Much like the debate surrounding the inexorable rise of Artificial Intelligence, the vexed question arising from the remixing of classic and not-so-classic albums shows absolutely no signs of abating, or indeed the practice coming to an end any time soon. And with pretty much every band from The Beatles down having worked or are working their way through their back catalogue, this is one genie that ain’t going back into its bottle.
Steven Wilson’s remix of Hawkwind’s fifth album will already be familiar to anyone who bought the three-CD reissue 10 years ago and to a great number of people – this writer included – it’s become the go-to mix. Wilson’s skill as a remixer is in serving the material or, as he describes it, “polishing the Sistine Chapel”, and it’s true in this case.
