Kruder & Dorfmeister’s K&D Sessions still sounds like a very good reason to lower the lights. First released in 1999, this Vienna-made collection gathers the duo’s remixes of Depeche Mode, David Holmes, Lamb, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and others into a slow, heavy stream of dub, trip hop and drum and bass. The drums are crisp without feeling hard-edged, while bass, Brazilian-tinged samples, bubbling acid and stray ambient chords slip in and out around the grooves. “Heroes” turns Roni Size into loose bossa, “Going Under” drifts through dub pressure, and “Bug Powder Dust” gets both a murky session treatment and a separate dub.
The 25th anniversary box set arrives through !K7 Music with a sixth LP of previously unreleased material, including further remixes of Madonna, Lewis Taylor and Count Basic. That makes this more than a tidy reissue, though the original Sessions remains the main event. Its appeal is broad without becoming bland. Fans of late-90s Massive Attack, Air or Boards of Canada should recognise the smoky restraint, while anyone drawn to spacious beats and detailed headphone production will find plenty to follow. It’s also easy to live with, equally suited to a quiet room, a long drive or background music that keeps pulling your attention back.
