Mungolian Jet Set

The early half of the remix compilation by this oddball Norwegian duo re-examines a realm of techno charted in the mid-'90s by groups like Future Sounds of London and the Orb. It's a realm on the ragged edge between inspired and muddled. The spin that Pål Nyhus (aka DJ Strangefruit) and Knut Sævik put on this "free range" style has roots both in Nyhus's nu-jazz background as a trumpeter in Nils Petter Molvær's ensemble but also quasi-Ibizan dance floor mash-ups. "Creepy" and "Could You Be Loved" have a flow of 4/4 beats that vacuum-up new surface details with every bar, creating a Frankenstein patchwork of Underworld, Santana, cLOUDEAD and many other disparate sounds. It's a veritable psychotropic Stars on 45. Later, they also visit their Scandinavian backyard, dusting off remixes for traditional artists like Mari Boine then moving from nostalgic to contemporary with a straight-faced remix of Lindstrom's "A Blast of Loser." It's a collection that puts the duo atop a wiggy mound of their construction.