Anoraak – Super French Romanticism

It seems some of the best electronic music going around this year is French (see Kavinsky and Breakbot). Producer/Singer/Songwriter and all round music genius Anoraak has been slowly forcing his way into my musical consciousness and now that he has I am all the richer for it. His original brand of soothing romantic electro oozes quality and is a joy to listen to.

I first opened my ears to Anoraak when I noticed Grum had put out a banging remix of Nightdrive With You, Anoraak’s breakthrough single from late 2008. I later heard a Fear Of  Tigers remix of Nightdrive that confirmed the excellence of the track. When my stubbornness finally relented I check out the original track from Anoraak and have been hooked ever since. This guy earns great praise across the blogs and it is easy to see why.

Anoraak’s beautiful synth-laden pop electro is pure magic. He lays his own vocals on his original tracks (yes he can sing) and composes some genuinely charming pop ballads. His latest release Above Your Head is a perfect example of this. The track is the leading single and preview for Anoraak’s debut EP due out on the 30th of August.

Of course he also turns out a mean remix. Check out his mix of Keenhouse below. The sequencer sound has flashes of New Order‘s Perfect Kiss. Favorite track of the week.

You can purchase Nightdrive With You and other Anoraak tracks here. Above Your Head is available from his myspace as a free download. Awesome!

Nightdrive With You – Anoraak

Above Your Head – Anoraak

Civic Transit (Anoraak LAX Remix) – Keenhouse

Recent Remixes – Part 1

I feel inclined to share some of the individual remixes that have been rocking my eardrums lately. They aren’t linked by artist, genre, origin or form, only by the fact that they are all excellent and they are on high rotation in my playlists. Some are old, most are new, but all are excellent. I figure it is just easier to dump them on you in one hit instead of trying to introduce each track and artist. I think you know what I mean…

First on the list is Cassian‘s remix of Aussie band Cassette Kids‘ track Spin. Sounds nothing like the indie-rock original. Driving bass and simple reworked vocals make this one of my favorite tracks to turn up and dance to in the bedroom.

Spin (Cassian Remix) – Cassette Kids

I have been getting into Classixx quite a bit lately ever since I heard “I’ll Get You” sampled in a Bag Raiders Minimix, so when I found their remix of Lisztomania earlier in the year, well I was quite happy. It would be hard to stuff this song up, but they did a great job. A laid-back chill groove that still oozes all the charm of the original.

Lisztomania (Classixx Remix) – Phoenix

Fred Falke has been one of my favorite producers for some time now. This man has a godlike ability to to take any track and lace it with warm, exuberant synths. It really is the definition of Happy Music. His remix of NZ electro Queen Ladyhawke is a fine example. Expect to see some more Falke here shortly.

Back Of The Van (Fred Falke Ultimate Beverly Mix) – Ladyhawke

4th in our list of 5 is Happymusic’s almost favorite artist ever Grum, remixed by Dcup. I don’t know much about Dcup but the 70’s disco inspired rework almost rates higher than the original. And you can bet there is more Grum coming shortly.

Can’t Shake This Feeling (Dcup Remix) – Grum

Finally, last but typically not least, is Russ Chimes‘ remix of Solid Gold by The Golden Filter. I posted on The Filter’s album release last week and wrote up Chimes a few weeks before that. I really dig his relentless electro mixes with contrasting light and heavy synth sounds. His tracks also have a live rock band kind of feel about them, which makes the music feel more organic.

Solid Gold (Russ Chimes Remix) – The Golden Filter

Hope you like Panda’s too.

One, Two, Three, Four…. THE TWELVES!

Admittedly I was a little slow to pick up on The Twelves and indeed it seems I missed what would have been an awesome gig at The Oxford Arts Factory last May with Miami Horror. Don’t you hate it when you get in to Artists just after they tour round your town? Seems to happen to me quite a bit. Not the point, what is the point of this post is that The Twelves produce some excellent disco infused-dance tunes and their remixes are some of the best going around right now.

The Prolific duo hail from Rio (nice to see the focus taken of the States and Europe) and seem to effortlessly combine widespread touring and regular remix releases to keep the blogosphere satisfied. They have an uncanny knack for taking an already popular track and lacing it with salacious disco beats making it 1000 times more dance-able. Take their edit of “Something Good Can Work” from Two Door Cinema Club, a group that I really wasn’t interested in and took pleasure in ignoring until I heard this mix. The same goes for Metric’s uber-hit “Help I’m Alive” which has been revitalized after the transformation from The Twelves’ dazzling disco-ball inspired re-work. It is surprising how both tracks lend themselves to this kind of reformation, but it works perfectly.

The 80’s classic “Take on Me” from A-Ha is also masterfully redone, however it would be hard to mess this one up.

Something Good Can Work (The Twelves Remix) – Two Door Cinema Club

Help I’m Alive (The Twelves Remix) – Metric

Take On Me (The Twelves Remix) – A-Ha

Penguin Prison – Horrible Name, Delightful Music

Horrible, awful name. What a bleak image the name Penguin Prison conjures up, yet by some contrast, the music is some of the most delightful and accomplished solo synth-pop I have heard in some time.

Often the term “Pop” inspires sonic visions of underaged, over exposed Starlets, a scantily clad and aging Brittany Spears and the excessive use of auto-tune to disguise a blatant lack of talent. That is why it is so refreshing to hear pop music with genuine substance. Chris Glover’s supple yet powerful vocals fit perfectly in his elaborately composed songs. His ambitious approach to song writing is accommodated by the seemingly limitless expanse of his musical imagination, which adds some much needed substance and credit to the genre.

The first track I got into was “The Worse It Gets” and the simple tune tells you all you need to know about Penguin Prison’s delightful self-produced bedroom pop. The RAC remix nailed it enhancing synths of the original whilst also giving it a feeling reminiscent of some of Queen’s live performances.

Ironically whilst writing this post for “The Worse It Gets” I have been religiously listening to the new single “Something I’m Not”, which has a distinct Depeche Mode feel about it, so you can have that too.

Do keep an eye out for this guy. I imagine his gigs like a non-stop up-beat dancefest where everyone has a fat smile plastered on their face the whole time. I can’t wait.

The Worse It Gets – Penguin Prison

The Worse It Gets (RAC remix) – Penguin Prison

Something I’m Not – Penguin Prison

Breakbot is Breaking through

Breakbot first popped into my musical consciousness a month or so ago when Kavinsky’s Nightcall was previewed and the quality remixes swiftly followed. Breakbot’s edit neutralized the cold tone of Kavinsky’s original and replaced it with a super-saturated sexy funk sound that totally reversed the feel of the track. Since then I have been doing my Bot-research and am routinely impressed with the findings.

Breakbot is just one of many contemporary French DJ’s that seem to be dominating the scene and it is no surprise that his “Baby I’m Yours” single was released on Busy P’s Ed Banger Records. Breakbot’s style is more laid-back compared with his Parisian colleagues featuring more old-school funk influences mixed with simplistic electro that gives alot of his tracks a nice chill-funk feel. This is particularly notable in his remixes such as the aforementioned Kav remix and also the tracks featured below.

Perhaps the best news of this post is that Breakbot is coming to Sydney, and soon! He plays on the 8th of May when Arcade takes over The Arthouse on Pitt St. Hope to see you there.

Kelly (Breakbot Remix) – Van She

I Think I Like U 2 (Breakbot Remix) – Jamaica

A Thing For Me (Breakbot Remix) – Metronomy

Russ Chimes – Expressway Mix Part 1

Russ Chimes has burst into my playlists over the past month like an aggravated water buffalo stomping through rice fields in South-East Asia (try to imagine it). The London producer has been hard at work with multiple releases already this year and could quite possibly be the most productive dance artist of Twenty-Ten. I first picked up his remix of Fabian‘s Heatwave and was absolutely stunned by the bridge section of the track that sounded more like an 80’s epic guitar solo from a hair metal band than a modern club track. The fusion of the two styles was super impressive giving the subdued original some much needed balls. I have been hooked since.

When I discovered the Expressway Mix – Part 1 I was only too keen to download and tuck in to over an hour of smooth Chimes danceness. The mix features some of the best dance/electro releases of the year (only 3 months remember) and some of Chimes own remixes. The mix is fresh and provides a good summary of the music of 2010 so far. Grum, Bestrack and Alex Metric kick off the mix in a relentless funk/dance assault and it only gets better from there finally concluding with Happymusic’s favorite Kavinsky.

Download and groove your ass off. Featured track list is below. And yes, as you should have inferred this is part one of an upcoming series so watch this space for part two. It will surely be just as good.

Russ Chimes – Expressway Mix Part 1

1. Russ Chimes – Raceway 036 Intro
2. Gorillaz – Stylo (Alex Metric Remix)
3. Phonat – Love Hits the Fan (Bestrack Remix)
4. Axwell – In The Air (Grum Remix)
5. The Vanish – Hold On (Russ Chimes Remix)
6. Andrea Doria vs. LXR – Freak Me (Phonat Freak Remix)
7. Popmusichi – Once Again
8. Louis La Roche – Malfunction
9. Patrick Alavi – Come 2 Me
10. Strip Steve – Breakin’
11. Ladyhawke – Magic (Donnie Sloan Remix)
12. Rhythm Droid – Sunrise On Planet Tokyo
13. Denzal Park – Filter Freak (DCUP Remix)
14. Tronik Youth – Disco Sucks (Aston Shuffle Remix)
15. Steed Lord – Remember Me (Russ Chimes Remix)
16. Ellie Goulding – Starry Eyed (Russ Chimes Remix)
17. Wolfmother – White Feather (Bang Gang Edit)
18. Wolfmother – White Feather (Burns Remix)
19. Tony Senghore – If You Came Here
20. Reset! – If We Try (Russ’ Love Anthem Guitar Solo Edit)
21. Danger – 04h30
22. Dr. Kucho – Kung Fu Funk
23. Cassius – 1999 (Reset! Remix)
24. Burns – Fourteen
25. Kavinsky – Nightcall (Breakbot Remix)

Lady Gaga…?

Grum animated cover

Lady Gaga, you ask?

Your skepticism is warranted. ‘How can Lady Gaga be “Happy Music?”‘ You cry! ‘Why would anyone bother writing about Lady Gaga?’ You ponder aloud, and rightfully so. I’ll be the first to admit that Lady Gaga is not one of my preferred artists and I will not be racing out to see her sashaying across an enormous stage in her trademark undersized undergarments. There is, however, something potent about this toothsome songstress and I don’t think it is just my simple male inclinations.

Grum, I believe, has found that something, and then intensified it by 1000! Combining his typical sensuous synths and distinct hollow cowbell with Gaga’s often harsh yet seductive vocals Grum has created the quintessential 80’s influenced dance track that will satisfy both ardent electro enthusiasts and loyal pop princesses alike. The two Artist’s individual styles are masterfully interwoven ensuring a clear resemblance of the original track whilst distinctly reconfigured to accommodate Grum’s classic, if sometimes slightly indulgent crescendos. What I find most notable is the absence of the “Ra ra” vocal part from the original, including this sample to dramatic dance-enhancing effect would have almost been too easy, so its omission is understandable.

All in all a top remix and one of the standouts from the year that was 2009, in my humble opinion. The increasing trend of reputable “underground” DJ’s remixing mainstream pop vixens has been given a fresh and dynamic boost.

More Grum to come.

Bad Romance (Grum Remix) – Lady Gaga