BOTR vol 19

And we’re back!  It’s time for another installment of Best of the Remix.  I have slowly been compiling remixes that are worth a listen over the last few months and below is my curated list.  As always, enjoy the music.

mp3 : Adele vs. Daft Punk – Something About The Fire (Carlos Serrano Mix)
mp3 : Calvin Harris – Let’s Go (Calvin Harris Remix)
mp3 : Childish Gambino – Heartbeat (No Pets Allowed Remix)
mp3 : David Guetta feat Usher – Without You (HOHME Bootleg Remix)
mp3 : Eminem – Lose Yourself (Cry Wolf Remix)
mp3 : Fun – We Are Young (Alvin Risk Remix)
mp3 : Gotye – Somebody That I Used to Know (Coyote Kisses Remix)
mp3 : Gotye – Somebody That I Used to Know (DAEMONMusic Remix)
mp3 : Gotye – Somebody That I Used to Know (Meridian Remix)
mp3 : Housse De Racket – Chateau (Hey Champ Remix)
mp3 : Little Dragon – Little Man (Vindata Remix)
mp3 : Michael Jackson – Maria (Hype Jones Remix)
mp3 : Zedd – Stars Come Out (Datsik Remix)

For some reason I decided that I really enjoyed remixes of Gotye this time around.  The Childish Gambino track is included because the kid can flow.  His content is a bit crass for my taste, but his lyrics and storytelling are impressive.  The Eminem track has the most shocking bass drop of all of this volume; I’m still not sure if I truly like it.  The Housse de Racket track is sublime while the Michael Jackson is simply brilliant.

Make sure you listen to the remix from DAEMONMusic above.  The lyric layering at 3:45 is well done.  Also, randomly turns out that I went to high school with this guy and his remix talent has been growing over time.  You can check out his soundcloud page here.

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BOTR vol 18

It is December.  I’m feeling generous.  Here is the latest installment of Best of the Remix.  Tell your friends.  Enjoy the music.  If you want to see the other volumes just click here.

mp3 : Adele (feat Childish Gambino) – Rolling In The Deep (Jamie XX Remix)
mp3 : Age of Consent – The Beach (IS TROPICAL Remix)
mp3 : Band of Horses – The Funeral (Butch Clancy Remix)
mp3 : Deadmau5 – Strobe (Klaypex Remix)
mp3 : Edward Sharpe and T.I. – Bring Em Home (D.veloped Gold Jacket Remix)
mp3 : Foster the People – Houdini (RAC Remix)
mp3 : Foster the People – Pumped Up Kicks (Gigamesh Remix)
mp3 : Gorillaz – Melancholy Hill (Feed Me Remix)
mp3 : Jonathan Johansson – Bloomorna (Niva Remix)
mp3 : Kavinsky – Nightcall (Studio Brussels Remix)
mp3 : Mashup Germany – Who Knew Someone Like You (Adele, Pink, 4 Non Blondes, Ben E King, Snow Patrol, Lady Gaga, Whitney Houston)
mp3 : Nero – Promises (Skrillex & Nero Remix)
mp3 : Niki & The Dove – Mother Protect (Goldroom Remix)

I wasn’t much a fan of the standard Jamie XX Remix until I stumbled onto the version featuring Childish Gambino. His verse literally makes the song.  Clearly, as with most of his rhymes, it is not safe for work.

Also the Edward Sharpe / T.I. mashup is really interesting.

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BOTR vol 17

Short and sweet this time around.  Best of the Remix (BOTR) volume 17.  I’m off on a holiday next week so enjoy the music in my absence.  Cheers.  Also, I have no idea why I randomly fell in love with dubstep for this volume.  Get over it.

mp3 : Breakage (feat Donaeyo) – Speechless
mp3 : Deadmau5 – Sofi Needs A Ladder (At Dawn We Rage Remix)
mp3 : DJ Sneak – Southern Boy (12th Planet & Flinch Remix)
mp3 : Ellie Goulding – Lights (Bassnectar Remix)
mp3 : Foreigner – Cold As Ice (Specimen A Remix)
mp3 : Freestylers – Cracks (Flux Pavillion Remix)
mp3 : iSquare – Hey Sexy Lady (Skrillex Remix)
mp3 : N.E.R.D. & Daft Punk – Hypnotize You (Nero Remix)
mp3 : Nancy Sinatra – Bang Bang (White Noise Dubstep Remix)
mp3 : Nero – Innocence (Original Mix)
mp3 : Rusko – Hold On Ft. Amber Coffman (12th Planet Remix)
mp3 : Sub Focus – Could This Be Real (Joker Remix)
mp3 : The Moody Blues – White Satin (Zeds Dead Remix)
mp3 : Zeds Dead (feat Omar Linx) – Out For Blood

Definitely some gems to be found in that mess (especially the Ellie Goulding and the Freestylers remix).  And this is definitely a different take on BOTR for me.  Usually I post a load of songs full of straightforward melodies and trance/dance happy beats.  For whatever reason I was feeling really into dubstep on this volume.  Maybe I compiled most of these songs late at night.

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BOTR vol 16

Here is volume 16 of my Best of the Remix series here on The World Forgot.  Consider it my Christmas gift to you all.  Get some rest, spend time with family, and most of all enjoy the music.  To see all previous volumes just click here.

mp3 : 2Pac vs Gary Jules – Against a Mad World (Brenton Duvall Remix)
This remix needs no pithy introduction; no clever phrase could encapsulate all that it is.  Just look at the title.  It’s classic 2Pac and one of the best cover songs in the history of man rolled into one remix.  Merry Christmas indeed.

mp3 : Amadou & Mariam – Sabali (Miike Snow Remix)
Miike Snow somehow finds a way to make an already amazing song even more amazing.  It’s a Christmas miracle.

mp3 : Blackbird Blackbird – Hawaii (Niva Remix)
To be fair I’ve never heard to Blackbird Blackbird or Niva before this track.  I have, however, heard of Hawaii, but for decidedly different reasons.  Mostly because they have luaus for Christmas.

mp3 : Ellie Goulding – Your Song (Blackmill Dubstep Remix)
My younger brother, who at one point in time actually posted (once) on TWF, always seems to be fascinated with dubstep.  This remix is my Christmas present to him.  It’s a good one.

mp3 : Imogen Heap – Hide And Seek (Tiesto’s In Search of Sunrise Remix)
Hide And Seek was definitely not intended to be a club staple, but Tiesto changed that as he usually does.  There’s nothing really Christmasy about this track other than it reminds me of Chrimahanukwanzmakuh from The O.C. (don’t be a crazy Oliver and pretend like you didn’t watch).

mp3 : Lady Gaga – Just Dance (Worship Remix)
Is she still relevant?  Will she be in 2011?  Will people remix her pop drivel regardless?  Yes, yes, and yes.  Just drink some proper eggnog and dance.

mp3 : Lady Gaga – Paparazzi (Redlight Remix)
Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is this; every Gaga remix from here until eternity should prominently feature hand claps synched with drum beats.  Oh, and world peace.

mp3 : Pixies – Where Is My Mind (Bassnectar Remix)
Bassnectar takes possibly the only song by Pixies that I genuinely like and turns it into something that would fit on the greatest Christmas movie soundtrack of all time (that being the soundtrack to Tron: Legacy).

mp3 : Pixies – Where Is My Mind (Refracture Remix)
I’m including this remix because it’s so distinctly different from the previous Bassnectar one.  As the stop motion episode of Community taught us, Christmas is a time to celebrate diversity.  And awesomeness.

mp3 : Sufjan Stevens vs Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Maps to Chicago (Remix)
There are points in this remix/mashup where I wish the arrangement were as clever as the song title.  But I always associate Sufjan with Christmas and to be fair Maps is the best song Yeah Yeah Yeahs have ever done.  It’s a win win.

mp3 : The Killers – Spaceman (The Knocks Remix)
In the future children will be told the story of a man, dressed in a flaming red positively pressurized suit (that’s why he looks fat, it’s the pressure suit), that flies through the cosmos to deliver toys to good girls and boys.  This will be the song that powers his magical spaceship.

mp3 : Two Door Cinema Club – Undercover Martyn (Passion Pit Remix)
Passion Pit takes one of the purest pop songs of 2010 and envelopes it in a glittering, shimmery, trance infused, best of both worlds wrapping paper.  They tie it up with a bow of awesome and set it below a Christmas tree topped with a disco ball.

mp3 : Wale (feat Lady Gaga) – Chillin (The Knocks Remix)
Wale always makes me feel like 1) Gaga can be relevant and 2) it’s the 80s.  And I grew up in the 80s.  And Christmas is awesome when you’re a kid.  And that’s a stretch, but if you’re still reading then you’re more than ready for ramblings.

mp3 : William The Vanish Russ Chimes – Hold On My Momma (White Panda Remix)
I love it when a remix takes a bunch of terrible tracks and makes us all realize that it is often the sum of parts that really makes art beautiful.  I will not talk about Christmas in this description.  Eat it.

mp3 : Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Dull Life (Professor Purple Remix)
If they ever update It’s A Wonderful Life (and I mean really update, not retell it like they did with The Family Man – which is coincidentally one of seven Nic Cage movies that were actually worth watching) they need to have a club scene where this track is playing.  Playing loud.

Merry Christmas.  Enjoy the music.

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Girl Talk album All Day

Last week acclaimed mashup/remix/laptop master Girl Talk pushed out his latest mega mix album entitled All Day.  And Gregg Gillis picked the perfect title for this mix which tops out at just over seventy full minutes.  It’s not exactly club ready, it’s not filled with extremely raw or particularly danceable movements, but it is an album that you could easily chill out and listen to all day.

mp3 : Girl Talk – Down For The Count
mp3 : Girl Talk – Make Me Wanna

For those that are looking for the entire mix head on over the official, and free, download page here.  There is something to be said about the way that Girl Talk effortless blends together various genres, decades, and tempos.  Not only is he seamlessly blending together an elegant and surprising backdrop of meshed melodies but he also tracks lyrics throughout the entire compilation.  What he ends up with is a gorgeous mashup tapestry that divines beauty out of sum of lesser parts.

(note : I chose Make Me Wanna simply because with about two and half minutes from the end he drapes lyrics from Birdman over The Arcade Fire’s brilliant song Wake Up)

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Wedding Music vol 02 : Ceremony

This is volume 02 of the Wedding Music series.  As stated before much of this list was an exercise in compromise between my wife and I.  Ultimately I was very happy with the music we came up with (and that might be because she gave me complete free reign for background music at the reception.  Stay tuned for those posts).

If you’d like to see all of my Wedding Music click here to see this entire series.

Below are the tracks that we used during the actual ceremony.  At one point in time we were going to have a live string quartet play songs during the wedding, but we couldn’t find proper sheet music for the songs we wanted and it became too much of a hassle to have a quartet learn all of this music by ear.  We did have a piano player play a song live during the ceremony, but I don’t have a recording of that.

mp3 : Pride and Prejudice – The Secret Life of Daydreams
mp3 : Pride and Prejudice – Dawn
mp3 : Vitamin String Quartet – Yellow (Coldplay Cover)
mp3 : Vitamin String Quartet – Hoppipolla (Sigur Ros Cover)
mp3 : Coldplay – Lovers In Japan (Osaka Sun Mix)

Lovers in Japan is the track that we used to exit from the church where we were married.  The Vitamin String Quartet songs are from an ever rotating, ever evolving, ever amazing group on the west coast that continues to provide excellent string quartet interpretations of influential modern music.  They claim on their website that they will be offering sheet music in the future, but at the time of our wedding the best we could find was audio tracks (fortunately the church had a great sound system and decent acoustics).

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BOTR vol 15

It’s a good day for BOTR (Best of the Remix).  Why not.  If you’d like to check out past volumes just click here.

mp3 : Calvin Harris – I’m Not Alone (Tom Molloy Remix)
I received an advance copy of Calvin Harris’ debut album awhile back and I didn’t really like anything on it.  This beat heavy remix goes a long way to salvaging my mental image of him.

mp3 : Chris Brown Annie Designer Drugs – Kiss Anthonio (White Panda Remix)
I’m not sure what to call these remixes by White Panda.  They come from the website mochibeats.com and I’m not sure how White Panda becomes involved, but who cares because they’re sick mashups.

mp3 : Crystal Castles – Vietnam (LightsoverLA Remix)
At one point in my life I was fortunate to spend two months wandering the beaches of Thailand.  Remixes like this take me back to nights by the ocean watching fire dancers.  Pure class.

mp3 : Drake & Coldplay – The Fly Scientist ft. Page & Silver Medallion (“October’s Very Cold” Chi Duly Remix)
As I’ve said before in other BOTR volumes I’m a sucker for hip hop vocals laid over the top of a modern pop song.  There is something captivating about spitting venom over a gorgeous Coldplay backdrop.

mp3 : Fatboy Slim vs Outkast – Praise Outkast (White Panda Remix)
I will never grow tired of hip hop and pop (or any other modern musical genre) mixed together in an inventive and seamless way.  Never.

mp3 : Felix Cartal – Skeleton (BbopNRokstedy Remix)
I’m not sure how I feel about this remix.  I am sure that BbopNRokstedy is a great name.

mp3 : Fol Chen – In Ruins (Bath Remix)
I”ve never listend to Fol Chen and if I can recall correctly I’ve never listened to any other remix by Bath.  This combination, however, has me interested enough to do some searching.

mp3 : Lady Gaga – Bad Romance (The Kids are Radioactive Remix)
I’m not sure where I stand on the entire Lady Gaga situation.  I can’t tell if she’s a flash in the pan diva or if she’ll end up being the next version of Madonna.  I’m sure I don’t really care though.

mp3 : Lady Gaga vs Sigur Ros – Just Dance (CJ Milli Remix)
Judging by this remix/mashup if Lady Gaga teamed up with Sigur Ros for her next album it could be absolute genius.

mp3 : Phoenix – 1901 (BbobNRokstedy Remix)
Just when you thought Phoenix fever from last summer was finally gone the cleverly named BbopNRokstedy throw down a loop heavy remix that keeps it fresh.

mp3 : Smashing Pumpkins – 1979 (Spin.Kidd Remix)
Smashing Pumpkins, at one point in time, were my favorite band.  Then they broke up, then Billy Corgan went weird, then they sorta kinda formed another band under the same name.  Regardless 1979 remains one of their greatest songs and this remix does a good job of destroying it.

mp3 : Snoop Dogg and Kid CuDi – That Tree (Vim Cortez Remix)
This is Snoop Dogg and CuDi if their song That Tree existed in the middle of the upcoming Daft Punk scored soundtrack to Tron Legacy.

mp3 : Snoop Dogg – That Tree (Star Guitar Remix)
I cannot get over the opening thirty seconds of this remix.  I simply cannot force my brain to move beyond the dirty bass line that permeates this track.  If you only listen to one remix from this BOTR this should be your choice.

Keep listening to good music.

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BOTR vol 14

At long last another installment of Best of the Remix.  As before this is a random collection of remixes that I personally find enjoyable.  Some are, by default, better than others.  Enjoy the music and if you’re looking for the rest of the series click here.

mp3 : 2pac vs TV on the Radio – Me Against The World (Dave Wrangler Remix)
For some reason I have been absolutely in love with a recent string of mashups that combine classic hip hop rhymes with indie/modern rock.  This mix is almost flawless.

mp3 : Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling (Tom Molloy Remix)
I somewhat loathe this song on a regular basis.  This remix succeeds in that it makes the Black Eyed Peas almost bearable.

mp3 : Britney Spears – 3 (T-Minus 321 Remix)
A fairly straightforward, mostly club ready, remix of Britney.  When, exactly, did Brit make the transition from pop princess into crazy town?  And do you care as long as remixes continue to flow?

mp3 : Crookers (feat Soulwax & Mixhell) – We Love Animals (The Love Supreme Remix)
I was looking through a scrapbook my mum made the other day and she wrote down that my first spoken word was “dog.”  Apparently I love animals.  Enough said.

mp3 : Crystal Castles – Celestica (Professor Purple Remix)
I love this remix.  It’s smooth, it’s hallucinogenic, and it has a great beat.  It also builds over time and if you’ve ever read a single post here on TWF you know that I love when songs do that.

mp3 : Cullen – Easily Impressed (Calling In Sick Remix)
This remix reminds me of playing stupid video games when I was a wee lad.  The repeated synth background gives me visions of entering the final stage.

mp3 : Ghostland Observatory – Sad Sad City (Pretty Girls & Lasers Remix)
This might by my favorite remix in volume 14 of BOTR.  It’s fully of standard 80’s sound effects which fits nicely with the kids’ current obsession with bringing the 80’s back.

mp3 : Jay Z vs Red Hot Chili Peppers vs Queen – 99 Problems Can’t Stop (I Love Brand X Remix)
Yep, it’s official; I love hip hop vocals over rock (or pop or indie) anthems.  Give me more.

mp3 : Kid CuDi – Pursuit of Happiness (Benny Benassi Remix)
Minimalistic at times, bass heavy at others, this remix adds a nice twist to CuDi.

mp3 : Kid CuDi – Pursuit of Happiness (Steve Aoki Dance Remix)
The start of this remix will have you thinking it’s a cookie cutter remix.  Spoiler alert; it is not.

mp3 : Kid CuDi – Pursuit of Happiness (Them Jeans Remix)
I once lived on the beaches of Thailand for two months of my life (a brilliant two months I might add).  This is the type of remix that would blast across the sand every night (and that’s a good thing).

mp3 : Mariana and the Diamonds – I am Not A Robot (Doorly Remix)
A clever reworking of a very Feist-like popcorn pop song.  And who wouldn’t love the line “and I am not a robot!” ?

mp3 : Plushgun – Mixtapes (Buffetlibre Remix)
You’ll need to give this remix a good thirty seconds to really catch on.  Be ready though, because at about thirty five seconds into the remix you’ll find it suddenly impossible to sit still.

And there you have.  Now someone go and use a remix as background music to a highlight reel from the first week of the World Cup.  Cheers.

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BOTR vol 13

I’ve been stuck in a rut lately.  I’ve been swamped and work and when that happens I generally listen to a very small set of music over and over and over again.  The problem with this is that no new music coming in means no new music going out.  What happens is terrible.  So to spice it up I decided to bundle together another volume of BOTR (Best of The Remix).  If you’d like to check out all the previous BOTR volumes click here.

Enjoy the music.

mp3 : The Beach Boys – Wouldn’t It Be Nice (The Girls Can Hear Us Remix)
I love this remix.  It takes a classic summertime song by the Beach Boys and updates it just enough to make kids born in the last two decades appreciate the talent of the original surf rockers.

mp3 : David Guetta – Memories (feat Kid Cudi) (Armand Van Helden Vocal Remix)
Don’t be fooled by the opening forty five seconds of this remix.  When the vocals from CuDi drop in you’ll realize that you’re in heaven.

mp3 : Duck Sauce – aNYway (Black Noise Disco Remix)
I wasn’t quite sure what I thought of this track on first listen.  It sounds a lot like it’s from the late seventies, but the remixed aspect of the the song gives it a nice 2010 worthy veneer.

mp3 : Florence and The Machine – Dog Days Are Over (Breakage Remix)
This is by far the most depressing Florence and The Machine remix that I’ve ever heard.  And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  Some days it’s good and well to be melancholic.

mp3 : Kinkiez – Nothing New (We Plants Are Happy Plants Remix)
The band is an act you’ve never heard of, but the track is worth a listen simply because We Plants Are Happy Plants has touched it.  WPAHP seems to have carved out a clever niche in the remix game and to date there hasn’t been a true competitor.

mp3 : Lady GaGa – Telephone (Crookers Remix)
I have no idea why anyone likes GaGa other than she tries really really hard to be even more abstract than Madonna ever was.  One thing can be said; even though her lyrics are Fergie-terrible at least the delivery is somewhat palatable.

mp3 : MGMT – Of Moons, Birds and Monsters (Holy Ghost Remix)
I thought this remix was appropriate what with MGMT having a new album due out this year.  Although this remix isn’t exactly club worthy it’s not problem, MGMT have always been more closely aligned with drug use anyway.

mp3 : MSTRKRFT – Bounce (OH SNAP!! Bootleg Vocal Remix)
To be honest MSTRKRFT are much better when remixing instead of creating original music, but this track had me at “all I do is party, ha ha ha ha.”  Makes me think of the Real World.

mp3 : Phoenix – Fences (The Pointdexter Remix)
If the previous remix was a mouthful of random club beats and party music this simple remix is a smooth sorbet, a sort of aural palate cleanser, a chilled out relaxing moment in the sun.

mp3 : Phoenix and Peter Bjorn and John and Victoria – One Thousand Nine Hundred and One Folks (Immuzikation Remix)
It’s been a long time since I listened to an Immuzikation Remix.  It’s been far too long.  At one time he alone sat atop the list in the remix world and here’s a nice example why.

mp3 : R Kelly vs Major Lazer – Ignition (The Hood Internet Remix)
No remix set is complete without one completely gratuitous R Kelly song.  Bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce…

mp3 : Shout Out Louds – Fall Hard (Passion Pit’s Summertime Radio Remix)
If any remix could serve as the exact opposite, a counterpoint, to the previous R Kelly remix then this is that track.  Smooth and sugary like molasses this remix sounds like I usually feel on a hot summer day.

mp3 : Wale – Good Girls (A. Clark, Quix Remix)
This remix further cements in my brain that Wale and CuDi will end up being two of the most influential (or at least most long lasting) rappers in the current generation.  His rhymes remind me a lot of the iconic day of rap when Biggie and 2Pac were still around.

Insert some clever outro here.

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Vampire Weekend remixed by Miike Snow

I’m so done caring about this band that I don’t even care that you don’t care either.  At all.  I do however find this fresh remix by Miike Snow to be perfection.  I would care if their next album was going to sound more like this and less like them.

mp3 : Vampire Weekend – The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance (Miike Snow Remix)

Sorry for the brevity, and the snark, I’m working on my Best of 2009 list as well as compiling a massive dance party mix list that needs to last through 4-5 hours of a wedding reception (talk about pressure).

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