Reich Remixed

The music of pioneering minimalist composer Steve Reich has influenced countless pop artists; his use of complex syncopation in a context of phased repetition is reflected in the work of 1980s King Crimson, Talking Heads, Brian Eno, and many others. On the 1999 album Reich Remixed we hear some musicians from the electronica space paying that debt back: Coldcut brings a new warmth and funkiness to Music for 18 Musicians, while Howie B. adds vocal samples to a cut-up version of Eight Lines. Tranquility Bass takes elements of Electric Counterpoint, It’s Gonna Rain, Come Out, and other Reich compositions and weaves them into a nearly ten-minute-long “Megamix.” The collection sheds new light on some of the most significant art music of the 20th century.