Of Montreal

Satanic Twins

(Polyvinyl)

US release date: 22 August 2006

UK release date: Available as import

By Mike Schiller

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It was only a matter of time that Of Montreal would have a remix album out, particularly given their recent critic-courting new wave leanings that just happen to fall further on the side of melody than the band’s early years ever suggested.  Satanic Twins is that remix album, its title betraying its combination of tracks from both most recent albums The Sunlandic Twins and Satanic Panic in the Attic, and for the most part, the remixers actually decided to stay pretty true to the moods of the original songs involved.  “The Party’s Crashing Us” gets the niftiest of the makeovers (this one from I Am the World Trade Center), taking Of Montreal’s recent new wave leanings to their logical conclusion by turning the pleasant little song into a synthpop anthem, complete with octave-jumping bassline and lots of bendy synth solos.  Other highlights include IQU’s meditative take on “Forecast Fascist Future”, and Rory Phillips’ transformation (perhaps the most drastic on the entire disc) of “Climb the Ladder” into a dark, buzzy dance anthem.  For the most part, the remixes are enough to keep Of Montreal’s fans entertained, even if they’re not drastic enough or impressive enough to replace the originals in those same fans’ hearts—even so, the double-vinyl format of the release suggests that Satanic Twins was meant for the club anyway, and as a collection of club tunes, it does just fine.

— 15 January 2007
 
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