New Bloc Party - "Better Than Heaven (No Age Remix)" (Stereogum Premiere)

Two bands with arty punk in the blood going in two different directions, posing for a three-minute snapshot together in 2009. As previously discussed, Bloc Party are once again going full remix with their Intimacy LP, a move that's either a vote of confidence in that last batch of tunes or a grab at some cred-by-association, depending on how you view these sorts of projects and/or BP's recent work. Either way it was a convenient time for Bloc Party to rope in No Age, a band that's undergoing its own extracurricular brand bolstering these days via remixes and Dean's solid PPM label roster. Turns out Dean and Randy are inspired remixers, modifying the dusky dance rock of "Better Than Heaven" (one of Intimacy's more satisfying moments) with a few doses of whiplashing fuzz, staggering Kele's vocals here and there in disorienting ways, and nailing down the exit with a cool cut to the track's basic beat.

Intimacy Remixed is out 5/11 in the UK, and one day in the US, too. Here's the tracklist:

01 "Ares (Villains remix)"
02 "Mercury Herve is in Disarray remix)"
03 "Halo"(We Have Band Dub)"
04 "Biko (Mogwai remix)"
05 "Trojan Horse (John B remix)"
06 "Signs" (Armand Van Helden remix)"
07 "One Month Off (Filthy Dukes remix)"
08 "Zephyrus" (Phase One remix)"
09 "Talons" (Phones RIP remix)"
10 "Better Than Heaven (No Age remix)"
11 "Ion Square (Banjo or Freakout remix)"
12 "Letter To My Son" (Gold Panda remix)"
13 "Your Visits are Getting Shorter (Double D remix)"

Looking forward to that "Biko" Mogwai.

[Photo by Nik Gomez from No Age & Friends @ The Smell 1/25/09]

Posted at 10:32 AM by amrit
Tags: Bloc Party | No Age

8 Comments

saw them last night at the 9:30 club -- fuckin' great show, and they played tulips and the once and future king

kele was wearing a clinton portis jersey but said it'd be the last time in DC for a long, long time so boo

this remix is hot, but AVH's Signs is better

Posted by: Deceiver at 03/23/09 11:24 AM  | Reply
Score = 2

I was so excited when they played Tulips. Note to future concert goers: if you want the band to play a specific song just hold up a sign!

Posted by: ber  in reply to Deceiver's comment at 03/23/09 11:43 AM  | Reply
Score = 4

Me likey.

Posted by: mattabramson at 03/23/09 11:24 AM  | Reply
Score = 0

So Much better than the No Age's remix of Fucked Up's "No Epiphany"

Posted by: MTVIII at 03/23/09 4:00 PM  | Reply
Score = 0

GOOD

Posted by: MK at 03/23/09 6:38 PM  | Reply
Score = 1

so they basically took the guitar part from the last verse and put it over the first and didn't change much else. brilliant. i came. twice.

Posted by: the musicologist at 03/23/09 6:49 PM  | Reply
Score = 0

i want to d/l this song what's the hold up

Posted by: brian at 03/26/09 1:54 PM  | Reply
Score = 1

can we DL it yet???

Posted by: jeffy at 05/02/09 9:35 AM  | Reply
Score = 0