[Tracks] Recent Remixes

A-Trak is my favorite disc jockey. Technically, he's fantastic on the ones and twos both scratching and beatmatching; he is a true joy to watch perform. Yet, technical spinning and producing are two very different, if related, skills. And while A-Trak has been among the elite on the decks for more than a decade, his production aesthetic is still developing. Don't get me wrong, I've loved a lot of what he has done in the past, particularly with Kid Sister and his remix of Digitalism's "Idealistic" from a few years back. But it seems that with his last two official remixes - Sebastian Tellier's "Kilometer" and Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Heads Will Roll" - everything is coming together. Both tracks are fantastic reworkings that make for great club jams.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix)


I love certain aspects of Zinc's remix of La Roux's "Bulletproof." The opening minute of this track is among my favorite stretches of music from 2009. Zinc did a brilliant job at reworking the track and establishing a new sound. When combined with Eleanor Jackson's vocals, it's absolutely wonderful. But throughout the rest of the track, Zinc seems content to ride out his synth-that-kinda-sounds-like-a-digital-fart breakbeat at great lengths; he ignores the fact that the track is, indeed, a La Roux remix, injecting Jackson's voice sparingly throughout the rest of the track. Ultimately, it's an enjoyable remix (I'm half-joking with the digital fart line) and I would be forced to dice a serious piece of carpet upon hearing this in someone's DJ set. I just wish the whole thing was as great as the first minute.

La Roux - Bulletproof (Zinc Remix) (I know I'm super-late on this remix, but my buddy Jack just put me on to it this week)


Tanlines' (careful...seizure-inducing background to their site) remix of Au Revoir Simone's "Shadows" is a different type of remix, designed for relaxing on a late summer day...a fantastic reimagination of a solid track.

Au Revoir Simone - Shadows (Tanlines Remix)