Put Your Lighters Up, no matter where you're from

Well I said to myself that I would try my best never to put a mashup/bootleg/bastard pop track on this blog, but this track has crept in.

Backstage Sluts - "Disco Lighters"

A big tune from last year, Lifelike & Kris Menace's "Discopolis" gets cheekily reused with a vocal sample of Lil Kim's "Lighters Up", to create this track which I'm pretty sure I heard the B'Sluts play when I saw them DJ in London earlier this year. It's only now that I've found out what it was, so it's getting a few plays from me at the moment.

Watch out, I've opened the floodgates now so expect loads more bootlegs from now on.....

(or not)

Related Links
Backstage Sluts official site
Backstage Sluts on Myspace
Kris Menace on Myspace
Buy the original Discopolis track

This game will save us if we don't die young

Death From Above 1979 - "Romantic Rights" [Jesper Dahlback Mix] (679 Recordings)
I heard this the other night, and prior to this, I'd never have thought that a DFA1979 track would ever be played more than once on my stereo.

Usually when I hear a track while out and about, they don't stand up to repeated listening, so when I first heard this, I didn't know if I was loving it because of the time and place I hearing it. I'm happy to say, hearing it again now, my opinion hasn't changed in the slightest.

Jesper Dahlback is John Dahlback's Cousin, who has also made some cracking productions over the years, such as his remix of Cirez D's "Knockout".

Oh, it's from 2005, and shortly after I think they made a decision to split up, not officially announcing it until August this year. However, one of their members, Jesse F. Keeler, has gone on to form MSTRKRFT, so it's not all bad.

The thing about DFA1979, MSTRKRFT, and the like, is that they are so trendy that every other blog wants to post about them. So, right now I'm fighting the urge to post MSTRKRFT tracks on THIS blog, because it's well covered elsewhere, by talented and long standing bloggers. The same goes for the likes of Justice and SebastiAn, who are both bloody great, but being done to death elsewhere. For example, check out the Hype Machine to see who's posting about what.

Maybe I should list a few links on the right hand side of the blog to those that I sometimes check out from time to time.

Related/Tenuous Links
MSTRKRFT official site
MSTRKRFT on Myspace

Scran it? sounds like something a northerner would say, to me...

Col Hamilton - "Catch It Kill It Scran It" [AMC Remix] (Mena)

I like the original, but this remix is even better in my opinion. It just adds so much to it (vocoded vocals, warmth, and pleasant synths) that it's infinitely better than the original. It's the only one worth listening to now. But I still wonder what Scran It actually means?

And this is now the forth Mena track I've put up so far...I think they've almost cemented their place as my number one label this year. :D

Related Links
ah sod it, I'll update this bit tommorow night. can't be arsed looking for the links right now. it's bed time.

just as well it's not been banned from all countries yet....

Charlie May vs Sasha - "Seal Clubbing" [James Zabiela's Seal Squeal Remix] (Renaissance)
(note the zShare link because it's too big for YouSendIt to cope with :D)

James Zabiela's awesome "Robophobia" was posted on here a while back, and I always had intentions of posting up "Weird Science" or one of it's remixes, but I could never decide which version I fancied most.

So instead of that, here's a JZ remix that is absolutely bang on. More than 9 minutes long, and a bassline that is shit hot. I have a feeling this track is no doubt going down a storm at clubs around the world, and I am convinced it's already gotta be supported by a lot of big name DJs, so you might as well follow their lead. I hear the single is out next week.

Some history behind the track: it started out as a commission for an American TV show, before going on to feature as the opening track on a Dave Seaman compilation. The general public opinion that it was the best thing on the compilation meant that it had to be released. I'm sure if that was the end of the story I'd have never bothered to check it out, because Sasha and Charlie May's musical output usually has no interest to me. But instead, that's when Sasha protege James Zabiela got called up to do remix duties, and according to PR guff, having finished the final cut on the plane journey out, proceeded to use it as his tour set opener.

I'm sure it went down a treat. :D

Related Links
Charlie May's profile on his management's website
Spooky (May's production partnership with Duncan Forbes) on Myspace
Sasha official site
Sasha on Myspace
James Zabiela official site
James Zabiela on Myspace

A "monster" track for halloween

The Automatic - "Monster" [Zombie Dogs Remix] (White)

OK, not a monster track in the monster banging big tune sense of the word, but it's a good little whitelabel release that is pretty good if you drop it at the right time, e.g. like this post coinciding with Halloween. ;)

Just consider yourself lucky that I didn't resort to posting a remix of the Ghostbusters theme tune...

you wait ages for a micky slim track and then two come along at once

DJ Grad - "Piano 99" [Micky Slim Remix] (Rising Trax)

This starts off like a typical Micky Slim production if other tracks like his original "Acid is the Bomb", and his Chad Lewis remixes are anything to go by. But then you get that Piano coming in during the breakdown, which is presumably the hook from the original track. It then starts to get a bit glitched up as it builds up, and when the track gets going again it somehow reminds me of Tocadisco's remix of The Egg - "Walking Away". All in all, a pretty damn good track.

Related Links
DJ Grad official site
Micky slim on Myspace

Shake That Ass!

I've already blogged about Chris Lake previously, having mentioned my disgust that they ruined the perfectly good "Changes" by sticking a vocal over it, as well as raving about his previous collaboration with the Trophy Twins, and his remix efforts on making Rogue Traders even better than they already are.

But, up till now, I've never mentioned another top notch producer. Micky Slim first came to my attention with the briliant remix of Chad Lewis' "Raw Kemistry", which makes brilliant and innovative use of the last line from Eric B & Rakim - "I Know You Got Soul", when he raps, "Rakim'll Say [Peace]".

So that's about them. Here's what they've collaborated on:

Chris Lake & Micky Slim - "Shake" [Noize White Remix] (Rising Trax)
(note the yousendit link due to problems with people downloading)

Thanks to Colin for putting me onto this track. I'm still waiting to hear the original, so I don't know what the Noize White remix adds to it, but this version is pretty good. Love the first bassline that comes in after 1 minute, then after 2 minutes it drops out, and you just know by the way it's building back up that something special is about to hit you....

...and there it is. That fucking wicked bassline comes along, and then they add that squelchy distorted synth to the proceedings.

My one criticism is that the vocal does get a bit boring half way through. Thing is, the fact it's Lake and Micky Slim in the first place, I just can't help get the feeling that it was a pretty tidy track to begin with. I'll probably add an update on my feelings once I've heard the original.

Related Links
Chris Lake on Myspace
Micky Slim on Myspace