- Two hits, two misses.
- Nina Kraviz remixes are beginning to resemble Ricardo Villalobos's: they're usually formulaic and sometimes brilliant. We get two more in Kraviz's signature style on the latest Houndstooth, which sees the Russian superstar deliver two reworks that might be the most forgettable of her career. The "Alice Was Here" version of Special Request's "Curtain Twitcher" sticks to the vocal-laced script we've been hearing since 2009's "Pain In The Ass," only this time the groove that backs Kraviz's voice is limp. A sparse acid techno beat cloaked in static, it's not interesting enough to loop for eight minutes, which means even Kraviz's signature spoken word can't save it. There's a flash of excitement when a cascade of bleeps swarm the disintegrating beat towards the end, but it's too little, too late.
The "Samba Version" is sparser still, free of the vocals that gave its counterpart some character. There's static, licks of acid and a more urgent kick drum, yet it also lacks the charm of Kraviz's best tracks. Special Request and Anastasia Kristensen liven up the EP. Special Request's "Looking Glass" is a deranged jungle track from some barren wasteland. Kristensen's remix of "Tiresias" is more precise, with bleeps that pan across the stereo spectrum as a wall of ambient noise oozes across the mix. It's the standout moment on an EP that could have used some more originality from its biggest name.
TracklistA1 Curtain Twitcher (Nina Kraviz Alice Was Here Remix)
A2 Curtain Twitcher (Nina Kraviz Samba Version)
B1 Looking Glass
B2 Tiresias (Anastasia Kristensen Rework)