. The band members made the album available for purchase on their website as a digital download on 21 August 2008. Minimal promotion was undertaken in the UK. The record was released in compact disc form on 24 October 2008, with Wichita Recordings as the primary label. It peaked at number 8 on the UK Albums Chart and entered the Billboard 200 in the United States at number 18.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talons (song)</span> 2008 single by Bloc Party

"Talons" is the second single released by Bloc Party from their third album, Intimacy. It was announced on 8 September 2008 that the song would be released as a digital download to all those who had purchased the mp3 version of the band's album. The download was made available straight after the song's first play on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show on 9 September 2008. The song was physically released on 20 October 2008, one week prior to the album's full release. The song itself did not feature on the original download-only album, but appeared on the physical release and was also made available for free to those who had downloaded the original album. The original downloadable album had included a gap in the track list with track 9 missing (people could see this on iTunes by right clicking on the songs the "get info" option. It peaked at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Signs (Bloc Party song)</span> 2009 single by Bloc Party

"Signs" is the first single from Intimacy Remixed, the remix album to Bloc Party's third album Intimacy. The song's remix by Armand Van Helden was released on 27 April 2009 in the United Kingdom only on digital download and 12" vinyl. It is the first single to be released from a Bloc Party remix album as no songs were released from the previous effort Silent Alarm Remixed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toro y Moi</span> American singer, producer, and graphic designer (born 1986)

Chaz Bear, known professionally as Toro y Moi and occasionally referred to as Les Sins or simply as "Toro", is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and graphic designer. He is often recognized as a spearhead of the chillwave genre in the 2010s, alongside contemporaries Washed Out and Neon Indian, although his music has explored various styles since. His stage name is a multilingual expression consisting of the Spanish words toro and y and the French word moi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanlines</span> American indie duo

Tanlines is an American electronic music and indie rock duo from Brooklyn, New York composed of percussionist Jesse Cohen and guitarist and vocalist Eric Emm. Their influence is drawn from various genres including pop, indie, dance and world music. Tanlines' debut album Mixed Emotions was released on March 20, 2012, and reached No. 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers album chart. Tanlines' songs are represented by Downtown Music Publishing.

<i>Gravity the Seducer</i> 2011 studio album by Ladytron

Gravity the Seducer is the fifth studio album by English electronic music band Ladytron, released on 12 September 2011 by Nettwerk. Recorded in Kent, England, the album has been described as "haunted, evocative, romantic", and having "a feminine warmth".

<i>Four</i> (Bloc Party album) 2012 studio album by Bloc Party

Four is the fourth studio album by British rock band Bloc Party. It was recorded in late 2011 and early 2012 at Stratosphere Sound, New York City, with producer Alex Newport. Newport also produced Wreckonomics—the EP of bassist Gordon Moakes' side project, Young Legionnaire. It was released on 20 August 2012 on independent label Frenchkiss Records, and was made available to stream the week preceding its release. The album peaked at number 3 in the UK Albums Chart, and at number 36 on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. It is the last album featuring the original line-up with Gordon Moakes and Matt Tong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midnight (Coldplay song)</span> 2014 single by Coldplay

"Midnight" is a song by British rock band Coldplay for their sixth studio album, Ghost Stories (2014). It was written and produced by band members Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin, with production assistance from Paul Epworth, Daniel Green, and Rik Simpson, and co-production from Jon Hopkins, who also received songwriting credits. A music video was released on 25 February 2014 as teaser for the then-unannounced album, while a promotional 7-inch vinyl single was pressed by Parlophone for Record Store Day on 17 April 2014.

References

  1. ↑ "Bloc Party: Releases". blocparty.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
  2. ↑ "Bloc Party to release 'Intimacy' remix album – exclusive". NME . 16 March 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
  3. 1 2 Breihan, Tom (21 January 2009). "Bloc Party Tour Tirelessly". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved 12 August 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Breihan, Tom (16 March 2009). "No Age, Mogwai Sign on for Bloc Party Remix Album". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved 12 August 2009.
  5. ↑ A.V. Club staff (17 September 2007). "It Was 40 10 Years Ago Today: 18 Reasons 1997 Might Be The Next 1967". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 14 April 2009.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Intimacy Remixed (CD booklet and case back cover). Bloc Party. London: Wichita Recordings. 2009.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. 1 2 "Bloc Party invite fans to make new video". Metro . 12 May 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
  8. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart: For the week ending 2 May 2009". ChartsPlus (401). Milton Keynes: UKChartsPlus: 3.
  9. 1 2 "Initmacy Remixed by Bloc Party". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Power, Chris (13 May 2009). "Bloc Party: Intimacy Remixed". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 19 May 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
  11. ↑ Carroll, Jim (8 May 2009). "Rock/Pop – Bloc Party: Intimacy Remixed". The Irish Times . Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
  12. 1 2 3 Patashnik, Ben (8 May 2009). "Album Review: Bloc Party". NME . Retrieved 25 July 2009.
  13. ↑ Earls, John. "Bloc Party/Intimacy Remixed". Planet Sound . Retrieved 25 July 2009.
  14. 1 2 Tartanella, Emily (16 July 2009). "Bloc Party: Intimacy Remixed". PopMatters . Retrieved 25 July 2009.
  15. 1 2 3 Cohen, Ian (14 May 2009). "Bloc Party: Intimacy Remixed". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved 25 July 2009.
  16. 1 2 3 Hibbert, Alex. "Bloc Party – Intimacy Remixed (Universal)". Rockfeedback. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 White, Lee (13 May 2009). "Album Reviews / Bloc Party – Intimacy Remixed". This Is Fake DIY . Retrieved 25 July 2009.
  18. 1 2 3 Thomas, Lou (8 May 2009). "Bloc Party: Intimacy Remixed – Review". BBC . Retrieved 25 July 2009.
  19. 1 2 Hendicott, James (15 June 2009). "Bloc Party – Intimacy Remixed". State. Archived from the original on 17 June 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
  20. 1 2 3 Dixon, Rob (15 May 2009). "Bloc Party: Intimacy Remixed". Inthenews. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
  21. ↑ "Intimacy Remixed UK Triple LP". Esprit International. Retrieved 8 August 2009.
  22. ↑ "インティマシー・リミックスト : ブロック・パーティー (Intimacy Remixed: Bloc Party)" (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved 8 August 2009.[ dead link ]
  23. ↑ "Official Album Chart: For the week ending 16 May 2009". ChartsPlus (403). Milton Keynes: UKChartsPlus: 6.
  24. 1 2 "Bloc Party: Album & Song Chart History". Billboard . Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  25. ↑ "Bloc Party – Intimacy Remixed". Ultratop . Retrieved 20 June 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.