Delicious Vinyl's RMXXology is a strange beast. Take their in-house pop-culture cult classics and throw an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink remix approach at them. The result is, like the talent of the remixers tapped for the release, a mixed bag.

Right off the bat, the two Pharcyde tracks—"Runnin'" and "Passin' Me By"—jump out as songs so perfect that no one in their right mind would try to improve upon them. With such iconic tracks, the closer you are to the original, the better it sounds. So what's the point of a remix? Hot Chip tries their hand at "Passin' Me By," giving it an atmospheric, gothic feel. "Runnin'" goes to...get ready...Philippians. Against all odds, the latter is the more adventurously spliced-up (and listenable).

RMXXology kicks-off in pretty sick fashion with a dirty little breakbeat remix of "Freak-a-Zoid" by Bobby Evans, who serves up an appropriate homage to Battlestar Gallactica street-style, while keeping it fresh enough for today's dance floors. Right when you're hyped for a solid traverse through old-school meets new-school, though, Don Rimini hits you with a confusing, candy-raver / Justice-wannabe remix of "Bust A Move."

And therein lies the major issue with this compilation—it suffers from an identity crisis. After five tracks of bizarre-o fluctuation in tempo and mood, you're left with five instrumentals of the same songs you just heard, unsure of who the finished product is aimed at. Most of the downtempo or hip-hop efforts, including Eminem's rework of Masta Ace's “Slaughtahouse,” are forgettably flat.

If you're a DJ looking to add some recognizable flair to your house or electro sets, though, the good outweighs the bad. Peaches offers up a stripped-down, grimy treatment of Tone Loc's "Wild Thing" that straddles eras with the most intelligent subtlety of any track here. Aaron LaCrate and Debonair Samir's remix of Young MC's "Know How Theme" would be at home in any Diplo set (and is a reminder of what a sick MC that guy was). Those two, along with the "Freak-a-Zoid" and "Runnin'" remixes, save RMXXology from complete irrelevance—a precipice such classics should never be remotely close to in any form.

—Chris Nelson
07.09.08

The legendary Delicious Vinyl label continues its Rmxxology series with this collection of new takes on old classics. The co-conspirators behind this installment are DJ Rick Ross (younger brother of label founder Michael Ross) and the infamous electro goddess Peaches, who sought out contributors from both inside and outside the usual hip-hop neighborhood. Peaches lends her trademarked lewd wit to Tone-Loc's "Wild Thing," and Eminem pays homage to Masta Ace on an unfortunately rather monotonous mix of "Slaughtahouse," but some of the contributions come from quarters decidedly outside the mainstream: Hot Chip create something new and fascinatingly dark from the Pharcyde's "Passin' Me By," Cory Nitta (of the Philippians) takes the same band's "Runnin'" down a Latin funk alleyway, and three French hip-hoppers make appearances as well -- the most notable of which is Don Rimini's "Ravekid Extended Mix" of Young MC's "Bust a Move." The five instrumental versions tacked onto the end of the program all feel like filler, but the first ten tracks provide good value for the money anyway. Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide