Yes, I do still listen to music

Days have been crazed and nights lack in sleep. I fear I may be losing one of my superpowers. Listen with me, then.

http://www.mashup-industries.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=258&Itemid=36
This track makes me ridiculously happy. "Funkytown" was a disco tune originally done by one-hit wonder Lipps, Inc. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlmTELeLRwI) It's cheesy, done with cheap 8-bit electronics, and yet it has something - maybe it's the catchy riffs and R&B vocals - that have kept it being covered for decades. There's even a Funkytown iPhone app (http://www.funkytown.com/) - yes, really. I can't make this stuff up.

So what Clive$ter has done is take one of these many covers, and use it to underlay Empire of the Sun's "Walking on a Dream." The cut-ups are clever, and add another bit of life to a fun tune.

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Editors_/track/Papillon_The_Japanese_Popstars_Remix
The Editors (http://myspace.com/editorsmusic) - if they're known for anything - are known for brooding, dark, modern music. Not quite emo (thank goodness) or goth (more's the pity) but still not the kind of material you'd naturally link with Japanese pop, which tends to be synth-heavy, high-pitched, and overwhelmingly female vocal. Still, it works reasonably well. I'm actually more fond of the second mix, which I mentioned last month.

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Poirier/track/Enemies_feat_Face-T
Skip the first track, which I think is a bit too herky-jerky and disjointed. I want to talk about "Enemies". Now, I'll be the first to confess that riddim style isn't everyone's cuppa. But I like reggae and I don't mind the way it has been transposed into electronic styles and the stuttering bass of a good riddim gets me moving. Poirer (http://www.poiriersound.com/) is a white Canadian DJ who brings in some very authentic voices to drop Caribbean hooks over the riddim beats.

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Shy_Child/track/Disconnected_Ocelot_Remix_
Shy Child (http://shychild.com/) are a synth-pop duo with a fun, experimental style that's hard to pin down. There's a lot of break-beating and vocal back-and-forth that keeps the tracks fresh. It's not my usual stuff, but I think they're interesting to keep an eye on.

http://audioporncentral.com/2010/02/hurts-wonderful-life-arthur-baker-remix.html
Also in the synth-pop camp are Hurts (http://www.myspace.com/ithurts). I don't like their cheap drum machine tracking, but the vocals in front of it remind me of the best of early Tears for Fears or New Order.

Next time, the best of bootie...

Yes, I do still listen to music

Days have been crazed and nights lack in sleep. I fear I may be losing one of my superpowers. Listen with me, then.

http://www.mashup-industries.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=258&Itemid=36
This track makes me ridiculously happy. "Funkytown" was a disco tune originally done by one-hit wonder Lipps, Inc. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlmTELeLRwI) It's cheesy, done with cheap 8-bit electronics, and yet it has something - maybe it's the catchy riffs and R&B vocals - that have kept it being covered for decades. There's even a Funkytown iPhone app (http://www.funkytown.com/) - yes, really. I can't make this stuff up.

So what Clive$ter has done is take one of these many covers, and use it to underlay Empire of the Sun's "Walking on a Dream." The cut-ups are clever, and add another bit of life to a fun tune.

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Editors_/track/Papillon_The_Japanese_Popstars_Remix
The Editors (http://myspace.com/editorsmusic) - if they're known for anything - are known for brooding, dark, modern music. Not quite emo (thank goodness) or goth (more's the pity) but still not the kind of material you'd naturally link with Japanese pop, which tends to be synth-heavy, high-pitched, and overwhelmingly female vocal. Still, it works reasonably well. I'm actually more fond of the second mix, which I mentioned last month.

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Poirier/track/Enemies_feat_Face-T
Skip the first track, which I think is a bit too herky-jerky and disjointed. I want to talk about "Enemies". Now, I'll be the first to confess that riddim style isn't everyone's cuppa. But I like reggae and I don't mind the way it has been transposed into electronic styles and the stuttering bass of a good riddim gets me moving. Poirer (http://www.poiriersound.com/) is a white Canadian DJ who brings in some very authentic voices to drop Caribbean hooks over the riddim beats.

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Shy_Child/track/Disconnected_Ocelot_Remix_
Shy Child (http://shychild.com/) are a synth-pop duo with a fun, experimental style that's hard to pin down. There's a lot of break-beating and vocal back-and-forth that keeps the tracks fresh. It's not my usual stuff, but I think they're interesting to keep an eye on.

http://audioporncentral.com/2010/02/hurts-wonderful-life-arthur-baker-remix.html
Also in the synth-pop camp are Hurts (http://www.myspace.com/ithurts). I don't like their cheap drum machine tracking, but the vocals in front of it remind me of the best of early Tears for Fears or New Order.

Next time, the best of bootie...