DJ Koze – Reincarnations (The Remix Chapter 2001-2009)

On his own DJ Koze makes complex and oftentimes entertaining techno -- but his remixes hit other notes altogether. On the REINCARNATIONS compilation, he shows off his talents. He kicks off with probably the highlight of the album, a house mix Matthew Dear’s “Elementary Lover” that makes it sound spry and jaunty -- almost romantic. Sid LeRok’s “Naked,” on the hand, gets a sultry mix that plays with the vocals. Indeed, Koze seems at his best when tweaking vocal tracks: listen to the twisted voices that accompany the deep throbs of Battle’s “Atlas” or the morphing tribal thrum and jazz riffs of Blagger’s “Strange Behavior.” Sometimes, he uses just a tiny bit, like the sweet, lingering chorus on Heiko Voss’ “Think About You,” or the whole thing, like on Mathias Aguayo’s disco-inspired “Minimal.” Koze’s influence range widely, from Wechsel Garland’s “Swim” delicate and bucolic mix to the twisted house of Noze’s “Danse Avec Moi” to the deep darkness of Ben Watt’s “Guinea Pig” and the house-funk of Chicks on Speed’s, “Kalter Klares Wasser.” Oh, Koze excels with instrumentals tracks as well, like the minimal techno of Lawrence’s “Rabbit Tube,” but it’s the tracks like Hildegard Knef’s “Ich Liebe Dich” -- an intoxicated lounge crooner -- that really take the cake.