11.19.07

It’s not for the cock, it’s for hands in the air time

Posted in Albums, G-Town at 10:22 pm by Gavin Williams

Soulwax- Most of The Remixes…

The remix: an essential and integral part of new music which constantly pushes and evolves things into new directions. Or, the remix: part of the scenester faux bullshit with which if you’re not up to speed on who’s reworked the reworking of last weeks anthem you’re definitely not cool? Either way, 2007 has been partly defined by remixes of other songs and with great timing, or a great PR team, the DJ kings Soulwax release a best of collection of their remixes. But the really question is, of course, is it any good?

The album is split into two separate discs, the first being a more standard run through tracklisting of songs while disc two is a mega mix of the remixes. In suitable fasion, the second disc starts with an immense run through of LCD Soundsystem’s “Daft Punk is Playing In My House”. This remix is a real builder of a tune- starting with an almost innocent lo-fi beat and escalating into a sinister dark groove. The song will make anyone who’s ever set foot in a nightclub inwardly curse themselves for not thinking of such a deceptively simple but wonderfully executed idea; remixing “Daft Punk is Playing in My House” with flashing samples of different Daft Punk songs into one massive head banger of a tune.

Robbie Williams and his “Lovelight” is remixed into a pulsating, heart throbbing sky scraper of a song; it’s basically pure dirt and filthy sex melted into audio form and dripped from the speakers like hot wax. Similarly, Kylie’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” is morphed and reshaped into new possibilities with grinding bass, slow and big drums while never losing the original hooks of the song. All these songs are mixed into each other, in a relentlessly great soundtrack that won’t stop.    

After creating the skins generation dance anthem (”Standing in the Way of Control”) and creating exactly the sort of music to be played in indie clubs, Soulwax could quite easily have become caught up in being just part of the new rave fashion. However, Soulwax do what many do, but just that little bit better. For example, a klaxon’s remix. Ten-a-penny. A klaxons remix that takes on the posture of a funked out, menacing stomper the size of Godzilla. On the Soulwax album.

Taking the likes of Robbie, the Sugar Babes and Kylie (as well as the more walked down indie path of Klaxons, the Gossip and Justice) and turning them into pure, uncensored, unreserved club bangers is were Soulwax truly excel. If God were to sit up in the clouds and make himself the ultimate DJ mix to soundtrack the bender of all benders, he would most probably give up after listening to Disc Two of this album, having realised it can’t be bettered.

In an age in which Mark Godamn Ronson is credited as a good artist for a song Amy Whinehouse sings, Soulwax once again emerge from among the tat to show they are a duo that really take remixing into an art form. Listening to this album, you’ll suddenly recognise a snippet of a song, or a familiar intro- the next thing you’ll know about it, it’s all gone a bit hands in the air in your bedroom. This album is amazing and for anyone with even the slightest dance music interest, this is an essential purchase.

 

Daft Punk Is Playing In My House

Lovelight (have it again, it’s fucking great)

http://www.myspace.com/soulwax

 

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