RemixGalaxy Blog

Undoubtedly one of the best albums of 2009, The xx’s self-titled debut has notched one positive review after another. The London-based group originally started out as a quartet, but recently saw one of its members leave due to exhaustion from touring. Hopefully, this won’t hamper the seductively wispy crooning and burgeoning melodies that make The xx so brain-burrowing. Amidst sparsely filled tracks, these UK youngsters somehow manage to lay out the foundations for contagious numbers that don’t sound quite like dance floor anthems or rock club cuts, yet wouldn’t be out of place at either locale. Patient, swelling gems teeming with hypnotic vitriol tease the ear buds before waning and lapping you up like the tide receding back to shore. Sure, The xx is treading in new, exciting territory. Yet, you’ll be so preoccupied with these kids snagging their razor-sharp hooks on you to dwell too much on the substance of tracks steeped in ennui and sexual cupidity. UK’s Pariah shows just how easy it is to just sit back and enjoy with his remix.

The xx - “Basic Space (Pariah remix)”

We’ve already introduced our readers to Hey Champ, so we won’t get into specifics again. 2009 was a busy year for the elctro-infused dance pop trio. Besides touring with Lupe Fiasco and The Sounds, the guys have also been keeping busy by churning out boatloads of remixes. Most impressively, it seems like everything they get their hands on turns to gold. Don’t be surprised if the this trio is a household name in 2010. To hear for yourself, check out the slew of remixes we’ve stumbled upon.

Hey Champ - “Neverest (Raw Man remix)”

The Sounds - “Beatbox (Hey Champ remix)”

Passion Pit - “Little Secrets (Hey Champ remix)”

Mike Posner - “Cooler Than Me (Hey Champ remix)”

Priors - “What You Need (Hey Champ remix)”

It can be difficult to discern between pop trash and a radio-baiting pleasure. Sometimes it takes time to determine whether an artist like Lady Gaga will end up as the next Backstreet Boys. Upon first glance, it’s easy to dismiss L.A.’s Kesha as pop fodder. Looking like burnt-out Hilary Duff on an Adderall binge doesn’t help. Though that’s an apt assessment to a certain extent, Kesha’s drunk-pop swagger surprisingly doesn’t come off as a shuck and jive routine. Sure, she sounds similar to guilty pleasures like The Veronicas or Uffie, but it is her intriguingly nonchalant disposition that will win you over. Overall, her music is cheap but leaves you wanting more. Kind of like crack. Check out this remix of “Tik Tok” by her tour DJ (Skeet Skeet).

Ke$ha - “Tik Tok (DJ Skeet Skeet remix)”

Photo - Jake Moreland @ http://imagegroupphotography.com/

There’s not a lot of info out there on Jams Dean, but we like what we’ve gleaned so far. A newcomer to the Chicago rap scene, the rhyme-spitter’s flow seems to roll along at a languidly measured pace while avoiding sounding fatigued. His sound fits somewhere in between chilled-out slacker rap and in-your-face club rap. In addition to playing the drums and drawing, Jams also has a knack for fusing together mashups. His most noteworthy jam is definitely the mashup of “Chicago Girls” and The xx’s “Heart Skipped A Beat,” which transforms into a delicate yet invigorating track. Though anyone can enjoy this catchy number, Chicagoans will get a kick out of the shout-outs to Kid Sister, Debonair Social Club, and girls with fixed-gear bikes and weird tattoos who roll their own cigarettes. Jams Dean’s mixtape will be dropping on December 11th, and he’ll be performing that night at the Weirder Park grimy party-ripper space (1539 N. Damen). Remember, never trust a trick from Columbus, OH.

Jams Dean vs. The xx - “Chicago Girls”

[Download]

Amidst UK’s racially fueled tension and wafting anomie, The Specials decided they were tired of punk and harnessed some Jamaican dancehall flavor to ignite the music charts. The mulit-cultural second-wave ska troupe’s 1979 debut album (The Specials) served as a soundtrack for all the rebelliously integrated “rude boys” sporting thin ties, sleek suits, and porkpie hats. For many people, the band was the personification of cool. The successful release of The Specials also allowed Jerry Dammers to launch his seminal 2-Tone label. Most likely, Gwen Stefani & the gang wouldn’t be touring around the world and raking in millions if it weren’t for 2-Tone paving the road all those years prior. Since The Specials (well, a scaled-down version) are touring the UK again, we figured it was a good time to post a remix courtesy of San Francisco’s DJG.

The Specials - “Ghost Town (DJG dubstep remix)

I know we just featured a great free reverb plug-in, but this offer is too good to not pass on to you guys. Vocal processing gurus TC Electronic is making its M30 reverb plug-in available for free for 3 days only! Outside of this offer, this plugin retails for $79. It is PC and Mac compatible and features a fully editable hall algorithm that TCE says is “perfectly suited to vocals but can also be used with a wide variety of instruments and audio material.”

The offer started this morning, and we’re not sure the exact time it expires, so best to hurry. Go here for the download.

A hardcore mythology-fueled hip-hop debut featuring a soccer team of rappers rhyming about kung fu, chess, Nation of Islam ideology, comic books, and a myriad of other topics isn’t supposed to make it big. Somehow it did, spawning a number of satellite groups, a commercial empire and a loyal international following in the process. Sixteen years after the release of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the group is still going strong. In fact, an entire dubstep album was just released in tribute to the Staten Island crew titled Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture Vol. 2: Enter The Dubstep. How many other rappers do you know of have sixteen-year careers and tribute albums? Not too many. So, in honor of the Killa Bees, make sure to bump this jam when you’re out partying this weekend. It’s a shockingly catchy mashup of Warren Zevon’s “Werevolves of London” and Wu-Tang’s “Da Mystery Of Chessboxin’”.

Warren Zevon vs. Wu-Tang Clan - “Werewolves Of Chessboxin’ (ELLIOT Scratch mix)

Philly’s Amanda Blank may not be the most talented MC around, but she oozes attitude thicker than peanut butter. The saucy lady’s mixture of Diplo-produced brat-rap and clubby drunk-pop does offer some short-lived fun. However, her debut album (I Love You) seems strangled by misfired attempts at feminist swagger, oft-crass delivery, and low-rent hooks that generally fail to imbue. Though it’ll take a lot of work for Blank to approach the talent level of someone like M.I.A., or even the Ting Tings for that matter, she does display flashes of prowess. Perhaps the folks over at Discopunk have noticed as well, because they’ve dished out several tasty remixes that really spice up Blank’s jams. Check them out:

Amanda Blank - “Shame On Me (Toadally Krossed Out remix)”

Amanda Blank - “Shame On Me (Viking remix)”

Amanda Blank - “Shame On Me (Yuksek remix)”

Every time The Hood Internet drops a new mixtape, it’s like Christmas for their fans. If you’re not familiar with the dynamic production duo, then you have been missing out on some of the best party music around. In the vein of Girl Talk, Steve Reidell (STV SLV) and Aaron Brink (ABX) have garnered a huge and loyal following by deftly crafting mixtapes crammed with indie rock and hip-hop mashups. Yet, the duo’s mixes are much more hooky and accessible due to an emphasis on fluidity rather than spazziness. By utilizing fresh, blog-worthy tunes and a dash of Photoshop prowess The Hood Internet’s website has dished out over one million downloads. With that kind of cred, it’s no wonder the mashup masterminds were signed up to preform at this summer’s Lollapalloza to a huge, booty-shakin’ crowd. This morning, The Mixtape Volume Four was released for your (free) listening pleasure. Though every THI mixtape is excellent, the duo has probably released their strongest effort since Volume Two. With unfuckwithable, contagiously catchy tracks like “Two Weeks Of Hip Hop (Dead Prez vs Grizzly Bear)” and “Good Ol’ Fashion Rump Shaker (The Beastie Boys vs Matt And Kim),” this mixtape is hotter than a stolen tamale.

The Hood Internet - The Mixtape Volume Four

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