Come Monday, UK band Bloc Party will rerelease their third studio album Intimacy, remixed and revised. Entitled Intimacy Remixed, the album is chock-full of synthesized glitch-rock, Congo drums and blasting beats, and is nothing short of DJ ear-candy. It comes as no surprise either; unlike the gritty math rock of previous albums, Intimacy seemed always bound to end up on the turntable platters as a dance album.
Intimacy Remixed features a variety of up-and-coming DJs, each providing their own creative mix on Bloc Party’s sound. While the album features surprisingly few veteran remix artists, tracks like “Talons” and “Signs” are remixed by Phones and Armand van Helden, respectfully, who are two of the most recognizable names in the production industry. The other tracks however, have been left to both upcoming DJs and indie-rock bands. Despite the difference, much of Intimacy Remixed shares a common emphasis on both big beat and adrenaline.
Released as Bloc Party’s experimental album, Intimacy was created to combine the raw post-punk style of their debut album Silent Alarm with the hi-fidelity soundscapes of Weekend in the City. The result was an album glossed over with a sound studio spit-shine, an unreserved usage of computer-timed vocal samples, and a big-beat sound nostalgic for the 1980’s club scene.
Intimacy has been controversial with Bloc Party fans expecting another addition to the alt rock repertoire. But where there may have been awkward transitions from the stage to the disco during Intimacy, they are confidently resolved with Intimacy Remixed. The vision of a Bloc Party dance album has been achieved by putting Intimacy into the hands of DJ’s and remix artists.