This short collection of remixes of Lidell's well-received debut effort doesn't do much to merit shelling out the extra dollars or pounds to pick it up, unless you are a real Lidell devotee. Nevertheless, I did write the word "party" in my notes several times while I was listening — it remains a fun ride even if some the collaborative efforts come off more as overbearing intrusions than engaging interpretations of the source material. The real injustice here is that Lidell's voice is obscured on a number of these, and the bonus tracks either eliminate him completely (Herbert's instrumental) or relegate him to a track buried in the mix (Mara Carlyle's Ukulady Mix).
By contrast, the live numbers provide some magnetic moments, as Lidell vamps, coos, and growls with the lusty charisma his remixers sadly obfuscate. Other highlights are the astroparties that Freeform Five and Luke Vibert host in their transformations of "When I Come Back Around" and "A Little Bit More": squiggly galactic grooves fizzle around Lidell's voice like toy laser beams and the beats bleed sweet juice and pulp. Gonzales' piano work on "Multiply" is characteristically rollicking and free and proves a keen complement to Lidell's singing. Mocky takes "What's the Use" for a spin on some hip-hop rhythms and offers some ludicrous annotation of Lidell's lyrics. Four Tet undergirds "The City" with a 4/4 kick and sandblasts the track with an assortment of eccentric effects. Each of these has its charm, but I'll tend to stick with the originals, where Lidell's persona has its full chance to shine.
1. You Got Me Up (Live at the Scala)
2. Multiply (In a Minor Key) Piano by Gonzales
3. When I Come Back Around (Freeform Reform)
4. A Little Bit More (Luke Vibert Mix)
5. What's The Use (Mocky Remix)
6. The City (Four Tet Mix)
7. Game for Fools (Live in Paris)
8. Multiply (Herbert's Hoedown Bump Instrumental)
9. A Little Bit More (Herbert - A Little Bit Less Remix)
10. Game for Fools (Mara Carlyle Ukulady Remix)
More about: Jamie Lidell
