Leftfield

Leftism 22

SONY LEGACY UK. CD/DL/LP Dance music landmark given sonic overhaul. Since Leftism was released in 1995, electronic dance music remains the popular music genre most prone to the vagaries of trend. Having filtered rock and pop into house and techno, securing them a well-fortified beachhead in the live arena, Leftfield continue to claim immunity from such fluctuations. Now, after 22 years, Leftism gets a remastered reboot and a remix album. The former is handled by remastering engineer nonpareil Matt Colton. He gives Release The Pressure’s techno skank and the dense, Middle Eastern-flavoured throb of Open Up a punchier, more crystalline tone that’s tailor-made for the burgeoning vinyl revival. Alongside contributions from dub master Adrian Sherwood and Skream, a sprawling, spacey bassheavy rework by Bristolian duo Hodge and Peverelist is a spectacular highlight of the remix disc, which does a decent job of contextualising Leftism’s legacy. But it’s the originals that still burn with rare incandescence.