The remix album can be a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand the idea of reimagining another artist’s work in your own unique style can be a hard sell. Especially when the original body of work is critically lauded. On the other hand there are exceptions with the likes of Goldfrapp’s 2006 remix album We Are Glitter or Depeche Mode’s Remixes 81–04 turning this theory on its head.
Over the past 12 months London trio IYEARA have stepped into the role of remixers-in-chief having made their name through a cover of “Shout” by Tears For Fears featuring The Duke Spirit’s Liela Moss. Indeed, the group, containing The Duke Spirit guitarist Toby Butler, have gone on to collaborate with Laura Marling’s LUMP project, UNKLE, Humanist ft. Dave Gahan, The Prodigy, The Boxer Rebellion and many more. Their most recent release is a collaboration with Mark Lanegan who gave his blessing for the band to remix his entire 2019 album Somebody’s Knocking—neatly retitled as Another Knock At The Door.
Akin to Depeche Mode’s Remixes 81–04, IYEARA have created a throbbing, industrial take on what was a critically acclaimed record, altering the atmosphere entirely, and forcing the listener to absorb Lanegan’s rasping, distinctive lyrics through an alternative vision. Considering his prolific nature, as well as a penchant for remix collaborations, Another Knock At The Door is the first time Mark Lanegan has allowed another artist to remix a whole record from start to finish.
That IYEARA have done so with such aplomb is testament to their ability to tap into, and understand, the artists they work with. First single “Playing Nero” offers an added layer of darkness. Soundscapes envelop Lanegan’s words in a way that offers a fresh, ominous meaning to his acerbic lyrics. “She Loved You” shimmers with atmospheric sonics and trademark pulsating synths, as IYEARA create a score befitting any John Carpenter film.
From the album opener IYEARA lay the framework for the darkwave elements they gleefully enshrine themselves in. From the griminess of “Disbelief Suspension” to the propulsive “Letter Never Sent” the record lays bare Lanegan’s literate outpourings. “Night Flight To Kabul,” “Dark Disco Jag,” and “Gazing From The Shore” take inspiration of ’80s synth acts ranging from New Order to The Human League while “Name And Number” is a cerebral flood of ideas washing over every part of your body.
Another Knock At The Door is a surprising, engaging, yet challenging body of work that will appeal to those who loved the original album as well as those who perhaps didn’t. IYEARA’s ability to understand and make use of the source material is to their eternal credit, creating a record that confronts the listener and demands them to re-evaluate the nuances inherent in Mark Lanegan’s work.
