Tuesday, March 31, 2009

10,000 Horses Can't Be Wrong

Simian Mobile Disco - 10,000 Horses Can't Be Wrong

I'm hypnotized, again.

Monday, March 30, 2009

You can call me up all the time

How many Chromeo remixes exist out there? Too many to count. Not like that's a bad thing, but some of them are getting slightly redundant. When I first clicked on this remix by the Australian group, Bag Raiders, I expected it to be a mediocre one but I was pleasantly surprised; hence the blog post. The use of synth and keyboards give the song an extra euphoric aura, which is definitely needed nowadays.

Bag raiders claim to be "hotter than a welding machine" and this remix can stand as proof for this statement. Apparently one of Bag Raiders' remixes is featured on the GTA4 soundtrack. I guess that can be pretty hot as well, depending on who you are and what you like.

Chromeo - Call me up (Bag Raiders Remix)

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Remix Culture

Remix Culture

It's all I'm thinking about. We're living in it whether we like it or not. I like it, do you?

For examples see the video and remix below.

Ratatat - Shempi (Zongamin remix)


Ratatat - Shempi

Friday, March 20, 2009

Sébastien Tellier Contest - Vancouver

Sébastien Tellier is playing at Richards on Richards on April 14th. The people at the Muse Box have three tickets and a CD available for a lucky fan (or perhaps more than one lucky fan). If you are interested, send an e-mail to remixourlives@live.com. A winner will be randomly chosen before the concert date and contacted with all the information needed to obtain their tickets and CD.

CONTEST NOW CLOSED

Oh, another Metronomy remix

"I heard she broke your heart again..."


We all know the wonderful song, "Heartbreaker" by Metronomy, and if you don't, check out the video below.

The Norwegian artist, Diskjokke, has lined-up the lyrics and the instrumentals of this song very well. In the original, the beat is so groovy that the sad lyrics aren't as effective as they could be; which is a good thing because it makes the song great for the dance floor.
The Diskjokke remix makes the instrumentals a little slower which helps them coincide with the lyrics a little better. This one wouldn't be as good on the dance floor but it's still a good rendition to listen to almost anywhere else. The beginning is the best part.


Metronomy - Heartbreaker (Diskjokke remix)


Metronomy - Heartbreaker

Monday, March 16, 2009

R-A-D-I-O L-A-D-I-O

Apologies for the tardy posts. To make up for it, here are three excellent remixes of Metronomy's "Radio Ladio". The first two are produced by a DJ duo called Radioclit. I personally like the Swedish remix more than the French one because it's intensity is extremely increased, it's turned into an instrumental (a very good one at that) and it makes me feel like I'm in a jungle. The French remix is also good. There's a female response to the original which is pretty cool.

The third remix is by The Mae Shi. It breaks the song down and manipulates each section of it; making it just enjoyable to listen to the slight changes that were made.

Check 'em out.

Metronomy - Radio Ladio (Radioclit Swedish Remix)
Metronomy - Radio Ladio (Radioclit French Remix)
Metronomy - Radio Ladio (Mae Shi Remix)

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Phantom Numero Deux (Soulwax Nite Remix)

Yesterday, a friend and I were discussing the music quality of Vancouver's dance scene. We concluded that it was pretty good but I personally felt like it was missing one thing: more Justice. I know we have all heard "We Are Your Friends" over and over on the dance floor; that wasn't really the song I wanted to hear. I wanted some of the hardcore Justice stuff; mainly referring to "Phantom Part II", the Soulwax Nite remix. I listened to this remix excessively last year. Every time I listened to it, I wished that one day I would hear it on the dance floor somewhere. And last night, my wish finally came true. I heard the Soulwax Nite remix of "Phantom Part II" on the dance floor at the Lamplighter for a full minute (not long, I know, but I was satisfied).

Even if you aren't interested in my obsession over hearing this remix on the dance floor, I think it's a must hear if you're into Justice.

So, here is the sped up, more intense version of this delicious song.

Justice - Phantom Part II (Soulwax Nite Remix)

Monday, March 9, 2009

Röyksopp Forever

The internet is freaking out over the new Röyksopp album, Junior.

On the official release date of March 23rd, this album should definitely be part of your CD/Mp3 collection. If you are already a Röyksopp fan, you won't regret the purchase even if you don't think the album is the best of the three studio albums they've released. If you aren't a Röyksopp fan, perhaps this review will encourage you to become one.

Röyksopp is a Norwegian electronic duo that are electro geniuses in my mind. All their songs, new and old, are produced with a lot of emotion. The new album, Junior, has a song that will suit every mood of the week. Starting off with "Happy Up Here", this song will suit that hyper mood that encourages you to bounce around the room like a video game character. And ending with "It's What I Want", you will find this "life" song fits that mood that comes over you before you go sleep.

I'm having a hard time figuring out whether or not Junior is a better album than The Understanding (2005). Both are very good and follow similar structures, but I think Junior conquers my world a little more than The Understanding. The fact that Junior has so many Scandinavian collaborations on it may be the reason for this (collaborations include: The Knife's Karin Dreijer, Robyn and Lykke Li).

So far, there are a couple of songs that really, really stand out to me:
One being "Miss it so much" featuring Lykke Li. I know what you're thinking, maybe it only stands out to me because Lykke Li is in it. Yes, this may be the case but it is a good song besides the fact that Lykke Li is in it. The best part of this song is the middle; the use of a voice fade-in to aid the peak of the song is very nice on the ears.

"The Girl and the Robot" is another song that really stands out. This one features Robyn singing about a man/robot who she is desperately in love with but he's not into it. This song is a good one for the dance floor. It has a super intense beat that kind of feels like it could shake the world if played on the right speakers.

"Röyksopp Forever" is an instrumental that reminds me of the song, "Triumphant", from The Understanding. Both are beautifully orchestrated instrumentals that hit an emotional limit that never seemed possible before.

There also seems to be a cyborg theme emanating from this album. Lyrics like "mechanical heart" and "I'm in love with a robot" make me think Röyksopp is doing an excellent job of reflecting the modern world.

So far in Röyksopp's musical career, they never seem to disappoint; only unbelievably satisfy.

Röyksopp - Happy Up Here

Friday, March 6, 2009

Divine Remix

Sébastien Tellier's "Divine" is such a euphoric song that I can't handle it seriously on the dance floor. Not saying it's bad to hear when I'm out, but I'm usually into the really hcore beats when I'm busting some moves. The French DJ, Danger, has remixed it to my serious dancing standards. Srsly, if you like dancing really crazy, check it out.

Sébastien Tellier - Divine (Danger Remix)

Sébastien Tellier - Divine

Also, Sébastien Tellier is officially coming to Richards on April 14th. You can get your tickets from Ticketweb.com.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

It's Blitz!

Photo by Josh Wildman taken from Yeah Yeah Yeahs' official website

After the release of Is Is in 2007, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs took some time off to create a well-produced album all over the states (It's Blitz!). Due to the severe net leakage of this album, the band has decided to digitally release the album early on March 10th (worldwide). It will be released in physical form on March 31st (US) and April 6th (worldwide).

It's Blitz! seems to be a mixture of old school Yeah Yeah Yeahs and a new synthesized version of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Some songs, like "Zero", "Heads Will Roll" and "Soft Shock", use a fair amount of synth and electro-esque sounds. And even though they use a fair amount of modernized musical instruments, they still seem to emit a raw sound. Do not fear, the synths are definitely not overdone. Apparently they busted out this new sound because of their love for 70s disco collaborations and Karen O's love for dancing. If you're also worried that this album will be too dancey for you, it won't. The synth and disco sounds are kept to a minimum.

I already seem to have a favourite song on the album; "Runaway". This song is probably the saddest song on the album. It's use of piano, orchestra and Karen O's distinct emotional voice/lyrics, make this song perfect to aimlessly walk alone to.

Other songs like "Soft Shock" and "Heads Will Roll" have caught my attention as well. These ones are more upbeat and use that synth that was discussed earlier very well. "Dull Life" is another song to take note of; it has a country-esque dance beat to it (maybe this one was recorded on the farm in Massachusetts). This song will make you want to uncontrollably dance around the room, I guarantee it.

After waiting two years (or three if you don't count the EP release), It's Blitz! is a very satisfying album. I'm very glad that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have come back with a diverse album. Synth or no synth, each song still emanates that raw Yeah Yeah Yeahs' sound. Perhaps this album is a blitz between raw and new instruments. Whatever the blitz is, I like it.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

Monday, March 2, 2009

Nude

Most of the Radiohead remixes I've stumbled upon have been dance remixes. I do really love most of these dance remixes but it's nice to find a slower remix as well. French music composer, SayCet, has produced an excellent slow remix of "Nude" which I've found to be rather refreshing. He adds jewelry box sounds and a slightly different piano bridge to it, casting another aspect to the song.

Radiohead - Nude (SayCet Remix)

Radiohead - Nude