There used to be a time when dance fans and indie rock fans were two totally different species. The indie rock fans kept it simple: guitar, bass, and drums were all you needed to create some immensely complex music. The dance fan, however, wanted to create beautiful music with no conventional instruments, instead sticking to synthesizers, sampling, and drum machines.

Both genres of music essentially came out with the same thing, just in a different package and with different instruments. You couldn't like both styles at the same time and still be cool. And while the indie rock kids smoked clove cigarettes and pretended to know something about poetry and art, the dance kids were sipping red bull and working on their dance moves. Each Saturday, everyone wondered if this might be the night they finally get laid, but it never happened.

Now, it seems like the lines have blurred, and bands like Bloc Party, who come from an indie rock background, are letting their music be remixed as full dance albums. After going from obscure British indie band to larger-than-life rock stars with their 2005 debut Silent Alarm, Bloc Party have broken all genre rules. Silent Alarm Remixed is the perfect example. It takes the band's whole debut album and turns it into a full electronica opus.

The band's second album, Weekend In the City, didn't do so hot with the music snobs. In fact, it was a total disappointment, and there was no remixed version of the album (at least not yet). To make up for it, Bloc Party have released the Flux EP, a collection of original dance tunes that show the band is not afraid to try completely new things, and may signal a change for future albums.

Flux is a short EP, and only includes five versions of the "Flux" single. Although all of the tracks are versions of "Flux," some stand alone as completely separate tracks or extend from themes introduced on the first track.

The original studio version of "Flux" kicks off the EP, and it's a complete departure from the band's usual anthemic guitar and drum patterns. The opening drum and bass beats conjure up feelings of European clubs and strobe lights, instead of the usual rock festival stage the band is used to. But that doesn't diminish the music; Bloc Party shows they are willing to step away from the stereotypes about rock music and embrace new, original sounds.

It's just not nearly as interesting as their rock stuff, and that's the problem. I can understand remixes, but to offer an EP that is solely electronic versions of one song without offering an original, full band version seems odd. Nevertheless, "Flux" is a great song.

Lyrically, the band uses one theme stemming from the chorus: "we are in a state of flux," suggesting the ambiguity and confusion of the modern world. It's an intelligent statement that fits with the electronic noise that permeates each track. Singer Nele Okereke sings: "we were hoping for some romance / all we found was more despair," a sentiment that seems to permeate modern music in the 21st Century.

While it may not be the complete remix that we got with Silent Alarm Remixed, Bloc Party's Flux EP is a good start. At the same time, it helps us forget about Weekend in the City, their disappointing full-length album released earlier this year. Flux may signal a needed change for Bloc Party's future, and it's certainly a worthwhile release right in time for Christmas.