As was the fashion in the '90s,
the High Llamas handed off the master tapes of
Cold and Bouncy to some of the top remixers of the day for some cutting and pasting. While many such projects smell of quick moneymakers, this record actually works. The remixers manage to retain the late 60's/early 70's
Beach Boys sound that
the Llamas so lovingly re-create while at the same time adding their own distinctive touches.
Mouse on Mars turns
"Showstop Hip Hop" into a hiccuping carnival ride of happy bleeps and bloops,
Cornelius sprinkles hi-tech fairy dust over
"Homespin Rerun," and
Kid Loco revamps
"Homespin Rerun" (retitled
"The Space Raid Remix") into a sleek techno track that breaks into a sunny acoustic guitar-spun melody about half way through. Best of all is
Jim O'Rourke's epic remix of
"Mini-Management." For over eight minutes he weaves the piano, vibes, and banjos into a beautiful and strange wall of sound that keeps shifting, reshaping, and all sorts of neat things before finally exploding into a burst of electronic noise that leaves the listener saying, boy, I wish all remixes could be this inventive and interesting. Not a waste of time or money, this record is an entertaining listen as well as proof that all
High Llamas records don't sound exactly the same. ~Tim Sendra
