Search - Isis :: Oceanic: Remixes / Reinterpretations

Listen with an open mind...

G. Wendorff | 05/13/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"After solely listening to Oceanic and Panopticon for 3-4 weeks, I could clearly say I was addicted to Isis. Everything from the vocals to the guitar work really just clicked with me, as just about everything from Tool and Meshuggah does. Isis is truly a quality band that consistently puts out quality material.



After hearing all of the aweseome remixes to the terrible ones from the worlds of Nine Inch Nails and Skinny Puppy, I came in expecting nothing. I wasn't sure whether these Isis remixes would be interesting, if they would ruin the songs, or if they would give me a truly different take on the song.



I can still say after 5-6 listens of each CD, these are going back on the shelf and staying out of my CD booklet. These mixes are just too weird for me. The vocals on the albums blend extremely well with the guitars, but on their own with little to no background noise, the shout/growl vocals sound extremely bad. It almost seems like some of these mixers went in trying to make the weirdest, most incohesive song possible. I really came in with an open mind, though. Stay away from this CD if you're not a fan of weird, electronic remixes."

Fascinatingly Inaccessible

The Dilettante | 09/07/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Isis has gotten better and better and better with each release since the Red Sea. But as their work has become more polished, it has also become less challenging. I like a challenge, and I like this album precisely BECAUSE it took me 20 listens to see anything in it but static and feedback and screaming. It IS alienating and I appreciate that - it keeps out the riff-raff. The difficulty of this material makes its ultimate enjoyment all the sweeter.



And like it or not, this sort of experimentation is what Isis has always been about. As catchy as Oceanic may seem, it was pretty damn risky to crossbreed Tangerine Dream and Napalm Death. This compilation takes similarly huge risks, and they don't all pay off, but its a worthwhile journey and a great introduction to a bunch of acts I would otherwise never have heard of. The Tim Hecker and Venetian Snares tracks stand out, and I replay the Speedranch remix compulsively.



Admittedly, this is not very much like Isis. The raw material is mostly (like 66%) taken from (the raw session recordings of) Oceanic, but the end product bears as much resemblance to it as...say...the Charleton Heston version of Planet of the Apes does to the Tim Burton's remake.



For those looking for more "Isis," I would recommend checking Ebay for their 4 live releases. Isis songs have a habit of mutating in performance, and it makes the live records interesting."

A definately different but welcome approach

irezumiaaron | Savannah GA | 02/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a CD release of a 4 EP tribute series that came out during 2004, with artists like Dälek, Mike Patton, Teledubknosis, & a variety of electronic music artists. It is very different sound then Isis's other releases, but each cover by each artist is not only recognizable, but a very interesting twist is done to the original song.

If you're not really interested by electronic music, then this might not be for you; however, I find that each song is a rocking interpretation to the original tracks by Isis, & you just might like it, regardless of your like/dislike of electronic music."