Listening to the tracks on this compilation is a little like reading a classical musical score. Very obviously, there is great work here, but removed from the environment for which it was intended, in this case a packed Ibizan dancefloor or the like, it really becomes hard to make judgement. 21 remixes by English producer Ewan Pearson, who calls Berlin home, are presented across two CDs. In the context of a home listening experience it is incredibly long and is obviously missing the euphoria that comes with volume, heat and community. As a collection of tracks for DJ use, these date back to 2001 with only one brand new track and, well, the average DJ tends to work with mostly new releases, so it probably won’t quite fit there either. As a showcase for Pearson’s work it has merit, it’s just hard to imagine the context in which it could find a succesful home.
On the whole, the remixes are of a high standard. The list of names seeking him out for his remixing skills are testament to this – The Chemical Brothers with The Flaming Lips, Franz Ferdinand, Pet Shop Boys, Goldfrapp and Ladytron amongst many others. There is a formula at work, but it’s a successful one. It centres around very straight, yet always very forceful, four-to-the-floor drum rhythms. There are constant electro references in the pulsing bass lines and arpeggiating synth riffs which give the grooves their syncopation and sexiness. This is then rounded off with, in the majority of cases, the original songs allowed to play out in full. This is probably Pearson’s greatest strength, his ability to sympathise with the input of the original artists in terms of their songwriting. This is pop music adjusted for the dancefloor but with the personality of the original artists fully intact, even within the production framework that is so clearly Pearson’s own. This characteristic can sometimes be an Achille’s heel when the song itself isn’t great. For example, Röykopp’s ’49 Percent’s is a nice piece of Pearson electro-house undermined by bland singing and vacuous lyrics, while Mocky’s ‘Catch A Moment In Time’ is so horribly saccharine and features such lame rapping that it’s hard to imagine any remixer being able to truly redeem it. But with the right material, such as The Chemicals/Lips’ ‘The Golden Path’, Futureshock’s ‘Pride Paranoia’ or Alter Ego’s ‘Beat The Bush’ the results are driving and catchy and Pearson’s powers are at their fullest. Goldfrapp’s ‘Train’ also bears mention, the only time here that Pearson delves into different rhythmic patterns, in this case a 6/8 shuffle. It is a highlight of the collection and typifies the seamless blend of Pearson’s production with that of the artists he remixes. Yes, he straddles the electronic mainstream but he does it with such energy and fun that it’s difficult not to enjoy.
As individual tracks, designed to fill the floors of the average superclub, the majority of the work here is faultless. It is music successfully stripped to the essentials, designed to be consumed as part of the ebb and flow of a DJ set. Whether it’s possible to enjoy two and a half hours of this at home is a completely different question. Is Beethoven’s 9th enjoyable as a light read on paper in your loungeroom when you know that you could be hearing the same thing by a 70 piece orchestra in a concert hall?
Adrian Elmer
