Pitchfork

I was a bit wary of approaching Amon Tobin's new 4 Ton Mantis EP. I was under the impression that when a label releases an "EP" consisting of a single, a remix of that single, a few remixes of another track on an already-released full-length, and one unreleased single, the purpose is simply to hype the given single and give club DJs some more danceable variations on tracks they've already been spinning.

But Amon Tobin is a special case. In many ways, his music could be characterized as a remix of music in general, taking what he considers to be the most interesting elements of everything ranging from cheeseball spaghetti western soundtracks to blistering funk, and combining them to create something uniquely his own. Such is the case with the best remixes-- artists work with original music they didn't create to leave their own indelible mark on it.

Roots Manuva's remix of "Saboteur" is a prime example of the remix as an artform. By weakening the rhythmic skeleton that held up the track in Tobin's original mix and adding a vocal track, Manuva has turned "Saboteur" into a song that, while completely different, is true to the original in spirit.

UK DJ Bonobo's remix of "4 Ton Mantis" is equally compelling. Like Manuva, Bonobo has reworked the track from the rhythm up, shifting accents and re-shaping the song's percussive elements into a familiar yet decidedly original soundscape. The fact that these remixes work so well is testament to the amazing density of Tobin's music-- there are enough sonic nooks and crannies in his tracks that multiple DJs can remix them and come up with completely original results.

Not to be shown up, Amon himself contributes one track to this EP, the excellent "Yards." "Yards" is classic Tobin-- hyperactive, rhythmically complex, and funky as all hell. I find it deliciously ironic that Tobin has recently become the poster boy for intelligent dance music. Tracks like "Yards" make it abundantly clear that no intelligent human being would ever attempt to dance to this type of music, at the risk of winding up with a severe case of whiplash.

So perhaps I misjudged this type of remix EP. Sure, like anything, the remix can be a tool of evil. But when left to an experienced professional, a remix can provide a fresh take on already-fresh material, and it just doesn't get much better than that.