Illmind, up-and-coming producer of the Organic Thoughts crew out of New Jerus, does this remix. The tone of the original feels a little off, where the remix hits the nail on the head. Illmind starts off with a nice build up and begins to create the perfect atmosphere for the lyrics to resonate. The sampled hook then drops and the mood is laid down thick and with much more depth than the original. The tone is very uplifting, giving the listener that “never give up hope” feel, and when CL proceeds to handle business, it‘s game, set, match.
Lobudg D-Town
The past three years have seen nu-skool breaks embrace its Berlin and Detroit electro past head-on, with everyone from pioneer Afrika Bambaataa to Rennie Pilgrim coating their beats in a synthetic ‘80s gloss. This debut from Sober Records nods in that direction on its two mixes of “D-Town,” where shades of Gap Band and Cybotron lurk in the background, but the foreground belongs to enormous, compressed, and neck-snapping modern breakbeats. Peak-time biznezz.
L‘Altra Bring On Happiness
The best break-up with your boyfriend/girlfriend band has also recently had more line-up changes than the Bush cabinet. But L‘Altra ticks on with somber ballads constructed from trad indie-pop elements and heaps of electronic rinse. “Soft Collapse” features the soothing coos of Ms. Lindsay Anderson pasted over wonderful digital symphonies. “Bring On Happiness (Slicker remix)” features John Hughes‘ best backwards drum tricks and other rhythmic betrayals. This moody music makes me happy.
My Room Is White
Fast Cars
Live at The Parish (Austin, TX)
Live at the Aggie Theater (Fort Collins, CO)
Panjabi Hit Squad Desi Beats
You may have noticed Indian music seeping into hip-hop and dancehall recently. On this rockin‘ bhangra record, familiar riffs by Timbaland (“Ugly”), Neptunes (“Pass The Courvoisier”) and Dr. Dre (“No More Drama”) are skillfully reworked with traditional Indian vocals and instruments for maximized booty shakin‘ from Boston to Bombay.
Various Artists Fabriclive 18: Andy C And DJ Hype
No room for atmospheric tweaks or liquid vocals here; the latest installment from Fabric, compiled by two of the biggest names in the genre, is as straightforward drum & bass as it gets, with all the regulars present. Krust heats things up with “Follow Da Vision,” while DJ Fresh‘s “Tomb Raider” delivers punchy basslines that seem to slam against one another and Potential Bad Boy‘s “Submission” intensifies this feeling. Taking the above into consideration, this is a great choice for anyone just wanting a good trip around the dancefloor, but not recommended for the more adventurous.
Leo Tardin‘s Grandpianoramax Starlite
Leo Tardin-a Swiss-born jazz pianist who‘s collaborated with the likes of Charles Tolliver and Frank Morgan-and live drummer Jojo Mayer craft modern jazz with elegant touches; perfect territory for remixers Nuspirit Helsinki and Domu to add their futuristic flourishes. With Helsinki‘s added brass over a shuffling house beat, and Domu‘s simmering, spacey synths and compressed drum work, “Starlite” is a single blessed by some of the best electronic minds in the business.
