Ben Frost
V A R I A N T
Reviewed by: Max Miller
In May, Icelandic-by-way-of-Australia experimental composer/producer Ben Frost released A U R O R A, the latest link in his ever-morphing chain of industrially-tinged minimalism. The five-track V A R I A N T EP features remixes of a handful of A U R O R A cuts, highlighting the vast palette of textures that can be extracted from Frost’s compositions.
One of A U R O R A’s high points was “Venter”, an anxiety-inducing build-up of pounding toms and ominous bells (courtesy of formidable, hirsute Swans percussionist Thor Harris) that explodes into a crescendo of noise and IDM synth patterns. Unsurprisingly, it is remixed three times on V A R I A N T. Evian Christ — probably the biggest name among the remixers present — amps up the track’s danciest aspects with a more outstanding kick drum and hi-hat pattern that makes his “TF 12” Mix” virtually club-ready. Dutch E Germ takes the opposite route, shining a spotlight on stabs of noise amidst fields of frothing ambience. HTRK’s version renders the song nearly unrecognizable as a moody slow-burner.
Closing out the EP, Kangding Ray transforms the drone of “No Sorrowing” into a propulsive house number, while Regis performs a fittingly-titled “Self Medicating Edit” on “Nolan” which drowns the track in a swirling, echoing Klonopin haze.
V A R I A N T succeeds in collecting a diverse array of reimaginings of Frost’s works, but as with most remix albums, it serves as little more than a nice curio in his legacy and the still-gestating legacies of the producers tapped.
Rating: Listenable
