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Remixes

Night Slugs In This Mothafucka

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November 19, 2012
Mixes, New Music, Remixes
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From the opening salvo of “Night Slugs in this mothafucka, Fade To Mind’s in this mothafucka”, the listener pretty much knows what they’re getting into with L-Vis 1990’s NSMIX002: 70 minutes of the eclectic, mind melting jams from the foremost purveyors of club music. The mix was recorded at Dubspot NYC and features several unreleased L-Vis originals and remixes as well as an unreleased Bok Bok/Tom Trago collaboration and Girl Unit’s “Double Take Pt. 2”. L-Vis keeps it in the Night Slugs/Fade To Mind family for the most part, rinsing tunes by KW Griff, MikeQ, Jam City and more. Stream and download the mix below and peep the tracklist after the jump.

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Bitch, Don’t Kill Star Slinger’s Vibe

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November 18, 2012
New Music, Remixes
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Of the many faces Star Slinger puts on in his various productions, the hip hop remix face might just be my favorite. Despite having a bevy of low-key hip hop originals to his name, the Mancunian usually takes a more amped up approach when remixing the likes of Danny Brown, ASAP Rocky or Drake, adding a tinge of funk here, or maybe some Jersey club there. His latest bootleg target just happens to be a song that will be associated with 2012 hip hop years down the road, Kendrick Lamar’s “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”. You’ve all heard it (I hope), and honestly, there really aren’t many improvements to be made in this case. Slinger does his thing though, transforming it into a smooth bit of piano-driven club music that retains the original’s structural integrity. Stream and download below.

Sounds From The Astral Plane (Reboot)

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November 18, 2012
Mixes, New Music, Remixes
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The below quote in from David Foster Wallace and Mark Costello’s Signifying Rappers, a discussion on hip hop and race, as well as a thorough criticism of rapidly changing, turn of the century media forms. I felt it was probably more worthwhile than the brief commentary I was going to plaster here instead.

You may now be getting some hazy idea of the sorts of really quite scary possibilities with which the rap we like is replete. And, hazier, of how complicated this stuff of sampler-from-outside can be. What’s remained passing strange, for use, is the vague threat’s appeal. The unease and ambivalence with which the rare white at the window loves rap renders that love no less love. Whence the fear, though, is really no matter. For look at the world, at the masses we’re part of. At what you look at closest. The plain 80s data is that, whereas love, devotion, passion seem only to divide, it’s fear and strangeness that bind crowds, fill halls, unite Us, somehow, as audience, under the great tent.

Discuss.

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Jerome LOL Remixes Tomas Barfod’s “November Skies”

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November 15, 2012
New Music, Remixes
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In which Jerome LOL continues to tweak the sound first found on the Changes EP, reapplying it to labelmate Tomas Barfod’s “November Skies”. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that Jerome could easily be producing (if he isn’t already) for some of the biggest names in the industry. On “November Skies”, he invents a child-like element, represented in the chipmunk vocals and twinkling chimes. Not childish, but child-like. Innocent. Bashful. The synths bounce off of the track walls in bouts of controlled excitement as the live-sounding percussion tumbles over itself resulting in an Animal Collective-esque chaos. This might be the best track of 2012 for people to hipster dance to. The remix is off of the “November Skies” remix package (catch Sepalcure’s take here), out November 26 via Friends of Friends.

Jacques Greene Remixes Jesse Boykins III & MeLo X’s “The Perfect Blues”

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November 15, 2012
New Music, Remixes
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It appears that Jesse Boykins III has become somewhat of an informal member of the Vase-Forever crew. After appearing on Zodiac’s standout “Come” back in September, Boykins III has recruited labelhead Jacques Greene to remix “The Perfect Blues” off of his joint album with MeLo X. There’s something about Boykins’ voice, as comforting as it is unnerving, that fits so damn well with that lush, mid-tempo Vase aesthetic. Here Greene takes on “The Perfect Blues” and, stepping back from his past few dancefloor oriented productions, aims directly at the bedroom. And really, is there anyone making sexier music than Jacques Greene? Boykins and MeLo X’s crooning is just the cherry on top. Stream and download below courtesy of FACT Mag.

Blue Sky Black Death Remixes Child Actor’s “This Is It”

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November 14, 2012
New Music, Remixes
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It’s easy to pinhole Blue Sky Black Death in the “cloud” rap sub-sub-sub-genre, what with their ethereal, blunted production work for the likes of Nacho Picasso and Deniro Farrar, but the Seattle-based duo’s repertoire extends far beyond the spacey sound they helped develop. In both their solo and hip hop productions, BSBD have shown a commendable willingness to experiment with different styles. Take “Halle Selassie” off of Exalted, their second collaborative album with Picasso. Cracking 808s and synth pads (pretty standard BSBD fare) are offset by rolling wobble bass that devours the track and gives it a thick as molasses feel. Not counter-hegemonic or anything, but a curious venture into new territories. Anyways, the point is that BSBD are more than willing to delve into uncharted waters and expand their already bloated production acumen. The duo’s latest expansion is into the pop realm, remixing Child Actor’s (both are signed to Fake Four) “This Is It”. Like much of their hip hop production, BSBD take a stark approach here, infusing a chunky synth base and static percussion. The combination of these elements and Child Actor’s yearning vocals is magical, adding hip hop sensibilities to the original’s candy-coated vocal arrangements. Stream and download below.

George Fitzgerald Remixes Jessie Ware’s “No To Love”

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November 14, 2012
New Music, Remixes
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As resident PMR Records vixen, Jessie Ware is generally provided with some of the best production in all of the land, often from the likes of Julio Bashmore and Disclosure. Production quality aside, Ware’s got a fancy set of pipes on her and has expertly straddled the pop line all year long. A few days ago, PMR released a remix EP for Ware’s “No To Love” and brought in George Fitzgerald, Todd Edwards and Ewan Pearson to partake in the festivities. Out of the three heavy lifters, Fitzgerald’s flip hits closest to home, quite possibly because he doesn’t alter Ware’s shmexy vocals to the extent Edwards and Pearson do. If you’re looking for some late night vibes with serious sex appeal, Fitzgerald’s got your back. Stream the remix below and head here to check out the rest of the EP.

Gerry Read Remixes Hot Coins’ “Geek Emotions”

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November 14, 2012
New Music, Remixes
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Next week (November 19), Gerry Read will release his debut long player, Jummy, on Fourth Wave. For a taste of the album, check out “Let’s Make It Deeper”, a fine example of the London producer’s unique take on the deeper realms of the house sphere. While the album is still a week away, you can get a taste of Read’s production prowess via his minimalist acid take on Hot Coins’ “Geek Emotions”. The remix is fairly dense and slow developing, but around 1:25, soaring synth washes enter the picture and the track’s innate clutter immediately disappears. At least for the time being. Stream Read’s remix below and head over to XLR8R for the freebie.

Stay+ Remixes Rudimental’s “Not Giving In”

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November 12, 2012
New Music, Remixes
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A few weeks ago, I called Rudimental a “pretty non-descript, sometimes (really) corny, dance/pop crossover” outfit. I might have been a little a little bit harsh. The London quartet has grown on me over the past few weeks and while they won’t be occupying much space on my em pee three device, they’re clearly not as mundanely awful as I initially believed. Fellow Black Butter Records act Stay+ (formerly Christian AIDS) are the latest to remix Rudimental’s breakout “Not Giving In”, removing the original’s drum and bass tendencies and installing a smooth 4/4 beat. The vocals appear to sweep out of a deep concavity, coming ever closer, but never reaching an intimate level. Cold synth work is layered over the top of the track, cementing the longing and desperation established by the vocals. The track is a free courtesy of Ms. Annie Mac so stream and download away.

 

Lockah Makes Rave Beats

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November 12, 2012
New Music, Remixes
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Lockah is not the first producer to match rave and Southern hip hop. AraabMuzik and Bird Peterson have been exhibiting the odd pairing for a few years now, but the results are largely cringe inducing (half of Electronic Dream being the exception). When done wrong, the results are surely flamboyant, but without any of the subtlety that Lockah has instilled on his latest Please Lockah, Don’t Hurt ‘Em EP. That’s not to say that the EP lacks flamboyance though. The progressive piano on the title track is undeniably corny, but the Aberdeen-native achieves a Rustie-like levels of absurdist cohesion, meshing the broad piano strokes with chipmunk vocals and rapid-fire drum hits. By the 2:45 mark, the song has morphed into an all-out slugfest, substituting the piano for huge, crispy synths akin to fellow Scot S-Type’s Billboard EP. The track teeters on the verge of disaster, but Lockah’s measured sense of chaos (if that makes any sense) prevails and the result is one of the most variegated party tracks oft the year.

“Sly Winking Usury” substitues rave for Nintendo, spattering 8-bit sounds and, you guessed it, more 808s. The track lacks the progression of the title track, but makes up for it with plenty of pulsating bombast. The third and final original on the EP, “This Is True Muscle Suicide”, is also the most restrained, slowing the tempo down and putting the emphasis on curiously clipping percussion. That is until the chorus when more emphatic synths and pitched vocals enter the picture, removing any doubts over what Lockah’s intentions are.

Please Lockah, Don’t Hurt ‘Em is aimed squarely at peak-time, ecstasy inducing pandemonium and attains that goal at every level. Unlike past explorations into rave on the part of hip hop producers, Lockah dispels the paranoiac nature of the come down, focusing his efforts on the youthful, drug-induced side of the come up. The EP is one-dimensional, but that one dimension is multi-textured, subtle and exciting. Furthermore, it seems pretty clear that Lockah is self-conscious of the one-dimensional nature of the EP and has embraced it. Rave is a beautiful thing when done right.