Eccodek - Remixtasy Review

Artist: Eccodek

Release: Remixtasy

Label: Big Mind

Release Date: Sept 2011

Canadian artist Andrew McPherson’s Eccodek project has only recently come to my attention. Like many of the artists we feature this project combines the artists work with input from a variety of singers and musicians from around the globe.

Remixtasy as the title suggests is an album that features 11 re-mixed tracks from previous releases. Having not heard the original pieces I can only share my listening experience of this particular release and although, I’m familiar with many of the artists assigned with these re-mixes such as Transglobal Underground, Adham Shaikh, EarthRise SoundSystem & Dubmatix the tracks that stand out to me are actually re-mixed by the unfamiliar artists.

The album begins with Jeff Stott’s soothing re-mix of “Behind The Mask” where the music and vocals are not dissimilar to the sound of his Lumin project which fuses traditional Eastern folk and modern electronica along with the exquisite vocals of Irina Mikhailova. A firm favourite of mine is Four80Easts re-mix of “In This Drum A Secret”. It’s one of those down-tempo tracks that lift’s you off your backside and on to the dance floor. It seems to combine Ibizan chill & acidic psy-dub with African vocals and I was mildly surprised to discover they are a Canadian Nu-Jazz duo. While I’m also quite partial to Andrew’s own Stepper’s dub mix of Bizuru Dub which sits somewhere between dub-tech and dub reggae, again featuring African vocals.

To summarise this release combines traditional Asian and African music with modern dubby or funky electronica. Personally, I found the album a pleasure to listen to at home. While the Four80East re-mix is top notch, one I would like to hear out and will be playing for some time to come.

Reviewed by Woodzee