Little Boots seems to have had a good year by all accounts; I wouldn't be surprised if her debut album, Hands, makes it on to more than a few 'Best Of 2009' lists. This latest remix of mine is of her song Earthquake, track two on that album and released as a single last month.
Most bands don't like to be compared to others, but when I first heard Little Boots' original version of Earthquake I couldn't help but recall what a great band Dubstar were, especially back…
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Here's a remix of a song by Brooklyn-based duo Matt and Kim. This is probably the least I've ever done to a song when remixing it, so if you like this track then the glory is almost all Matt and Kim's. The vocals, synths, strings, and general structure and arrangement is all there in the original version, and I just dubbed simple drums, percussion, guitars, and bass over the top.
I tried to keep the organic, 'hand-made' feel of the original; I suppose it now sounds something akin to…----------------
This was one of those happy occasions where I got to discover a great new band via their remix competition. Well, I guess that is precisely why they run them. The original version of Pick Up The Phone features the 80s production style so popular right now, but thankfully Dragonette also have the tune to back it up, finding the catchy chorus that eludes so many of their contemporaries.
Many of my arrangement decisions on this remix were based around trying to accommodate the short echo…----------------
This is my guitar-based, power-pop remix of a song called Paparazzi by new unsigned hopeful Lady Gaga. Just doing my bit to help her along in her career. If only this shy, retiring, wallflower of a girl could be coaxed out of her shell, in my opinion she just might go on to become the next Tiffany or Debbie Gibson - here's hoping, eh?
This remix is a little similar to my earlier remix of La Roux's Bulletproof, but with more emphasis on the guitars. It also has a guitar solo;…----------------
Heavy guitars and a ton of reverb often don't mix well, unless it's a big wall of noise that you're after - which is pretty much what I was aiming for here! Star Baby is one of two Marcy Playground remixes I've just completed (Thank You being the other).
The original version of Star Baby is a very strong song, so once again my remix was really just about doing something different purely for the sake of it. In his notes on the Indaba Music website, singer John Wozniak…----------------
I was always pleased that by alphabetical serendipity my own records might one day be stacked next to those by Metric in the racks of HMV. Then Daniel Merriweather came along and ruined everything. Also, the racks of HMV began to be filled with DVDs and video games instead of records, but that's another story.
When Old World Underground was released, for months it scarcely left my CD player. Since then, of course, Metric have followed that up with two more stunning albums (plus the…----------------
I was determined to get this remix done from start to finish in under a day. As a result it's a little rough around the edges, but I think it's done; something this simple and this noisy probably shouldn't be fretted over.
No disrespect to Enter Shikari, but this is one of those times when you'd like people to hear the song before they see the name of the band - because even if Enter Shikari aren't really your thing, you might still like this remix. I've directed it away from the…----------------
A Weezer remix! Hell yeah! Indaba Music recently made the vocal to this Rivers Cuomo song available for remixing, so I was very excited to be able to run my meagre production skills over it. I think everyone must have a soft spot for Weezer; they have a penchant for combining great tunes with a self-deprecating wit that anyone can appreciate.
It's probably fair to admit that in the pantheon of awesome songs penned by Rivers over the years, My Brain is Working Overtime is some way down…----------------
There have been so many great artists coming from Canada in recent years, and here is another. This remix is of a song by Toronto-based singer-songwriter Emma-Lee, entitled Until We Meet Again. The original version can be found on her current album, Never Just a Dream, and is pretty much perfect just as it is, so once again this remix was really just a case of messing around with the song and doing something different for the sake of it. Emma-Lee's original has some lovely strings…----------------
My remix of La Roux's Bulletproof has just been uploaded to the music player and the downloads page, so please do check it out. La Roux are certainly a band on the up, having just today been nominated for this year's Mercury Music Prize, so it was a pleasure to be able to remix them. The original tune is a chirpy little 1980s-style synth-pop song, so I decided to do my best Duran Duran impression for the remix, adding a few guitars and a vaguely Andy Taylor-esque riff. One of the main…----------------
Way back in January I did a remix of Emiliana Torrini's Jungle Drum, so I've tidied it up a bit and uploaded it for you to hear. I think the label were probably looking for an electronic dance version, but this remix was about as far in the dance direction as I was prepared to go - that is, not very far at all! Having said that, you could certainly dance to my version after a few drinks, and I'd wager an indie-disco DJ could probably put this on without getting bottled off.
I had a…----------------
Sometimes you record a cover version because you like the song, and sometimes you do it because you like the song and there's a lovely Gibson SG guitar up for grabs as a competition prize. Worth a try, I think! The contest was run by the Fairtilizer website, and this recording was my entry. I've no idea whether I'll win, but in the meantime you may as well all have a listen to the song anyway. It's streaming now in the music player, and is also available as a 320kbps MP3 download from…----------------
© James Merrifield 2009
