I was supposed to play in Guatemala today, leaving at 7:20 this morning, only to find out that the international airport in Guatemala City was closed due to a volcanic eruption. I called the owner of the club and he told me that much of the city was covered in ash and sand. He was ok though, as was his family and the club, Stage. We rescheduled for June 26th, but in the meantime, the more I thought about it, the harder it was to just be worried about my gig. The above photo shows some of the after effects of the volcano and while the Red Cross is still assessing the situation and considering requesting additional help from the Disaster Response Emergency Fund, you can still donate to help. I did. The Red Cross site has a donation page, with a section for their International Response Fund. Every little bit helps. I also thought I’d put some put up some tunes today to share music in some capacity since I won’t be DJing tonight.
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UPDATE:
Guatemala City is now also facing Tropical Storm Agatha. With ash from the volcano blocking drains, there is worry of flash floods and mudslides. There’s also a warning from the National Hurricane Center. The owner of club Stage tells me the whole city is without electricity right now. READ ABOUT THE STORM ON BBC.
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Haydn Hoffman sent over some boots of two songs I absolutely love – “Bangduck” by Afrojack and “Fancy Footwork” by Chromeo. In terms of a remix, the Afrojack one is my favorite since it’s more easily recognizable in terms of what it’s referencing. The Chromeo remix, while banging with slightly dissonant sounding synths, only features tiny snippets of the hook as an element people would be able to pick up on. Those same synths are also found in the Afrojack slammer, but there’s a nice transition between the “Bangduck” sections and Haydn Hoffman’s heavy-handed re-imagined version.
[audio:http://www.danideahl.com/audio/05_29_10/Afrojack_Bangduck_HaydnHoffmanRemix.mp3]
Afrojack: Bangduck (Haydn Hoffman Remix)
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[audio:http://www.danideahl.com/audio/05_29_10/Chromeo_FancyFootwork_HaydnHoffmanRemix.mp3]
Chromeo: Fancy Footwork (Haydn Hoffman Remix)
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Yay another “Acapella” remix! I seriously cannot get enough of Kelis’ songs right now. This is the first real electro remix of “Acapella” I’ve gotten that I like, courtesy of Shameboy. The track has a rawness to it with stuttered vox, brash percussion and a synth that doesn’t smoothly go between notes. Everything gives it a slight disjointedness that, while I’m not sure is intentional, sure sounds as if it is and I like it. The vocal stuttering acts as a nice tease as it slowly opens up and comes in full (with some liberties) when the breakdown comes. A fantastic alternative for someone who wants a remix that might not be “pretty”, but will kill at the height of the night.
[audio:http://www.danideahl.com/audio/05_29_10/KelisvsShameboy_Acapella_BootyLegsRemix.mp3]
Kelis vs. Shameboy: Acapella (Booty Legs Remix)
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It’s been a little bit since we’ve seen a boot from now Denver residents Paul Anthony & ZXX! The wait was worth it as their remix of Ludacris’ “How Low” delivers insane punch with a heavy Dutch slant. This duo has always been an example of how to work with a few elements and continually reinvent them through a track. Not only are there interesting vocal twists throughout, but a groundwork of strong drums, an insane sub-bass and a fun, singular sounding and ravey mainline. Hey, when you perfect the elements you use, you don’t need a lot to work with.
[audio:http://www.danideahl.com/audio/05_29_10/Ludacris_HowLow_PaulAnthonyZXXRemix.mp3]
Ludacris: How Low (Paul Anthony & ZXX Remix)
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I’m a big Duotone fan and I think this is the first time I’ve gotten a remix of them submitted to dsquared. Tony Oh‘s remix of “My Ex Is A Porn Star” has an admittedly tricky, dubstep inspired intro but listening all the way through, the progression is really quite cool. It disintegrates into a melody that reminds me of some evil drum & bass and when it kicks into a more traditional 4/4, it still has pads and stabs that are very d&b. It’s definitely darker than something Duotone would do, but I’m loving the varied genre references and think it has a pretty unique tone overall.
[audio:http://www.danideahl.com/audio/05_29_10/Duotone_MyExIsAPornStar_TonyOhRemix.mp3]
Duotone: My Ex Is A Porn Star (Tony Oh Remix)
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This remix is a little different for dsquared, but as I always say, I’m a sucker for drums. Shir Khan lightens it considerably from the original version and gives it a breezy, percussion-laden vibe that evokes Summer and daytime poolside parties. Where’s my margarita? Excessive loopiness works to the track’s advantage here – each element is perfectly placed for an interesting, slowly evolving journey. Love the multiple ways vocals are used as percussive elements and the smart restraint on production.
[audio:http://www.danideahl.com/audio/05_29_10/Munk_LaMusica_ShirKhanRemix.mp3]
Munk: La Musica (Shir Khan Remix)
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Bonus track:
[audio:http://www.danideahl.com/audio/05_29_10/Tenderoni_PunchesRemix.mp3]
Kele: Tenderoni (Punches Remix)
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Since waiting in line, buying drinks and paying to get past the door simply sucks, those in the club will have access to perks like free swag, drink tickets, access to members-only contests, mixes, free tracks and first stab at guest lists. Now that's music to anyone's ears.
click here to add additional info.
This is very note worthy news. Thanks for leaving the Red Cross donation page. We’ll rally together a benefit party at the Fallout to do our part.
Kill me the next time I hear “how low can you go.”
kinda disappointed bout that PAxZXX Remix. Their rmx for rick ross was waaaay better!
but the porn star track makes that up!