Was going to post this in the PHALARIS thread but didn’t want to derail.
Remixes can be great, though. Here are some that I enjoy:
Akuro no Oka (K.N.Y. mix)
ain’t afraid to die (Irresistible Mix)
egnirys cimredopyh +)an injection (PCM re-constructed attack)
逆上堪能ケロイドミルク (plucking: Mr. NEWSMAN) -NEW JAP MIX-
All of TMOAB disc 2. Namamekashiki Ansoku… is incredible.
DECAYED CROW (remix by Kyo)
VANITAS (LOS AWKIS Folklore Ver.)
GAUZE remixes are totally my thing except for the Yurameki mix which could’ve been half the length.
MACABRE remixes are absolute garbage. I don’t get why they threw random people talking over every track.
改-KAI- was average. Okay but forgettable mostly. The Ratsetsukoku mix is annoying as heck, and the (good) ain’t afraid to die mixes were already on the single.
All of the 鬼葬 -kisou- era mixes are quite interesting and lean more heavily into the lo-fi electronic side of that album.
UROBOROS remixes tried to recapture what TMOAB did but were nowhere near as good.
I quite like the DSS mixes overall. Unfortunately, the Symphonic versions are just dire.
ARCHE mixes are decent to average. The Revelation of mankind dubstep mix on the Utafumi single is soulless trash.
The worst time for b-sides imo was during Wtd and TMOAB, where the singles were filled with pretty bad live performances (G.D.S. aside).
I come from an experimental/industrial/electronica background, which probably explains why 鬼葬 -kisou- is my favourite album and why I seem to be the only person alive who is in love with NARASAKI’s harsh noise DECAYED CROW remix.
I agree that remixes can be bad but they don’t have to be. Give a song’s stems to the right person who understands the material, and the results can end up pretty fantastic.
That said, I’d prefer re-recordings or alt takes. Get the guys in a room and record an EP of acoustic tracks in one take. Easy money right there.