In an intriguing tweak on the idea of going "unplugged," the Cobra Killer partnership completely ditches its usual electronic backing for Das Mandolinenorchester, revisiting songs from earlier releases as if they were Eastern European folk songs. Admittedly that's a bit of a stretch -- the duo keeps the songs grounded in their original sources, their voices wry, winsome, and witty. But instead of doing the music, they hand over everything to the mandolin-based act Kapajkos, who tackle the arrangements with vim. To top it all off, all the tracks were recorded live in the studio aside from some brief overdubs, lending the album an immediate, playful quality that is echoed in the occasional side comment from the bandmembers. That Eastern European folk music can be as hyperspeed as any gabber techno or thrash metal act ever was already clear, but hearing Kapajkos tackle songs like "The Stoker" and "L.A. Shaker" and completely make them their own is simply wonderful. Sometimes all it comes down to is simply captivating beauty as well -- "High Is the Pine" concludes on a series of gorgeous mandolin flourishes. The contrast between Cobra Killer's more rabble-rousing instincts and the groove of the music is sometimes magical -- consider the way they sing the chorus to "Helicopter 666" while the band adds in backing cheers, not to mention a wonderful, rousing interpretation of the instrumental break, while the first version of "Mund Auf -- Augen Zu" included is strident and confrontational, and doesn't need a speck of electricity. Cobra Killer may or may not do anything like this again, but be glad they did this at least once -- it's a unique, wonderful record that deserves attention. ~ Ned Raggett

Having made a considerable splash with their remixing work in general as well as their well-received first self-titled album, the duo of Lindstrom and Prins Thomas returned with a companion piece to that, pulling off the neat trick of making their own remix collection. Reinterpretations is part compilation, part showcasing of new work, as the various alternate takes that make up most of the disc surfaced on various singles, while the concluding "Nummer Fire En" -- a twenty-minute monster that might almost be a response to LCD Soundsystem's "45:33" -- and "Nummer Fire To" appear on the separately released EP of that same overall title. Unsurprisingly enough, Reinterpretations isn't that far removed at all from its core album in terms of sound and impact, but things are generally far more geared to active listening and dancing here -- the never-never land of exuberant, global dance from past decades reworked and shot into the present is the base. Or rather the bass, as the spare but perfect part on the opening 12" mix of "Turkish Delight" shows -- the song itself becomes a ten-minute long masterpiece and should fairly be called the definitive version, its extended breaks bringing out the details in everything from the softly echoed breaths to any amount of further polyrhythms. From there the collection hits one inspired height after another, with standouts including the shuddering electro/house kick of "Mighty Girl" (when the lead melody first shifts from piano to a separate synth line, it's absolutely breathtaking) and the elegant swing of the alternative "Boney M Down." A low-key but fun touch lies in the name of some of the alternates -- "Claudia" here becomes "Claudio," "Feel AM" "Feel PM." It's a tiny detail but as with the duo's work in general, it's the small things that add up to something special. ~ Ned Raggett