The original tracks for Sasha's emFire label were released digitally and on decorative vinyl. (I previously reviewed the tracks "Coma" and  "Park in the Shade".) The tracks were long, the build very techy and unique, and even if some of them weren't among Sasha's best, they were at the very least examples of his ongoing prowess as a producer, displaying intricate and evolving layers of sound moreso than obvious melodic lines. But they were good, and in theory would have made a worthy excuse for a collective set such as this one.

But The emFire Collection: Mixed, Unmixed & Remixed isn't quite the complete collection that many might have hoped for. It focuses on the "mixed" and "remixed" portions of its subtitles and largely forgets the third part.

The first disc in the set is made up of remixes from four different remix outfits, on the four different singles. Each remixer presents both a club mix, as well as a more downtempo mix, of their assigned track. It's unfortunate that this both begins the set and comprises the bulk of the material. Mainly because the remixes aren't that strong, and neither do they have much to do with the original tracks, generally speaking. The Field's Disco Mix of "Mongoose" bucks the trend a bit and is a nice interpretation, but other than that we're presented with mostly plodding and monotonous takes on Sasha's at least intricate and inventive originals.

Disc Two is leagues more interesting, but still isn't complete. It's divided into two parts, the first being edits of most of the original tracks, as well as a remix of "Coma." On the whole, the edits are successful. The original tracks were very long-breathed, so it's not a difficult task to distill them down while still retaining the bulk of the material. In fact, many may prefer these versions, in a cut-to-the-chase sort of way. The Spangled Rubdub mix of "Coma" is also quite nice, and to be honest is probably what should have been the template for Disc One.