Interpretaciones Del Oso
The Seattle-based band Minus the Bear already mixes electronics and edgy rock-based sounds, so it makes sense that they'd get the reissue treatment;Interpretacionesfinds their 2005 albumMenos el Osochopped and re-grooved. Most of the remixers choose to highlight the atmospheric ambient side of the band that usually percolates in the background, and it works surprisingly well. Of course, the most successful remixes often have only a tangential relationship to the original, and often seem like excuses for someone to make a bunch of fun noise on top of something else (and then get paid for it). Aphex Twin and Kevin Shields mastered the art of this in the '90s (and presumably were too expensive/ not available for this project) and Dark Baby's Nintendo-64-cut-and-paste-funk remix of "Hooray" and Morgan from the Blood Brothers' lovely, minimalist Robert-Wyatt-meets-Takemura take on "Pig War" likewise fit that mold. They use MTB's moody post-rock as the basis for something totally different and new.--Mike McGonigal