C O V E R		R E V I E W
		Every genre has its classics, and Front 242's venerable "Headhunter" -- old enough now to be played on classic rock stations, though that'll only happen on a cold day in hell -- is perhaps the highest evolutionary level reached by industrial music of the late eighties. Thanks to the slowed-down bowed-string sample that drives it, "Headhunter" is utterly distinctive; it can still pack a dance floor ten years on. Now, hot on the heels of Front 242's recent live album, "Headhunter" is back. Cynics will readily (and correctly) suggest that this is a ploy to wring more money out of the song, but on the upside, listeners and fans wind up with 16, count 'em, 16 new celebrity remixes of the classic. That's a lot of remixes -- four discs with four tracks each, or two discs of eight domestically. Are they worth it? Yes, though only a few are really viable as updates of the original. It's interesting to hear what each remix artist found "essential" in the original -- the Space Frog mix, for instance, retains the vocals and rhythm, but drops the most distinctive sample, while Frontline Assembly's mix retains most of the original sample, heavily augments the percussion and alters the metre of the chorus. The Funker Vogt mix retains the sample and lyrics while stripping the rhythm to an overpowered bass beat, adding additional keyboard textures along the way, and the Aqualite mix brings in the drum'n'bass guns but also uses subtle synth chords to add a touch of urban paranoia. Haujobb initially erodes the melody and smothers the beat, later allowing the strangulated vocal to gasp its way to freedom. The Noisex mix is all but unrecognizable, a cacophony of looped elements largely bereft of melody, while the Doug Laurent mix embellishes the melody almost to the point where it becomes Eurodisco. You get the idea. Does anyone really need sixteen remixes of "Headhunter"? Probably not -- the original was too good -- but they're cool to have and great to dance to, as well as being the best and most civilized way to test a new subwoofer.
	I N F O
Front 242 Headhunter 2000 Zoth Ommog 4 CDs
		Review by George Zahora

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