FOALS - COLLECTED REWORKS VOL 2
Tammy shares her thoughts on the latest Foals release, Collected Reworks Vol. 2, and lets you know whether she thinks you should listen or not.
Following on from Collected Reworks Vol. 1, as released 12 June 2020, Collected Reworks Vol. 2 continues the celebration of Foals’ colourful 15 year career. The former body of remixes saw the likes of EDM heavyweights Rüfüs Du Sol, Hot Chip, Alex Metric, and Topher Jones putting their spin on Foals favourites ‘The Runner’, ‘My Number’, ‘Mountain At My Gate’ and ‘Spanish Sahara’. Whilst ‘Mountain At My Gate’ and ‘Spanish Sahara’ reappear on Vol. 2, as taken on by Jono Ma Jagwar and Chad Valley for mammoth mixes respectively, the second reworks instalment shifts focus more so to their other singles and album tracks.
Easing in with a stuttering ‘Wheezemix’ of ‘Inhaler’ from UK multi-instrumentalist Tom Vek, the collective remix palette is heavily pigmented with contrasting deep shades of dark blue and pastel pops. Vek paints with the darkest tone, drawing from a heavy underground EDM styling. Haxan Cloak continues the shade for ‘What Went Down’, blending static drops with intense builds that sit atop of muffled lyrics. ‘What Went Down’ reappears further down the song line as reimagined by Justin Chancellor for a ‘Bandwidth remix’. This remix captures the essence of the original more so than Cloak, extending the bold confetti beats to compliment the soaring melody and opting for a dance-heavy take.
Delving into a more organic flavour, Sebastian Gainsborough, aka Vessel, turns ‘Exits’ into a spiritual dance, drawing from his signature texture-heavy technique to create an immersive experience. Backing that rich sound of Vessel is the console chimes of Surkin, taking a surprising video game approach to the 2007, ‘Hummer’.
The 2010 beach blanket, ‘Miami’, receives a double dose of dedication, with Lissvik and Tim Fuchs both taking on the remix challenge for two entirely different takes. Lissvik focuses on the funk, layering the track with vibrant beach beats and shining melodies, becoming one of the more accessible and fun tracks on the album. Tim Fuchs, on the other hand, enlists Flight Facilities for his version of the hit, leaning into long intros, steady builds, and bright spacey tones.
Another one that hasn’t shied away from that form of production is KUU. For ‘Wash Off’, KUU opts for jungle builds, swirling harmonies, and a slow-burn build across the six-and-a-half-minute piece. Flowing straight off ‘Wash Off’ is ‘This Orient’, as propelled by Starkey. Starkey goes straight in with the ambient circles of chimes, paying special attention to heighten the chorus with infectious strobes and pin-ball machine buzzes. Mura Masa at only 24 years of age kills his ‘Night Swimmers’ remix, adding moonlit drama and passionate intensity through heavy pulses and airy echoes.
The only returning producer for Vol. 2, Alex Metric, again does not hesitate with going big for his take. His house music club appeal elevates ‘Bad Habit’ across a sweaty eight minutes of body quaking beats and levitating vocal harmonies.
Collected Reworks Vol. 2 not only enlists a wide array of production talent, it also sees a wide range of sonic spaces getting filled; capturing and catapulting the Foals collection as a welcome extension to Collected Reworks Vol. 1.
Tammy Walters
★★★★☆