Search - Takako Minekawa :: Recubed

Though most remix albums tend to rework an artist's music to the point of unrecognizability, Recubed retains much of the sleepy, understated charm of Minekawa's 1997 release, Roomic Cube. Rather than obscuring the loopy spirit of her Casio-toned originals, the six remixers here--Sukia's DJ Me/DJ You, Trans Am, and Portastatic among them--sound like collaborators with a shared affection for old-style electronics and new-wave easy listening à la Stereolab. Pulsars' "Fantastic Cat" squeezes Minekawa's hurdy-gurdy hook through a cheesy synth, warping it into something hazily reminiscent of Depeche Mode's "Just Can't Get Enough." Buffalo Daughter (who produced Roomic) pumps the gentle "Klaxon! (A New Type)" into a rocking dance-floor anthem by marrying Minekawa's airy voice to the rubbery "White Lines" bass line. Incorporating everything from disco to French pop to psychedelia, this 24-minute disc makes the most of its idiosyncratic source material. --Erik Pedersen