Neo Tokyo first blipped on our radar last October with some choice remixes of Frau Britney and Das Foals (Britney Spears, and Foals, that is — not some bad German mash-up band). Fast forward a half-year, and the Frenchman has just set free his Tronik Youth remix which had been available seulement via myspace stream… until now that is. Took me a couple listens but i’m digging the electro/chip-core topping he lays down on the mellow (but fab) original. Comes on at first posing as a banger, but it’s really not… it’s more like… laid-back yet heavy electro. Almost, smooth, dare I say.

Go ahead and mypace love up NT and get Laser Laser on Beatport.

Tronik Youth - Laugh Cry Live Die (Neo Tokyo Remix) // [ysi]

I’ve so enjoyed watching the saga of the incremental ever-increasing bit rate leaks of the MGMT Kids Soulwax remix. It’s a little bit of genius. I think every song should be released this way: beginning at 96 and slowly working up to 320, 10kb at a time. Imagine… mp3 leaks and music blogs could become baseball cards and card shops for a new generation.

“Hey, I’ll trade you my 312kb Midnight Juggernauts Into the Galaxy for your 220kb Justice D.A.N.C.E. and 132kb MGMT Kids Soulwax…”

“Dude you have a Galaxy 312!! That shit is so rare! I heard only about 4 of those were released.”

“Yeah they posted it on www.incrementalbitratesrus.com 3 years ago for about seven minutes, before taking it down and replacing it with the 320kb. But I scooped it just in time. Been holding onto it ever since. I think though it’s time to diversify. I heard the 132 Kids  is become more valued these days as people have been destroying them.”

“Yeah it’s true. Many hard drives have been wiped of that version lately… it’s probably just a conspiracy by the blogs to drive the price up. Fuckers.”

Anyhow… with regards the songs themselves… my fave of the lot is the Tronik Youth edit (or Shr-edit as it’s aptly worded). For the reason that it’s kinda loose and disorganized — which to me is the appealing side of MGMT — and that bit gets accentuated nicely. The Kooks cover is cute as well.

MGMT - Kids (Tronik Youth Shr-edit) [zshare] // MGMT - Kids (Tronik Youth Shr-edit) [ysi]

MGMT - Kids (Soulwax Nite Version) [zshare] // MGMT - Kids (Soulwax Nite Version) [ysi]

MGMT - Kids [zshare] // MGMT - Kids [ysi]

The Kooks - Kids (MGMT Cover) [zshare] // The Kooks - Kids (MGMT Cover) [ysi]

Slow, dirty and heavy and recalling a different era that isn’t too removed from today but I can’t exactly place my finger on it, Tronik Youth’s new single shows how to keep a modest pace while not losing any hottness. Already there are several remixes of Laugh Cry Live Die floating around and undoubtedly there will be countless more — but I’m holding out and sticking to the original — in part because he deserves the credit on the back of the many deft remixes he’s put under his belt to date (Goose, The Gossip, and MGMT among other standouts).

Things are only on the up and up for Tronik so check him out live in London-town or on the festival circuit this summer.

Tronik Youth - Laugh Cry Live Die [zshare] // Tronik Youth - Laugh Cry Live Die [ysi]

A name like Tronik Youth means responsibility. London-based DJ Neil Parnell tries to live up to it. The thing is that he’s kinda too hip to make it. He made remixes for The Gossip, Chromeo, The Rakes and Goose among others. He’s been remixed by Punks Jump Up (see post below), Franz and Shape, etc. This is way too hip. Nevertheless his discofied sonical landscapes are quite interesting. Monotonous and experimental but danceable and it feels like noise in electro. The great impossibility of sound in space is dissolved here. Imagine a giant dancefloor with stars for disco balls which is - in spite - a temple for the ultimate goddess ‘Claustrophobia’. This is the place where the music of Tronik Youth belongs to and this is the mood which makes it worthy for the name.

Tronik Youth - We Are (Original mix)