I rarely write about remixes so leave it to Wisconsin experimentalists, Collections of Colonies of Bees, one half of the Justin Vernon led Volcano Choir, to give me a remix I actually like. Well, maybe remix is not the right word for this, but rather retelling. The triumphant "Comrade," the current single off of the group's steller Repave, is stripped away of Vernon's vocals, letting the instrumentals settle into a driving, prog rock groove until an aggressive coda takes the song to equally gripping heights of the original. The new take is part of a collection of remixes for the song, naturally titled Comrade Remix EP. You can download all four tracks via Soundcloud.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a band that has been getting loads of attention this summer as their presence has been felt on the festival circuit. Their last album, Mosquito,was not a favorite to many music critics, but in my opinion, they are more defined by their live performances than by their studio catalog anyways; however Mosquito was kinda meh. It certainly didn't make the "buffaBLOG Best of 2013 So Far" list.
Well some of the songs on there are good, and here's a small collection of remixes of songs from that album since it's release back in April.
Overjoy is newly formed LA production duo of DJs, and this song is a summation of all the parties you went to this summer. It adds a great beat and the vibey bassline is warming to the pith!
This remix is a dream scape version of the song "These Paths," with a little bit of a chill Bossa Nova feel.
"Sacrilige," one of Mosquito's few hits, is redone here by Tommie Sunshine and Live City. It is an Electro-House banger that's prefect for ramping up the Droogs for a bit of the old ultra-violence!
A more down tempo version of "Sacrilige," this remix brings out a chill witchy vibe that eerily resembles the original, best for listening to at sunrise.
The evocation of emotions brought through music is a wonderful thing; it tells a story. Ellie Goulding, known for her swooning and light-hearted vocals, has covered other musicians and been remixed by many. Jamestown native Notixx, the producer and DJ also known as Ryan Sinatra, recently remixed Ellie’s newest release “Burn,” a song about elated and confident romance.
The beauty of a remix is the artistic freedom and ability to set the original song to a new vibe. This rework of “Burn” is one that says something else. With Ellie’s lyrics and angelic voice, it makes you feel love is really all you need to keep that strong connection. That nothing else matters. She says “we don’t have to worry about nothing,” but the the vibe generated by Notixx's rework says maybe you should.
This remix is heavy and disturbed. The buildup is, as per usual when it comes to exploring the wonders of another soul, light and joyful. Suddenly, an undertone of darkness, an uncovering of secrets, sets in. It shows the lying, deception, and utter fuckery. The new shadowy instrumental tweaking as the base, sparkled with such beautiful lyrics, is the epitome of someone with a mouthful of diamonds. Her lyrics inspire promises of fidelity and hope, but somehow the remix steals away Ellie's golden intentions. This track is when the fire goes out and the only things burned are bridges.
The remix is now up for free download on SoundCloud.
I have always been curious about how musicians choose a particular song to remix. What do they hear in the song that makes them think a fresh mix of the track is a good idea? Case in point, Buffalo's The Tins. Now "Please Be Kind," the second single of the group's debut LP Life'a A Gas,' was a song we liked very much here at the blog, but it was never a song I would have considered to be remixed. Maybe it's because I don't listen to remixes, but someone, namely Dan Vidali, a Saratoga Springs based record engineer who worked on Life's A Gas, and an artist who has previously remixed their single "Subtle Rattle" as well, decided to give the song a go. You may stream and download the funkier remix below.
This new remix of Robyn's excellent collaboration with Snoop Dogg gives boost to the song's relevance two years after it's original release. A days ago, Robyn briefly discussed the new take on the song on BBC's Radio One. The remix begins as if it were a hardstyle techno track, but the drop hits and the trap trunk opens right up. It's a little more intricate than that though. In the breakdown, there is clear use of the "Amen Break" as a fill, bringing a little drum and bass into the equation and making this remix a complex composition. Below, you'll find that discussion, along with the Carli & Savage Skulls remix, as well as the original song from her album Body Talk.
Chaz Bundick’s house alter-ego, Les Sins, is responsible for his best music in a year when his much more popular main project, Toro Y Moi, released an album. So it was a nice surprise this morning to see Bundick, under the Toro Y Moi name, but erring much closer to Les Sins, remix UK Garage House revivalists' single “You & Me.” For this remix, Bundick slows things down a bit here, taking Disclosure's pristine single and perverting it, not allowing vocalist Eliza Doolittle to finish her lines, locking her into a hypnotic rhythm.
If you have followed some of my past posts on the blog, you should know my dislike of remixes, but every now and again, I come across one that catches my interest. Usually its from an act you would not normally think of when discussing remixes. Local Natives, who released one of 2013's best in Hummingbird, look the liberty of remixing one of the album's better tunes, "Wooly Mammoth." Titled "Wooly Robot," the new take kicks off with some clattering percussion, adding to a song with an already rich rhythm section, while some vocal loops and dizzying effects give the song a bit of a manic Animal Collective vibe. Check it out below.
Producer Jon Hopkins' original version of "Open Eye Signal" is an ethereal eight minute soundscape and one of the more powerful electronic tracks released this year. Los Angeles experimental producer Nosaj Thing has reworked the track, adding his atmospheric bass and downtempo rhythms while keeping the track's haunting vocal samples and hypnotic synth line to create a harmonious balance of the two producers' aesthetics. The track is included on the Open Eye Signal (Remixes) EP out now and look for Hopkins new LP, Immunity, out June 4th via Domino Records.
While at first, it seems like this is an odd pairing for a remix; however, with Four Tet's recent push in the direction of house music and Justin Timberlake's continued ability to turn out solid pop songs, today's remix of "Suit & Tie," is a welcome one. Four Tet keeps Timberlake's vocals, speeds them up, eliminates Jay-Z's ultimately weak section (let's face it, Jay-Z has been really phoning it in in recent years), and adds a chopped up beat. The result is an excellent meshing of two artists' talents.
Choking down a lot of pop music can often make one's jaw tense. When seeking relief from this self-inflicted ailment, you need only seek remixed versions of your favorite radio-played ditties. Recently, I've fallen for British singer-songwriter Daley who is obviously influenced by jazz-pop all-stars Jamiroquai. Daley's song "Remember Me," featuring Jessie J, has been caught in my head. Luckily, the insanely talented MJ Cole, British Two-step and Garage producer, has put his own touches on this track leaving me jaw-ached and wishing I could put my own touches on Jessie J's body. Take a listen to the original then check out the exclusive one-offs from MJ Cole. I enjoy the dubb-mix most, it's like speed-Garage.
Christmastime at the Greco home means copious amounts of vino, necessary breaks from eating and very loud conversation. What to do for this buffaBLOG post? I thought to myself. Christmas is a time of tradition, so what would be more appropriate than a top ten of my favorite holiday oldies. What warms your heart more, than Black Velvet and Sambuca while cutting down the Christmas tree, than Sinatra? I hear Dean Martin through the stereo and I picture a dinner table, family, and a closeness that is like no other.
But, let's face it. Traditions change. A week before Christmas it was nearly 50 degrees, this year for Christmas Eve our family is having a Mexican themed celebration (my excitement is unmanageable and I am in the midst of creating the ultimate playlist), and people are no longer trucking through snow, throwing an occasional snow ball eventually finding the immaculate tree of perfection, rather they are stopping at local centers to buy them.
Many reach an odd sense of acceptance. Maybe these will become new and wonderful traditions. Yes, the mistletoe that we have had hanging no longer dangles in the doorway and the room of my youth is starting to transform into my mother's newfound walk-in closet, but there's a hip-hop influenced remix of "The Nutcracker Suite" playing from my speakers. Wonderful smells waft from the kitchen and a grooving remix of Kay Starr's "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" has me bouncing, a Bass ale with a yuletide tree backdrop sits before me.
If you need an upbeat change of pace as you drive about from party to party, check out this Christmas Remixed album.
If you're as obsessed with alt-J's "Fitzpleasure," check out this remix by Odd Future's project The Internet. Comprised by members Syd tha Kyd and Matt Martians, The Internet's sound is often progressive, slowed and trippy.
If you haven't heard the original, do it. And if you get a chance, definitely check out the rest of his album An Awesome Wave.
Major Lazer hardly ever fails to release a mind-blowing remix. Their remix of Gyptian's "Hold Yuh" is still one of my most frequently played tracks since I heard it after it's release in 2010. After hearing their remix of London electro-pop band Hot Chip's "Look At Where We Are," I can add another Major Lazer remix to my go-to list.
While the original hums sadness and tear drops, Major Lazer took that vibe, hyped it up, and tears right through it. Although the vocals are maintained and some of the sound samples, the additional lasers, drums and the faster BPM gives this version a little more drive. The build-up of sweet guitar riffs followed by the manic peak at 02:10 is invigorating. And for all of those participating in the War on Genres and have an opposition with trap, put your bias aside and give this one a chance.
Folk feelings of abandonment in a sizzurp slur, baauer's remix of "Winter Is All Over You" is beautifully composed and appropriately remixed. Brooklyn based trap producer baauer, takes the delicate plucking and crooning vocals of Johanna and Klara Söderberg, the sisters who form First Aid Kit, and adds chopped and screwed vocals, bass, and hypnotic panning. He gives it more audio depth while still maintaining the heavy set tone of their lyrical endeavor.
If this is the first you've heard of First Aid Kit, keep listening. Good news for you, they'll be in town on Monday, July 30.
The loveable indie tune "What You Know" by Two Door Cinema Club is given a little speed boost in this LightsoverLA remix. Not entirely stripped and manipulated, this remix adds minor tweaks and some four-on-the-floor beats to make it slightly more "dancey." My personal favorite aspect of the song is the extended intro and the way the vocals come in with a fader effect. It brings club influences into the track without making it too commercial and the edits are subtle enough that you can listen as you walk around with your iPod and not feel like you just stepped through the doors of a drunken mob at Bayou Nightclub.
As a dance music lover, this track had my ears perked instantly. If dance music just isn't your forte, give it a listen. It keeps the indie vibe so intact that you may hardly notice yourself bouncing in your seat.
Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" has hauntingly beautiful and truthful lyrics. The indie track's vocals speak of a relationship that not only has gone wrong but the tendency that the other half becomes so distant that they are next to nothing anymore - merely a memory that no longer exists. It is the perfect anthem for that stage of clarity and near acceptance that someone who was there, well...just isn't. The lyrics provide comfort for those who are okay with an end but acknowledge the cowardice of the other and brings that unique mixture of realization and disappointment. Not to mention Kimbra's backing vocals are perfect and may bring you to your feet, over exaggeratedly mouthing along with the words or perhaps belting them out.
AnnaLove, DJ and producer based in Austin, Texas came out with a remix that holds a different sound but still manages to translate similarly. She captured the emotions and brings them out in more intense colors through familiar sounds. By using trap drums, high-pitched synths found in hip-hop tracks slightly reminiscent to Lex Luger's signature tag, and a sound effect that reminds me of Flux Pavillion's remix of Jamiroquai's "Blue Skies", the track transforms into a clearly rap-influenced piece.
It's well-crafted and has an interesting sound. No wonder I fell in love with it the moment I heard it; not only does it keep the powerful lyrics intact but also has this newly established hood evocation that I'm more then often getting down to. Enjoy.
Is Buffalo weather starting to wear on you? Find yourself wanting to scream obscenities at one too many cars that have driven by and splashed murky slush onto your jeans? I know I rely on popping Vitamin D pills daily to curb the dreaded seasonal depression. Thank goodness this winter has been the best spring Buffalo has ever had, but regardless, the dreary skies and lack of sunlight may be coming to an irritating point.
"Breathe" by Télépopmusik is a throwback tune that I have consistently listened to and not gotten sick of. For those who have known about this, you may agree with me. For those who have never heard it, you can cross this off your 'songs-I-need-to-hear' list. It's one of those all encompassing mood satisfying tracks; when you're miserable, alienated, ecstatic or enraged this song can cure it, at least in my opinion.
The French electronic trio, Télépopmusik, released "Breathe" on their 2001 album Genetic World. Their sound is minimal house with a hypnotic downtemp. This song has that powerful way of bringing an inexplicable feeling to the surface. It brings you to a place you can't quite describe.
The music video captures the essence of the song perfectly while also creatively incorporating poetic and deep themes. The scene is mellow but shot in a light that leaves a bizarre taste in your mouth. There are juxtaposing concepts represented throughout the three minute video. There is uniting love, life, death and the perspective of loneliness. If you're the type to analyze videos, you may discover there is an argument of innocence versus cynicism and that the destruction of something beautiful doesn't go unpunished. By the end, you may be longing for the literal summer sun or the metaphorical need for a better state of mind, but the lyrics will keep you grounded and still intact with hope.
"Another day, just believe, just breathe..."
Also, check out this remix I stumbled across by Los Angeles female producer, TOKiMONSTA, entitled "Breathe on my Contacts".
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