Salacious Sound » MSTRKRFT

Remix Project Promotes A-Team Movie

Cal — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:38:43 +0000

A number of top artists, including Just Blaze and Dan the Automator, have created remixes of the A-Team theme to promote the upcoming movie. The MSTRKRFT is the best of the bunch, I feel, though each have their own merits.

Face Mix – MSTRKFT by nathantayloronline

Hannibal Mix – Dan The Automator by nathantayloronline

Murdock Mix – Just Blaze by nathantayloronline

INK – The Year You Paid For It

The Monarch — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:55:13 +0000

Labour of Love
I was camped out in the tent with tons of familiar faces at a night which marked the beginning of the fall season in Toronto. As the annual labour day event it may not have been as stacked as the year before, but who cares; the show was dope, the music bumped, and Tiga is the man. Â He kicks all the hangers on out of the booth so that he can play tunes for those of you who came to dance, not those of you who came give him that groupie love.

St. Mandrew w/ MSTRKRFT @ Tattoo Rock Parlor
St. Mandrew ripped one of the best sets I have ever seen him play on that night. He set the stage for his cousin and Al with one of the most balanced sets I’ve heard in a while. His set was a roller coaster of peaks and valleys, which paired big banging Electro tracks with softer Techno tracks, and impressed even the most veteran ravers.

Decadance
Too big of a party not to put it on the list. Rolled around 2am with Barletta and M.Glasman. Got there, jammed, heard the Crookers drop some fire, and danced the night out in the mainroom.

DeadMau5 @ Wasaga Beach
We came, we saw, we didn’t stay. DeadMau5 Wa5aga was the best show we didn’t get to. 2 hours out of Toronto, half the crew didn’t roll, those who did didn’t stay (were removed from the premises). This night was disgusting in every good and bad way. The bonds that formed that weekend went beyond music.

Crookers @ SkyBar
“Everyone” was at this show. I couldn’t tell you exactly who they were, but many familiar faces were present. Crookers dropped the shit they had to, and played the amazing shit they wanted to. This was my second favorite Crookers set, however “everyone” wasn’t there for my favorite; their loss.

No related posts.

What is Radical?

Y.Pro — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:00:32 +0000

I am talking about the parties we go to, and more specifically the DJs we go see. Who is radical and what makes them so rad?
The one thing that has become almost an absolute asset in this industry is being able to work your way around a production program. Whether it’s doing simple remixes or creating your own tracks, having that skill helps legitimize your involvement in the industry. The ironic thing about this new standard is that you can be an amazing producer, and not be a great DJ. If you have some great tracks out, and people want to see you play them, there is a lot more motivation to get that skill down fairly quickly eg. Deadmau5, who went from not being on the DJ mag top 100 list in 2008, to being number 13 this year next to Carl Cox and Infected Mushroom. He is my number one choice for radical DJs this year. A close second to him is another local DJ named Noah Pred, he just recently launched his own record label named Thoughtless music. He plays at Toi bar and throws a party called “milkrun” at a studio near the beaches. He has numerous tracks on Beatport and will definitely be up to some big things soon.
Marketing can be a frustrating demon to a DJ/producer, having great tracks and being a great DJ just isn’t enough anymore. You have to be a public relations master as well, logo designer, MySpace designer, and being just plain cool, it’s an up hill battle unless you’re Steve Aoki. He is my choice for marketing wizard of this year. Besides signing some of the best Indie bands like Bloc Party and the Klaxons, he also signed some of the best DJ’s in the world like MSTRKRFT and The Bloody Beetroots. Did I mention that he is also a world class DJ himself? He had the coveted residency at Space in Ibiza last summer and throws the famous Dim Mak parties at LAX nightclub. He also has a successful clothing line called Dim Mak Collection. It goes to show that playful logo treatments, some great party photos, and a great ear for music can go a long way. And if that’s not rad, then I don’t know what is.
Here are my top 5 dj/producers for the year
1. Deadmau5 (local hero)
2. Noah Pred (local hero)
3. Sebastien Leger
4. Steve Aoki
5. M.A.N.D.Y.

I put together this mix, inspired by the Get Physical record label.
Tracklist:
La Luna – Miss Jools
Cave Canem – Martin Eyerer
Picanha – Thomas Schumacher
Lower Instincts – DJ T
Everybody to the Sun – Josh Wink
Booty Call – DJ T
Murder – Paul Rich
9 – Komytea

Check out MySpace to listen to some original production!

Y.Pro - Oh No! Mix.mp3

Is This a New Girl Talk Mix??

Cal — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 19:02:20 +0000

No, it’s not.Â But in terms of style, technical ability of the producer, tightness of the mix, range of song selection, and just straight overall quality there are few differences.

DJ Skarface is a turntablist from Tennesse with an impressive ability to mash-up rock, rap, crunk, and electro.Â At times the mix is a bit manic, which is most peoples’ main complaint about Girl Talk.Â It also includes quite a few lulls in transition (? which may be intended to delineate tracks), but regardless it is an absolutely worthwhile listen.

Cheers,

Cal

Skarface Myspace

(Here’s what Skarface had to say)

After recently discovering Salacious Sound (which is a wonderful website) through an article you posted about Ableton live, I had to send my mix here to show you yet another example of what can be done with Ableton. Much like Girl Talk, this is a Mash-Up mix. Although not quite as technical it captures Girl Talk’s idea but with my own flavor. I utilized close to 100 artists including;

Aerosmith, Audio Two, Beastie Boys, The Bee Gees, Berlin, Big L, Bloodhound Gang, Bobby Valentino, Boogie Down Productions, Gogol Bordello, Boston, James Brown, Buju Banton, Busta Rhymes, Kim Carnes, The Clash, Clipse, Coolio, Crime Mob, Cymande, D-Styles, Daft Punk, Dead Prez, Deftones, Digital and Spirit, Dizzee Rascal, Dr. Dre, Dr. Hook, Egyptian Lover, Eurythmics, Fake Blood, Fatboy Slim, Fergie, Lupe Fiasco, Groove Armada, Bill Haley, Hashim, Rupert Holmes, The Human League, Indo G, Rick James, Jay-z, Journey, Justice, KRS-One, Led Zeppelin, Lil Wayne, Ludacris, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Magic Mike, Aimee Mann, Mannie Fresh, Mantronix, Metallica, M.I.A., Mims, Missy Elliot, Money Mark, MSTRKRFT, My Morning Jacket, Nate Dogg, Notorious B.I.G., Ooah, Outkast, DJ P, Pink Floyd, Quiet Riot, Radiohead, Rancid, Revl9n, Rob Base and DJ Easy Rock, Run DMC, Scarface, Schooly D, Freddie Scott, DJ Shadow, Spandau Ballet, Jimmy Spicer, Slightly Stoopid, Steppenwolf, Sublime, Tag Team, T.I., Three 6 Mafia, Treacherous Three, U2, Vampire Weekend, Whodini, Wu-Tang Clan, Yo Majesty, Z-trip.

It closes in to about 40 minutes.

DJ Skarface - Skar Talk 2.mp3

MSTRKRFT.suddenlaunch3.com

The Monarch — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:00:23 +0000

MSTRKRFT’s forum is a great place for anyone who aspires to be a DJ or producer to learn new ideas and share some of their own. The song swap has allowed tons of upcoming artists to get feedback from other aspiring, and established producers from across the world. I have been perusing these boards for some time now and talk to a few members who’s music stood out. I have posted works from the forum before and will continue to do so, but realized that I wasn’t always getting the most finished product. Since I began contacting artists the response has been tremendous. Today I am going to share with you tracks by two artists that have been kind enough to keep me in their musical loop.

A lot of you might have heard the Verdis remix of Lollipop we posted here or heard his Radiohead remix elsewhere (if not don’t fret I’ve included it as well). His Lil’ Wayne track blew up on the Hypemachine charts and was very successful. Recently, he has been making some great strides and I look forward to seeing his continued success.

I would also like to introduce the Technopagans. Currently in Montreal, but originally from Toronto, this producer has sent me tons of finished and unfinished tracks. Currently happy with this cut of Timeless Yet Senseless you get a great feel for how this producer tends to break onto the scene. With some funky more disco based stuff on the way, I have high hopes for this young producer.

New Order - Blue Monday (Verdis Remix).mp3
Radiohead - Creep (Verdis Remix).mp3
Technopagans - Timeless Yet Senseless.mp3

Cadence Weapon. Real Hip Hop, Real Electro, Real Good Music

The Monarch — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 09:00:22 +0000

Cadence Weapon is from Edmonton but currently resides in Toronto. He has had the privilege of working with awesome Electro artists as a rapper. MSTRKRFT’s new album attempts to bridge this gap, but Cadence Weapon already beat them to it. You have likely heard these tracks previously, however, I really wanted to show love to this local artist, whose work is absolutely awesome. Check out his pay-what-you-can set up for the ablum Seperation Anxiety, great idea if you ask me.

Working with Herve is huge, not to mention remixing Kid Sister. For those of you who don’t know Final Fantasy he is an awesome Toronto artist rocks out on a fiddle like Jimi Hendrix on a guitar.

Cadence Weapon - Mini T.V.'s (Chad Van Gaalen Cover Live ft. Final Fantasy).mp3
Cadence Weapon - Pretty Girls Make Raves (Produced by Herve).mp3
Cadence Weapon - Roll With The Winners (Prod. Herve & A-Trak).mp3
The Cansecos - Rise Up (Cadence Weapon Mix).mp3
Kid Sister - Damn Girl (Cadence Weapon Remix).mp3

All They Do is Party: How “THE JONS” Came, Saw and Conquered

The Monarch — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:49 +0000

Click photo + use left/right directional keys to navigate

If you love Electro, if you love to party, if you live in the GTA, you know who The Jons are. John Labella and Jonathan C started working on Dance Like You Fuck just after the idea was conceived by David Urbonas and Matt Medley. The night was an Electro night at Avalon nightclub in the Entertainment District initially intended to reach a 21+ crowd (I know this because I almost promoted the event).

The Jons took things in a different direction. They brought out their friends, and trust me they have a lot of friends, then moved the party to a hipper college west hot spot, Strangelove. But most importantly, turned it into one of the HOTTEST parties Toronto has seen on a Thursday night. No longer the over 21 crowd the event initially set out to target, it became one of the most exciting events for University kids tired of Top 40 music, asshole bouncers, and promotions attempting to bribe you (reverse cover) or wet t shirt contests.

When Jesse Keeler says you should head to a party, you listen. When Jesse Keeler tells people to head to your party, you’ve made it. That only touches on the surface as to who has graced these parties. Jon C told me a story about “Getting arrested and not knowing what for, then kicking out the back windshield of the cop car while in cuffs in the back, getting beat the shit out of by the cop, then going to jail for the night. Um, that kinda sucked. But NAS was at our jam and he was stoked?”. WHAT?!!! The story itself is awesome but the fact that Nas was jamming and loving every moment is unbelievable.

One of the reasons why these guys have been so successful is their attitude towards their guests. Natural hosts, they’ve been holding predrinks and parties that brought out 50-200 people depending on the night, they just managed to move their party into a club. They make sure they take care of everyone in attendance, “whether it be getting them in ahead of the line, getting them in free/reduced, getting them drinks and showering them with vodka, we always want everyone to be taken care of and raging hard!”

Since starting to promote Dance Like You Fuck they’ve broadened their horizons and gotten involved with Circa’s Randomland Fridays (I’ve seen Mario J hand them wads of cash for their good work) and Saturdays at West Lounge. As time progresses, they are looking to keep building and growing. Jon C is looking to “ride this motherfucker til’ the wheels fall off, and hopefully by then we’ll have our own clubs and other associated businesses. I want to have a club with hot tubs in it, but like, classy stylish club and then, wtf, are those hot tubs? SICK!” While John Labella would “like to see The Jons grow into something more, do bigger events and festivals, and get into management”, and is hoping “this summer we will do a few bigger events and really start to get a feel for it.”

I asked them to what they attributed the success of their Dance Like You Fuck. Or was it all just in the name? Here is what they each had to say:

Its all in the crowd and the music! There is NO better crowd in the city then the Dance Like You Fuck Thursday @ Strangelove crowd. Week after week that place is packed with the raddest dudes, and the hottest/most stylish girls. Almost everyone that parties there is a good friend, or friend of a friend, and they fucking rule. The people that go there are what make it the best, so I would like to thank them for being awesome! HUGE shout out to Resident DJ Matt Medley making people dance and jump all over the couches in there week after week! Goal for 09′, crowd surfing at Strangelove!
-Jonathan C

DLYF is our baby. It’s where we started so really to me it’s always going to be my favorite event of the week. We put a lot of ourselves into that night, so I attribute it’s success to that. I don’t think I even need to say that it wasn’t easy getting people to Avalon on Richmond street, so keeping it alive there was a real test for us.

The name has definitely become popular; it really does stick in your head. I don’t attribute the success of the night to the name because I know how much work we’ve all put into the night. Although, the name really is amazing. I have to credit David Urbonas for it, he was the one who came up with it.

From day one Matt Medley has been on the night killing it! That guy really holds it down, and I give him a lot of credit. Strangelove has definitely become known for its amazing music. There hasn’t been a single night that the music hasn’t been epic! Huge shout out to Jaime Bradbury for that too. He was the other original DLYF resident DJ.

DLYF is really just all about having a good time. That’s why it will always be free and welcoming to anyone and everyone. No dress codes, no attitudes, best staff, just amazing music and people.

Lets keep it alive! SEE YOU THURSDAY!
- John Labella

Thursday they are Dancing Like They Fuck @ Strangelove but look out for this Saturday, which is John Labella’s birthday party, at West Lounge. INSANITY WILL ENSUE.

Here are a couple of tracks they’ve been partying to over the past couple of months and a classic favorite of theirs.

Justice - Phantom pt. II.mp3
Mansion - Stab.mp3

David Bowie – Rock N Roll Suicide (couldn’t put this in the player for legal reasons)

MSTRKRFT’s Fist of God Album Leaked

Cal — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:09:13 +0000

So in case you have been living under a rock for the last week, MSTRKRFT’s upcoming album Fist of God was leaked more than a month before its scheduled release.

Yes, I’ve listened to it
Yes, it’s awesome
No, we wont be posting any tracks from it, at least for a little while

I honestly feel really bad for Jesse – we’ve had previous talks with him, and though he told us then that having his music on the internet doesn’t bother him, I can tell that this really disappointed him.Â It’s my understanding that he gave out his album to a pretty tight inner circle, and it seems that someone has broken his trust.Â To MSTRKRFT and Dim Mak: we’re thinking of you, and we hope this doesn’t get you guys too down.Â You guys are our heroes.

As for the track Monarch posted a few days ago, that was a mistake, and I’m sorry.Â He tells me that the quality of the track lead him to believe that it was a pre-release; the leaks him and I find are always 320, and this was a 128.Â Dim Mak is by far the best label in genre, and we will always support everything they do.

This incident has got me thinking long and hard about the “new model” of music popularization, and sadly, I’ve come to few practical conclusions.Â It seems to me that if bloggers worked together to support artists that things like this might not happen.Â Sadly, the lack of centralization in the blogosphere makes leaks like this inevitable, and from an economic standpoint there is no way that is apparent to me to incentivize ethical practices.Â Certainly, it is the indiscriminate aggregator (hypemachine, elbows) that, at once, allows for freedom of entry for the indie artist in to the music scene, and meanwhile creates the Hobbesian state of nature within mp3 blog culture, inspiring bloggers to post anything and everything they think will get them traffic.

Bloody Beetroots Announce North American Tour

Cal — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 07:25:52 +0000

SUPER EXCITED.. This just in from Dim Mak!! I’m going to see their NYC and Toronto shows!

THE BLOODY BEETROOTS are coming back to the North America, and touring with MSTRKRFT, Crookers, Steve Aoki, & others! TBB are on a rampage, and ready to destroy every city they are hitting on this tour.Â Imagine the love child of the Misfits and Daft Punk; the act of conception would be grisly, but what a mighty offspring their union would generate. This is THE BLOODY BEETROOTS!Â Do not wait, get your tickets for the shows near you NOW!

:: MARCH ::

Tuesday 24 w/ Benni Bennassi, Calvin Harris, & MoreÂ @ Mansion- MIAMI, FL

Thursday 26 Â @ Dim Mak Party-Â MIAMI, FL

Friday 27Â @ AM Only-Â MIAMI, FL

Saturday 28Â @ Ultra Music Festival-Â MIAMI, FL

Saturday 28Â @ Louis-Â MIAMI, FL

:: APRIL ::

Thursday 2 Â @ Up on Carling- LONDON, ON

Friday 3 Â w/ MSTRKRFTÂ @ Webster Hall- NEW YORK, NY

Saturday 4 w/ Steve AokiÂ @ S.A..T.- MONTREAL, QC

Tuesday 7 @ Great Scott- BOSTON, MA

Wednesday 8 Â @ Abbey Pub- CHICAGO, IL

Thursday 9 w/ Crookers, MSTRKRFT, Steve Aoki, & MoreÂ @ Kool House- TORONTO, Ontario

Friday 10 @ Celebrities- VANCOUVER, BC

Saturday 11 w/ Benni BennassiÂ @ Edmonton Events Center- EDMONTON, AB

Sunday 12 w/ Steve AokiÂ @ Flames Central- CALGARY, AB

Wednesday 15 w/ CrookersÂ @ Mezzanine- SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Thursday 16 w/ CrookersÂ @ The Ogden Theater- DENVER, CO

Saturday 18 Â @ Coachella- INDIO, CA

A New Way to Bite Queen’s Dust (Queen Remix Inside)

The Monarch — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:20:03 +0000

I have previously featured Mercurius FM’s work on the site. He has been producing remixes of some awesome groups and I am anticipating a couple of upcoming tracks he has mentioned plans to remix. For now I have his latest track, an uptempo remix of Queen’s classic “Another One Bites the Dust”. As an artist who believe a remix should maintain the heart of the original and that artists should be careful not to consider sampling to be the same as remixing he stays true to his beliefs.

The Monarch

Queen - Another One Bites the Dust (Mercurius FM Hard Mix).mp3

New MSTRKRFT is XCTLY What I Want to Hear!!

The Monarch — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:22:39 +0000

I am highly anticipating their upcoming album and was uncertain what direction they would take it in. This track that leaked via LA Friendly is exactly what I was hoping for. It is upbeat with funky lyrics that make me dance around my bedroom. Featuring Jahmal from the Carps and the vocals are flawless. I can’t wait to see these two tear it up at Coachella in April.

-M (short post I know, so much to do, so little time)

Aoki and JFK move the 905!

The Monarch — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:15:17 +0000

Steve Aoki was in Burlington Ontario last night. For those of you who have no idea where Burlington is, I don’t blame you. For those of you who do, I am sure you are asking yourselves, “since when do big Electro DJs take over Burlington?” Last night Steve Aoki brought the 416 to the 905 to shut down Zu Bar, a club just off the QEW.

The night opened up with Toronto’s Vivi Diamond warming the crowd up on the 1s and 2s. Dropping in and out of hard electro she got everyone’s temperature ready for the headliner. When I hopped on the Go train to get out to the burbs for the show I was excited to see the man behind Dim Mak kill the crowd with hard basslines and wild theatrics, what i didn’t expect was for him to have St. Mandrew, AutoErotique’s Keith Lite, and MSTRKRFT’s JFK in tow! Unfortunately not everyone in the audience knew what they were baring witness too. I on the other hand paid to see Aoki and was blessed with the opportunity to see him beside one of Toronto’s best acts, JFK, in one of Toronto’s smaller suburbs.

The combination of having Steve Aoki and JFK beside one another in the booth was purely electric. These two artists together made for one of the filthiest sets I’ve ever heard. Opening with The Bloody Beetroots Cornelius was epic! Some of you may recall that this track inspired me to put up a little post on the evolution of DJs into modern Rock Stars. This concert affirmed my every belief. With Aoki standing on top of the DJ booth screaming into the mic, JFK pounding a bottle of crown, the lights blazing and the music raging, seeing Aoki dive into the crowd put this culture into perspective for me.

Great DJs aren’t just playing music, they play the crowd. I remember hearing about how Larry Lavan used toÂ control a crowd at Paradise Garage. He would make the crowd move the way he wanted them to. If he wanted them to go down, they did. When he wanted them to come up, they followed his lead. Aoki and JFK did just that. They changed the pace at various times, but there were a few distinct moments for me. In the beginning there was house, by dropping dirty electro they had to crowd flowing. Later in the night they created a mosh pit, after they dropped Rage’s Killing in the Name Of I was moshing with bros in blazers and dudes in dress shoes. Everyone in the crowd was being moved by these masters of musical manipulation. If they let the track cut out for a second or two, it only increased the intensity with which the crowd responded to the drop. House is all about peaks and valleys, these guys took you bungee jumping. Unexpected drops were welcome, and buildups took you to the top of the mountain.

Steve Aoki is the best DJ I have ever seen PERFORM. I couldn’t really argue that he is the best at beatmatching, mixing, and effecting; but I will argue that he is the best showman I have ever seen on a set of decks.

Bloody Beetroots - Cornelius (Radio Oi).mp3
Kid Sister - Control (JFK Remix).mp3
Buy Now - Body Crash (JFK Edit).mp3
Metro Statio - Control (Steve Aoki Remix) 2.mp3

Dark House, Boy 8-Bit, and French Electronic That Will Annoy Your Parents

Cal — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:10:49 +0000

I’ve listened to an incredible volume of music over the last months writing for this blog, and I haven’t found too many songs I’d drop at the club that could also be classified as “video game music”.Â Granted, if the first song were found in a video game it would be more badass on an order of magnitude.Â The second track is another decent song by the same artist, Boy 8-Bit – not club material but interesting to listen to.

The third is a track I’ve been meaning to post for more than a week now, but haven’t found the space.Â Felix Cartal is from Vancouver, but has had wide success across North America, and has major gigs coming up with LA Riots and MSTRKRFT. Unfortunately I’m going to miss him when he comes to Toronto on December 23rd, but you shouldn’t!!

The Black Ghosts - Any Way You Choose To Give It (Boy 8 Bit Mix).mp3
Boy 8-Bit - Bulbs Burn Out (Original Mix).mp3
Felix Cartal - Parisienne.mp3

The Best 20 Remixes of 2008!

The Monarch — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 11:38:43 +0000

THE LIST!!!!!!

1. Crookers Remix of Kid Cudi – Day N’ Night

The Crookers have killed it this year. This song characterizes the experience of going out over the past four months; mostly because I would get excited before the DJ even dropped it. Just hearing a hint that it was coming on would make me go crazy. There were many moments where this track defined an evening for me. Hearing Crookers’ drop it themselves at Circa was a big one; however, the most memorable drop was that of the DJs at “Dance Like You Fuck” held off on letting it drop; at first I wasn’t too pleased, but in the end it only made the drop that much more epic and one of my most memorable drops of the year.

2. LA Riots Remix of Crystal Castles Remix of Heath – Crimewave

I wasn’t originally going to give this track such a high ranking. HOWEVER! It’s just so hot, it comes in at number two because LA Riots really redefined a song that I had assumed was well redefined by Crystal Castles. When you think of the song Crimewave every other version is a distant memory, and this song is the definitive version. Not to mention the fact that it break downs and builds up seamlessly and can get the crowd going in an instant!

3. DDPesh’s Rework of Justice’s Remix of MGMT – Electic Feel

Nasty feel was one of those songs that defined 2008 for me. The Justice remix was deserving of this list on its own; however, DDPesh’s edit featuring Biggie’s legendary Nasty Girl is a track that anyone can love. Dropping it gets everyone moving. While the recipe is simple: take one of the hottest songs of the year, Electric Feel, that was remixed by one of the hottest DJ duos of the year, Justice, and add epic lyrics of arguably the best rapper of all time; it is the execution that makes it spectacular. This song gives me shivers, it makes me dance, and the lyrics have been in my head for over a decade!

4. DiscoTech’s Remix of Kanye West – Homecoming

I was tempted to put the Bill O’Reilly song up here but I decided it isn’t really a remix. This track on the other hand is the perfect redefinition of a song that was well defined. The use of chorus is beautiful, amazing instrumentation, this is a remix that can appeal to different musical tastes. DiscoTech keeps all of the fire from the original, but adds some gasoline to it. It had instant appeal, which it never lost. DiscoTech’s remixes have been awesome all year, as I previously stated, and hopefully they will keep it up in the new year!

5. Spencer and Hill’s Remix of Mark Morrison – Return of the Mack

These guys brought the Mack back, a song that was huge in the 90s was reborn. The use of Morrisson’s vocals is well orchestrated. Buildups flow and when it drops, it drops down hard -the drop just after 2:30 into the song is epic. Another song that had me dancing 10 seconds in, it had to be in my top 10 if only because of mad personal love for the track.

6. Tepr’s Remix of Kid Sister – Pro Nails

Tepr has heated up a lot of hot tracks this year and this Pro Nails is no exception. I have no better way to describe the song than happy. Excited synths and a smooth baseline put a smile on my face every time it came on!

7. MSTRKRFT’s Remix of John Legend and Andre 3000 – Green Light

MSTRKRFT has this uncanny ability to take songs, remix them, and cause you to forget what the original sounded like. This remix leaves the original sound coming up short as they push Dre and Usher’s track to its potential!

8. Tepr’s Remix of Santogold – Lights Out

This was hands down one of the most banging tracks to hear in a club all year. Quite possibly one of the most infective songs to come out in the last 365 days it has been stuck in my head on many occasions, it spread like wildfire through the blogosphere and rightufully so!

9. MSTRKRFT’s Remix of Usher – Love in This Club

Usher gives them the shout out at the beginning of the track, and he deserves to give them a lot more than that. This remix is 1000% better than the original. I couldn’t tell you what the original sounds like without hearing it – this is the first thing i think of when someone says Love in This Club. It is one of a couple of tracks that Electro and House DJs could use to appease the top 40 junkies in the crowds without selling out!

10. Steve Murano’s Remix of Fleetwood Mac – Own Way

As far as updates on classic songs go, this one goes above and beyond. Stevie Nicks’ beautiful voice is masterfully incorporated into this electro banger. I have heard a lot of shitty remixes of old rock tracks, this song is one of the few exceptions. It completely diverges from the original musically, however it is able to maintain the power of the lyrics in the buildups as it gives everyone a chance to sing along as if it were decades ago!

11. Chew Fu’s Small Room Fix of Kanye West – Love Lockdown

100% awesome remix!

12. Crookers Remix of Busy P ft Murs – To Protect and Entertain

More Crookers! Still Entertaining!

13. Mansion’s Remix of MSTRKRFT – Bounce

Honorable mention to the Bloody Beetroots for their intense remix!

14. Freemason’s Remix of Solange – Sandcastle Disco

Completely different vibe from most of the stuff on here, it was an instant favorite!

15. Benni Benassi Remix of Britney Spears – Womanizer

Honorable mention to Mike Gonek for his awesome remix of this track!

16. Bloody Beetroots Remix of Secret Handshake – Summer of 98

This song is simply and plainly a personal favourite!

17. Bimbo Jones Remix of Christina Aguilera – Keeps Gettin Better

DJ Cal? played this track over, and over, and over again; it never got old!

18. Vandalism’s Remix of Yves Larock – Rise Up

Hourable Mention to AutoErotique (formerly VNDLSM) for the Lykke Li Remix!

19. Team Canada Member Grandtheft’s Remix of Chromeo – Fancy Footwoork

Made me try to have fancy footwork, I rarely succeeded.

20. The American Dream Team’s Remix of Katy Perry – Hot N Cold

This was a difficult list to make. Deciding on the top 20 required a lot of tough decisions. Even more difficult than picking the songs, was putting them in some kind of order. I took into account a couple of factors when coming up with the list. They included how hot the original was, the heat difference of the remix and the original, memories of love at first hear, and how hard I remember dancing when the track come on. I don’t think I will ever be 100% sure of a list like this, however I feel as if these are the tracks that made me move the most, dance the hardest, and listen the longest. Making this list made me realize how much I loved a couple of artists. Crookers, Tepr, and MSTRKRFT (JFK) have multiple songs on the list, but I definitely want to give shout outs to DiscoTech and the Bloody Beetroots who had just as many songs in the running. While this list evolves every day based on what I feel like listening to, I hope that it is a good sample of the remixers that moved me this year, hopefully they keep all of you moving in 2009!

The Songs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kid Cudi - Day 'n' Nite (Crookers Remix).mp3
Crystal Castles - Crimewave (La Riots Remix).mp3
MGMT vs Justice vs Notorious BIG - Nasty Feel (ddpesh Rework).mp3
Kanye West - Homecoming (DiscoTech Remix).mp3
Mark Morrison - Return Of The Mack (Spencer and Hill Remix).mp3
Kid Sister Feat. Kanye West - Pro Nails (Tepr Remix).mp3
Andre 3000 and John Legend - Green Light (MSTRKRFT Remix).mp3
Santogold - Lights Out (Tepr Club Remix).mp3
Usher - Love In This Club (MSTRKRFT Remix).mp3
Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way (Steve Murano Electro Performance Mix).mp3
Kanye West - Love Lockdown (Chew Fu Small Room Fix).mp3
Busy P Ft Murs - To Protect And Entertain (Crookers Remix).mp3
MSTRKRFT - Bounce (Mansion Remix).mp3
Solange - Sandcastle Disco (Freemasons Extended Remix).mp3
Britney Spears - Womanizer (Benny Benassi Mix).mp3
Secret Handshake - Summer Of 98 (Bloody Beetroots Remix).mp3
Christina Aguilera - Keeps Gettin' Better (Bimbo Jones Club Mix).mp3
Yves Larock - Rise Up (Vandalism Rmx).mp3
Chromeo - Fancy Footwork (GT Remix).mp3
Katy Perry - Hot N Cold (Codes TADT Remix).mp3

Three Tracks That Make The Crookers the Best in Electro

Cal — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:43:16 +0000

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Last year the Chemical Brothers released an excellent album called We Are the Night.Â It quickly became one of my favorite electronic albums for a few reasons; really great production, varied style and genre within the album, and a hilarious track called the Salmon Dance.Â For a time, this was a bit of an anthem with my friends and I, as well as a running joke – “Fish.. pay attention to the moon??Â WOW!”.Â Check this video out andÂ you’ll understand:

Fast forward to spring 2008.Â MSTRKRFT and Z-Trip release a collaboration called Soundclash of the Titans.Â The first half by Z-Trip again became a bit of an anthem for my friends and I (read: I spent a lot of time annoying my friends with my rendition of the following song “Hipsters Are the New Jocks”)

Also in Soundclash of the Titans was a remix of the Salmon Dance that absolutely blew my mind, and has since caused me to take my dj’ing in a new direction – fidget.Â I immediately recognized the iconic “WOW!” that The Crookers had sampled over the new electro beat driving the song.

After further investigation, I was delighted to find many more great tracks by this talented duo from Italy.Â Here are three for your enjoyment!Â Let me know what you think of them with a comment – I particularly like the Busy P remix (here’s a hilarious and very high energy video of The Bloody Beetroots dropping it at their Dim Mak Tuesdays gig!)

Bloody Beetroots at Dim Mak Tuesdays
Uploaded by eddie-v

And now for the tracks!

Busy P Ft Murs - To Protect And Entertain (Crookers Remix).mp3
Kid Cudi - Day 'n' Nite (Crookers Remix).mp3
The Chemical Brothers - The Salmon Dance (Crookers' WoW Remix).mp3

DJ Been Jammin Drops his Mixtape vol. 1

The Monarch — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:04:18 +0000

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I came across the Been Jammin’ Vol. 1 Mixtape through facebook, downloaded the file of zshare, and was pleasantly surprised. A long time musician who recently decided he wanted to be a jockey, his track and fundamentals make him very promising. When I first heard the mix, the first track got me excited, and every track that followed was still hot! Clearly he’s a fan of electro and fidget house. This gives his mix loads of energy. The transitions are faster than I’m used to, but it doesn’t miss the beat. Currently living between Montreal and Toronto, he gets to be a part of the best of both worlds as far as theÂ Canadian house scene is concerned.

Look for salacious pictures and a review of his upcoming show in Toronto here on SalaciousS0und.com.Â DJ Been Jammin will be opening for Team Canada on December 22nd @ Atelier in Toronto.

Tracklist for Been Jammin Vol.1 Mixtape -

1. Summer Of 98 – The Bloody Beetroots
2. Bounce that ass – the count of monte cristal
3. Call me up – Chromeo (kill the noise remix)
4. Pro nails – Kid sister (Tepr Remix)
5. Aerodynamic – Daft Punk
6. Into the Groove – Madonna (sidechains Remix)
7. Don’t mess with my man – Booty Luv
8. I kissed a girl – Katy Perry (mr. Gaspar Remix)
9. Green Light – John Legend (Mstrkrft Remix)
10. Restless – Unkle (Fake Blood Remix)
11. Big money Coming – Crookers
12. Dimmakmmunication – The Bloody Beetroots
13. Aerius Light – Data

DJ Been Jammin - Mixtape Vol. 1.mp3
Secret Handshake - Summer Of 98 (Bloody Beetroots Remix).mp3
The Count of Monte Cristal - Bounce That Ass (Original Mix).mp3
Crookers - Big Money Comin Original Mix.mp3

The Monarch Presents a Lykke Li Remix and an AutoErotique Event

The Monarch — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:31:41 +0000

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Autoerotique’s most recent release is a remix of Lykke Li‘s hit Little Bit. Keith Lite and Diet Dave dropped the track about 3 weeks ago, and I came across it on their Facebook page. I just can’t get it out of my head; this song is all I think about. Lykke Li’s subtle tones dancing over the organic percussion and deep synthesizers give the track a contrast that makes it both accessible to pop crowds and interesting to to fans of deeper house.

Everyone should check AutoErotique out at The Social, this Thursday, alongside Mansion and St. Mandrew (more information available on the Toronto Shows page). Every time I’ve seen these guys live it’s been amazing, and I’m sure this Thursday won’t disappoint. St. Mandrew was formerly an event photographer and has been spinning ever since JFK of MSTRKRFT said, “I know you can DJ. Why don’t you do more of it?” Mansion dropped my favorite remix of MSTRKRFT’s Bounce, which was lighting up hype machine’s charts about a month ago (I decided I might as well toss it into the post).

Lykke Li - Little Bit (AutoErotique Bootleg Remix).mp3
MSTRKRFT - Bounce (Mansion Remix).mp3

The Monarch Found an awesome video of Usher’s Love in This Club

The Monarch — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 22:28:22 +0000

LOVE IN THIS CLUB from ( *_* ) on Vimeo.

Not much else to say except that MSTRKRFT’s remix is better than the original. You may have already heard it but here it is anyway

Usher-Love In This Club (MSTRKRFT Remix).mp3

Labour of Love

Cal — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:49:06 +0000

Big night for me before running an orientation week for about 400 new university students.Â Among the highlights were legends Armin Van Buuren (an 8 hour set!), Benny Benassi, and Steve Angello & Sebastian Ingrosso (also known as Refune).Â I was also treated to Kool Haus resident Mark Oliver’s awesome sound, and Mark Knight (my third favorite of the night).Â The tent housed the best acts of the night – MSTRKRFT was decent (for a guy who smoked a whole joint to himself and chugged 1/3rd of a 26 before a show), Steve Aoki was very good, and Vandalism was utterly amazing.Â I have loved live vocals with electro since I heard Basement Jaxx do it 10 years ago, and these guys really make the combination work for them.

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Some Video I took of Armin Van Buuren and Vandalism, respectively: