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This record is on Polyvinyl. I think the last thing I bought on Polyvinyl was in 7th grade. It was probably something by Rainer Maria, 'cause I saw them live and had a crush on the lead singer. I can't say I...
expand review feel the same way about any of the guys from Architecture In Helsinki, though I am pretty envious of that one dude's beard. Anyway, if you keep up with your indie rock, you know this Melbourne collective has become crazy popular over the last few years, and that their new single "Heart It Races" has been getting love from some unexpected places. Enter this slab of remixes, which includes the much talked about "Trizzy's Rusty Tin Can Remix(1)" from Fool's Gold CEO A-Trak. I never thought I'd wanna hear the "LEMME SEE THOSE HANDS! LEMME SEE THOSE HANDS!" acapella over wistful indie tones, but I was so wrong. Also includes remixes from Pink Skull(2), Yacht(3) and Franc Tetaz(4), but you won't get past A-Trak's version. -Chris Lemon-Red
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After months of searching for the lost master files - finally found 'em deep in the belly of a Czech pressing plant - the unmixed wax companion to A-Trak's Dirty South Dance mix is here. On the A-side, Unk goes up against...
expand review The Gossip for "Walk It Out Trizz(1)," then the Clipse and Slim Thug pop bottles in Paris with Alex Gopher on "Wampercycle(2)." Not sure of the source beat for "Frenchies Act A Fool(3)," but Lil Jon and Three 6 have never sounded so Euro. Also not sure if M.I.A.'s "XR2" will end up on her album, but it's on here ("MIA-roder(4)"), blended with - you guessed it - some sweet Italo beats. Fool's Gold continues their trend of dope packaging with nice custom-printed all-over print sleeves and a sticker with artwork by Shepherd Fairey. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
Other than a couple ISP scratch practice tapes released when he was about 16, this is the first mix cd we've ever seen from A-Trak. It was recorded live in Vancouver this past fall, and goes a long way to show just...
expand review how well rounded this former scratch prodigy has become. Dude is Kanye's tour dj afterall, and he's found the perfect balance between his ridiculous battle skills and party rocking. It starts off with some of his amazing live routines and then goes into a long mix set, where you'll find everything from De La to Daft Punk, from Mann Parrish to Mac Mall. Tons of blends, mixing and cutting along the way, of course. -the mgmnt
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First they dropped the Ayres & Titties Bmore megamix on Money Studies. Then it was the first ever Bmore battle record on A-Trak's Ammo Records. Tittsworth & DJ Ayres continue their themed release dominance with the new one on their own T&A...
expand review Records, Ultimate T&A. Grey market Bmore remixes collide with grey market breaks compilations, as Titts & Ayres & Co. flip the Ultimate Breaks & Beats theme and rework some fonky classics. On the A-side, "Go Back(1)" has Ayres chopping the Jimmy Castor Bunch to bits, then gluing them back together with hard claps and nasty horn stabs. A-Trak's version of "Sir Duke(2)" is spot on - not too goofy, not trying too hard to be hype. (The subtle, unexpected cuts on the hook are a nice touch.) Tittsworth finishes the A-side with his mix of Ray Charles' "Georgia(3)," then starts off the flip with the EWF classic "September(4)." There's something about Tittsworth and Earth Wind & Fire - they just go together. The best is saved for last though, as DJ Eli (yes, of Fondle 'Em fame!) reworks James Brown on "Papa(5)" and Bamabounce (aka DJ Taj) brings the house down with Minnie Ripperton's "Lovin' You(6)." Artwork by Burlesque's Mike 2600. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Boys Noize back on his own label for the companion to Oi Oi Oi, with four diverse remixers each taking on a different track from the wunderkind's debut album. Siriusmo comes with the high heat on his nasty electro mix of "&...
expand review Down(1)," Fool's Gold CEO A-Trak turns "Oh(2)" all Bmore (with some scratching for good measure), and Housemeister's take on "Don't Believe The Hype(3)" is, perhaps unsurpringly, pretty housey. Also includes a remix of "Let's Buy Happiness(4)" from Turbo labelmate Proxy. A-side plays at 33, B-side at 45. -Chris Lemon-Red
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LAB US EXCLUSIVO. Import-only pic sleeve 12" featuring two of the biggest tunes from Dabaaz's new full-length. A-Trak gets behind the boards for "Regarde-Les(1)," scratching up a Clipse sample and crafting yet another ridiculously infectious beat. Flipside features the Drixxxe-produced "Tu Veux...
expand review La Guerre?(2)" - the term "Eurocrunk" kinda makes me wanna shoot my face, but this is pulled off so nicely, it doesn't feel like a joke. Totally dark, Dirty South style production. DJ Paul & Juice would be proud. Includes instrumentals for both tracks. Limited stock. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Canadian selectors-turned-producers Jokers of the Scene (aka DJ Booth & Chameleonic) drop a bomb for their debut single with "Y'all Know The Name(1)," a massive club re-work of Pharoahe Monch's "Simon Says" that's been getting played by everyone from MSTRKRFT to Annie...
expand review Mac, Sinden to DJ AM. After turning in varied remixes for DJ Blaqstarr, Brodinski and vitaminsforyou, this one firmly establishes the JOTS sound: huge build ups, distorted bass and full on rave-age. Speaking of rave monsters - if that's your thing, wait'll you hear the Flosstradamus remix(2). (I'm writing this on a Monday morning and it definitely just woke me the fuck up.) Equally intense but slightly less abrasive is Nacho Lovers' remix(3) with its rolling techno bass, stuttered samples and squelchy effects. Also on wax for the first time is JOTS' "Juggle It(4)," a shape-shifting Young Leek remix which was getting love last year from Diplo and some of the usual suspects. Look for more from these dudes on Fool's Gold rill soon. -Larri Byrd
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I'm actually kinda glad this single has taken so long to drop: "Day N Nite(1)" was one of my favorite songs of 2007, but since it's not officially released until... well, right now, I can put it at the top of my...
expand review 2008 lists too! Cudi, along with his man Dot Da Genius on the beat, has crafted one of the best slo-mo stoner rap anthems in recent memory. Not to be outdone, Cudi's labelmate's Jokers of the Scene get this one prepped for the dancefloor with their surging raved out remix(2). The flip features another slumper, "Dat New New(3)," with a nice flow from Cudi and guitar loop / wet drums beat by Dot. This might be my favorite release on Fool's Gold yet. Includes instrumentals for both tracks, plus dirty and clean mixes for "Dat New New." Recommended. -Larri Byrd
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GOT HER TOES DONE UP WITH HER FINGERNAILS MATCHIN'! This is the one, the jam everyone's been asking after since it showed up on Kanyeezee's last mixtape. The A-Trak produced "Pro Nails(1)" is dope enough on its own, but the remix(2) has...
expand review the extra hot sauce with Kanye talking about Hammer Pants and being on Concrete Loop in his PJs. Oh yeah and can all the haters please sit down now and acknowledge that Kid Sis is MEAN on the mic? If "Pro Nails" doesn't convince you, flip over to "Switch Board(3)" and check her spitting at juke speeds. DJ Gant-Man - whose remix of "Damn Girl" even eclipsed the original - puts down the hype beat and even gets on the mic for the assist: "COCA COLA SHAPE WITH A ONION IN THE BACK!" Quotables for days all over this record, plus dirty clean and instrumental versions for "Pro Nails" and dirty / instrumental for "Switch Board." Another high quality pic sleeve from Dust La Rock. Highly recommended. -Larri Byrd
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Didn't think it could get any more infectious than the original "Pro Nails(1)," but this new CD single release (Kid Sis' first on Downtown- big things) features a straight whomper of a remix from the Bag Raiders(2)! It takes a minute to...
expand review build up at syrupy half speed, but once those big toms, bubbling electronics and super high gloss Braxe/Falke synths take over, it's lights out. (Then they REALLY kick it into high gear for the end...) The other remix keeps it closer to home, with Chi-Town's own Gant-Man(3) going for less juking, more jacking. He also provides the beat for the B-side, "Switch Board(4)." Unfortunately only the clean version of the Kanye-guesting "Pro Nails" is provided, but hey... you can still get it on the 12"... 5 tracks; 20 minutes. -Chris Lemon-Red
It's been a while in the making, but the new mix from East Village Radio all-stars Nick Catchdubs and Mark Ronson is finally upon us. With exclusivos and new blends galore, Radio Radio is exactly what you'd expect from Ronson & Young...
expand review Catch – a total free-for-all, genre-defying and severely fresh. The coolest thing about this mix is the energy level, which stays up in the stratosphere for the duration but never feels tiring or overwhelming – it's just some good-ass summer music, mixed cleanly and cleverly. Highlights include Catch's Hector/Jigga blend (over the "Scenario" remix instrumental!), Ronson's horn-laden remake of Britney's "Toxic" (not a remix, but a remake, in the vein of his Radiohead cover) and Graeme Sinden's "Layla"-sampling remix of Bonde Do Role's "Melo Do Tabaco." New and unreleased tracks from A-Trak & TTC, Lil Wayne, Turf Talk, Robin Thicke and a whole bunch more, too. 26 tracks clocking in at just over an hour. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
New mix cd from resident lab reviewer and blog herder Nick Catchdubs. If you checked out his last one (Whats Really?), this continues the pace with clever mixes and blends (don't call them mashups), and undercurrent selections of dancehall, southern-leaning hip hop,...
expand review a little rock, and other ‘dubsian fun things which defy categorization. Hardly any vocals here are on their original beats, but Oh Snap never sounds forced or eye-rollingly “cheeky.†He's just in there. From his site: “Honestly, I was going to try and make a really straightforward, well-mixed new hip-hop CD with this one- but I couldn't stop from pressing "record" and going all over the place. My shit happens to be weird club music, danceable joints that are a little offbeat for whatever reason. I like remixing and recontextualizing stuff. But it's funny how being diverse can get you pigeonholed as...being diverse.†You got a problem with that? -the mgmnt
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Justice is cool and all, but SMD's "Hustler" takes my vote as the top electro hit of the year. Marking their move to a major (Interscope), the guys have re-released this beast with 4 new mixes. The extended version(1) here is actually...
expand review reworked from the original and is equally, if not more, effective. The remixes here need no description, just check the names: A-Trak(2), Jesse Rose(3), and Armand Van Helden(4). An easy sell (and at domestic price!), recommended. -the mgmnt
Canadian selectors-turned-producers Jokers of the Scene (aka DJ Booth & Chameleonic) drop a bomb for their debut single with "Y'all Know The Name," a massive club re-work of Pharoahe Monch's "Simon Says" that's been getting played by everyone from MSTRKRFT to Annie...
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I'm actually kinda glad this single has taken so long to drop: "Day N Nite" was one of my favorite songs of 2007, but since it's not officially released until... well, right now, I can put it at the top of my...
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