This is a seriously stunning track and has been on constant repeat for me for the past few weeks. Due to the events of the past year or so, the internet probably has more remixes of The XX than it does pornography, so it takes something really, really special to even get a listen from me anymore, let alone a blog post.
This is something special. A very minimal, sprawling take on album standout VCR, yet it over comes usual limitations on minimal material to be very lively, ever changing and retains the beauty of the original. A remix with as much, if not more, personality as the original. The xx - VCR (Four Tet remix) by Four Tet
BUY the 320 on Beatport HERE. Trust me its worth it for the extra quality.
Dubstep changed a lot of things. Its still unbelievable popularity on dancefloors worldwide has altered many things in the world of electronic music and as a result what’s getting produced for the dancefloor. Its so starkly different in both tempo, rhythm and sound from anything else, that it has captured the attention of DJ’s the world over, meaning even on the most superficial level, most sets will have at least a few dubstep tracks in it. More importantly though, it’s having an impact on a wide range of genres, from electro and house, to the California beat scene, and the original UK bass staples of Garage and Two-step.
This is where the badman Deadboy fits in. Coming to Perth really soon for DON’T SLEEP at the newly revamped Bakery venue, hes bringing his brand of future garage and bass music to unsuspecting punters and dance floors here in on the best coast. Yet despite what my opening paragraph may have you believe, his style has more in common with the forward thinking R&B of Timbaland than the wobbles of conventional dubstep. Rather, I mean to argue that the popularity of dubstep has opened doors on dance floors for other styles of music that have similar low-end aesthetics and focus. So while Deadboy may not have the crazy wobbles audiences are used to, he’s just as important and relevant now as a Rusko, Magnetic Man or Joy Orbison.
Deadboy wears his R&B cred on his sleeve, doing garage refixes for Cassie and others. You can hear what sounds like chopped up Usher vocals on ravey anthem U Cheated over that very, very low bass and skittering drums, while downtempo garage tune If You Want Me, has clattering diva samples while keeping the mood sounding more like a traditional R&B tearjearking ballard. His resulting catalogue is dripping with heart and bass, and will get the club going ham.
As a result we have music that sounds more like Timbaland in his prime, when he was making forward thinking R&B for Missy Elliot, Jay Z and others, instead of his far more insipid recent work with people like One Republic and Katy Perry. Its music which no matter which audience its aimed at or for what purpose sounds like the future and despite its weirdness compared to its contemporarys still strikes a chord with the average punter.
This influence can also be heard in fellow British bass merchants The XX who wrap themselves firmly in the twin influences of R&B and bass music, yet have managed to peddle this music to the indie kids. With Jaime XX on the MPCs and decks, the group have grounded what are essentially R&B tracks with heavy bass music or in the case of their Florence and the Machine remix, garage. (Also for more dubstep cred, check out his fantastic mix for Collette). The only real difference between them and Deadboy is that Islands wasn’t made for the dance floor.
When i first saw the link for this i balked. While I'm a big fan of both The XX and M.I.A. and hell i enjoy a bit of Gucci from time to time, I'm really over mashups. The days of when the Hood Internet was blowing up and Girl Talk was king seem like a distant memory. I remember the times when i would here two songs ingeniously put together and I'd lose my proverbial shit.
It's not like that these days. Songs put together seem way too forced in order to just captialise on the success of those who've come before and done it way better. Maybe it was just more surprising back in the day, so when we're given an album of xx and notorious B.I.G mashups and it seems like a good idea, the effect is underwhelming.
This is not a mashup despite what the title track title would suggest. Whoever jDats is, hes done a good job here, chopping up an XX sample, working it into a fun southern beat and putting that classic M.I.A. manifesto sped up for the chorus. And theres that Gucci Mane for fun. This is whats called sampling people, it works better these days.
Hey, whats up, I'm 72. This blog started as me posting while I was away in North America, but now I'm back in Perth, looking for gigs (I DJ under the name Sleepyhead, will play a set for food...) and generally ranting about music in a somewhat schizophrenic manner. If you want to send me music, or get me to take a link down,hit me on 72seventytwo72@gmail.com. oh yeah and i suck at dancing
