It recently occurred to me that I haven’t done a second Pelski’s Playlist, after pledging to post one of these assorted lists every fortnight. Admittedly, it’s a shameless method of attracting web traffic, but also enables me to post tracks that aren’t necessarily that new or related to one another (my posts usually have some common element: an artist, remixer or theme). Anyway, the reason I have not posted another Pelski’s Playlist was because much of the feedback complained that ‘Pelski’s Playlist pt. 1′ was devoid of prose: for there was no description of the tunes and it lacked the Pelski-isms you’ve become so used to. (This came as a pleasant surprise to me, considering my certainty that the majority do not read the writing..and are here for only one thing…and then they’re off again). Well, I will now write a small blurb to stand alongside each chosen track.
[pelski highly recommends all of these tracks]
OK, so the last time I spoke of Boy 8-bit I may have come across as one of those prejudice bigots – you know, the oppressive kind that gun down Peter Fonda & Dennis Hopper’s liberated bikers at the end of Easy Riders…but I do love Boy 8-bit. And his latest track ‘Fog bank’ is sheer bouncy, thumping brilliance. Jack Beats remix is a squelching, all-vibrating beast of a tune:
Boy 8-Bit – Fog Bank (Jack Beats Remix)
Next up is a cutesy, cuddly and charming output from The Black Kids.
Unfortunately for us trendy scenesters, the Black Kids were on ‘Later With Jools Holland’ last week, meaning your Mum probably holds a certain fondness for them now too. This is a real predicament. So that you don’t get caught listening to your mum’s James Blunt-esque playlist, I’ve posted this superb Twelves remix. The Twelves jazz things up with some electro-disco sythns, but rightly make sure to leave those luscious vocals untouched. I advise you all to check out The Twelves, who are on a roll – remixing everything from the likes of Kylie, MIA, Yelle, Asobi Seksu and, most recently, Theater Of Disco.
Black Kids – I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You (The Twelves Remix)
When choosing the track to post here, it was a flip-up between this remix and Acid Jacks’ remix of Sirens. And, while Sirens is far superior as an original tsong, this remix of Flex really works really well: Dizzee’s vocal bursts run perfectly in sync with the similarly staccato bursts of Dave Spoon’s electro fuzz and big-boom bass. It makes for an outstanding remix. Fix up and, erm, look sharp ‘cos this will be killer on the dancefloor:
Dizzee Rascal – Flex (Dave Spoon Reflex)
A boisterous banger from two Germans that make up Hey Today!. Yes, that’s another group with an unnecessary exclamation mark at the end of it… They were formerly named Trashtalk and released Tank Girl under that monicker. It was Digitalism’s Mixmag CD of last summer that introduced me to this filthy-electro duo, but this track has now gained an official release on the ever-trendy Kitsune label. This is a roaring, blaring pounder thats sounds like some unruly offspring of Digitalism and Boys Noize:
Belgium seems to be where it’s at these days. The Subs’ ‘Fuck That Shit’ is another gaudy, raucous, but great-fun track that’s filled with rasping womps and pounding bass, that has a rolling, pushing momentum. They have a residency at Belgium’s top electro venue ‘Culture Club’, a residency previously filled by 2ManyDj’s and The Glimmers. This track was released last year, but I felt it was important to introduce this to those who missed it the first time round:
More nasty electro-distortion here from Party Shank, this time layered over Yo Majesty’s acapella. Credit, here, goes to the Game Over blog for uprooting this bangin’ bootleg. Party Shank’s gnarly noises growl and crunch over those obscene lyrics. Sweet as a nut:
Yo Majesty – Party Shank vs. Yo majesty (Party Shank Bootleg Mix)
Plump DJ’s seem to be transforming into a more dancefloor-friendly outfit. They have an
upcoming album and their next tune ‘Torque Of The Devil’ is only being released digitally. With its distorted beats, it verges closer to electro than their usual breakbeat flavour, but maintains their trademark energy. It even features wiry tones of an electric guitar. Plump purists are typically angered at this new direction, but I think its great to hear the rocky side of Plump DJ’s. It’s released alongside the equally brilliant ‘Take The Weight’ that focuses more on Old School Hip-hop samples and funky sounds, layered under some heavy nu-skool breakz. This is some truly phenomenal breakbeat:
[both removed at Record Label's request]
Belgian duo Soulwax have remixed The Rolling Stones: a fervent, bizzare, thrumming of
electronic beats underly those iconic vocals. And it has the masses sharply divided. Understandably so. Stones’ fans are outraged. Soulwax’s are delighted. I’m a fan of both – and hence love this wonderfully progressive rework. They were wise not to chop the vocals up too much though – now that would have caused riots. It was remixed exclusively for the gambling flick ’21′ (about card-counters who take Vegas for millions). The score composer, David Sardly, at first had the original in the movie, but felt it didn’t fit alongside the rest of the soundtrack that features the likes of LCD Soundsystem and Rihanna. The Rolling Stones reportedly breathed down the Belgian brothers’ necks throughout the production, to ensure they didn’t massacre their classic:
The Rolling Stones – You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Soulwax 2008 Remix)
Le Castlevania’s Still Dylan and Moving Units’ Blake Miller have come together to form Lies In Disguise. You’ll have heard their killer dancefloor remix of Party Shank’s ‘Penis Vs. Vagina’. And here they’ve remixed Toxic Avenger’s thrashy, distortion-driven electro. Infusing much of the same screeching, guitar-based growling and pounding that builds up to momentous, full throttle drops. Full of excess and riotous filth. This is everything SebastiAn’s Motor should have been:
The Toxic Avenger – Poker Face (Lies In Disguise Remix)
‘Charlie Brown’ isn’t a new releas
e by Ghostface Killah, but was released back in 2006 on a promo CD. Its now been revived as part of a remix package – including re-rubs from Guns ‘N’ Bombs, Dj Mehdi, Orgasmic and Yuksek. Its the latter’s French-electro remix that’s winner. He’s sped up the acapella, fiddled with the vocal effects, added some slamming bass and retro sythns, while using all this to create some great build-ups. Ghostface Killah’s vocals are used to great effect; almost as an instrument in themselves:
Ghostface Killah – Charlie Brown (Yuksek Remix)
The LA-based Sam Sparro has been dubbed as 2008′s Gnarls Barkley (ridiculous, really, since Gnarls Barkley is 2008′s Gnarls Barley having just brought out another album). I personally found the original ‘Black & Gold’ thoroughly irritating, but there’s no denying that those vocals are pleasant and soulful. It is a grower. Thankfully, though, to rid us of the embarrassment of actually liking elements of this irksome song, Phones (AKA Paul Epworth) has added some suitably laddish, boisterous electro beats:
Sam Sparro – Black & Gold (Phones As Hard As Diamonds Radio Edit)
Cut Copy are receiving alot of attention right now with their second album ‘In Ghost Colours’. Its a glorious return that fuses 80s nostalgia with indie rock and poppy choruses. Lights & Music has been a much-blogged track, but the Moulinex remix strips away some of the rockier elements of the original to put even more emphasis on the retro-80s sound, with 80s synths and crooning, echoing vocals. It’s electro-disco at its most unashamed best:
Cut Copy – Lights And Music (Moulinex Remix)
One of my favourite posts on You Can Call Me Pelski was of those French electro-bassliners, Stereoheroes (in which I went on a rant about comic-book geekery), who incidentally read the blog. (shit! everyone’s reading it these days – I hope Uffie doesn’t get wind of my ‘slut’ rant). Anyhow they have recorded another tune in the same vein as the rest – lots of superhero references, ingeniously looped snippets and rasping round-and-round basslines. Furthermore these superheroes seem to have the ability to teleport/fly: playing two gigs in the same evening, both ripping up French and Australian venues in the same night!! (They apparently just split for the evening and DJ separately):
A big soundsystem is needed to truly appreciate this next tune. Idiotproof is a
collaboration between Deepgroove and Jamie Anderson. Duke Dumont’s remix adds some nice ravey piano chords and some bouncy drums. Another old-school revival here then, with some nu-skool ‘womps’:
Idiotproof – The Deacon (Duke Dumont ‘Live From Brooklyn’ Remix)
Do we really need another Daft Punk remix? Well, yes, if Daft Punk are going to continue bopping around in their pyramid shaped play-pens, and refuse to bring out any new material… reportedly charging a whopping £300,000 for those
pyramid sets, it seems they’ll never need to release another single. We are gonna just have to make do with all the remixes churned out on a daily basis. And this remix is a fantastic crunky b-more styled reworking of one of Daft’s greatest. DJ B-Stee is one third of the hip-hop group Klasix, and chops the iconic track up, adding some refreshing Baltimore drum sounds:
Daft Punk – Robot Club Rock (B-Stee Remix)
