Released
1999

Label
Metropolis

Reviewed by
Karine

Contact
Metropolis

Last Edit/Update
27 April, 1999

Funker Vogt vs. Velvet Acid Christ

Remix Wars Strike 4

Track Listing:

1. Fortunes of War(Vaporized Mix)
2. International Killer(We Won the War Mix)
3.Civil War(Tripping in Boot Camp Mix)
4. Futile(Resisted)
5. Malfunction(Destructive)
6. The Dead(Alive)

    The experiences I've had with these Remix Wars CDs hasn't been too positive. In the past, I have eagerly anticipated the latest "war", where two industrial giants come together and mix each other's music, only to find that these albums are usually nothing but mediocre mixes of mediocre songs. What is promoted as "innovative" and "groundbreaking" has mostly turned out to be disappointing and uninteresting. I didn't have high expectations for this latest effort, number 4 in the series, even though two of my favorite bands, Funker Vogt and Velvet Acid Christ, were involved in its making. I should have known that these two bands wouldn't let me down.

    Strike Four in the Remix Wars series brings together two of the most versatile bands in the genre, and this album showcases that versatility in a creative and diverse way. The three Funker Vogt tracks on the CD(Tracks 1-3), originally very harsh, pounding tracks, are mixed by Velvet Acid Christ into very dancey tracks that have a very techno/trancelike feel to them. They have been transformed into completely new songs, with the trademark Funker Vogt harshness replaced with VAC's trademark synthwork and sampling. "Fortunes of War" starts off the album with a pounding intensity and dance-like beat that made me want to jump out of my chair and start jumping around. Funker Vogt's "Civil War" sounds very little like the original; instead, what you hear is a tranced out version of what was originally a heavy electro tune.

    The three Velvet Acid Christ tracks on the album all have the characteristic throbbing, heavy sound of Funker Vogt mixed into them, yet they still retain the feel that is unmistakingly Velvet Acid Christ. "Futile", one of VAC's more well-known songs, is turned from a decent electro tune into an aggressive, harsh song that made me want to start stomping around and damaging things. Funker Vogt creatively mixed "Malfunction" into an appealing song with its pulsing dance beats and overall harshness. Altogether, this album shocked me with its diversity and absolute creativity....something that in the past this series has not succeeded in fulfilling. For fans of Funker Vogt and Velvet Acid Christ, this is a must-have album, and one that will make you appreciate the musical talent both bands possess.