Lowe
Tenant remixed
Megahype
What is a good remix? The one that reduces the song to four-on-the-floor beats and the occasional voice sample? The one that expands on the original, or moves it into a completely new direction? The one that just dresses the original song up in some new clothes, but leaves it easily recognised? For Lowe, the last one seems to be the answer. Every remix on this double album can quite easily be traced back to the original. The problem is that Lowe's Depeche Mode/New Order mimicries weren't that great to begin with. No matter what electro-pop costume the songs are dressed in, melodies falters. The singer sounds tedious and generic instead of depressingly heartfelt. When even the likes of Håkan Lidbo can't make a song interesting, something is clearly wrong! The final track, a Lowe remix of Elegant Machinery's classic "Save me" drives the point home perfectly. Lowe may know their way around the studio and can present crystal clear productions... But it's the original melody, the original vocals that give the emotional connection. That worm their way into the skull. That makes me remember what an amazing band Elegant Machinery was. How the Swedish synth-pop scene has lost its way. And I'm sure that wasn't the intention behind this redundant, oversized, repetitive collection.
- Hanzan
