There’s a tendency to turn your head away the moment you see another remix of bloody Florence and the Machine. But, released last year, this retains the uplifting essence of the original (leaving the vocals and piano chords fully in tact) whilst capitalising on it with an impossibly upbeat assault of staccato beats. Besides the obvious xx remix, this is one of the best F&M remixes you’ll hear:
Florence and the Machine – Rabbit Heart (Leo Zero Remix) [link to buy from amazon]
Gonazales, the producer behind Feist and Peaches, last year audaciously rewrote, or rather covered, Boys Noize & Erol Alkan’s ‘Waves’, the result was a translation of the 303 line and electro synths into a beautifully melodic and yet melodramatic piano rendition. It was an inspired turn – and, in my opinion, altogether a more enjoyable listen than the original. So here – with something not quite so audacious or melodic, but similarly piano-oriented – Gonazales reworks Daft Punk, a remix handed out by Sound Pellegrino (who’ve just started a rather tasty blog), and produces something incredibly hard-hitting. I presume the rambling vocal interlude is Sylvester Stallone from Rocky:
Daft Punk – Scratching and Rollin (Gonzales Remix) [pelski highy recommends]
Last up is a fun track Schlachthofbronx sent me as promo for ‘Ayobaness – The Sound of South African House EP’. It’s a remix of Mujava who brought us the distinctive African sounds of ‘Township Funk’. The title track ‘Ayoba’ means ‘excitement’ – I’m told it’s a term that’s supposed to describe the sentiment permeating South Africa right now. That makes sense: not only was it the twenty year anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release last month, but the ANC recently instated a new and promising president (admittedly a raging polygamist) to replace crazy old Thabo Mbeki. Oh, and the nation, once torn in two by apartheid, is hosting the 2010 World Cup. The whole EP is suitably jubilant:
Bonus:
