THE ERASER RMXS

It's a big mistake to dismiss remixed versions of Radiohead and Yorke, especially those coveted and put out by Yorke and the band themselves. DJs often incorporate Radiohead in their mixes - for example, see the classic Body Language Vol. 4 mix by Dixon, which includes Yorke's track "The Eraser," or Ellen Allien's Fabric 34 mix, which features Yorke's "Harrowdown Hill." No other rock band till now has been so successfully remixed, and by so many heavy-hitters, as Radiohead/Yorke. Here's a track-by-track run-down of The Eraser RMXS:

1. Burial was fresh off of his twin masterpieces Burial (2006) and Untrue (2007) when he remixed Thom Yorke's track. What a coup for Yorke! I may be biased (after all, my avatar currently features Untrue's album cover), but I think every single track Burial has released is crucial - like Robert Johnson's was. (I'm not exaggerating.) Furthermore, Burial's only remixed six tracks by my count. Still, I rank this behind his towering remixes of Bloc Party's Where Is Home? and Massive Attack's Paradise Circus, as well as his remix of Jamie Woon's Wayfaring Stranger. By the way, in 2011, Yorke, Burial, and Four Tet collaborated on the Ego/Mirror EP.

2. Surgeon is the DJ I know the very least about on this collection. I prefer the original version, which had more tonal colors, but this version doesn't differ all that much.

3. Before Burial's identity was apparently outed, many speculated that he was in fact The Bug. The Bug's brand of dancehall dubstep channeled a similar dark, paranoid, urban dystopia as Burial's music. Similarly, both released tracks for Kode9's Hyperdub label. (Both Burial and The Bug are featured prominently on the great compilation entitled Five Years of Hyperdub.) There are only a handful of truly great dubstep albums, and The Bug has released two of them: London Zoo (2008), and Waiting For You (2009), released under his King Midas moniker. The Bug's remix of Yorke's Harrowdown Hill is a fine track, and wouldn't be out of place on his London Zoo album.

4. Modeselektor is an electronic duo from Berlin. Yorke is a big fan, and has sung on two Modeselektor albums (including the highly-recommended track The White Flash, also from 2007). I prefer this version to the original version on The Eraser, which was never my favorite track. Modeselektor additonally contributed a remix to The King of Limbs remix album.

5. This remix album apparently helped establish a deep friendship between Yorke and other performers on this album, including Four Tet, who has since collaborated with Yorke on a few occasions, and also contributed a track to Radiohead's King of Limbs remix album. Again, a nice remix here.

6. The Field is a German-based Swedish DJ, and a major act on the Köln/Cologne-based Kompakt label, which is one of the truly, truly great electronic music labels. Furthermore, The Field were fresh off releasing arguably their greatest album, 2007's From Here We Go Sublime. While all the other remixes thus far have been respectful to the original versions and didn't tamper too much with the structure of the tracks, The Field have utterly deconstructed it. I love this remix - it's unrecognizable from the original version, and it's done in The Field's inimitable, minimalist style that makes Kompakt such a compelling label in German techno.

7. Christian Vogel is another EDM artist I'm not terribly familiar with, although his name pops up alot. He's released tracks on the Warp and Tresor labels, which is a pretty good indication of his stature. Furthermore, he's featured *twice* on this remix! Both are excellent remixes, one of my favorites on this album.

8. Various Productions is another EDM artist I'm unfamiliar with. This is the one remix I could do without, it's a bit over the top, and too brash for my liking.