LOST THEMES REMIXED

When John Carpenter issued his first non-score album, Lost Themes, it felt like another acknowledgment of just how influential his music had been on generations of electronic artists. Some of those performers return the favor on this remix collection, which takes the album's tracks in several different directions. Lost Themes Remixed is bookended by abstract interpretations courtesy of Prurient, whose noise-damaged reworking of "Purgatory" evokes a netherworld even more vividly than the original thanks to the distortion charring its spectral tones, and Bill Kouligas, who delivers a simmering take on "Fallen." Other artists hew more closely to the traditional purpose of a remix: to make a song more danceable. ohGr adds an industrial groove to "Wraith," while Silent Servant's version of "Vortex" maintains an atmospheric, soundtrack-like vibe even as it emphasizes beats. Carpenter's Sacred Bones labelmates contribute some of the more attention-getting remixes, with Zola Jesus and Dean Hurley transforming "Night" into an inspired collaboration that balances Nika's sweeping vocals and Carpenter's signature keyboard arpeggios perfectly. Meanwhile, Blanck Mass' Benjamin John Power builds on the anthemic "Fallen" with his own shock-and-awe tactics. However, the brightest highlight belongs to J.G. Thirlwell, whose remix of the Lost Themes standout "Abyss" is even more gloriously over the top than the original, incorporating orchestral thrills with maverick creativity that echoes Carpenter's own genre-defying approach. ~ Heather Phares