Madredeus - Electronico

Combine near-classical arrangement with operatic Portuguese vocals, and you have Madredeus. Combine Madredeus with a host of electronic artists, and you have ELECTRONICO. With all remix albums, the final product is always the result of the recombinant elements, and, for the most part, the album is gorgeous. Lux’s mix of “Haja O Que Houver” and Rob Da Bank’s take on “Ecos Na Catedral” are downtempo gems, with the latter on a more abstract tip. Dusted turn “A Andorinha Da Primavera” into a dub lullaby recorded in a child’s music box factory, and David Bridie & Christian Scallan make “Ainda Insect” a modern torch song (if I could only understand the lyrics). If you’re looking for more uptempo beats, Buscemi (Afro-house tinged) and Telepopmusik (cut-up abstraction) deliver the goods. That said, not all the mixes past muster: Alpha (whom I normally love) were undergoing their not-so-good phase with their unfocused take of “Vem” or the Banzai Republic’s unremarkable mix of “O Mar.” And Manitoba’s mix of “Guitarra” sounds a little haphazard. But the weaker tracks fade away in light of Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band’s remix of “O Sonho,” a version that’s bright and shiny as a new quarter.