The Cure : "Mixes of a Lost World"

In case you forgot this was coming out, Robert Smith is not the control freak he once was, as he is allowing 24 artists to remix the band's 2024 masterpiece. I am going to review this by breaking it down by song, and then just going over the different versions of each song.

 "I Can Never Say Goodbye"

 Paul Oakenfold's cinematic version is a fair description of what he does here, as the piano melody and Smith's vocal remain the heartbeat of this dramatic symphonic take. 

 Mental Overdrive is the moniker used by a long-running Norwegian techno DJ. The euro-techno beat keeps the song moving in a manner that is much more dancey than what Oakenfold did. Like most old-school techno, it takes on a bit of a drone.

 Craven Faults, as expected from this British producer, there is a more ambient Krautrock feel to this take on the song. The melody is submerged in a wave of sound. The drone of this one is more lethargic than the previous take on the song. You gotta hand it to Smith, he makes sure almost every adjacent sub-genre of what the band does is represented here, this is a very slow burn at nine minutes. The vocals were eliminated, and instead we get subtle layers of synths and piano flushed against a deep pulse. You might need some weed for this one. 

"Endsong" 

I mean, is it really a remix album without Orbital on it? The song is given the kind of treatment you might expect from the Sevenoaks duo. After some build-up up it settles into a more electronic groove to give Smith's vocals the room they need. The guitar melody is given a trippier sound. The Cure is, to some extent, drug music, but this requires a higher dose. 

Gregor Thresher, the German EDM DJ uses Smith's vocal as his guidepost, and strips things down so he can apply his own dance beat to the song, which is a much different approach than the previous version. 

Another jarring contrast is where post-rockers Mogwai take the track. They take it to a darker, more obtuse place. They prefer the sound of their own guitars, and the original guitar melodies are memories that haunt the song, but it still feels like what the Cure would do. Robert Smith has called these guys his favorite band before, so this is not surprising. Another time to break out the bong. I am surprised they included Smith's vocals since vocals are not an element they normally put great weight in. 

"Drone Nodrone" 

Daniel Avery's remix finds the Bournemouth-based DJ not getting as sonic as expected and laying a more laid-back but still dance-minded beat under it. It allows the vocals to work with the same grooving cadence as the original while owing little to the original arrangement. It's still dark enough for goth fans. He does bring in the bass line as well, midway into the song. 

German DJ  Anja Schneider breaks from the post-punk DNA of the song to do her own thing, in more of a deconstruction. The vocal is the only thing that anchors it to the original version. The chorus is a great deal faster. It feels like this could have come from the late 90s. 

JoyCut brings a more post-industrial dynamic to their version. While it is next to what Mogwait does as the second most experimental take so far, it feels true to the overall feel of what the Cure does. Less bassline-supported backbone and more atmosphere. 

"All I Ever Am" 

Norway's Meera takes the song in a dance-oriented direction that resembles the original so little that if it were not on this album, you would not have a clue there was anything to do with the Cure.

Pop producer Mura Masa gives Smith's vocals the room they need and turns them into something that could find a place on European radio. It almost feels like the Killers. 

Post-rockers 65daysofstatic play it pretty safe and just give things a bigger dynamic sound. 

"A Fragile Thing" 

German duo Ame leaves Smith's vocals the centerpiece as they deconstruct the song down to a dance groove. 

Iris-born DJ Sally C treats it more like it is a 90s Madonna song. But what plays in its favor is how she keeps the guitar in some of the layers to remind you they are a rock band. 

You know tour mates the Twilight Sad are going to get it right when it comes to capturing what makes the song work, but still getting sonic with it. 

"Nothing is Forever" 

Danny Briotett and Rico Conning's remix feels like what DJs were doing in the late 90s in gay bars. 

Collen Murphy also allows for the guitars to have the space they need, while the vocals are given a trippier treatment. 

Trentmoller has a greater understanding of dark music, as the Danish musician reworks the mood into something that flirts with vvitch house and industrial, while staying true to the song. One of the best reworkings on this album, as it touches on so many aspects. 

"Warsong" 

Daybreakers' re-mix keeps things to a dance floor throb that does not capture the feel of the song as well as some of the other interpretations, but works off energy alone well enough 

Tech-house DJ Omid 16b chills out a little more than the previous version and does not keep the tension boiling. The vocals are relegated to more of a color. 

Deftones vocalist Chino kept his mouth shut when it came to approaching the song and just mixed Smith's vocals in a similar manner that he would approach his own.

"Alone" 

Four Tet brings what you expect from their work to this song. 

Chilean DJ Shanti Celeste brings some of her homeland vibes to the grooves of this one. 

Ex- Easter Island does well enough wtih the song, not taking many chances

Overall I will give this one a 9.5, shows how much reach the Cure's influence has on music as a whole.

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