When this EP was announced, Teenage Exorcists was streaming alongside all the news articles. I played it as soon a I could was instantly horrified. It's grown a little over the last four years, but I still don't care for it. I love that Mogwai aren't afraid to try new things, but generic-shoegaze-indie isn't one I need to hear. The guitars at the start are so promising, but it quickly gives way to vocals that go on to dominate the song. The chorus has grown on me (I bet no one thought people would be writing about Mogwai having choruses 20 years ago) so maybe one day I'll come round to it.
That's a very negative way to start things off, but you can't help but wonder if they weren't being intentionally antagonistic with that song; there's probably a reason why it ended up on here rather than Rave Tapes. Skipping forward a bit, the three songs on the b-side here are remixes of songs from that album. Next shocking thing: I still don't have a copy of Rave Tapes. I heard it at the time, but never got round to buying a copy. I was tempted by the luxury boxset, but missed the boat on that and haven't seen the regular LP in stores for a while. I've been gradually getting all the Mogwai albums, but it's taking some time, and I like to give each some time to settle in properly. You've probably decided by now that my opinions on the band aren't valid, and I'm fine with that.
Blanck Mass make Remurdered even more club-like and the Pye Corner Audio remix of No Medicine for Regret certainly plays to that same idea, but in a more meandering way. The Nils Frahm remix of The Lord is Out of Control is probably the highlight of the EP and one of the reasons I bought a copy despite not liking Teenage Exorcists. I'd got into Nils Frahm a few months before and couldn't get enough of Spaces, so was really keen to hear what he would do with a Mogwai song. As you'd expect, he adds some brilliantly haunting piano and it sounds incredible. It's such a dramatic departure from the other two remixes.
The two other new songs here - History Day and HMP Shaun William Ryder - are both really nice ones. They have more in common with some of the soundtrack work the band have been doing - Les Revenants and Atomic are very evident. The latter, however, kicks in with some crunching guitars halfway through and has a faithful quiet-then-suddenly-heavy moment at the end that I'm not at all ashamed to say is the reason I listen to Mogwai. It ticks a lot of boxes for me.
Format: 12", picture sleeve
Tracks: 6
Cost: £10 new
Bought: Banquet Records, Kingston
When: 04/04/15
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: Download code
