There are two possible ways to view the remix: Either a remix is an extension of something already good-- offering the listener even more of the catchiness they find themselves short of on the album version of a track, or as an artistic expression of the engineer as he incorporates pieces of the original into a collage of sound and studio effects. Opinions vary. Prior to the Cure's Mixed Up, even Robert Smith was opposed to the concept of a remix that altered the original vision of the song.

Unlike the previous Pigface remix album, which offered remixes from the entire Pigface catalog, Below The Belt is a collection of remixed works exclusively from 1997's A New High In Low. Featuring remixes from as broad of a range as label-mate Lee Fraser to ambient heroes Tranquility Bass, Below The Belt offers vastly restructured, and in general, dancier versions of songs found on the album.

But here's the problem: A New High In Low is the best effort to come from Pigface since their original offering, Gub. Therefore, if you're looking for improved versions of those songs, this ain't it. Although the Saint James mix of "Kiss King" is arguably the winner on the dance floor, any other attempts to improve the songs falls short. Therefore, it's terribly frustrating to hear how-- from track to track-- each of the original song structures is destroyed.

However, as a whole, most of these are damn fine remixes. Each track is a unique and interesting deconstuction of a loose theme that was once a song on a Pigface album. These people know what they're doing and it comes across. "Nutopia," one of Pigface's best songs to date, finds itself with two makeovers: one, an aggressive dance track as envisioned by Hanzel und Gretyl, and the other, a light ambient melody by Van Christie. Both of these are creative representations of the original effort, but naturally, they also fall short of the original.

If you're new to Pigface, and you're looking for a disc to start your collection with, then Below The Belt is a good way to experience different impressions of the band, like having a bunch of people tell you how they perceive Pigface by seeing the band through their eyes. For you die-hard Pigface fans: As long as you don't expect it to out-do A New High In Low, you'll be down with it.

-Skaht Hansen

"Kiss King (Saint James Mix)"

[Real Audio Stream]