It was a chilly day two Februarys ago, and I was fixin' to burn some dough. I stepped into my favorite music shop... there it was. The full compilation of remastered tracks from the unbelievable Millions Now Living Will Never Die. Super-limited Japanese import. $35.

It was a steamy day last week, and I was wonderin' where all my cash had gone. I stepped into my favorite music shop... there it was. Tortoise's Remixed. $11.

Damnit to hell if Thrill Jockey hasn't reissued this fine disc en masse for the benefit of consumers more patient than I. Remixed collects tracks from four 12-inches that followed Millions Now Living, Tortoise's groundbreaking post-rock symphony. The amazing thing about this collection is the breadth of art that has claimed inspiration from Tortoise.

You have Mo' Wax staples U.N.K.L.E. and DJ Luke Vibert, jazzing up "Djed" and "The Taut and Tame" with extra bass and snappy beats. Vibert's "The Taut and Tame" is probably the record's most stunning track. Close behind is Spring Heel Jack's "Galapagos," which mutates Tortoise's "Along the Banks of Rivers" into trippy jungle.

On the more abstract side, you've got Oval, who presumably samples Tortoise on "Bubble Economy," but dissects the music so thoroughly with tape loops and scratches that it becomes unrecognizable. Gastr Del Sol's Jim O'Rourke does well with "Reference Resistance Gate," which climaxes into a deafening clamor of sheet-metal percussion.

While the tracks seem to just get better as the album moves along, things end with a decided thud. "Find the One," remixed by two members of Tortoise, takes more than 10 minutes to build toward nothing. A disappointment coming from a couple of fine musicians.

The rest of the album, however, is decidedly worth the $11 investment. And if any of y'all is interested in helping me recoup my $25 loss, feel free to contact me.

-M. Christian McDermott