Firecamp Stories (Remixes)

If the willfully schizophrenic Brooklyn-meets-Jamaica-in-North-Africa-by-way-of-Spain ambience of Nettle's debut album wasn't strange and wonderful enough for you, then here's where they kick it up a notch with the help of such familiar and obscure remix artists as DJ Olive, Joseph Nothing, Mentol Nomad (of the Wordsound posse), Timeblind, and Leafcutter John. The result is a kaleidoscopic array of moods, beats, and textures that varies from Leafcutter John's brilliant mishmash of glitchy electronics and pastoral acoustic guitar titled "The Ballad of Jimmy Holin Is More Awkward Than That" to an Arabic breakbeat workout titled "Untitled (Cancion Hiphop Arabe)" and Mehmet Irdel's multi-layered North African percussion collage titled "GUTted." Alejandro & Aeron are almost wasting our time with the so-so "International Clapping," but just about everything else here is at least interesting, and quite a bit of it is genuinely compelling. Be sure to pay special attention during the brilliant "Grit" by DJ/rupture and Jenny Jones. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson|