LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy pulled off a major feat in 2006 with 45:33, which counted not only as an impressive album-length composition but also a rare instance when unabashed corporate intervention made for something truly lasting. The project was commissioned by Nike, but the story of its funding was way less interesting than the music itself. If the idea of a 45-minute disco-jogging soundtrack didn’t sound appealing beforehand, it certainly did after.
45:33 Remixes collects eight remixes made around the same time as the original, to scattered effect. Part of what made the original so striking was the way it all hung together as a whole, so excising components of it comes with risks. Those risks don’t prove a problem for the DFA act Runaway, who start off with a floaty, leisurely remix that sounds elated to have no real beginning, middle, or end to contend with. Others by the likes of Prince Language and Prins Thomas sound ponderous and heavy in comparison to the LCD originals, neither reverential nor radical enough to do justice to the enterprise. A patient, glimmering Theo Parrish remix wanders around the hazy margins of house music rewardingly, and a tight, concise mix by German legend Riley Reinhold takes a smart turn toward techno. But the collection as a whole takes a weird path toward praise: It’ll most likely make you want to hear the original.