Mogwai are no strangers to remix albums, having issued Kicking a Dead Pig in 1998. However, with
A Wrenched Virile Lore, they offer a set of reworkings that are more cohesive than their previous collection, while still taking the songs from
Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will in notably different directions from their origins and from each other. It helps that the band enlisted a cadre of remixers that relate to different aspects of their sound and share a maverick spirit. Not many remix albums would feature a largely acoustic version of a song, but
RM Hubbert's whispery reworking of one of
HWNDBYW's loudest tracks, "Mexican Grand Prix," works in its own right as well as a challenge to what remixes could or should be. Similarly,
Loop's
Robert Hampson closes
A Wrenched Virile Lore with his massive-yet-atmospheric take on "La Mort Blanche," which is as delicate as
Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will's final track "You're Lionel Richie" was heavy. Actually, aside from
Justin K Broadrick's version of "George Square Thatcher Death Party," which, with its mammoth drums and guitars, sounds the most like
Mogwai in their unaltered state (as well as
Broadrick's own output as
Jesu), and
the Soft Moon's throbbing reworking of "San Pedro," much of
A Wrenched Virile Lore throws the band's electronic leanings into the spotlight. That's not surprising given that this is a remix album, but it's still pretty striking to hear, whether on
Xander Harris' serenely pretty take on "How to Be a Werewolf" or
Zombi's remix of "Letters to the Metro," which shows off their proggy synth rock perfectly.
Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will's single "Rano Pano" gets two equally strong but very different reworkings courtesy of Klad Hest (aka
Beak>'s Matt Loveridge), who gives it a frantic, chiptune-tinged makeover, and
Tim Hecker, whose gracefully arpeggiated take is another fine example of his work. With tracks as strong as these,
Mogwai shouldn't wait so long to release their next remix collection. ~ Heather Phares