Lollo Rosso

The High Llamas weren’t necessarily the first group you’d think needed remixing – their music is so thoroughly arranged and meticulously constructed, it’s hard to think of where else the songs could be taken. But Lollo Rosso capitalised on the group’s embrace of electronica circa Cold & Bouncy, bringing in the likes of Mouse on Mars and Kid Loco to re-shape their elegant pop into strange new architectures. Mouse on Mars tend to make loose with the material they remix, and “Showstop Hic Hup” is a wildly playful goof; both Kid Loco and Cornelius turns the Llamas’ poise into gliding dancefloor-pop mutants. But the highlight is Jim O’Rourke’s surrealist fantasy, “Mini-Management”, which grabs hold of a stray Llamas b-side from their Hawaii era and layers it upon itself until it almost capsizes, like five Van Dyke Parks albums playing at once. These remixes might be the outcome, but at the core of Lollo Rosso is community and like-mindedness; shared ideas and ideals about what pop music could be.