While not quite a remix, we tried to take this track a few steps beyond what you would expect from a blend/mashup these days. We figured that if you’re going to mess with Etta James’ iconic “At Last”, you better make it worthwhile. So we chopped up her vocals all types of ways, progressing from the straightforward to the insane (check around the 3 minute mark for evidence). Using Quentin Harris’ epic “Let’s Be Young” as a backdrop, these two classics combine to create the type of soulful dance music we love most.
We stumbled across this one while working on an upcoming mix. It pairs Nelly Furtado’s Timbaland-assisted “Say It Right” acapella with an instrumental edit we did of Midnight Magic’s modern day classic “Beam Me Up (Jacques Renault Remix)”.
It only took a few listens to recognize that Frank Ocean’s “Thinking About You” is a masterpiece. After having it on repeat for about a week, I also decided that any attempt to remix it was not only futile, but pure blasphemy. Had I even been willing to consider it, the idea of combining it with one of the more popular big room house songs of the past few years (Swedish House Mafia’s “One”) would have been the furthest thing from my mind. And yet, here we are, presenting you with just that.
We actually dismissed it as soon as we put it together, but over time, we found it every bit as addicting as the original. We steadily build the track up from its slow ballad roots to the all out intensity of its Swedish House Mafia counterpart. So give it a listen (or two, as it seems to grow on every one we play it for) and let us know if we committed a crime against musical perfection or gave you a new way and another reason to listen to one of Mr. Ocean’s best.
A little over a month after its release, the long awaited Watch The Throne has been digested and debated by many and no matter where you’re opinion lies, it’s been a dominant conversation piece in hip hop. Given everyone’s familiarity, we felt it was an ideal time to rework one of its standout tracks, “Ni**as In Paris”. The melody is undeniably addictive and, in our minds, it was screaming to be flipped. So we chopped and rearranged it, switched up the tempo and added flavoring from a couple other punch-you-in-the-face-type-intense hip hop classics (”Ante Up” and “Get Your Freak On”, to be precise).
Figured we’d better drop this before “Watch The Throne” leaks and gobbles up all Jay-Z-related discussions. It’s a simple little blend, perfect for warming up a party and inspired by the similar bass lines in Michael Jackson’s “Liberian Girl” and Jay-Z & Jermaine Dupri’s Steve Arrington-sampling “Money Ain’t A Thang”. Say what you will about “The Throne” (Jay & Kanye’s new moniker) but Kanye certainly makes a better rapping partner than Jermaine ever did…..which is why we cut his verse out altogether on here. Enjoy!
When Cut Copy dropped “Take Me Over” a lot of people took note of its strong resemblance to Fleetwood Mac’s “Everywhere”. Whether they were biting, borrowing or paying homage is up for others to decide but they certainly made no secret of Stevie Nicks & Company’s general influence on them during the making of “Zonoscope”, their third LP.
Hearing the album’s 15-minute closing opus “Sun God”, another song-specific melodic ancestor leapt out at us: Chicago’s “Street Player”, best known as the source of Kenny Dope’s house classic “The Bomb”. So we proceeded to do what we do and put the two together by cutting the Cut Copy in half, matching the melodies, and finally, giving their epic electronic breakdown an organic horn-layered counterpart.
P.S. In looking up YouTube videos for the above links, I realized the unfortunate business that is Pitbull’s “I Know Want Me”, which also uses “The Bomb”/”Street Player”. We made this edit with the blissful amnesia of its existence. Hopefully you can enjoy it in the same way.
Company Flow is reuniting this weekend so we thought it’d be as good a time as any to drop the extended version of our Vital Nerve remix. First found on our “5 Boro Bass Mix” which paired some classic hip hop songs with drum-n-bass breaks, this one always seemed to stand out, so we doctored it up and made it a stand alone track.
It’s been a while since I’ve graced a hip hop stage in NYC…and you’ll have to continue waiting, because my next performance will not include 2 turntables and a microphone. That’s right, Sunday the 10th of July I’m doing an acoustic set (no rapping just guitar and vocals) with my homegirl Hana Mess of The Mess. We’ll be performing under a grape arbor. There will be refreshments as well as a beautiful garden in Park Slope to check out. It’s a super relaxed environment; come out and chill, enjoy the flowers, the sunshine and oh yea the music.
The Garden of Union is located on Union St. between 4th and 5th Aves. (closer to 4th). The R train to Union will suffice. Music will start around 1pm. See you on Sunday.
