Killing Joke - Alchemy - The Remixes

Unsurprisingly, this looks fairly sought from old-school Goa-heads. Can it get any better? Tracklist reveals 4 remixes by the old-school heavyweights Hallucinogen, Man With No Name, Juno Reactor and Total Eclipse. Enough said, you would say. There’s also a remix by Black Sun, an early Dragonfly Records artist. Even more, compilation is rounded off by an 18 minute ambient mix by The Orb. You’ll say I want this one, definitely. I was always looking forward impatiently for this until I popped it into my stereo.

Compilation kicks off with Requiem. This track has not much to do with Goa, Trance or even Ambient. It’s a long and repetitive breakbeat track with those inevitable guitar riffs. Track 2 is where the Goa starts, no surprise if you look at the remix artist involved. Even though named “4 Stations Of The Sun” the track is the same as Democracy (Hallucinogen Mix) as on the Democracy remix vinyl/cd-single and as appeared on some other compilation! Cold shower in mid-December! Musically, I have heard better remixes by Simon Posford but it’s still a decent rework.

Following is a remix by Martin Freeland. All remixes I know by Man With No Name have that heavy melodic sound but Pandemonium here looks dry when compared to other remix works. It lacks melodic layers and is overwhelmed by the guitar. Track 4 is a very powerful and chaotic Goa tune, a full-on stormer sounding very raw and primitive. Looks like it’s recorded a bit louder than the other tracks though.

Labelled as “Back to Orion Mix”, liner notes reveal that the remix 5 is done by Juno Reactor. This is my favourite song. The style is very similar to the early Goa tracks by this legendary act (Feel The Universe / Mars / Labyrinth) and if you know these tracks you will like the heavy Industrial sound and the hypnotic melodies very reminiscent of their early productions. Remix 6 is done by Total Eclipse. Not much of a Total Eclipse sound I can hear here though. The track is the slowest of the five 4/4 tracks.

Track 7 is a dubby/breakbeat track remixed by the good old Youth. Honestly this doesn’t turn me on. Luckily my day is saved by an epic remix of the great Orb band. It’s an eighteen minute Ambient/Dub track with that 100% Orb flavour.

Hate to say these things, but for the price this compact seems to sell you’re better off getting the vinyl sampler having 4 out of the 5 4/4 tracks on this disc; the track left out being the Total Eclipse mix which surely is the weakest! Mastering (if any ever) is poor. Orb lovers will find that the remix featured here was released on a previous 12” / cd-single and will be happy to know that if they don’t like heavy Goa beats this remix appeared also on his remix project compilation “Auntie Aubrey's Excursions Beyond The Call Of Duty” in 1996.

Except for it’s peculiarity, I can’t recommend this one, sorry.