Kid 606 and Friends, Vol. 1

They Say...

Review by Ned Raggett, All Music Guide

The premiere CD release on Kid606's own label, Tigerbeat6, Kid606 and Friends, Vol. 1 is as the title implies a collection of collaborations and remix efforts, appropriate enough given the kid's own notoriety when it comes to mind-melting transformations. Some of the efforts actually appear to be Kid606 mixing others rather than being remixed in turn, but whatever the exact source of all the tracks, the end results are a merrily chaotic treat. A good number of the selections fall squarely into the frenetic and ever-expanding realm of glitch techno and IDM, stop-start loops and extreme vocal and musical cut-ups, and much more at play. Each of the guests involved does bring his own particular style to the table, though, whether it's the exquisitely focused drone/chime vivisections of the Electric Company or Aube's preference for sheer grinding mechanical noise chaos. The whole album is really a treat, sonics twisted in ways unimaginable even a couple of years before it was released, but there are some definite highlights. Lexaunculpt's revamp of "Don't Sweat the Technics" balances off greasy funk vocal samples with minimal keyboard loops '70s Eno could be proud of, refracted through his own late-'90s lens. The song that gets the most treatment is "My Kitten," tweaked in an least five different ways. Hrvåtski starts the fun with his MC Hawking-style vocal celebrations loping through the dub/jungle craziness on "Catstep/My Kitten/Catnap," while Jake Mandell, Christoph de Babalon, and Miss Kick, among others, get in their own stabs elsewhere. Matmos has a standout of their own with "Dropkick: Matmos' Theme for a Biker Movie Starring Kid 606," a great combination of unsettling static crunch and relentless, full-force beats tied tightly around each other for maximum impact.