We have guests in town this week and I am a big fan of welcoming people to Chicago with a stiff drink so…given the fantastic weather today I believe we are heading out for a glorious night of Margaritas. The past week has been fun – out to see the Juan MacLean with buddy Josh (clubs editor for TimeOut Chicago), – at Metro for private taped interview session with illustrious dubstep badass Benga – and we started rehearsals for the “Poppin’ Bottles” video shoot! You can view a little of our rehearsals in the link below. Note our fantastic lead actor (hint: mustache action)! Password to view the file is “dancin”!

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

I also have a new mix I’ll be dropping sometime this week with fantastic goodies from the likes of Lee Mortimer, Hot Pink Delorean and Yuksek! To get it though, you’ll have to subscribe to my podcast! Lastly… in support of “Freaking Me Out, Part 2″ I’ll be chatting with Designer Drugs this week to talk production, plans and of course, his infamous True Pseudo remix. The text will be up probably next week but…if you subscribe to my podcast, you’ll also get the audio from the interview. BTW, if any of you have questions for Designer Drugs, leave them in the comments and we’ll see if we can’t work them in! Totally random – I’m also interviewing Paul Van Dyk this weekend for TimeOut Chicago. Leave questions for him in the comments as well.

LASTLY, if you’re not on my mailing list, or a fan on Facebook (for myself or Calamity Jane), sign the eff up – I promise we won’t inundate you with updates and the updates you will get will be totally gravy – including exclusive audio, event goodies, etc. etc.

Terror Dactel sent over this nice remix of LMFAO’s “La La La” which is making me very happy. Here in Chicago, I hear “I’m In Miami, Bitch” (or as it’s altered for the city, “I’m In Chicago, Trick”) every goddamn ten minutes on the radio but “La La La” is still hiding in the shadows a bit. This remix is just solid – great intro that starts out pretty benign with the vocal over a breakbeat and some pretty atmospherics. Then, come after the introductory break it gets into straight up electro that isn’t overworked (ah…my fave).

LMFAO: La La La (Terror Dactel Remix)
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Josh David of Breakdown sent over a host of remixes to me today. I was expecting some of the usual suspects of the moment, La Roux, LMFAO, etc… what I got was a total WTF moment when I saw…Skeelo and Kid N Play? Seriously, dude? Ok, fine, everything deserves a listen. I have to say, both of these tracks are pure fun in a bottle. They’re not cheesy at all – in fact, the vocals are integrated in such a way where you get a little taste of throwback heaven without it sounding like someone pandering to a cheeseball crowd. The Skeelo remix is a little more put together for me, and Josh tells me Mickey Slim played it at Ministry of Sound. Kudos!

Skeelo: I Wish (Breakdown Remix)
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Kid N Play: Rollin With Kid N Play (Breakdown Remix)
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Treasure Fingers is such a talented producer and I was thrilled to get this sent in to me. His remix of N.A.S.A.’s “Gifted” is nothing short of stellar. Understated with a slight disco touch feel, the remix is a gorgeous, melody-driven tune that is completely consistent throughout. A programming change at around 2:00 that drops the atmospherics keeps the song interesting without changing much at all – the construction overall is put together incredibly well and is subtle in several ways.

N.A.S.A.: Gifted (Treasure Fingers Remix)
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There are elements about Golden Gloves‘ “Pick Up The Slack” that I enjoy. I see myself using it as more of a quick transition between songs – popping it in for a minute or so or maybe layering with a vocal…overall on its own it’s a bit too loopy for my taste. The only really noticeable changeups happen with quick filtering that almost have the impression of being done live. In the right spot though with a crowded room at 3am, I could see this completely popping off. I don’t know why, but I immediately thought of mixing out of something like Sydney Samson’s “Riverside” into this…

Golden Gloves: Pick Up The Slack
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This next remix might not be something I would generally throw into a set but it’s so nicely done I wanted to include it anyway. The Disco Wizards remix of Pony Pony Run Run’s “Hey You” is definitely more low key but the little samples of guitar with looped and vox bits that then switch into loops of chords and overtly chopped vocals was more deliciousness than I could stand. Those little differences help make what could have been an otherwise simplistic remix stand apart without seeming gimmicky.

Pony Pony Run Run: Hey You (Disco Wizards Remix)
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Ooh well hell-o Dirty Monkeez and your fantastic remix! Ahem…this remix of Daniel Merriweather’s “Change” has got it all – multiple lines of synths (an upper and mid range using different sounds), fantastic vocals, piano and a seamless integration of lighter-sounding vox into an electro tune. I really do love the breakdown that strips everything save the piano and vocal, but I wish the bulk of the vocal repeated at least one more time after it kicks in again. No, the 10 seconds at the end where the vocal comes in RIGHT BEFORE IT ENDS does not count. In fact, I’m tempted to take the freaking 16 beat intro that the track has as a result of said vocal interjection and stretch it out myself.

Daniel Merriweather: Change (Dirty Monkeez Remix)
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Here comes the slightly emo and slightly guilty pleasure remix of The Dance Party’s “Sasha Don’t Sleep” by AutoRock. I feel like a suburban teenager in Hot Topic clothing that is ironic because I paid extra to have it torn on purpose. (I think THESE GIRLS would love it). On the other hand…fuck, it really is a good listen. It’s constructed like an original and actually doesn’t much read like a remix at all and is so delightfully upbeat.

The Dance Party: Sasha Don’t Sleep (AutoRock Remix)
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My favorite part of this Dance Area remix by Correct Effect doesn’t include vocals at all – it’s at 3:33 – the breakdown with the uber-computerish synth that gains more static with each bar, eventually bringing in chopped to hell vocals and then going back into the track which stays very very crunchy, taking loss of information to a fun place. Overall the synths are purposefully less finessed than other things I’ve heard lately (meaning they sound closer to a preset and there’s definitely a lot of bitcrunching going on), but I really enjoy it.

Dance Area: 24/7 (Correct Effect Remix)
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More Kap10Kurt! There’s been a lot of him around here lately. His version of Clubfeet’s “Teenage Suicide” is very dream-like, with panned trickling keys and lots of atmospherics. My only concern is that given how lush the song is, the vocal becomes lost when all the elements are in full force. It doesn’t help that the vocals are highly effected as well. Aside from that, it’s a very enjoyable remix that, while relying heavily on arpeggiated notes, does it in such a way that it sounds befitting when accompanied with all the other elements.

Clubfeet: Teenage Suicide (Kap10Kurt Remix)
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