AMG Review of Mixed Signals

Jason Ankeny
All Music Guide

As a general rule of thumb, remix collections revisit the efforts of electronic musicians, a label which does not fit instrumental moodscape unit Tristeza at all -- even their very name suggests a melancholy and haunting beauty which does not adhere to the conventional high-energy principles of electronic sound. Such contradictions make Mixed Signals as fascinating as it is frustrating: the opportunity to truly reinvent selections from 2000's Dream Signals in Full Circles is far greater than in most remix contexts, because the songs were never specifically written for electronic treatment. The Teutonic blips and breakbeats that now underscore tracks like Diagram of Suburban Chaos' take on "I Am a Cheetah" steer Tristeza's original performances in unexpected new directions. The problem is the same underscoring many remix collections: Even the most unique interpretations lack legitimate reasons for existence. It's undeniably intriguing in concept to imagine Windy & Carl taking a shot at "Opiate Slopes," and the resulting ambient drift is arguably Mixed Signals' most beautiful moment, but it all seems somehow quite unnecessary.