Familjen - Huvudet I Sanden (Head In The Sand) (Album)
I had some trepidation about the remix album from Swedish techno-popper Familjen. It is solely composed of guest remixes of his track Huvudet I Sanden, so I was expecting a pretty homogenous, repetitive affair. However, this disc is a gem. Huvudet I Sanden is a slab of Scandinavian disco, a genre that is hotter than Hansel at the minute. The current benchmark of this genre was set by the recent 20-minute epic by Lindstrøm, Where you go I go to. A sort of Bohemian Rhaposody of the Scandinavian disco movement- Scandisco if you will. Huvudet I Sanden never reaches the heights of that piece of Scandisco genius, but it is solid enough. However, it is the remixes where the real strength of this release presents itself.
Eleven musicians have their go at it, and the results are varied but often inspired. Together they form a sort of scandisco Elgar Variations, with reworkings with only occasional reappearances of the original melody. There are some lacklustre effeorts. For example, the Kasper Bjørk Remix is essentially the same track with a trancier edge. Coming in as track 2, it is a very beige beginning to the album. The Krazy Fiesta and Adam Tensta variations are nicely juxtaposed as they feature a female and male alternate vocal reworking. Adam Tensta adds the macho rap work that seems slightly at odds with the sparkly Scandisco arrangement. The female variant in the Krazy Fiesta mix works better, but again it feels lightweight. From here though the album gets very interesting. Mike Downey offers a Death from Above 1979-style mix that is inspired. Gone are the gilt edges, in place of minor key vibe. The Field offers a mix that is textbook industrial; not Ministry industrial but actual industry industrial, i.e. the mix sounds like the major chord you get from powering up equipment overlayed on a metallic stutter.
The mix took some vision, very clever. Pluxes remix is equally brilliant and unexpected. The production is sparse and empty, with the melody appearing and disappearing as a sorrowful call from the distance. This mix is a highlight, and a complete metamorphosis from the original. The rest are equally intriguing apart from a remix that I swear must have been concocted by CC Music Factory. It has everything except the line ‘Everybody dance now!’ Outrageous.
An interesting release. I can’t recommend the album in its entirety but can I recommend the iTunes purchase of tracks 5, 7 and 8. Great tracks in their own right.
