Midway through 2006, Autres Directions In Music released Atone’s Un An album. (It should be noted that the Atone in this instance is a French artist, not the former Mancunian Australian artist who has recorded most notably for Clan Analogue.) Rather than cash-in on its success with a remix CD for fans to fork out extra cash, the artist and label have decided that the remixes should be freely available. And so it is that Un An Plus Tard can be found in gloriously non-DRM MP3 format for free download.
The remixes themselves don’t stray too far from the timbral blueprint laid down in Atone’s original versions and, as such, the collection holds together very tightly – perhaps a touch too tightly considering there’s seven different remixers. In many of the original versions there is an epic-ness created by variation of intensity and the spacial interplay of field recording backdrops. These are mostly replaced here by intimate excursions into small, scattered sounds. All the tracks are relatively short, never becoming self-indulgent, though a couple – The Boats’ remix of ‘Au Revoir’ and Pandatone’s remix of ‘Introduction’ – feel like they have been cut short just as they are hitting their stride. Each remixer successfully creates a tension between harmony and dissonance, which makes for a relaxing aural environment that continually forces the listener’s attention to remain focused. It’s an even collection with no specific standouts as all maintain a high level of quality control. It doesn’t actually improve on the originals, but definitely sheds new light on them and succeeds as a cohesive listening experience on its own.
Available for free download at Autres Directions In Music’s website.
Adrian Elmer
