For this release the band have wisely chosen to team up with a remixer, that is in demand, Fused, they have been very busy remixing tracks for various other bands and this is a partnership that works perfectly, why, well Fused are hugely influenced by Depeche Mode and they are the blueprint for his remix work (On a side note Fused are releasing a cover of the Depeche Mode track "Dreaming Of Me", again you can read a review of that here).
Without further a do let's crack on the this particular remix......
First up is the "Fused Sacred Remix" of "Clouds Of Doubt" and he re-works the track "Violator" style, dark sounding synths and a beautiful bass-line draw you in immediately, the vocals really do sound excellent, against the re-worked music. A top class remix, this track remixed is truly awesome.
Following that we have the Fused Sacred 12 Inch mix, which expands on the above mix in true 80s 12 inch style, that means more sequenced sections and fabulous synths and of course more of that devine bass-line, clocking in at 7 1/2 minutes this is how you make a 12 inch mix, a blueprint other bands should take notice of. I love 12 inch singles like this, it means you get an extended version of what is already a wonderful track. Vocals and music ...perfect!
Next we have a "Radio" friendly "Fused Sacred 7 Inch Remix", this is about 1 minute shorter than the opening track but of course, ensures we have all the ingredients for a powerful shorter version of the track, even in the shorter format this song is well written and produced and Fused add the gloss to give us another example just how well thought out the remixes are.
The album version is also featured in this package, and is an album highlight, a lot of emotion in the vocals, not just on this version but the remixes too, even the original mix has a massive Depeche Mode influence running through it, you should check out the entire album, it is an excellent piece of work.
Another album track is featured on the single, and that is "Hundred Thousand Million", however, this is a more stripped down version featuring piano, strings and vocals, this gives the song a more melancholic feel, I really like the piano arrangement on this.
Now another throwback to the 80s, is of course, "Dub Mixes", remember them?? Well we are treated to 3 Fused Dub Versions, the first is the "Fused Sacred Dub Mix", an instrumental re-work of the main mix, then we have the "Fused Sacred 12 inch Dub Remix". On these versions, you gain a bigger appreciation of the musicianship and remix work, that has gone into this song. The final dub version, is of the "Fused 7 Inch Remix". I always find it interesting to listen to these type of mixes as you hear things differently and pick up on parts you may have missed in the vocal versions, an excellent addition to this release.
To close this release, we have an instrumental version of the album version of Clouds Of Doubt", as well as, a very intriguing instrumental version, of the "Piano & Strings" version of "Hundred Thousand Million".
Once again Fused deliver, with solid and quite breathtaking remixes of "Clouds Of Doubt", which take the song to a whole new level, it was brilliant to start with, but these remixes take it beyond brilliant, alongside the other bonus tracks included here, this is a fantastic introduction to the forthcoming remix album.
10/10
The CD version features the first 5 tracks, however, you will receive all 10 tracks that are featured on the Digital release too. Both are released on May 24th and are available on Bandcamp here:
https://mindmachineband.bandcamp.com/album/clouds-of-doubt
The album "Return To The Machine", is also available as a CD or Digital Download via Bandcamp here:
https://mindmachineband.bandcamp.com/album/return-to-the-machine
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