The fight for diverse and conscious voices

Another mostly unclassifiable batch. Very different moods/sounds in here. Maybe you'll find something for you.

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/UNKLE/track/The_Answer_Trentemoller_Remix
UNKLE (http://www.unkle.com/) are a bit hard to classify. They're more pop than trip, and much more trip/acid than your typical top-40s pop duo. I like them in part because they manage to do minor-key things without coming off as nasal or whiny and they're not your usual male emo popsters either.

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Oh_Land/track/White_Nights_Max_Tundra_Remix
Oh Land (http://myspace.com/ohlandmusic) is an electropop vocalist with a penchant for staccato remixes. She's sometimes compared to Bjork, but she's much less weird/whiny and much more approachable. Again, you sort of have to be in the mood for smooth vocals with chop/cut remixing for this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mRYaEmxRck&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm0v7Q5WcZY&feature=player_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ94U8KFay0&feature=related
How is it possible I've never heard Beats Antique? Also, how is it possible that no one has put middle eastern and crunk together in my presence before? That alone is brilliant. It's also possible that someday I will get tired of staring at Zoe Jakes, but that day is not today. Uh, right, where was I? Oh, yes. Beats Antique is an amalgam of steampunk, traditional tabla, and modern electric tribal. Unlike Abney Park they're not overtly dressing the steampunk part, but the sounds and videos steal liberally from that stream. They're also more DJ/mixer focused. I'd love to hear a cleaner recording of them than I can find online; also, sadly, they don't seem to tour this far east. (h/t to DJ Purple)

http://audioporncentral.com/2011/03/sirens-opium-apathy-lp.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Aejj6ch_-w&feature=related
Another thing that should have appeared on my radar long ago is the Sirens. They are three women (from Newcastle in the UK) who have a firm grip on both the disco sound and the glittery glam look. It is, as APC says, sugarcoated dance pop. It's not the sort of thing I listen to every day, but when I want some, these three are a hundred yards ahead of some of the more popular disco chicks (*coughkatyperrybleh*) that you hear more often. Maybe it's because they have more obvious R&B roots? I dunno.

http://audioporncentral.com/2011/03/pozsi-basic-analog-cuvee.html
A brain-breaker. Let's take traditional Hungarian folk melodies and mash them with reggaton dubs, crank the BPM way up, and scratch a bit. DJ Poszi is one weird chap. Yeah, I got nothin'.

The joy of having the last meeting of the day canceled is that I can try to close out a few more music tabs and share with you the most ROCKING mix to hit my headphones in a while.

http://viprhealthcare.typepad.com/files/linkin-park-vs.-carl-orff---the-catalyst-vs.-carmina-burana-djs-from-mars-remix.mp3
Rather than make you wait I'm just going to start off with the best and hope you aren't disappointed. So, go load that up, listen and if it doesn't move you then I do not know what to say. DJs from Mars remain my new heroes as this mix does things that should be impossible and gods does it rock.

First of all, Carmina Burana is overdone. You'll find classicists who hate it - it's bombastic and it mixes (dare I say mashes up) orchestral and choral styles in ways that set some people's teeth on edge. It has also been used by rockers from Ray Manzarek to lesser lights. But the way it's blended here with Linkin Park's "The Caralyst" turns bombast to thunder. Really, guys, play this one VERY loud.

http://www.mashup-industries.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=334&Itemid=27
Also in the realm of things designed to be played loud is Clivester's latest "Hello DJ." It's a heavy thump house mix of Martin Solveig's "Hello" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Na85fPGYCM) with Alphabeat's "DJ (I Could Be Dancing)". Solveig is a French DJ and the tune is pop-dance style; Alphabeat contributes more dance and disco stylings. Clivester plays up the scratch, speeds things up a bit, but mostly lets the underlying tracks carry things.

http://audioporncentral.com/2010/10/wax-audio-maiden-goes-to-bollywood.html
I'm certain I blogged "Maiden Goes to Bollywood" before, and my memory says that I couldn't identify the Bollywood bit before. Well, now Wax Audio has given us a video mash-up to go with the MP3 track, and I've pinpointed the Bollywood source. I feel so much better now. Oh, you want to see it? It's "Crazy kia re" from the flick Dhoom 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0smZGU2VxA). That's nice (especially the eye-candy) but I prefer the mash-up to the original song.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/caged-bird-video-unkle.html
UNKLE sounded familiar to me - they've been around for 15+ years - but I had to go look it up to remember that DJ Shadow used to be with them. This track, "Caged Bird", features Katrina Ford, who is somewhat known for doing cabaret-style rock. I can hear the influences, but they're buried in what I'd call a pretty classic eerie trip-hop style. Ford's voice is lovely, though I can't tell whether the backing is her, redubbed, or another singer.

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Groove_Armada/track/History_feat_Will_Young_Still_Going_Remix_
This is not your typical Groove Armada; in my mind the duo is always associated with some heavy funk influences and the three tracks here are mostly funk-free, but still excellent. The first one is a high-BPM dance number, but it then segues into a moodier, more down-tempo backing track that features the throaty and wistful vocals of Bryan Ferry. The final remix is straight-up riddim house number, which I reviewed back in January. "Crank it op!" yeah.

All three tracks are from Groove Armada's upcoming release of remixes, and this bodes extremely well.