Something different

Lists are by their definition an act in redundancy, except when they break from the norm. So I've been thinking, people make far too few lists concerning their favorite remixes (that might be a total fallacy but, yeah), so that's what I'll do. I won't list the remixes that make for the greatest floor burners, but rather a list of the remixes that are able to lend something completely new to a really good song, making it a great track in it's own right. It won't be a top 20 list, like last time, and it won't be a top 10 neither, and damn it, it won't be a top 5 either. I'll be going with a top 6, because I like to be different.

#1 Björk - Wanderlust (Ratatat Remix)

Every man who says that he's not in some small way in love with Björk is a liar, simply put. The intermingling of the world's coolest person (that's Björk) and Ratatat's glorious sound makes for just about the greatest remix I've ever heard.

#2 Florence and the Machine - You've Got the Love (The xx Remix)

Everything The XX does seems to be golden at a very high level. Pristine, if you will. Same goes for this remix. The love is so totally, unmistakably mine.

#3 Pantha Du Prince - Welt Am Draht (Animal Collective Remix)

It could not have gone anyone by that I'm a huge fan of Animal Collective. But this is really the only remix of theirs that I've ever come by. By the hammer of Thor, they're certainly no worse off in this respect.

#4 Friendly Fires - Kiss of Life (Spiral Into the Storm Remix)

Lunging it's way on for 9 minutes of Frindly Fires goodness, this track just can't, shan't, won't be missed. It's good stuff.

#5 Tunes United - Celestial ("Molested" by Unarmed Enemies)

This might be the song I've listened the most too, in my entire life. And that's saying something. It's just always been there, from the day that I got my first iPod, onto todays supercomputer/phone/pornographic imgage distributor that's reffered to as an iPhone. To me it's synonomous with love, life and apples. Apples most of all.

#6 Telex - Moskow Diskow (Carl Craig Remix)

"Moskow Diskow, Miskow Doskow". If that's not the best songwriting ever, well I'll be a son of a gun. I just very recently heard this remix, though I can safely say that it's at least as good an alternative as it's original mix for that exclusive soup buffé that you invite all your friends over for. It's slower and more ponderous than the original. I like.

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On a slight sidenote, The opera produced by The Knife is just fantastic.

XXX

Pornographic material for yo' ears, that's what my agenda is all about. "The XX" is a four-piece from London consisting of 18-19 somethings coming together to create this summers most beautiful album. It's hard to imagine something less timid than The XX's melodies, and that's where their musical genius lies, their quiet and soothing, yet somehow angry display of pure teen angst. There's alot of themes to do with moons and stars, as well as the silly ideas we youngsters have about unconditional love and our beliefs that somewhere out there is something for us to build our lives upon. They display a harsh reality though, one that says that we cannot always stay so naive. Yet they wish to linger in these beliefes as though they were unwanting of leaving their naivite behind, as if to say that having these dreams are just as crucial as the realisation that we cannot rely on them.

Now I'm sure many of you are aware of The XX's gothic homage to the vocal melodies of R&B and their back to back musical upbringing with "Hot Chip" and "Burial" for which they are most recognised. For those of you not aware though I'd like for you to consider the following fact. They are fantastic. They released their first LP about two weeks ago, and through strained repetiotion on my iPod I've come to the conclusion that there's not a single mediocre track on the record. Every track is as inventively gloomy as the one preceding it and the duets between vocalists Romy and Oliver are a struggle of beauty on beauty with the listener ultimately the winner. 

The xx - Shelter 

The xx - Stars