Marc Hollander, leader of AKSAK MABOUL — a grown-up pop band with real wit and elegance, a cut or two above the rest — is also the head of CRAMMED DISCS, the veritable headquarters of "world music." There's no way a remix album from a group sitting right at the core of euro-rock and world music could be ordinary. This is a collection of reconstructions brimming with intelligence, a far cry from your typical dance remix set. That said, it's not overly technical or difficult: the production, full of minimal riffs and spacey synths, sounds plenty great to dance-tuned ears too.
Vol. 1 features London's Vanishing Twin (sample1), Brussels' Shungu (sample2), The Notwist (sample3) — the German post-rock-leaning krautrock band who have also performed with Tenniscoats — Welsh singer-songwriter Cate Le Bon, American experimental musician Carl Stone, a member of Nihiloxica (the Ugandan drum collective with releases on Nyege Nyege), Russia's KATE NV (whose RVNG release was also superb), plus reworkings by the band themselves. Every one of them is genuinely fascinating! Grown-up experimental pop to keep you company this fall. Should sound lovely in a lounge DJ set. Seriously stylish stuff. (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)