The other night a DJ saved my life. After a glorious day of enjoying Pride Sunday and eating an immense amount of sushi, I made my way to Sound-Bar with some friends. Unfortunately the music on the main floor was hard circuity trance. Too dark for my concept of Pride. WAY too dark.
After chilling in the Round Bar with my crew for a while and seriously contemplating leaving because of the inappropriate music, DJ Marc Buxton came to our rescue. What a gem! He fired up the decks in the Round Bar and gave us the full rainbow of House from deep and smooth grooves to hype hollerin' divas. Bravo Marc, I shall look and listen for you more around town.
The dance floor remixers have been working full time lately. The cliché "Everything old is new again" has never rang more true. Two tracks you should know about right now take some old favorites and bring them up to date for the floor.
Sweeping like wildfire across Europe (and now the US) is Benny Bennasi presenting the Royal Gigolo's "California Dreaming" remixes. There are at least seven remixes that I have tuned in to, each one bringing a unique spin on, and I'm not kidding, the original 1966 Mamas and the Papas track. In my favorite remix of the lot, "The House Remix," Bennasi's hard edge digital sounds are slammed against the original vocal hooks and bridges. It's such a popular song that it really works. When the first "All the leaves are brown..." hits, the crowds go wild. Bringing back in the vocal stabs and hits of the original track, the song makes it's way through most of the verses before exploding in the digital extravaganza of thick bass lines and buzzing sounds that the Benassi camp is known for. What is old is new AND fierce.
Despite Nipplegate and a new album, an underground remix of Janet Jackson's "All Right" has surfaced. Not to knock the remixes of "All Night Long" or "Just A Little While" which are both great, but this West coast tinged remix is better than anything new from her camp out right now. It's a brilliant and flawlessly executed total re-edit that just goes to prove the timelesness of Janet's music. Seriously reworking the vocals into a smooth and jazzy floor filler, you'd almost think this song was on Damita Jo. What's old isn't just new, it's better than before.
Livin' for the oldies with you in 4/4,
Peter Mavrik