Bowery Electric, "Vertigo"

I was introduced to this band several months ago and had a hell of a time finding any of their CD's where I live. I finally got around to it and it was worth the wait. Although I'm not sure why they stretched it into 2 CDs (one is 56 minutes, the other 18), I've still found myself listening to both discs a lot lately. Although there are only 9 songs (and only 6 different songs, minus remixes) on the two discs combined, the group combines all kinds of different styles to create their seducto-enviroments. The first 2 tracks (both run over 10 minutes long) of the second disc are the highlights of the collection as they swirl and spiral out of control. With a nice mix of trance, trip-hop, and even experimental noise, the female-vocal led band definitely has a unique sound. The original spacey, electronic sound of the group lends well to the remix treatment and the remixers on board have put together some interesting new sounds for the group. Although they get a bit out-of-hand in the noise department once in awhile, their trip through the electronic quagmire is one of mostly soothing beats and ethereal vocals. - Almost Cool

Songs brought into the editing room are like ladies going into the beauty parlor: sometimes a woman comes out looking like a shadow of her old self; at other times, you wonder which strand of hair she had cut. With Bowery Electric's Vertigo, the songs of last year's Beat album have come out of the editing room in a recognizable state, since none of the remixers who created Vertigo (Wicthman, Third Eye Foundation, Main, Chasm, Immersion, Dunderhead, Twisted Science and Osymyso) ruined the good thing Bowery Electric had going on the original work. Vertigo simply subtly shifts and then reforms Beat's soundscapes: The remixers stretch a guitar chord here or play with a beat there, but their individual aesthetics mix well with the electronic rock tastes of BE members Lawrence Chandler and Martha Schwendener. While the overall sound textures may be different, the small movements of Vertigo will still have fans feeling a little woozy and out of sorts just the same. Check out the lush guitar reverb of "Fear Of Flying (Third Eye Foundation Mix)," the sparse cymbals of "Empty Words (Twisted Science Mix)" or the digital blips of "Black Light (Dunderhead Mix)." - Dawn Sutter, CMJ

This two-disc release acts as both a semi-single release for Beat's "Fear of Flying," one of Bowery Electric's stronger tracks, and as a remix collection featuring an interesting range of avant-garde techno and experimental music types. "Fear of Flying" itself is unchanged from the album, a lovely and powerful guitar line reminiscent of the similarly played-and-produced feedback swells from My Bloody Valentine or Slowdive over a strong, brisk hip-hop beat and Schwendener's low-key vocals. Also on the first disc is a remix of "Fear of Flying" by Loop/Main mastermind Robert Hampson, which, after a slightly spookier beginning, more or less re-creates the original with a few extra vocal/instrumental drop outs, switches, and quiet additional melodies. A solid enough mix of "Black Light" closes things out, removing Chandler's vocal in favor of Schwendener's and often stripping things down to minimal shards of guitar and beat. The hour-long second disc is packed with some interesting goodies, which, while not always the most innovative, still nicely showcase what others can do with the band's original material. Witchman's track, the 15-minute creep out mix of "Without Sleeping," grips with a chilling sense of foreboding, with dark ambient touches and mere flickers of cymbals interspersed with a clearer bass and big drum loop punch at points, semi-jungle rhythms elsewhere. The Twisted Science take on "Empty Words" is equally strong, building from a quiet start to an at-once high-volume and thoroughly serene midsection. Schwendener's vocals come to the fore as things calm down again, static and hum filling out the mix, wrapping up on a nicely clattering note. Nigel Smith's squelching, truly gone vivisection of "Black Light" is fascinating, crossing what sounds like '50s sci-fi aliens communicating with a mucky mess of noise. Fine mixes by the Third Eye Foundation and Hampson close out the release. - Ned Raggett, All Music Guide