quick audio picks: 12
Mash-up is still fun, especially when it's produced well. "Disco Inferno" over(1) the Cure's "Close To Me" is very effective, especially because Aristocat re-arranges the beat to match the different segments of the song. You also get a super-useful instrumental version of...
expand review the track that you won't find on any Cure 12". Flip features "Make You Feel That Way" over(2) a loop of Chris Isaaks' "Wicked Game," pretty smooth. Also features the rare acapella to Queen's "We Will Rock You," for "extreme" mash possibilities (where'd he get that anyway?). -the mgmnt
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Man, there are some things I feel like I don't even have to write a review for. What could I tell you, loyal Turntable Lab customer, about A-Trak and The Rub boys that you don't already know? This has "no-brainer" written all...
expand review over it. A-Trak leads off the A-side with his blend(1) of Outkast's "Skew It On The Bar-B" with a modified instrumental from Kanye's "Touch The Sky," mining those tasty Curtis horns for all they're worth. Ayres & A-Trak team up for the useful "Mr. Collipark Breaks," and then Urrs takes it solo with Ying Yang and Pitbull's "Shake(2)" over the always recognizable Yaz sample. Cosmo Baker closes out the side with some more 'Kast(3), this time with "B.O.B." over the pounding drums from Bloc Party's "She's Hearing Voices." (Man, "Bombs" never gets old, or less timely.) On the other side, Trak lays Project Pat's recent Lab favorite "Good Googly Moogly" over 2 Live Crew(4), then laces "Tell Me When To Go" with Laid Back's "White Horse(5)." The final blend, with Lil Keke's "Chunk Up The Deuce" over Twilight 22(6), is uncredit – dunno why, it's pretty cool. Ayres closes the whole deal out with a quick Baltimore club edit of Corey Hart's "Sunglasses At Night," just in case you didn't get enough of it on the Roctakon EP from Money Lotion. (Psych – this Sunglasses EP has been in the works for a long, long time, so it's just a happy accident.) 8 tracks total. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Beatconductor is increasingly being defined as Beat Fanatic's midtempo slash hip-hop alias. "Moodswings(1)" and "Rock To the Rhythm(2)" both feature unidentified hip-hop vocals, while "Never(3)" pulls out yet another strange Swedish reference, sampling Tevin Campbell vocals. Sleeper pick is the reggae instrumental...
expand review "Drop Of A Dime(4)." -the mgmnt
quick audio picks: 123
Second volume of dancehall/rnb blends from Brooklynite Mr. Locust, who brought us last year's Mylo/Sean Paul mash, "Drop The Temperature." This time he's got JT and 50 going up against Alborosie on "Kingston Tech(1)," T-Pain and Akon riding the Red Alert and...
expand review March Out riddims on "Bartender(2)," and a little more Timberlake for good measure, dropping the "Sexy Back" acapella over Tony Matterhorn / Smash riddim for "Dutty Back(3)." A-side plays at 45, B-side at 33. -Van Hammersly
quick audio picks: 12
It's Mohawk's Champ Dance Remix! You know the infamous break used by everyone from Main Source, Redman, to Too Short and MC Hammer and so on. Well, now it's the Bladerunners turn and they take it to uber-dancefloor status. They...
expand review give three remixes, two short versions and a long side edit called which is worth the entire album. The "Champ - Club Mix(1)" is a hype modern dance mix that starts with a DJ friendly intro with a sample from Daft Punk's "Da Funk" and chops up the sweet sounds of Champ until its FUBAR. The added bass keeps the hype levels up, while the breakdowns build up and drop to drive the crowd. For those just interested in the meat of the song, the "Champ - Alt Mix(2)" is and edit with the main part and the "Champ-A-Pella" is the same with a more instrumental breaks feel. You can pretty much stick to the main mix, but it's nice to know that they're there so you wreck shop with doubles. I can smell this on summer mixtapes already. -C'mish
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The Bladerunners are one of the best things going right now. Their edits are made with working DJs in mind and they're totally effective. Side A features dance edits and starts with Stardust's "Music Sounds Better With You" aka one the greatest...
expand review dance songs ever made. The Bladerunners do an admirable chop job(1) here, freaking out the original sounds. Showing some deep-ass music nerdery, they've resurrected P.I.L.'s "This Is Not A Love Song" as a Daft Punk-style dance track. The flip features hip-hop remixes of "Move Bitch(3), Throw Some D's(4)," and "Money In The Bank(5)." 7 tracks total. Recommended. -the mgmnt
quick audio picks: 12
A pair of essential breaks from the Bozo Meko catalog, available for the first time ever on 45. "Spread Love(1)" is a simple, straightforward and totally useful edit of the Take 6 classic - what more could you need than those sweet...
expand review harmonies and staunch drums keepin time? On the flip, it's Earth Wind & Fire's summer feel-good anthem getting the chop for "Gazillian Rhyme(2)." Both cuts supposedly remixed by Mark the 45 King. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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More crack! DJ Benzi curated the now-infamous We Got The Remix mixtape last year, and now he's hand-picked a few of his favorite remixes from the project and pressed 'em to wax for you non-Serato using heathens. Nick Catchdubs' remix(1) was one...
expand review of my favorites, tossing the acapella from "Re-Up Anthem" over a slowed loop from Eric Clapton's "Cocaine" ... so clever, that Catchdubs! Diplo flips the acapella chanting theme from Coming To America for his remix(2) of "Queen Bitch" ... it ain't club material, but I could see it fitting on a mixtape. The Disco D-produced "Double Down(3)" makes a comeback here, since we've been sold out of the Killah Kuts version for like a year - if you don't remember, it's got Vybz Kartel and the beat is made ENTIRELY OUT OF GUNSHOTS. (Insert Kevin Federline joke here.) On the flipside, Les Biches (what up, Krudmart!) remix "Drop It(4)" with a decidedly electro slant... and whaddayaknow, chuggling computer bass sounds nice under the Re-Up Gang. Ghislain Poirier's mix of "Stuntin' Y'all" falls off-track at times, but in the club it wouldn't be noticeable - everyone would be busy with that trademark Bounce Le Gros bass. Super unofficial pressing! Probably won't be around once Star Trak gets wind of this. -Chris Lemon-Red
quick audio picks: 123
Feelgood summertime remixes from Plug Label head Kero One. His remix of Common's "The Light(1)" is super-satisfying like Pacificos by the pool. Warm melodic guitar loops and crisp drums give it substance, play it at your next outdoor gig and feel the...
expand review warm vibes fill the air. Kero's remix of Erykah Badu's "On And On(2)" keeps a similar pace as the original, but adds that LA cosmic soul flourishes and swagger. On the flip, he adds some fatback drums and 70s synths to Outkast's "Roses(3)," and makes it into a song that both the ladies and beatheads can get down to. Three for three is rare, but Kero comes through. Also includes instrumental versions of "The Light" and "Roses." -the mgmnt
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Before dropping the Grey Album and making every critic's year-end list, DJ Danger Mouse released three remix EPs that we carried for a little while. I say "little while" because whenever they were restocked, they immediately sold out like Pure Hot Fire....
expand review Much like that damn Amerie single (PHF of right now), people would constantly call or come in the store, pestering us for more Danger Mouse, and someone finally saw fit to respond to the overwhelming demand by releasing a kind of "Best Of" from those three EPs. While I'm currently of the "Mash Up Needs To Get Shot Out of a Canon" mentality, I must admit that the Nas/Portishead(1) and the Audio Two/Air(2) remixes are two of the finer moments the genre has offered so far, and still sound remarkably well put together four years after the fact. Pick it up now, late-comers. Other mashes include "Tom's Diner" over "In Da Club(3)," Outkast's "Whole World" over Funkadelic(4), and Xzibit over Radiohead's "Karma Police(5)." -the Woodman
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If you slept on Davy Dave's fun as hell - but also limited as hell - mashup 45s, here's your second chance. Do Not Bootleg The Bootleg is the first 12" release on Magic Mix and compiles all four tracks from the...
expand review sold out 7"s, along with two new original collaborations with German rappers Pilskills. On the A-side, Beastie Boys get mixed up with Peter Bjorn & John ("Check Out The Young Folks(1)") and Paul Weller ("NYC Party Flasche(2)"). On the flip, it's Dizzee Rascal going toe-to-toe with a golden oldie ("Fix Up The Road Jack(3)") and some Japanese electro-pop ("Yellow Magic Sirens(4)"). Limited edition whitelabel with hand-stamped sleeve. -Van Hammersly
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Second 12" from Davy Dave's Magic Mix label, another limited edition whitelabel in hand-stamped sleeves. Davy's teamed up with the mysterious Quincy Millions for some more sick blends, this time with a Brazilian slant. On the A-side, "Vamos!(1)" is a high-octane tropical...
expand review mix of De La's "Much More," with a useful dub(2) also included. Busta's "Don't Touch Me" goes over a cover of "Jungle Fever" on "Febre(3)," then his Daft Punk-sampling "Touch It" gets re-formatted and gene-spliced with Missy's "Cop That Shit" for "Touch That Shit(4)." Mr. Million's buzzing techno remix of Kelis' "Milkshake(5)" rounds things out. -Van Hammersly
quick audio picks: 123
Deadstock find. Heavy duty vinyl pressing of six unmixed tracks off the infamous Biggie vs. Sinatra mixtape from 2006. The best of the bunch are the Kanye style sped-up sample on "Everyday Struggles / A Day In The Life(1)," the swinging "Juicy...
expand review / New York New York(2)" blend, and the Pac-featuring "Let's Get It On / Rain In My Heart(3)." -Van Hammersly
quick audio picks: 12
I was hating on this record for the longest time, but I finally came through to the rump side. The team of DJ Kool and Fatman Scoop equate to Stockton and Malone: no shame in the game, but utterly effective. This goes...
expand review straight to the vein, pulling out all the tricks (DMX, Peter Piper, Chubb Rock, Fantastic Voyage), before dropping the "It Takes Two Verse." Playing this is like cheating, but it works everytime. Includes the Crooklyn Clan Mix(1) and the Original Mix(2). -the mgmnt
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