Remixs, Vol. 2

AMG Review of Remixs, Vol. 2

Rick Anderson
All Music Guide

What's the essential difference between a Muslimgauze remix of Muslimgauze material and just a new Muslimgauze recording? That's a fair question, and it's one that Jones himself compounds by not identifying the source material for this remix collection. (Not only does he not share any information about the original tracks remixed here, he also, in typically perverse fashion, doesn't even bother to list the names of the tracks on the package. You'll have to put it in the CD player in order to determine that it consists of ten individual tracks.) But if it's impossible to analyze these remixes in relationship to their source material, it's still possible to evaluate their independent musical quality, which is startlingly consistent and high. The North African scales and percussion textures that you'd expect from Muslimgauze are as apparent as ever, but there are also strong reggae and dub accents, particularly on the first, fourth, and fifth (with its Augustus Pablo-ish melodica part) cuts. There's not a ton of melodic interest here, but the rhythms and instrumental textures are consistently complex and attractive enough to maintain interest. Highly recommended.