Take On Me has probably one of the best music videos of all times. The song itself and A-Ha are such a great fit for the whole conceptual universe of 80s pop that they are almost iconic. When someone tries to battle with a track that has a status like this one, there are high expectations. Our favourite Brazilian duo, The Twelves, who have a golden touch when it comes to reworking, make it look like simple to do the job. The remix itself is simple as well, adding a layer of cutting edge synth-electro sound to the original and rejuvenating it for the dancefloors of 2009. Pretty cool. This thing should’ve appeared on a Buffet Libre project first.
I know CFCF’s new song is flying around blogs a lot lately. I can completely understand it, it’s amazing stuff. I wouldn’t normally post it because there’s already a huge coverage but we received such a nice email from Acephale, the label behind the single, that I felt I have to write this. I’ve been on and on about CFCF, this Canadian guy has some hyptnotic power and I realized it at the HEALTH remix, anything he touches instantly gets his trademark sound, this weird combination of dark 80s synths-stuff and sick pop disco. His musical territory is huge, from metal to rap or rnb to indie and electro… The strange thing about this atmosphere is that it’s kinda pop on the surface but you know, you can feel the tension and something unknown but dark and creepy going on underneat. For example, in You Hear Colours the guitar and keys are just fun to listen to, they are monotonous but some variation is always added so no boring parts only you feel hypnotized and transferred to somewhere else where the rivers are flowing backwards, flowers grow in the air and every star is an angel of death. Now, the disturbing stuff is there from the beginning with the the almost-tribal drums, it’s just so subtle and hidden that you don’t realize it. The single is a double A-side featuring You Hear Colours and Invitation to Love and you can watch the Tommy Boy directed video for the first one. I also decided to share the remix of Cassie’s track (featuring Lil Wayne) because it’s such an interesting hybrid. Told ya, Canada was crazy. Buy the record here!
I don’t really know much about Cursive but I really like the new album. I don’t remember whether I listened to The Ugly Organ or not but it’s familiar. I definetly listened to Happy Hollow back in 2006. Mama, I’m Swollen is out now on Saddle Creek. It’s heavy and melodic at the same time, shouts and lyrics about our aimless existence and the capitalist world turning to dust…it’s awesome. Not all songs of course. My favourite is the first song, In The Now. It’s short, energetic and to the point. I don’t really feel like writing but listen to it and buy it, of course.
Be forewarned: this is a bitching post. If you don’t like it, don’t read, just download the tracks and support the artists anyway!
So, I will start with the new Calvin Harris single. I’m Not Alone. This is very bad. I liked the guy, not loved-liked but still, Acceptable and Girls were great fun-tracks to dance to if you were willing to ignore the annoying hype around them. Of course, the LP was a bad idea for this kind of musician. The new one is terrible. Kinda reminds me of Safri Duo. Remember them? Or these worst moments of dance music. It’s a shame cause when the synth starts it shows promise but the rhythm is awful. Just like the video accompanying it. Why? I mean ok we have fun dance music, why do someone want to complicate it with this one-half boring one-half wannabe-sophisticated stuff? Same thing with the vocal part at the beginning of the track. Makes you throw up.
Next thing. The Bloody Beetroots and Steve Aoki. I liked The Bloody Beetroots. From the She’s A Maniac remix to Butter and We Are From Venice, The Whip, Alphabeat and Goose remixes. Seriously, that was good shit. Now, since they are constantly on this heavy bass sound which I just call spiral bass, the whole production went dumb. And Steve Aoki? No kidding? And the video? Oh my God, this mosh pit for electro-freaks is depressing the shit out of me. Just don’t act like fucking rockstars, please! And what does the broken clock symbolize in slow motion? Come on, BBS and Dim Mak can do much better than this! MSTRKRFT for example were capable of resisting this dumb-bass temptation.
Next up, underground gay art-hero, Patrick Wolf. He is again someone, I’ve loved since Wind in the Wires. Really, he had amazing singer-songwriter talent.His last album, The Magic Position was a good addition to his image and sound but something broke than. You know, you kinda never expect honesty or something from someone pretending to make his life into a piece of art but there’s an artistic integrity you’d like to see preserved. When I saw him live in 2007 I knew it was a total show on stage (even a play of some sorts) but it was a bad one. I mean the myth of the boy genius who turns to a 2000s Dawid Bowie and Oscar Wilde mix is not good enough to carry a whole act. Now, the new video for the next single from the upcoming The Bachelor is simply annoying. I mean don’t try to disturb people with s&m, fetish and a bare ass. This is all yesterday’s story. As well as the song. It’s like a lightened and prostituted Nine Inch Nails from 89 or the Broken era or a bad copy of Depeche Mode. This won’t fucking work!
Patrick Wolf - Vulture [mediafire] // [ysi]
[Links deleted according to management’s request.]
Now, will this be the most popular post in terms of downloads? Haha. Music industry is funny. Of course, I’m not as categorical as I sound, I’m willing to discuss anything in peace. Just don’t be upset. Spare me the questions of “why do you write about it if you don’t like it?”
As the years pass Metronomy has gotten more quirky and more pop accessible at the same time. Radio Ladio exemplified that. A recent remix has gotten a lot of blog shuffle but i like it so allow me to join the party. Mae Shi up-quirked the quirk quotient on this already quirky song with some additional tweaking and vaguely 2007-era child chorus backs. It’s also drifted a bit toward the nintendo game sountrack genre. Anyhow, altogether hoppy and fun.
I still generally dig Metronomy but i’m not sure if i’ll ever get the same kick as when You Could Easily Have Me first dropped — hands down best raping and pillaging song of the last decade.
Metronomy - Radio Ladio (Mae Shi Remix) [mediafire] // [ysi]
Metronomy - You Could Easily Have Me [mediafire] // [ysi]
I’ve never really liked Röyksopp. I’ve always felt that it’s some kind of intellectual-core advertisement music for ads that are celebrated by smart people like ’strange’ or ‘original’. And, here comes the very surprising turn of events, it didn’t change with the new album. I still don’t like Röyksopp. On the other hand, one of our favourite German producers, MMMatthias sent us his rework of - no, not Happy Up Here but - Vision One. I think I like this one. Abstract dance music without the ambition to be you know super-smart. Actually, you can feel the cold North and the snow-bringing winds even stronger in this than the original. Confusing and beautiful, the remix is not only weird dance music but could apply for artistic values as well. The remix is the strongest from the 3rd minute, that’s when it hits. MMMatthias is still up to some really cool stuff, watch him in 2k9.
The super sweet Electric Youth hit us up with their latest track for the interwebs, and goes without saying that we loves it. Hints of Wham and a light electro flava accompany those sweet vocals which mark everything EY has put out. We’ve also been seeing the Cyndi Seui moniker pop up in places… he’s responsible for this edit (and recently had Justin Faust remix a track of his). Thailand represent!
Electric Youth will be live in Vienna and Paris next month. The Kunkers are only super sad to say that we also won’t be hosting them here… but sometimes circumstances are beyond control (as those party promoters out there know all too well). Nevertheless we’re happy that Vienna is only a short train ride away
The pair will also have a limited edition EP out soon with artwork done by the favorite of all lovers of those things space-y, 80s, and purple… aka the Zonders.
Bloc Party’s album from last year is gonna be remixed by some interesting and huge acts. The remixes are gonna come out on the 11th of May, preceeded in April by a single, featuring the Armand Van Helden remix of Signs. This tune isn’t too impressing (check the vid), but, on the other hand, Villains made a tasteful banger out of the opening epic track Ares. Reminds me of South Central edits with the sirenish ‘ALARM ALARM’-sound. Villains are from LA and I love them since their Thriller remix and the Buddy Akai one was awesome too. Keep and eye out for them!On the remix-record, Mogwai, No Age, We Have Band and others have all got behind their mixing software and hardware and gave a twist to the tracks of Intimacy. Thanks for the Villains one to LA Friendly.
Been digging on Worship for a while now and this latest track stumbled on over at the work that is out cemented that view. The Dome triptych that we first heard a while back was stellar — with a slow build-up leading to alien sci-fi take over of the dance floor. And now, from Italy, Lebatman has featured a few times on the MOTU compilation and did a swerving space ride of an edit on Fat Love. Strong original, stronger edit.
If we needed any more reason to like Worship… they’re Swiss-based! Oh Switzerland, you charming soft, frothing center of Europe, you. They seem to be taking the best of France, Germany, and Italy soundwise these days and applying that fondue touch that only they can do so well.
There’s been umpteen 1901 remixes floating around but a pair put out by some from the Binary crew are standing out. Both are of course synth-layered gems which you would expect coming from the LA-based crew — but their takes diverge after that. The Fabian edit keeps a tighter grip on the original (in terms of song length) while NightWaves stretches things out into more of a soundscape direction. Each of them work well in their own way, definite dance-floor fodder … with the crew adding “both tracks center on the vocals but unlike most of the remixes out so far, they turn the original on its ass and make something brand new”.
Kunk is always in approval of ass-turning edits… so consider this…er… two thumbs up!
MP3s on this site are shared for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artist and buy their albums. If you are an artist (or represent an artist) featured on this blog and want us to take down a song, let us know and thy will be done.
A-Ha - Take On Me (The Twelves remix) [mediafire] // [ysi]
