Remixes dragged back from the memory hole

It's not often you find yourself looking at a major label and thinking "that's a worthwhile thing to do", so let's raise our glowsticks to Universal, who have set to work collecting the billions of additional mixes that used to pad out 12 inch singles back in the 90s. They're then sticking them online for the first time:

“Key areas of our catalogue were unavailable to a modern audience, so there were lots of missing reference points to the younger fan on why electronic music sounds the way it does today,” said Universal’s Robin Jenkins.

Six reworkings of I Feel Love; the Mad Thatcher Disease remix of That Petrol Emotion's Hey Venus; four flavours of one-hit-wonder Crystal Water's Making Happy. It's a strange mixture, but worth a couple of minutes of a dig through.

Andy Partridge re-evaluates Andy Partridge

This is quite sweet, actually: they've been remixing Drums And Wires, XTC's 1979 album, and Andy Partridge is well taken with it:

Heard 5.1 mix of DRUMS AND WIRES at Steven Wilson's yesterday. So good,it's upped my opinion of the album.COMPLICATED GAME=breathtaking.

On the downside, further 5.1 remixes of XTC albums depends on EMI being able to find the original tapes, something Partridge doesn't hold out much hope for.

Fazer works with the dead

Here's an eye-catching claim:

N-Dubz' Fazer is set to work with Phil Collins.

"Everyone will be expecting I'm going to work with Tinie Tempah, Tinchy Stryder and Chipmunk, but I want to do something musically credible that opens me up to different markets.
"I'm going to work with Phil Collins."

To be frank, we'd not really expect Tinie, Tinchy or Chipmunk to be rushing to work with Fazer - why would you trade down like that? But the Collins claim is fascinating.

Given that Phil Collins has retired from music.

So, has Fazer managed to tempt Collins back for one last job? Has Collins been assured by ATOS that working with Fazer isn't actually doing music, and so won't affect hios entitlement to pensions?

Or is it merely that the record label is dumping a bunch of tapes in Fazer's hands and getting him to have a play?

Let's go back to that quote and find out:

"I'm going to work with Phil Collins, The Script, and I'm already doing a remix of Sting's 'Englishman in New York'."

Dumped tapes, then.

Fazer is happy, though:

"I love 80s music. Dappy and I think music now is nowhere near as good as it was back then."

I suppose if you had to spend most of your day listening to N-Dubz over and over again, you might come to that conclusion.

Remembering Poly; helping a charity

Remixes. Posthumous singles. Charity singles. Competitions to remix tracks. Any and/or all of those things can result in horrible wrongs, so it's heartening to see it done well: Poly Styrene's No Rockefeller, remixed by competition winners Wass n Burls, raising money for the UNCHR's Somali campaign.

Twittergem: Universal

From @starsmiff:

Universal Music have told Soundcloud that I'm infringing copyright on my Gaga remix teaser. The same one they asked me to do and paid for

You've got to love that joined-up thinking.

Embed and breakfast man: The Voluntary Butler Scheme

The Voluntary Butler Scheme is back. There's a new ep at 'coming soon' status, but already you can look at it:



But you know what else? Dan Le Sac has done a remix, and you can take that away to put in your mp3-compatible music player or other device:

Downloadable: Ladytron

I was thinking earlier this week, in a quiet moment, that the world was just about due some new Ladytron electropoise. And, lo, the mighty gods of RCRDLBL have furnished us with a Punks Jump Up remix of Ace Of Hz.

My thoughts, made solid. Very bad news for Noel Edmonds.

The XX shuffle Adele

Perhaps one of the nicer surprises of last year was that Adele's new album is actually pretty good. And now, the surprise gets remixed, as Jamie XX remixes - demixes - Rolling In The Deep. Abeano has the stuff.

This feels the wrong way round

Duran Duran remixing Depeche Mode? Wouldn't Depeche Mode remixing Duran be a bit more interesting?

Downloadable: The Drums

You've got to love anyone who says that the only music they listen to is The Field Mice. And The Drums being remixed by Saint Etienne, the only band to have had a hit with a Field Mice song - well, that's a loop being closed, right? There's a download waiting for you at RCRDLBL.

Downloadable: Shout Our Louds

Hailed, apparently, by Esquire Magazine as a perfect pop song of the month - an accolade right up there with Angling Today's Hat Of The Week - enjoy a remix of Walls by the Shout Out Louds. This version has been chomped about by Fontän. It's very Swedish.

Downloadable: Ladytron

Ladytron want your email address. They're going to abuse it, you know, and won't be satisfied until they've had your PIN number. And your mother.

In return, though, they're dishing out a free download of the Grey Ghost remix of Predict The Day.

Worth sharing your email for. Possibly even worth sharing your mother for.

Tegan and Sara: The same old song

How would you feel about a record which just featured the same song, done in slightly different ways, over and over again?

True, that could be describing any Boyzone album, but in this case we're talking about Alligator by Tegan and Sara. iTunes only, and this is the track list:

1.) Alligator (Holy Fuck Remix)
2.) Alligator (Passion Pit Remix – 80s Mixtape Jam Flex Edit)
3.) Alligator (Toro Y Moi Remix)
4.) Alligator (VHS or Beta Remix)
5.) Alligator (Doveman Remix)
6.) Alligator (Four Tet Remix)
7.) Alligator (Murge Remix)
8.) Alligator (Ra Ra Riot Remix)
9.) Alligator (Automatic Panic Remix)
1o.) Alligator (Hi-Deaf Remix)
11.) Alligator (Dave Sitek Remix)
12.) Alligator (Sara’s Original Demo Version)
13.) Alligator (Morgan Page Remix)
14.) Alligator (Kevin St. Croix Remix)
15.) Alligator (Mad Decent Remix)
16.) Alligator (Josh Harris Remix)
17.) Alligator (Hamel Remix)

They're going to be bloody angry if it turns out it was actually a crocodile.

He's got Atari Teenage Riot on his music centre in his home with a beautiful view

Here's something to put in your diary and/or laboriously one-finger type into some sort of Blackberry style phone:

May 12th 2010
The Electric Ballroom, London
184 Camden High Street, London, NW1 8QP

That there and then? That's the one-off Atari Teenage Riot reunion date, that is.

Did I mention a new single? Oh, yes. A new single. Activate. May 17th.

And, if you're already a little bit foaming, there's a free remix download to keep you going.

Atari Teenage Riot - Digital Hardcore (2010 Remix by The Builder) by Alec Empire

Downloadable: CHLLNGR/The XX

I know, I know, the 'bad hand at Scrabble' vowel-free name is a little bit behind the loop, but if you can get past that, investigating the work of Steve Borth can be rewarding. Here, for example, is the CHLLNGR remix of Islands by The XX. If you're about to object that remixing The XX is a very 2009 thing to do, I don't know what to tell you and don't think I can offer you any help.

Downloadable: Basement Jaxx/ABC

And all my friends just might ask me, they say 'Martin one day you'll find true love'. And I say I'm not called Martin, but, you know, cheers. And maybe one day, you'll be able to visit the Basement Jaxx site and download a free remix of The Look Of Love. Yes, the ABC one.

[via Stereogum]

Streaming now: Hot Chip

Drowned In Sound have an exclusive on a Joris Voorn remix of Hot Chip's One Night Stand for you to enjoy. (Actually, given they're using Soundcloud and it's an embeddable player, it's not exclusive at all, really, but it's fair to listen through DiS, isn't it?)

Downloadable: The Ting Tings

RCRDLBL really do behave like it's Christmas every day. So, today, they're eating sprouts and handing out gifts in the shape of an Acid Girls remix of cough Grammy-nominated Ting Tings' Great DJ.

Downloadable: Au Revior Simone

A smattering of Brooklyn indie, as Au Revior Simone get a Social Disco Club reversioning to Another Likely Story.

The hope is that you'll love this so much, you'll buy the single when it comes out next week with this, the original flavour and Aeroplane and Neon Indian remixes as well.

Downloadable: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

What do you get if you take The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart's Higher Than The Stars, and have it all messed about with by Saint Etienne verus Lord Spank?

This free download is what.