Back in February I uploaded a monster post on Crookers, cramming almost all of their released material into a single post. Back then it seemed like a hefty number of tunes, looking back now it pales in comparison to the sheer quantity of material released by Crookers, who’ve since produced over 60 tracks (both remixes and original material) in under a year. Of course them are unofficial remixes, but all the same – they’ve been busy.
Already I consider the likes of ‘Love To Edit’ and their remix of ‘Day ‘n’ Night’ to be classics of 2008, and shining examples of the new fidget/wonk genres emerging. Admittedly Crookers’ sound is samey and refined to just two trademark characteristics: the wonky bassline and the crunky drum beats. In fact, once you’ve heard that Crookers are about to release a remix of a given track, it is probably possible to predict roughly how it will sound and what they will do with it. However, every once and a while they come along with a distinctive and bouncy tune that just sticks. And their warbling and wobbling sound is undeniably fun and thoroughly moorish.
The most recent Crookers tune to blow me away is this excellent, bouncy remix of Radioclit, and has been doing the rounds in a couple of fidget mixes for a couple of weeks now (and serves as an opener in Foamo’s Summer Mix). This should blow up:
[removed at request]
‘To Protect And Entertain’ featurs the vocals of Murs rapping about a nightlife scene. Word is Busy P and Murs wanted the line to go as follows: “Scenesters, Hipsters, Sneakers, You Can Call Me Pelski Wannabes”. But it turned out to be a bit of a mouthful – oh, and it doesn’t really rhyme with “smog” either … so “blogs” had to suffice. The original of this track was nothing special (though I have to say I do like that one lyric), and the much anticipated Busy P tune sat alongside similar such mediocrity on the anticlimax that was Ed Rec Vol III.
Busy P’s ‘Pedrophilia’ EP features a number of remixes from DJ Mehdi, Mr Oizo, So Me and Crookers. Crookers’ takes the biscuit. Crookers’ standout remix uses cut-up vocals and drops into a reverberating, all-buzzing bassline:
Busy P feat. Murs – To Protect And Entertain (Crookers Remix)
The Italian duo’s recent take on The Chemical Brothers’ ‘The Salmon Dance’ is another ace remix, but fails to better Herve’s stellar remix (The Chemical Brothers – The Salmon Dance (Herve Remix)):
The Chemical Brothers – The Salmon Dance (Crookers WoW Remix)
Crookers are no lazy lot; they haven’t merely been remixing this and that…but have also released yet more original material. ‘Magic Bus’ has a loud and ambient mood, dominated by a wound-up bassline. ‘Sveglia’ – originally leaked under the title ‘Lollypop’ – is much of the same old: bouncy bass and bmore beats. ‘Mad Kidz’ is a strange, jittery tune with lots of clapping sounds punctuated by the odd squelching synth, buzzing noise and thumping bass:
Crookers – Mad Kidz
Whatever people say, Crookers’s remixes are always great, bouncy fun. They also cover a wide range of music – from the likes of the hard rock of AC/DC to the pop of Basement Jaxx to the pure shite (trust, it’s a genre – look it up) of Nelly Furtado to the techno of Dusty Kid. All infused with Crookers’ fun-loving wonky basslines and bmore percussion. Here are a couple of quality Crookers remixes that haven’t been posted on YCCMP:
AC/DC – Thunderstruck (Crookers Remix)
Moby – I Love To Move In Here (Crookers Remix)
Armand Van Helden – I Want Your Soul (Crookers Remix)
Bumblebeez – Rio (Crookers bang Mix)
My last Crookers post contained a slight slip-up: the excellent ‘Brick City Go’ was mistakenly labelled as ‘Big Money Comin’. Both are classic Crookers tunes:
Crookers – Big Money Comin’ [pelski highly recommends]
Crookers – Brick City Go [pelski highly recommends]
And here’s a little bonus, a collaboration between Crookers and Boy 8-Bit (easy now… it’s not quite as good as it sounds…but still enjoyable). A short but sweet assualt on your ears, full of squealing and thumping bass:
Crookers and Boy 8-Bit – The Crow (edit)
Crookers are hitting the festivals hard this year: you can see them at Oxegen, Melt!, Field Day, Pukkelpop, Meubel Stukken, Electrosanne, Transmusicales and all over Ibiza.
Oh, and it turns out my theory regarding Crookers’ and The Bloody Beetroots’ suspicious similarites was wrong. Completely wrong. Though I’m still working on my Fake Blood theory (I’ve currently settled on Theo Keating from The Black Ghosts)….
