REVIEWS

KMFDM
Krieg

KMFDM Records

Posted: Monday, February 08, 2010
By: Ilker Yücel
Editor

Remix albums by their very nature are hit-or-miss, depending on the tastes of the listener and the artists doing the remixing. With KMFDM being one of the few progenitors of the industrial rock style still releasing music, their remix albums have been as consistent as the albums from which the songs originated, with the band employing various contemporaries to create not just a remix release worthy of the KMFDM name, but a snapshot of the industrial scene of that particular time. In the '90s, remixes by Chemlab, Die Warzau, and Nine Inch Nails were the norm, and since the band's reformation in 2002 and signing to Metropolis Records, it's not uncommon to see Combichrist and Angelspit on the roster.

With Krieg, the remix companion to Blitz, the band took a different approach; with executive producer Chris Kniker leading the way, the remixes on Krieg come from a far more varied list of artists from the electronic and rock realms to create an album that would truly exhibit the diversity of both KMFDM and the musical community at large. Of course, several tour and label mates still made it into the fold, although upon hearing the opening remix of "Bait & Switch" by Combichrist, one can draw the conclusion that the association between the two bands is beginning to grow stale. Andy LaPlegua's work in Combichrist has been the subject of simultaneous adoration and derision for its simplicity and with this remix, that simplicity does not serve KMFDM well as it is simply far too repetitious and uninteresting even if just to fill a dance floor. Komor Kommando's Confessional remix of "Never Say Never" is similarly themed, but as the original track was a fast-paced rock well suited for any club DJ's set list, the remix can hardly be faulted for taking that direction just a bit farther. The same can be said of Mary Byker's remix of "People of the Lie," as it plays on the atmosphere of the original track almost too closely; there's very little to distinguish it from the original other than a slightly more electro feel and a sparser arrangement. Conversely, Koichi Fukuda's remix of the same track lives up to its name as it transforms it into a mesmerizing piano requiem that truly stands out as one of the finest remixes in the KMFDM catalog. One would also think that former Skinny Puppy producer Dave "Rave" Ogilvie would create a hauntingly dark remix of "Never Say Never," but given his recent forays into more melodic musical territory, it's a pleasant surprise to hear his Candy Apple mix of the song. Its bouncy beat and sugary sweet touchups manage to turn the song into a lovely piece of bubblegum pop too irresistible to dismiss. Prong and former White Zombie drummer Ivan de Prume virtually cover "Bait & Switch" and "Never Say Never" respectively in their own industrial metal styles, while still keeping the vocals and just enough elements of the originals that they can adequately be called remixes; hardly the best tracks on Krieg, but interesting additions nonetheless. Pop Will Eat Itself's Graham "Crabbi" Crabb gives listeners a bit of drum & bass with his interpretation of "Bitches" while Seismologist slaps the chugging metal of "Potz Blitz!" upside the head to become a sinister bit of ambient industrial. "Davai" is given a thunderous percussive treatment by Tweaker, although the additional drums are slightly off-putting, while Assemblage 23's remix of the same song is heavy on the glitches and dance floor energy, but suffers from banality as a result. Strangely enough, the only remix on Krieg performed by a member of KMFDM is drummer Andy Selway's heavily disco-fied version of "Strut," full of faux orchestral stabs and emphasizing the funky and danceable bass lines; it's certainly a fun song, but it could prove unsettling for the band's harder-edged crowd.

Released exclusively on KMFDM Records via the band's own web store, Krieg is yet another step in establishing the band's autonomy in a scene struggling to find footing in a waning industry. However, as an album unto itself - even if just a remix album - it falls somewhat short for being almost too mixed a bag. The list of artists assembled on Krieg is certainly worthy of mention, but the quality of at least half of these remixes is questionable at best, making it a less than stellar companion to what was one of the best KMFDM releases in well over a decade. As the end of band's 25th year draws near, fans can be proud that the Ultra Heavy Beat is still going strong and Krieg does contain at least a few of the best remixes KMFDM has yet released.