Archive for March, 2013

Boom Boom Room

Tuesday, March 26th, 2013

1280-1024-tsujo
I’ve pretty much been listening to Boom Boom Satellites every single day since I got back from Japan in January. Before then I only had their 1999 debut album Out Loud (their only CD to get a proper release in the states), so I guess I’ve been going on a binge of their entire back catalog to make up for lost time.

Since I’ve been diving into their back catalog I’ve been trying to figure out exactly why they’ve failed to gain any kind of foothold in the states. And after listening to all of their albums multiple times over, I think I’ve managed to pin down their lack of success in the West to one thing: jazz.

Allow me to elaborate.

Boom Boom Satellites’ first album, Out Loud, was released in the states not soon after it came out in Japan. It was even given a fairly big push by their American distributor Epic. They went on tour with Moby, and were even commissioned for some pretty big remix jobs. I think a lot of people had the band pegged to break through because that album was the perfect crossover record; very much like an “electronica” album of the era, but with a very heavy, very guitar-focused rock sound as well.

But if the band gained any momentum off of Out Loud, they probably squandered it completely with their next two albums. Their second album, 2001’s Umbra, is the poster child for the stereotypical “difficult sophomore album.” While a fine record, it’s all over the place, with the band taking detours into hip-hop, drum and bass, and even some trip-hop. It’s not the kind of album that one can just pick up and listen to.

And things got even less accessible with their third record, Photon, as it found the band diving head first into the oh so dangerous waters of acid jazz with crazy, free-flowing horns and rambling drums taking  hold on about half of the album’s tracks. It’s interesting, to be sure, but jazz fusion electronica isn’t exactly a crossover genre that the masses are eager to eat up. It’s a shame too, because while the album as a whole is pretty out there, two of the band’s most intense and powerful tracks, “Dress Like An Angel” and “Light My Fire” are buried alongside the freeform jazz freakouts.

Since then, the band has all but completely discarded their jazzier and more experimental side, opting instead for a more electronic-rock sound that could best be described a s heavier, more frantic version of Garbage. Their follow-up to Umbra, 2006’s On, opens with “Kick It Out,” an obvious ready-made single designed exclusively to be a radio megahit if there ever was on. It was a massive smash for the band in Japan, but by then I think the jazz had done its damage. American record labels probably stopped calling, and anyone who had heard of the group during their brief run for success in the states had probably forgotten about them. Even I forgot about them for a long time, and I saw them live once!

And it’s a damn shame, because while they’re not as experimental or complex as they used to be, ever since 2006’s On they’ve been doing nothing but cranking out one solid electronic-influenced rock banger after another. Exposed (2007), To The Loveless (2010) and their recent release Embrace are all amazing works that combine electronic dance music and hard-rocking guitars better than anyone else on the planet. They’ve simply taken their unique sound to a whole new level. Sure, it’s lacking some of the spontaneity and experimental nature of their early work, but it’s infinitely more accessible, and damn it, there’s nothing wrong with creating music for the masses.

Only three proper Boom Boom Satellites are available digitally in the states: Out Loud, Embrace and Exposed. I recommend starting with Embrace, but Over and Over, a 2010 greatest hits compilation made specifically for American audiences, is also available, and that’s probably a good start for those looking to find out more about the band.

Even though the majority of their stuff is out of print in America, I don’t want to just post all of it. I do feel like it’s just a matter of time before they do make it here, at least digitally if nothing else.  But I did want to share something special, something that both die-hard Boom Boom Satellites fans and newcomers to the group would appreciate, and I think I found it.

Boom Boom Satellites (Live At Shibuya O-East)
All In A Day
Back On My Feet
Kick It Out
Light My Fire
Dress Like An Angel
When Boom Boom Satellites excellent 2010 album To The Loveless was first released, it came in a special edition that included a live DVD. Above is an audio rip of that concert. I chose to share this for two reasons. One, it’s an excellent mini-setlist that shows off both the electronic and rock sides of the group perfectly. Two, it also shows how damn awesome their live show is. As great as the studio versions of “Kick It Out” and “Dress Like An Angel” are, they cannot hold a candle to these live cuts, especially with “Kick It Out.” Holy shit. It’s crazy. If I ever get to hear that song live in person I think my heart will explode. Fucking incredible.

Posted in Boom Boom Satellites, live | 4 Comments »

One Man and a Blog…Machine

Sunday, March 24th, 2013

Sorry for the lack of updates last week. Life got crazy for a bit, and I lost an entire day because I had to transfer all my music to my new computer. And yo, when you have about half a terabyte of MP3s that shit takes some serious time.

I got good stuff planned for this week though! Check it!

Norman Cook
For Spacious Lies
For Spacious Beats
The Invasion of The Estate Agents
For Spacious Ballad
Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim has gone by about a billion aliases (The Cheeky Boy, Sunny Side Up, Pizzaman, just to name a few) but this 1989 12″ single is one of the few to bear his actual name. It came out during a rather odd time in Cook’s career. He had left The Housemartins a few years before, but was still a year away from finding his first taste of success in the burgeoning dance scene as part of Beats International. He hasn’t yet found his “voice” as a producer/remixer/DJ, and it shows. The A-side “For Spacious Lies” is very generic by-the-numbers hip house, the kind of track made by someone looking to score with broad appeal. It’s rather boring.

Thankfully, Cook fared far better with the B-side “The Invasion of The Estate Agents.” It’s pretty much just the instrumental for Beats International’s cover of “Just Be Good To Me,”  an incredibly mellow bass groove with a Morricone sample built in. It works great, so great that Cook would later re-use the track as a the basis for his first hit single with Beats International, “Dub Be Good To Me.”

The Wee Papa Girls
Heat It Up (Adonis Chicago House Mix)
Heat It Up (Detroit House Mix)
Heat It Up (Extended Mix)
Heat It Up (Single Edit)
Heat It Up (Adonis House Instrumental)
The Wee Papa Girls are awesome. I already established this when I wrote about them before, first when discussing the Jive Presents Acid House LP, and then again when posting the Jive Presents In House album.

This time, however, they’re made even all the more awesome with the additional production and remix work by Two Men and a Drum Machine. Who are Two Men And a Drum Machine, you ask? Well, they would be a side project by Andy Cox and David Steele. You may not recognize those names, but you’ve surely heard their music before. In the early 80s they were part of the original line-up of The (English) Beat, the excellent ska act who gave up “Mirror in the Bathroom” and “Save It For Later,” among other clasics. Then after that group broke up the duo met singer Roland Gift and formed Fine Young Cannibals, who had major smash hits with “She Drives Me Crazy” and “Good Thing.” (They also did the most shockingly brilliant cover of “Ever Fallen In Love” you’ll ever hear).

Their output as TWo Men and a Drum Machine is sadly sparse. The only track the duo released as Two Men And a Drum Machine was the 1988 single “Tired of Getting Pushed Around,” which is actually credited to “Two Men A Drum Machine and a Trumpet,” and this track by The Wee Papa Girls is their only production credit. It’s a shame, their work as Two Men and a Drum Machine was way more interesting and innovative than anything they put out as members of Fine Young Cannibals.

They definitely missed their calling as acid house/hip-hop producers. “Heat It Up” is a great track, of the stuff by The Wee Papa Girls that I’ve heard it’s clearly the best. The acid house production is tight, and the flow by the girls is great. How great? So great that The Beastie Boys swiped parts of it wholesale some 10 years later for their track “Alive.” Either that or both artists swiped from the same source material. If anyone out there knows of another track that features the same vocal hook, please tell me. Rap is so full of “homages” that sometimes it can be hard to tell who was the real originator and who was borrowing from who.

Posted in B-sides, Fatboy Slim, remixes, The Wee Papa Girls | 8 Comments »

I Want More! Industrial

Monday, March 18th, 2013

The records are piling up next to my computer again. Time for another marathon listening session I think. Those take…days.

I still haven’t made my way through all the records I bought while I was in Japan. I think part of my is subconsciously trying to postpone that inevitability as long as possible. As long as those records are next to my desk, waiting to be listened to, then I have a constant reminder of that trip and something to remind me of Japan everyday.

I miss Japan.

Sigh.

Anyways, good stuff this week I think. Should be sharing some really odd soundtracks and hopefully some oddball remixes as well. I’ve been trying to keep a pace of three posts a week going, but with two concerts (TMBG and Ash) this week, that might not hold up. We’ll see.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I sure had a shit Monday. Time for industrial music.

Nine Inch Nails
The Day The World Went Away (Porter Ricks)
I remember when the day the CD single for this song came out. It was the first release of new Nine Inch Nails in two years, and as a Reznor junkie I was pretty starved for new material. I got off work that day at 8pm and then drove directly to the mall to pick up a copy. I went into the local Suncoast and asked if the had it. I vividly remember the clerk saying, “Naw, so that mean’s ya’ll got about 20 minutes to walk down to the Camelot at the other end of the mall to see fif they got a copy.” So much nostalgia! CD singles coming out in America! (Multiple) record stores in malls! Ah, the 90s, those weren’t the days.

This weird remix wasn’t on the CD single I bought that day. This version was, and remains to this day, a vinyl only exclusive. One listen to it and I can tell why, this is a very experimental take on the track. Extremely minimal with barely a trace of Trent’s original vocals, with the entire “nah nah nah” but removed completely. It’s an interesting interpretation, that’s for sure.

Finitribe
I Want More (Row, Row, Row The Mix)
I Want More
Idiot Strength
Finitribe were an electronic act out of Scotland whose members at one time included influential industrial musician Chris Connelly. I don’t know if he’s on this song at all, all band credits are simply listed as “Finitribe.”

“I Want More” is a Can song, and this is a shockingly great cover of it. I never thought anyone would have been able to take a fairly minimal krautrock tune and remake it into a synthpop/industrial club banger. So good on them. “Idiot Strength” is an original tune and it’s also not half bad. I could totally see both of these tracks tearing up industrial dance clubs in the late 80s. Great Wax Trax! rarities.

 

Posted in Finitribe, NIN, remixes | 5 Comments »

Remixes Of The Pier

Friday, March 15th, 2013

Stomach flu bad.

Remixes good.

Late Of The Pier
Best In Class (Soulwax Remix)
Blueberry (Simon Bookish Remix)
I bought this 12″ single because it had the words “Soulwax Remix” on the front cover in all caps. I didn’t even know who the original artist was when I picked it up. I’ve heard enough Soulwax remixes to know that when they take hold of a track it they own it so much that they practically own it. This one is no exception. I checked out the original version on YouTube and the remix sounds nothing like it at all, and it’s also way, way better. This is a hardcore club banger. Pulse-pounding beats to the nines, 808s coming at you in full effect, madness. Fucking love it. The Simon Bookish mix isn’t half bad either, but I keep coming back to the Soulwax mix just because it’s that damn great.

Mantronix
Who Is It? (Freestyle USA Club Mix)
Who Is It? (Who’s Dub Is It)
Who Is It? (Freestyle Radio Version)
Who Is It? (UK Club Mix)
Who Is It? (Bonus Beats)
Electro up in your face like…someone who would be all up in your face (look I’m writing this at 9:30 in the morning so my metaphor skills haven’t really kicked in yet).

This shit makes me want to breakdance, which is kind of unfortunate considering that I can’t dance, let alone breakdance. Maybe I should start that up. Big tall dude tearing it up at breakdancing competitions, that would be a sight I bet. I could team up with that six-year-old girl and we could set the world on fire. It would be dope.

What? Sorry, got sidetracked. These are great, great remixes of a great, great song. Nothing tops early Mantronix. Grab this shit.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Shonen Knife’s Super Mix of Superness

Wednesday, March 13th, 2013

001

When I went to Japan to buy all the records, I wasn’t just buying for myself, I do have friends after all. One of  said friends is a pretty big Shonen Knife fan, so I made it a goal to pick up an LP or two by the group while I was there.

Turns out that Shonen Knife vinyl is pretty damned hard to find in Japan. They’re not the most popular group in the country by any means, but their records are kind of like David Bowie or Pink Floyd albums are here; the people who buy them don’t sell them back.

In all my shopping across the great city of Tokyo, in all the dozens of stores I explored and all the hundreds of crates I dug through, I was only able to find one Shonen Knife LP, Super Mix. By the time I found it I was nearing the end of my trip, so I pretty much just bought it without paying attention to what it really was. I was just happy to finally find a record by them.

Turns out it’s a remix LP. That’s fine for me (I don’t know if ya’ll noticed, but I like remixes), but my friend is decidedly not an electronic dance music fan. She’s a rawker. So while I think she appreciates the sentiment, this one is more of a cool little souvenir for her than an album she’s going to spin again anytime soon. Thankfully I also found some weird Pearl Jam bootlegs when I was in Japan as well (at a Tower Records no less!) so at least she got something rad to listen to.

As for the Shonen Knife album, I hope you all enjoy it more than she does.

Much like the Lupin albums I posted earlier this month, I’m going to list this one track by track, with some information on the remixers (when available).

Shonen Knife (Remix by Keigo Oyamada)
Oyamada is better known as Cornelius, a very influential electronic musician whose career has spanned nearly 20 years now. He wrote music for the soundtrack to Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and he done remixes for artists such as Yellow Magic Orchestra and Yoko Ono.

He also named himself after a character from Planet Of The Apes and did the same to his son, Milo. So I think it’s safe to say that he is…moderately weird. Also, if this remix is any indication, he’s also pretty great.

Parrot Polynesia (Remix by Keiichi Sokabe)
While not as crazy prolific as Cornelius, Sokabe is a dude who also gets around it would seem. He was in an influential 90s Japanese rock group called Sunny Day Service, and since then he’s released a few solo records, collaborated with other musicians and even started his own record label. You can find out more about him here. This is his only credited remix on Discogs, which is a shame. This is a great re-working of a great track, he transforms it entirely into a pretty hectic and frantic drum and bass track to surprising effect. Love this.

Cannibal Papaya (Remix by Thurston Moore)
Fucking Thurston Moore…

Okay, look, I really like Thurston Moore. How couldn’t I? Sonic Youth? Awesome. Daydream Nation? Top five album of the 80s.

All that being said, Moore is a pioneering musician in the genre of noise, experimental and no wave rock music, three genres that don’t exactly leap to my mind when I think “remix.”

Now, to his credit, I haven’t heard many remixes by Moore, the only that come to mind are this one and a remix of Blur’s “Essex Dogs” that appeared on their 2CD set Bustin’ + Dronin.’ Maybe he knows he’s a dogshit remixer and tries not to take that much remix work. Or maybe everyone else realized he was a dogshit remixer and they stopped giving him remix work. Regardless, he’s a dogshit remixer.

No doubt he was given the chance to do this mix simply because he was always a vocal proponent of Shonen Knife, and was in no small part responsible for them getting a record deal in the states. That’s awesome of him. And I’m glad he did it. But him doing this remix as a sign of respect for the group would be like you showing this blog to your friends and me thanking you by breaking your legs. Urgh.

Dog. Shit.

Tortoise Brand (Remix by Shonen Knife)
If you don’t know who Shonen Knife is then I don’t know how you got this far into this blog post. This is a cute mix.

Elephant Pao Pao (Remix by Takkyu Ishino)
Takkyu Ishino is the lead singer of Denki Groove, an incredibly prolific Japanese dance/pop group who sound like the lovechild of YMO, Kraftwerk, and half the music that came out in the 1980s. I found out about them through this remix and now I really want to hear more of their music. Everything I’ve checked out on YouTube has been great. This is also a great remix, very glitch and trippy.

Insect Collector (Remix by Ryuichi Sakamoto)
If you read this blog on a semi-regular basis then you should know who Ryuichi Sakamoto is. I’ve talked about him before (several times over in fact). Not surprisingly, this is the best remix on the album. It’s very reminiscent of YMO’s more recent stuff, minimal with a hint of dance flavor behind it.

Burning Farm/Banana Leaf (Remix by Moichi Kuwahara)
I couldn’t find much on this person. Apparently he/she is in Snakeman Show, the comedy group who appear on a few YMO releases. In addition to that, Kuwahara is also credited on Discogs as a producer of a few YMO cover records, and as a remixer on a YMO remix album. After that I got nothing. Anyone who knows anything else, please fill me in.

Cool remix though, very ambient.

Twist Barbie (Remix by Roger Manning)
Roger Manning’s full name is Roger Jospeh Manning Jr., I know this because I actually own some of this dude’s music. First and foremost, he was in Jellyfish, a power-pop band from the 90s that has a crazy cult following. From there, he formed The Moog Cookbook, a covers act who played pop songs on the Moog. I have one of their records (it’s alright). Then in 2000 he teamed up with film composer Brian Reitzell to create a soundtrack to an imaginary sequel to Logan’s Run called Logan’s Sanctuary. I have that record (it’s quite weird).

Since then he’s put out three solo albums, the latest coming in 2009. Since power pop is bigger in Japan than it is in the states, I’m going to assume that his work in Jellyfish got him this remix. It’s a good mix, although he really doesn’t do much to it aside from adding some various vocal and sound effects.  If it ain’t broke don’t fix it I guess.

Posted in Complete Albums, remixes, Shonen Knife | 1 Comment »

These Daft Punk Remixes are Neither Hot nor New

Monday, March 11th, 2013

I think I’m honestly starting to make some headway on my other, oft-delayed website. I should have some updates soon. Moving everything off of Nearly Free Speech (scam server site) took a lot of time and set everything back. Now that things are back on track I should be able to get that going sooner rather than later. My goal is to launch by April. Let’s see how that works out. Here’s hoping.

Primal Scream
When Thy Kingdom Comes
Okay, I own five Primal Scream singles and no Primal Scream albums. It’s time for me to jump in! Recommend an album I should start with: GO!

Oh, and this is a B-side from the “Accelerator” 12″ single, in case you were wondering.

Renegade Soundwave
Cocaine Sex (Sub-Aqua Overdrive Dub)
Cocaine Sex (Turbo Lust Mix)
People (mainly British) seem to dig it when I post Renegade Soundwave tracks. These are for them, not for me. While I’ve just recently discovered RS, and loved most of what I’ve heard, I fucking hate this song. It’s, quite frankly, kind of gross, and not good enough to earn it in my opinion. But hey, if you love it, go at it and enjoy!

Daft Punk
Prime Time Of Your Life (Para One Remix)
The Brainwasher (Erol Alkan’s Horrohouse Dub)
It seems that everyone is going crazy for new Daft Punk. The hype is reaching such ludicrous levels that the group even put out a 15 second ad that aired during SNL a couple weeks ago. That’s insane! How the hell did Daft Punk’s next album suddenly become the most anticipated record in all of music? Was it just because of a process of elimination? Did the music press have to find a new “OMG where is it?” release after My Bloody Valentine and Godspeed! You Black Emperor finally released new records (and after everything supposedly associated with Dr. Dre’s long-delayed Detox has sucked)?

I just don’t get it. These are the same people who were underwhelmed by the group’s soundtrack to Tron Legacy; the same circle of critics and hipster assholes who dismissed Human After All completely because it had the gall to be an electronic dance album and not another dance/pop hybrid like Homework. Where did this idolization come from?

Maybe its an ‘absence makes the critic get softer’ thing, it’s been years since Human After All, and even the most harsh critic of Tron Legacy could write off that supposed misstep as it being a soundtrack to a mainstream Disney film, and therefore somewhat forgivable for not meeting their lofty standards. Perhaps all these critics, in Daft Punk’s extended hiatus, have made the group out to be something they aren’t, a savior of the bigger-than-ever/shallower-than-ever electronic dance music scene, a group that might bring a resurgence in “Intelligent Dance Music” or “electronica” style dance music of the mid-90s. Now I almost want Daft Punk’s album to be a disappointment (for those looking for another crossover record anyways) just so I can see all those jerks get all bummed out.

But  whatever. I’m just stoked for more Daft Punk. Wet your appetite with these remixes from a 12″ single.

Posted in B-sides, Daft Punk, Primal Scream, remixes, Renegade Soundwave | 11 Comments »

Hot Ash

Thursday, March 7th, 2013

I just bought tickets for seven different shows between March 20th and June 16th. I should really start buying earplugs by the gross.

Ash
Girl From Mars (Live in Tokyo)
Girl From Mars (Live from the Numbskull EP)
Girl From Mars (Live from the Twilight Of The Innocents Bonus Disc)
I really need to update my sources of music news. Not only was I not aware that Ash recently released an amazing 3LP edition of their excellent A-Z Singles series (it comes complete with a digital download that includes a shitton of extra tracks, you should buy it). But I also was not aware that they were touring the states! Even worse, I had no idea that they were coming to my own backyard of Pittsburgh, PA! Shit! Thankfully I found out in time and now I have tickets, but damn, how the hell did this one nearly sneak past me. I must be slipping in my old age.

I fucking love Ash. They’re my favorite band of the britpop era (yes, I know they’re from Northern Ireland, but you know what I mean). 1977 is a great record. Amazing. A must own in my opinion, and everything they’ve done since has been great too. I actually think that their best work has been their most recent, the aforementioned A-Z Series. You should seriously buy that. For real. Go buy it. It’s great.

In the meantime, here are three versions of “Girl From Mars,” taken from different hard-to-find singles, bonus discs and DVDs.

Quick sidenote about Ash. While I do love them, as a person with an s/sh speech impediment, I find their name endlessly frustrating.

Spiritualized
Come Together
Broken Heart
Broken Heart (Instrumental)
HEY EVERYONE LET’S GO DO ACID.

Ahem, these versions are from The Abbey Road EP, and are different than the versions that appeared on Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space.

OH GOD IT’S KICKING IN I CAN SEE NEW COLORS.

Posted in Ash, B-sides, live, Spiritualized | 2 Comments »

On The Verve of Greatness

Wednesday, March 6th, 2013

Drowning my snow sorrows with britpop.

verve

The Verve
Lord I Guess I’ll Never Know
Country Song
Three Steps
The Drugs Don’t Work (Demo)
The Crab
Never Wanna See You Cry
MSG
The Longest Day
Stamped
The Verve were a great band who never got their due here in the states, relegated to a status that could best be described as greater than a one-hit wonder but below a critically-acclaimed cult act (kind of between Elastica and The Stone Roses, if we’re going to stick to 90s britpop bands as a means of comparison). I was never a giant fan of the group, but goddamn Urban Hymns is a great record, one that has fared better with age than many other britpop albums from the time. It’s not surprising then that the b-sides and rarities from that era hold up just as well.

I got all of these tracks from a 4×12″ single box set that I picked up in Japan. As you can see from the image above, the box for the set is sadly bland, just being a cardboard sleeve with black text, but the contents more than make up for the lack of visual flair. All of these b-sides are great amazing tracks that could have easily been album cuts. In fact, I bet that many of these tracks were only cut from the album proper because they were so long. “Country Song,” “MSG” and “The Longest Day are all over seven minutes each, and with Urban Hymns already a long ass record (over 75 minutes) they literally couldn’t have fit on the record without making it a 2CD beast, which I think would have been overkill.

So when I think of it like that, I guess it makes sense that these tracks didn’t make the cut. What doesn’t make sense to me, however, is that nearly all of them have yet to see a proper re-release. The Verve only have one official B-sides compilation, 1994’s No Come Down, which came out before Urban Hymns and only featured outtakes from their first two albums. So Urban Hymns-era rarities have never really seen the light of day. The closest they’ve come in the states is on an odd digital-only release that you can find on Amazon called Deep Cuts. Some of the tracks on Deep Cuts were also on this box set, and I’m not including those here tonight. I do recommend you check that mini-release out though, if for nothing else than the track “So Sister” which is easily one of the group’s best b-sides.

Hope you dig on these, if I have time I’m planning another britpop-centric post later this week.

 

Posted in B-sides | No Comments »

What Have You Done To Deserve These Remixes?

Monday, March 4th, 2013

I have written so much about these three artists that I literally have nothing else to day about them other than that I think they’re rad and that these remixes are equally rad so you should download them.

Pet Shop Boys
Rent (The Francois Kervorkian Remix)
What Have I Done To Deserve This? (Dub Mix)
First of all, the official title of the 12″ single that I got this from is “What Have I Done To Deserve This/Rent.” I totally read that as “What have I done to deserve this rent?” which is something I often thought before I bought a house. Now you can just replace the word “rent” with “mortgage” and really nothing has changed.

Okay, now for some comments on the actual music. The “Francois Kevorkian Remix” of “Rent” is in my opinion the definitive version of the song. Kevorkian transforms the once brief three-minute pop number into a seven-minute epic, but he adds relatively little to the song’s already sparse sound. He just stretches it out with some added breakdowns and instrumentals, and that somehow makes the already sad tale of a loveless relationship even more heart-wrenching. Amazing work.

Kevorkian is a legendary remixer by the way. That awesome mix I put up of “Lips Like Sugar?” That was him. I’ve also shared his mixes of Depeche Mode, Erasure and Gus Gus songs. Dude is prolific.

Madonna
Sorry (PSB Maxi-Mix)
Sorry (Paul Oakenfold Remix)
Sorry (Green Velvet Extended Remix)
What It Feels Like For A Girl (Above And Beyond 12″ Club)
What It Feels Like For A Girl (Paul Oakenfold Perfecto Mix)
Some of these mixes are on Amazon/iTunes, but they’re “remix edits” and not the full uncut versions. Because someone is stupid and didn’t realize that if a fan is going to shell out $5 for a remix EP then they probably want the full uncut versions and not shortened edits. Isn’t that why people listen to remixes in the first place?

Anyways, in case you can’t figure it out, the PSB in “PSB Maxi-Mix” is Pet Shop Boys, so I got some nice accidental consistency with tonight’s post (aside from the typical “songs you’d hear in the best gay club ever” consistency that I have whenever I post dance music). Also, the best mix of this bunch is the “Green Velvet Extended Remix” because it basically takes “Sorry” and transforms it into a 90s acid house track. That’s the kind of shit I can get behind.

Erasure
Who Needs Love Like That (Mexican Mix)
Push Me Shove Me (Tacos Mix)
Love a 12″ single that has remixes with themed titles. Of course, there is nothing Mexican, mariachi, salsa, or otherwise Latino about these mixes. The “Mexican Mix” of “Who Needs Love Like That” is just an extended mix with some very slight alterations, and the “Tacos Mix” of “Push Me Shove Me” is…well…to be honest I don’t know how it’s different because I’m a bad Erasure fan and I don’t own Wonderland. I own 46 Erasure singles, but only half of their proper albums. Sometimes I’m weird.

Posted in Erasure, Madonna, Pet Shop Boys, remixes | 4 Comments »