Aural Expansion – Remixed Sheep – Compact Disc

Description

Aural Expansion – Remixed Sheep – Compact Disc

Aural Expansion is a musical project known for its electronic and ambient music.

“Remixed Sheep” by Aural Expansion is a fascinating artifact from the mid-1990s electronic music scene, showcasing the synergy between experimental sound design and remix culture at a time when electronic genres were undergoing rapid evolution. Released in 1996 on the eclectic Belgian label Crammed Discs, this album gathers a collection of remixes from some of the most influential names in IDM, ambient techno, and left-field electronica. Aural Expansion, a project that embraced atmospheric textures and abstract rhythmic frameworks, offered this album as a reinterpretation of their earlier material—possibly linked to an unreleased or lesser-known project called Surreal Sheep. The remixes expand on Aural Expansion’s original sound palette, deconstructing and reimagining it through the lenses of various remixers known for their distinctive sonic signatures.

The album opens with “Vacuum Sucker,” remixed by Wagon Christ (aka Luke Vibert), a track that exemplifies his playful, layered production style with warped beats and psychedelic textures. Mixmaster Morris, another pioneer in the ambient and chill-out movement, lends his dreamy, beat-driven sensibility to “Freeform Attractor,” pulling the listener into a floating, meditative state. Jouni Alkio’s remix of “Subsonic Soil” dives deeper into minimalism, combining glitchy undertones with a hypnotic groove. The album takes a darker turn with “Moon Resort,” remixed by Speedjack (an alias of the late Mark Bell of LFO), whose techno-industrial treatment infuses the track with a sense of space and propulsion.

One of the album’s standout moments comes from µ‑Ziq (Mike Paradinas), whose remix of “Bouncer” bursts with complexity and textural density—a hallmark of his influential work on the Rephlex and Planet Mu labels. This remix is both frenetic and melodic, showcasing µ‑Ziq’s knack for balancing chaos and beauty. G-Man (another alias of Gez Varley, formerly of LFO) contributes a version of “Sonic Soil” that leans heavily into dub-techno minimalism, while Speedjack returns for a second, more subdued version of “Moon Resort (Quiet Side),” emphasizing ambient washes and spatial reverberation.

The final two tracks, “Hear No Evil” and “Breath of Life,” bring the journey to a close with rich, ambient-inflected soundscapes that underscore the original project’s atmospheric roots. These tracks may be closer to the source material and serve as bookends to the remix-centric heart of the album.

“Remixed Sheep” captures a unique moment in electronic music history, when artists from various corners of the scene were not only developing new styles but also dialoguing with each other through the act of remixing. The presence of multiple influential producers—many of whom were shaping the sound of experimental electronic music in the ’90s—adds significant weight to the album. It doesn’t just rework existing material; it transforms it, using the original compositions as a springboard for sonic exploration.

This album would appeal to fans of Warp Records’ early catalog, Rephlex Records, and Crammed Discs’ more avant-garde releases. It represents a form of “aural collage,” where ambient, glitch, IDM, and techno converge. For listeners interested in tracing the evolution of 1990s electronic music, Remixed Sheep is a rewarding deep cut—less known but rich in cross-genre innovation and collaborative creativity.

Brand new, never played and still sealed in the original plastic seal

SSR Records

Track Listing
1. Vacuum Sucker
2. Freeform Attractor
3. Subsonic Soil
4. Moon Resort
5. Bouncer
6. Sonic Soil
7. Moon Resort – (quiet side)
8. Hear No Evil
9. Breath of Life