Phoenix Get Remix Album with Animal Collective, Devendra Banhart, Passion Pit

BY Brock ThiessenPublished Oct 1, 2009

By this point, we've learned to have low expectations when it comes to a band releasing a remix album. Seriously, these things generally come out half-assed no matter how good the source material is. Still, we can't help but get at least a little excited by the news that French popsters Phoenix will be releasing a remix LP later this month.

The collection of remakes is simply being called Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Remix Collection) and is due out digitally in North America courtesy of Glassnote/Loyauté on October 13. For those fans over in the UK, they'll get the remix LP as the second disc in an upcoming two-CD version of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, out on October 19.

And so who are the remixers on this thing? Well, there are several bigger names like Passion Pit, YACHT, Chairlift, Friendly Fires and folkie beardo Devendra Banhart. And then there is one really big name: Animal Collective, who rework the album's long, drawn-out centrepiece: "Love Like a Sunset."

Here are some words on Phoenix by AC's Josh "Deakin" Dibb, who apparently is still in the band after all:

"This spring I was in Panama with Brian [Weitz, aka Geologist]. We were cramped into a van on a bumpy, winding central American road going a little too fast. Feeling a little edgy, I put on my headphones and listened to United and Alphabetical back to back. I watched passing fruit stands, a sweet central american dusk and memories of the massive schools of jelly fish, snapper, and trevally; the few dolphin and even the few bluefin tuna (too few) that brian and i had just had the joy of diving with the blend of all of these things put me at ease.

"Phoenix has been a staple for all four of us since Dave [Portner, aka Avey Tare] and Noah [Lennox, aka Panda Bear] brought home United from the record store they used to work at. One of the records that would get us through some of those long cross country tour drives, we've listened to Phoenix's jams many many times. We were all totally psyched to get asked to do this and it was super fun to work on it."

If you'd like to download Animal Collective's remix, click here.

As previously reported, Phoenix have some other projects in the works, specifically front-man Thomas Mars is contributing some original music to Sofia Coppola's fourth film, Somewhere. No more details have been made available yet but the film is due out sometime next year.

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Remix Collection):

1. "Lisztomania" (Alex Metric Remix)
2. "Fences" (The Soft Pack Remix)
3. "1901 Bo Flex'd" (Passion Pit Remix)
4. "Lasso" (2 Door Cinema Club Remix)
5. "Fences" (25 Hrs a Day Remix)
6. "1901" (L'aiglon Remix)
7. "Love Like a Sunset" (Turzi Remix)
8. "Fences" (Boombass Remix)
9. "Lisztomania" (A Fight For Love -€“ 25 Hrs a Day Remix)
10. "Fences" (Friendly Fires Remix)
11. "Armistice" (YACHT Remix)
12. "Girlfriend" (Young Fathers Remix)
13. "Fence"s (Chairlift Remix)
14. "Rome" (Neighbours with Devendra Banhart Remix)
15. "Love Like a Sunset" (Animal Collective Remix - Deakin's Jam)

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