Contributions for the the Four oh Five

Here are two posts that I contributed to the Four oh Five. If you don't follow them on twitter you should. They are a fantastic magazine!



Slothpop - Magenta (Way Yes Remix) by The Wounded Jukebox

A remix is always a tricky thing.  Do too much to a song and the original spirit is gone.  Do too little and then why not just listen to the original?  Then there is always a stylistic question, does this record need a dubstep remix? A disco remix?

All this brings me too Way Yes's remix of Slothpop's Magenta.  The remix was described to me as Psychedelic Michael Jackson song.  Are you intrigued - because with that description I totally am.  While it is not quite psych Mike, it is better than any Michael Jackson remix I have heard.  The track has a nice funky, boogie style to it - a remix style that should be employed more.  The synths provide a fun atmosphere and the chopped up vocals power the song.

The real star of the remix are the funky drums.  Instead of the normal kick/bass drum sound, a more hollow springy styled drum is employed.  The song is sounds like something Dam-Funk would make out of Animal Collective, only more pop-y than an actual remix of Animal Collective by Dam-Funk.  The vocal sample functions as a disco ball, it reflects attention around the song and then back to the drums.  The vocal sample never quites become clear, it conveys a feeling of Magenta - a neat trick.  This is the sort of song that is perfect for a summer day - warm and breezy enough to make you move, without ever overwhelming or overheating you.

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Girl Unit - Wut (Funk Butcher Bootleg) by FunkButcher

Funk Butcher recently took to Girl Unit's classic "Wut" for a rework, or bootleg as he calls it. The bootleg is a mix of several different styles all at once. There are parts of the song which have a great UK Funky feel. These segments have a lovely rolling bass line and stabs of the chorus that make for nice funk groove. Keeping the original "Wut" vocal sample was an interesting choice, given how much louder it is compared to the funk back track. However, a large part of the song have a juke/footwork feel. With Funk Butcher hitting the reset button on sample over and over. Its a bit jarring considering the differences between juke and funky, however it makes the bootleg intriguing. There is always a challenge when reworking a song as iconic as "Wut". By blending two different remix styles, Funk Butcher hinted at how either could have fit the song. I personally would love to hear a full funky remix of the track, but this is almost as good.