Ben Watt - Guinea Pig (Remixes)

A1 Guinea Pig (Musical Variation) (M.A.N.D.Y. & Smallboy Remix)
B1 Guinea Pig (Vocal Variation) (DJ Koze Remix)

It's hard not to overstate the overwhelming sense of expectation that now comes with each DJ Koze remix. Forget a new album from the man: Let's simply have him remix every bland record in the universe and transform them into wondrous, unique little things. Even when it isn't quite great, it's always interesting. (For proof, look no further than the recent compilation on Get Physical on which this rework of Ben Watt's latest single also appears.)

Luckily, here it's both great and interesting: Koze weaves a rubbery melody line, a phone company recording, bells upon bells and maybe even something from the original too. It's hard to tell, aside from the vocals which remain intelligible but barely so amid the gathering storm of elements that rest uneasily against one another. The tension, however, never really gets resolved exactly: Things just drop away, as though forgotten, and only the beat remains. It's home listening techno at its finest, and can probably be heard on more adventurous dance floors as well.

Koze takes up the B-side of this release, while M.A.N.D.Y. and Smallboy take care of the A. It's a functional dance floor-ready tech house rework that doesn't try to do all that much and succeeds in its modest aims. Utilizing those same bells as rhythm and melody, the remix glides along with a minimum of fuss, hitting its marks effortlessly. Why you would want to bring it home to listen to, though, I have no idea...www.residentadvisor.net