REVIEWS

Freezepop
Maxi Ultra Fresh

Archenemy Record Company

Posted: Friday, March 31, 2006
By: Vince Sander

Freezepop released Maxi Ultra Fresh pretty much as a companion album to Fancy Ultra Fresh; all of the remixes, with the exceptions of “Starlight” and “Smoke Machine,” come from that album. Now, there are legions of folks out there who are violently opposed to bands releasing remix albums as true separate albums. Hey, I hear ya… seriously, couldn’t these kinds of things just be second discs tacked onto the end of the real album we just purchased? I feel your pain; I don’t much care for reviewing these things as legitimate albums either. The question that every remix disc has to answer is: “Does this release do enough to justify its existence as a separate album for consumers to purchase?”

The album opens with a quirky mix of “Boys on Film,” an obvious nod to Duran Duran’s “Girls on Film,” which effectively bridges old-school analog styling with modern dance. “Tonight” is a slick femme vocal track that feels slightly more Ladytron than usual in this particular presentation. As with the regular album, “Chess King” jumps off as one of the best tracks, while losing none of the humor from the original; tell me what’s not funny about people seeking love at the local mall. The only truly original track is “Smoke Machine,” the most trance piece in the set. The Karacter Mix of “Starlight” is clearly single material with a sleek melody and club friendly beats. I’m a big fan of the Kodomo Mix of “Stakeout” with its cold dark synth magic backed by a heavy dosage of electro strings. Finishing things off nicely is Boothnavy’s smooth otherworldly mix of “Outer Space.”

While I get just as cheesed off as anyone about being expected to pay full price for a bunch of mixes, Maxi Ultra Fresh does a reasonably good job at giving you value. The remixing artists are a diverse crew who bring a broad enough sampling of styles to the table that we never drift away into boredom.