Andrew Duke/Various

Part remix project, part pseudo-collaboration, Andrew Duke solicited sound bytes from various foremost electronic artists including Monolake, I8U, Chicks on Speed and Polmo Polpo, as well as having appropriated fragments from mega stars like Pink Floyd and Aaliyah. If the listener is familiar with the music of Andrew Duke, one can distinguish where the latter starts and the other artists end, only the other artists provide the mere building blocks for him to work from. Duke makes two broad categories on this recording, designating a "Vs." to denote a reinterpretation or a "+" to denote a collaboration. What's interesting about Duke's approach to this body of work is that he decides to retain enough of the contributors' style for the listener to get an appreciation of the bricks or fabrics that Duke chooses to work with. Highest Common Denominator is a veritable who's who of leading electronic artists selected to ensure quality and Duke, a foremost producer himself adheres to these standards no less.