Versus: Kings of Convenience: Amazon.ca: Music

Frequently Bought Together

1. I Don't Know What I Can Save You From (R�yksopp Remix)

2. The Weight Of My Words (Four Tet Remix)

3. The Girl From Back Then (Riton's �ber Jazz Mix)

4. Gold For The Price Of Silver (Erot Vs Kings Of Convenience Version)

5. Winning A Battle, Losing The War (Andy Votel Mix)

6. Leaning Against The Wall (Evil Tordivel Upbeat Remake)

7. Toxic Girl (Monte Carlo 1963 Version)

8. Failure (Alfie Version)

9. Little Kids (Ladytron Fruits Of The Forest Mix)

10. Failure (Radio Edit)

11. Leaning Against The Wall (Bamboo Soul Mix)

12. The Weight Of My Words (Four Tet Instrumental)

Product Description

From Amazon.co.uk

Given that remixers' recourse to acoustica is the next logical link to down-tempo electronica, it's no surprise that the Kings of Convenience's beguiling debut has undergone this treatment. Versus sees the winsome, lovelorn ditties of Quiet is the New Loud reinterpreted by the likes of fellow Norwegians Royksopp (whose lovely remix of "I Don't Know What to Save You From" appeared on the "Failure" single), Four Tet, Ladytron and Alfie, amongst others. Apart from Ladytron, who opt for their characteristic warped synth-pop, on the whole the assembled cast choose to gently tweak the songs, rather than offer any radical reworking of them. Evil Tordivel update "Leaning Against the Wall" with sprightly horns and keyboards, leaving the song less introspective, but still recognisable. Wayward folksters Alfie remake "Failure" (also included on the single), but are less successful, as its skewed lo-fi tends to overbear much of the all-important melody. Riton's remix of "The Girl From Back Then" adds gentle sprinkles of nonchalant, shuffling beats, but the highlight, is the "Weight of My Words" remix by Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet. As showcased on his glorious Pause album, he melds bubbling electronica with an organic, folky ambience, perfectly demonstrating the premise of Versus. - Suzannah Brown

Album Description

'Versus' is a remix collection mostly taken from their U.K. single releases and some brand new mixes, including Ladytron, Royksopp, & Andy Votel. This Astralwerks release is available on CD & LP.

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)

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Most helpful customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars if you feel like stoning, Jun 21 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Versus (Audio CD)

Very good chillout music. Royksopp's rendition of Don't know what I can save you from is reminiscient of the background music of the old kid's computer game "Treasure Cove", which is laidback and lovely. The circus-sounding Leaning against the Wall by Evil Tordivel is fresh and amusing, and Winning a Battle, Losing a War should be heard by anyone who's ever loved someone without being loved in return.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Who wouldn't like this?, Dec 6 2003

By

Kevin Bourrillion (Mtn View, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Versus (Audio CD)

I see I'm not the first person who was a little shall-we-say skeptical of the concept. I mean, really. Electronica remixes of acoustic folk lullabyes? Does it get any more gimmicky?

Yea, all signs pointed to "save your money" on this one. But deep down I wanted to believe. I knew that a concept like this really could make for wonderful music, if only it was done right. With taste, with imagination, with respect for the source material -- I mean, it could be really good! Couldn't it?

So, with a little trepidation, I purchased Versus. I bought it used, so as to limit my losses. And what do you know.

It's better than I'd even hoped. My wife loves it too -- we even found that the baby will stop crying when we put it on. She just stares at the speakers with an expression halfway between awestruck and dumbstruck.

We love it so much that we were hesitant to buy the original versions ("Quiet is the New Loud") until just recently. I figured they would seem empty to us. Wrong again. Blown away again. But that's a subject for a different review.

I can go back and forth between this and QitNL without any of that jarring feeling -- you know, like when you hear an old song that your favorite band covered once, and you're so used to the cover that something always seems to be missing, and you can't stop noticing its absence? Well, none of that. It's like each of the artists brings such a new vision to their track that they created a whole new song altogether. Almost all of them, anyway.

Maybe if I'd bought QitNL first it would be different. I don't know. I say, get this one first. It's a little more "hooky".

There is a bit of repetition. Personally, I would have chosen just one of the "Failure" mixes; they're just too similar. Not so with the two versions of "Leaning Against The Wall." They're very different and both fantastic and both fit in well. And Four Tet coming back again at the end? Love it. Can't get enough of that one.

Usually I try to explain "if blah blah, then you'll like this, and if blah blah blah, then you may not." But I don't really know what kind of music fan wouldn't like this disc. I don't know, your mother, maybe. If you see a one-star review ever show up here one day, your mother is suspect.

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5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the 'Kings of Convenience' albums...., Oct 29 2003

By

fetish_2000 (U.K.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Versus (Audio CD)

This is a exemplary slice of 'Folktronica' (Folk inspired Electronica), and with this release they take existing artists (Ladytron, Four Tet, Andy Votel, Röyksopp), and rework them to work within a 'Folktronica' rearrangement (mostly downtempo melodic harmonies), and if all of this sounds a bit 'Pleasant'.....you'd be right, but that shouldn't distract from what is some of the most blissfully hushed electronic music. '"Andy Votel's - Winning a Battle, Losing a War" steals the show with it's tremulous choruses, and gentle Synth-Pop strumming, containing as much melancholic ideas, as conventional singer/songwriter acoustic artists.....and although there is nothing song wise (apart from 'Ladytron's' remixed "Little Kids") that raises above quietly melodious grooves, this album has a real substance.....it could even be argued that "Quiet!!...is the new Loud!!".

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars 'Quiet' vs. Loud
'Quiet is the New Loud' has the accoustic guitars, but 'Versus' has the dancing beats perfect for a ride in the car. Read more

Published on Oct 19 2003 by Stacy Cochrell

4.0 out of 5 stars Kings of Convenience- Versus
Think Everything But The Girl, but seriously without the girl. Think, an equated mix of acoustic based tracks with subtle electronica. Think Kings of Convenience- Versus. Read more

Published on Dec 10 2002 by Kwanrick