iiO - Reconstruction Time: the Best of iiO Remixed

Unless you have been hiding under a rock or been absent from a club for the past few years, there is no way that you haven't heard the seductive sounds of iiO. Their songs have become such massive hits and have spawned so many remixes and received enough airplay that you would almost believe they were hellbent on conquering the dance world. Even though their hits have experienced such great longevity on the charts, iiO as a group haven't fared as well with the departure of Nadia Ali, whose seductive voice gave the songs its alluring appeal, for a solo career. I guess that is why we are seeing a greatest hits CD coming out so early in their career and that CD is Reconstruction Time: the Best of iiO Remixed.

Reconstruction Time is a mixture of new remixes of their greatest hits and the addition of a megamix and two bonus tracks. These aren't as strong as their original hits, and the CD might have been stronger with a couple of alternate remixes, but the tracks still amuse nonetheless. The remixes on Reconstruction Time are, for the most, part minimal techno/trance takes on the originals and will feel fresh since most of the mixes are not the standard ones we have heard over the past few years.

They often dispense with the harmonic progression and instrumentation of the originals, making the tracks all the more hypnotic. This approach works very well with most of the tracks, while their hit "Rapture," which is reworked for 2007 by Starkillers(aka Nick Terranova), is injected with a fusion of house to created a totally new version of this massive hit that will definitely be a staple on the dance floor. Unfortunately though, this does not pay off with the megamix by Markus Moser(one of half of iiO). This mix never seems to have a certain flow or consistency, plus the mix never really motivates me or builds any momentum... the music is downplayed too much to really be considered a true megamix.

While the remixes of the bigger hits are a great listen, the most unique part of this CD is the remix treatment of several former album-only tracks such as "Chastity," "Tantric," and the very explosive and funky mix of "Be It," which are less known.

While most of the remixes are great fun and will be an extra delight to true iiO fans, I still appreciate the older remixes somewhat more because they take the great vibe that is already present in the original iiO version and crank it up a notch, while these new remixes seem more relaxed. There is one remix on here though that is absolutely amazing and it's the last bonus track on the CD- the Recon remix of the gem "Smooth." This remix strips everything away and uses the sheer seductive power of Ali's voice to draw you in with an acoustic vibe with just a trace of music in the background. It's such a beautiful version of the song and you definitely get chills listening to it and it illustrates how powerful Ali's vocal abilities are. You can actually close your eyes and just get lost in the moment and feel every word as it flows out.

Overall, this collection of remixes are inspired and definitely fun to listen to but most of the tracks don't really show the full potential of iiO. If you appreciate a more mellow and melancholy version of iiO, then this will definitely be a great CD to have, but if you are looking for more uptempo mixes of their greatest hits, then you might find yourself a bit disappointed even though some of the tracks on the CD are absolutely amazing. Either way, most iiO fans will enjoy something from this CD and will wonder what the future could hold for them.