bongos, congos and funky house

A remix I haven't stopped playing is this Downtown re-edit of Mixhell's Boom Da - it knocks Petit Pilous' driving dirtier and Crookers bleepy rerubs out of the park. And who is Downtown? None other than one half of Renaissance Man. The bitrate has been reduced here - buy the full quality version here. Brazilian Mixhell's tune was released a couple of monthsago and features Oh Snap! and Jen Lasher. It's more of those bouncy tech-house rhythms, with a synth-led intro dropping into some deep percussion and satisfying clicks and clacks:

Mixhell - Boom Da (Downtown Remix) [pelski highly recommends]

Boss of the famous baile-funk pioneering label Man Recordings, Daniel Haaksman, is dropping his second ever EP, 'Gostoso'. (Pick up the mighty five track EP here). The B-side is awonderful slice of tech and disco-infused baile funk, enforced with whistled melodies, chipper high hat tiks and a tech-house feel. Stunning stuff:

Daniel Haaksman - Pobum Coco [pelski highly recommends]

While skirting yet more tropical flavours, here's another Buraka Som Sistema remix, this time from Matiksoul. Equipped with some choppy mixing and thumping tribal drums and congos:

Buraka Som Sistema - Aqui Pra Voces (Mastiksoul Samba Remix)

All these bouncy, not entirely - but verging on - minimal, tunes are a new breed of tropical, tribal and afrobeat influenced sounds. And another sound very closely linked to this, emerging on the UK scene is UK Funky - no, not the funk-laced house of naff clubs and endless crummy compilations that you're used to, but a new brand of house that pulls on garage, jungle and techno. The likes of Roska, Fr3e and Donae'o are at the forefront, but really pushing the envelope are Crazy Cousinz: a couple of Leeds, yup, cousins called Lukes and Paleface who smashed last year with Do You Mind and have appeared on YCCMPelski countless times. This insanely catchy tune revolves around latin percussion and a chiming Xylophone. Summer is here. And so is Funky:

Crazy Cousinz - Inflation [pelski highly recommends]

Trendy purveyors of all things house, I move onto Zombie Disco Squad. Alongside Riva Starr,Mowgli and Solo, Zombie Disco Squad are bringing minimal flavours back to house music with slow builds and a tribal sheen. They also write the Gutter Broadcast blog with Round Table Knights and Renaissance Man, where these and couple of other tunes from this post came from. ZDS have posted an edit of Ricardo Villalobos 'Baile' and plodding South American techno tune. They've cut down to size and given it a couple of subtle twists:

Ricardo Villalobos feat. Los Updates - Baile (Zombie Disco Squad's Time is Money Edit)

They've also put together a delicious bootleg of Hard House Banton's 'Zulu Form (another staple of the Funky scene) and that inescapable and classic Fingers Inc 'My House' acapella:

Zombie Disco Squad - Banton Boot

Lastly, and with little to do with the theme of this post (besides a slight kuduro edge on behalf of Norrit's original), I was sent this remix over a month ago but failed to post it. Austin's Dubbel Dutch featured in a pelski mega post earlier in the year here. Now, Think 2wice Records have sent over Dubbel Dutch's remix of Norrit's 'Feel The Rhythm', injecting some jackin house beats round those crooning vocal and oscillating sythns are forced home with a rumbling, spluttering bassline. Buy the full release(with a Norrit and White Girl remix included) here.

Norrit - Feel The Rhythm (Dubbel Dutch Remix)

July: Pelski Highly Recommends Chart

Remember to check out the April, May and June charts, with some choice tunes still smashing it. Buy all tracks listed from beatport, or hold tight for forthcoming releases:

1. Simian Mobile Disco - Audacity of Huge

2. Gramophonedzie - Why Don't You

3. Mixhell - Boom Da (Downtown Remix)

4. M.in & Bastian Schuster - New Orleans

5. Renaissance Man - What is Guru (Riva Starr Remix)

6. Calvin Harris - Ready For The Weekend (Fake Blood Remix)

7. Tim Green - Exercise

8. Moodyman - Hello 2morrow

9. Kevin Suanderson - The Human Bond (Claude Vonstroke Rave Recognize Rave Mix)

10. DOP - Mambo Jambo

11. Crazy Counsinz - Inflation

12. Thomas Schumacher - The Ooh

13. Style of Eye - Grounded

14. Boy 8-Bit - Baltic Pine

15. Crystal Fighters - Xtatic Truth

short and sweet Q&A with Digitalism

A couple of months back a handful of the best-of-the-best blogs were asked to compile a number of questions for a short interview with electro purveyors - and now stadium fillers - Digitalism, in promotion for 02 Wireless festival. Pelski has unfortunately been carelessly holidaying and just returned to see the festival's been and gone. But I thought I'd post my three quick questions here anway - better late than never. Oh, and be sure to attend Wireless next year.

I'm interested in artists' perceptions of mp3 blogs. Of course, there's some out-spoken opposers - like Radio Slave and Duke Dumont - but do you think the better blogs (who are careful not to thoughtlessly post high quality new releases) are helping or damaging the scene?

We like blogs and respect them for their work; they can show people things that they normally wouldn't have discovered. the major labels have lost their grip on sales and downloads anyway, so there's no point in blaming blogs for damaging the musical industry. People just have to be careful when there's so much stuff out there -- they tend to "zap" through songs rather than appreciating a single song like they used to, back then.

I always used to enjoy a good Digitalism remix. 2006 saw you bang out a lot of top notch remixes, but that seems to have petered out now? Will we be hearing any new remixes or original material this or next year?

There's lots of new Digitalism stuff coming up soon, but it's our own music rather than remixes. we want to concentrate on the Digitalism stuff first before we point attention on other bands' works.

Who are your favourite up-and-coming artists right now?

Hey Today! and Drums of Death might be amongst them.

Thanks guys. Pelski x

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For a little Idealism nostalgia get your teeth into this sublime remix from WhoMadeWho - stripping back the original dancefloor banger into a strumming and humming dreamy number. (the track's courtesy of chums over at the ever-brilliant datasapiens blog, who also put a couple of questions to the digi-men here):

Digitalism - Idealistic (WhoMadeWho Re-Interpretation)

Freedom fighters

Crystal Fighters first came to my attention a year or two ago with the weird and wonderful 'I Love London' - hyper-active folktronica enocorporating everything from cowbells, fizzing synths and crazy vocal calls. It'll be receiving a re-release on Kitsune some time soon.

But Crystal Fighters have really shot to fame in the last couple of months with Xtatic Truth. Their trademark basque instruments are here with a more sweet melody to start things off before it drops into a catchy, accented chorus amidst the blistering energy of the synths and instrument clamour - this is certainly their most acessible tune yet [as this is for promotional purposes, I have reduced the bitrate considerably]:

Crystal Fighters - Xtatic Truth (Xtra Loud Mix) [pelski highly recommends]

These days, Kitsune are sometimes brushed-off as an old-hat weedy indie-electro label - better suited to 2007's new rave influx than 2009's stranger sounds? But Kitsune are still on the

money with their tastemaking signings - plucking out all kinds of obscure sounds.and dropping some of the biggest tunes of the year, including Beni's 'My Love Sees You', some crooning La Roux productions and Phoenix's flawless 'Lisztomania'. They're everywhere and there's even a Kitsune iphone application now... (- a little too keen, perhaps?).

There are tonnes of remixes to pick from: a ticking, low-key dubstep take comes from Magistrates, while Last Japan and Kitch'n'Sync both beef things up in the house department. But, its Renaissance Man and L-VIS 1990 (quickly becoming regularls on YCCMPelski) who really stand out. Subtle clicks and clacks of congos bop along, retaining the essence of the orginal but stripping away the frantic pace to leave a sereen beauty. L-VIs 1990 takes a similar minimalist approach, but with echoing drum beats and fine touches:

Crystal Fighters - Xtatic Truth (Renaissance Mane Remix) [pelski highly recommends]

Crystal Fighters - Xtatic Truth (L-VIS 1990 Remix)

Buy the full Kitsune release here.

This remix by Crystal Fighters is a stormer, and verges much closer to electro than their other stuff - plucky spanish guitar strings and a wavering bassline weave around the glam-pop vocals of Magic Wands:

Magic Wands - Black Magic (Crystal Fighters Remix)

trendy and tribal, yeah?

I pined after it in my first pelski chart 3 months ago, waiting, with baited breath for a full version to drop. Now it's here. And it's nothing too big or fancy, but a solid, excellent re-edit that gives Jesse Rose's much-spun, Mr Scruff-sampling 'Touch My Horn' even more dancefloor clought. Those lofty horns remain, the beat broken up by jackin, punchy drum slaps, a jittery affair, but breathes a new lease of energetic life into it. And it's a maturer turn from Crookers, who've wisely ditched that samey bass style this time round:

Jesse Rose - Touch My Horn (Crookers Remix) [pelski highly recommends]

Another huge tune here. Both Riva and Renaissance Man have continued to blow all competition out of the water this year. Riva's new minimal style never bores - each of his tracks possessing a new and quirky quality. These afrobeat and tropical influenced percussive sounds are, without a doubt, all the rage right now. It's inescapable, and rightly so. Sound Pellegrino are certainly pushing this techy tribal sound right now, but you don't need to look that much further afield, with the likes of Dubsided and MadetoPlay dropping similar sounds.

Renaissance Man's 'Spray Can' had expectations running ludicrously high for their second release, but with the double release of 'What Is Guru/Aloha' they've done a darn good job. Techy house beats thudd against a neatly cut-up tribal call in 'What is Guru'. Riva Starr's remix is superb, speeding up the BPM and cutting straight to the chase. [I've reduced the bit rate of this track: be sure to buy the full quality version along with the original RM tunes here]:

Renaissance Man - What Is Guru (Riva Starr Remix) [pelski highly recommends]

Another tune that runs along the same kind of african vibe, is Radioclit's 'Secousse'. Yup, it was release a year ago, and received another remix release a couple of moths ago. The Round Table Knights' effort trumped, but Riva Starr's is an excellent rework [again the bitrate is reduced, buy the full 320 here]:

Radioclit - Secousse (Riva Starr Remix) [pelski highly recommends]

Some of that funky tropical percussion - that was so delicious about N.B. Funky's recent 'Riddim Box' (in the latest pelski's playlist) - clangs around Dre Skull's poppy samples in this first-rate free-release from Bok Bok:

Dre Skull - I Want You (Bok Bok Remix)

Bonus:

...admittedly a little old, but while on the subject of Radioclit, this rerub (Radioclit's also produced an inferior but notable 'French' version) brings pattered congos and screeching accordions. Lovely:

Metronomy - Radio Ladio (Radioclit Swedish Remix)

Pelski's Playlist - Pt. VIII

It's time, again, for me to post a number of miscellaneous tunes that have slipped through the pelski net over the last month or two. We've got growling electro, big house beats, some thumping breakbeat, one bassline remix, a couple of minimal flavours and even a small slice of reggae-infused pop, just in time for the summer. Pelski highly recommends them all:

The band currently holding the most outlandish name is London's Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. Their tunes are as quirky as their name. I posted their Foreign Beggers remix a while ago here and now they're back with an upbeat, wobbly one - jumpy bass womps along to some breezy 80s-style synth work:

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Bournemouth

I was unsure as to whether this really was the Proxy remix because I thought it was another prank. To clear things up the fake blood prank was apparently pulled not by Disco Demons (though they did post the track), but pranksters from over at the Erol forum (and are currently commenting below!) - who convinced everyone on April Fools that a remix knocked up by themselves was a hot-off-the-press Fake Blood remix of Darude's 'Sandstrom', which swiftly forced its way up the popular hypem charts. But this sounds like Proxy, in its slow humming elements, even if it is a slight departure - dark, bassy strumming growl behind looped vocal snippets. A slow brooding remix. Be sure to check out Proxy's thumping remix of Shottieville too:

Mystery Jets - Half In Love With Elizabeth (Proxy Remix)

Frenchkiss Records sent over a little taster of Sean Bones's album 'Rings'. A little different from the usual peski fodder, it's summery, uplifting Reggae-infused indie-pop. And very nice too:

Sean Bones - Dancehall

One of my favourite tunes of the last few months was Renaissance Man's Spray Can - all jittery, bouncy minimal house. Sharkslayer - first blogged here - replace some of the cleaner beats with electro fuzz and whirring, but the essence of the original's - the bleepy hook - remains in tact. A slightly more maximal affair, but still great fun. Sharkslayer's also just put out a simple edit of Nadastrom's spluttery dub of Lenka:

Renaissance Man - Spray Can (Sharkslayer's Respect to Nassau Remix)

Lenka - Trouble Is A Friends (Nadastrom's Wishful Dub) (Sharkslayer Nassau Edit)

The Yank briefly came to everyone's attention last year with the superb 'We Can't Be Stop'd' - sampling The Beatles' 'Birthday'. It was suprisingly good dancefloor stuff, but his latest Beatles-fixated tune - another YCCMPelski exclusive - isn't especially suited to dancefloors, but its big ol' dusty kick-drum beats bang along with glorious vigour. All vintage charm:

The Beatles - Revolution (The Yank's Cut)

N.B. Funky (this tune appeared in the May chart) provides some funky afrobeat flavours - it's captivating minimal and from a producer someone who's just at home producing hip-hop, r'n'b, drum'n'bass or garage as he is these stunning tropical beats:

N.B. Funky - Riddim Box

As Jack Beats' squelching sounds progressively descended closer to absurdity in their quest to provide even more obscene and dirty wobbles of bass each new production... they have pulled back from their often unrelenting onslaught of wonky noise - though I've always enjoyed those Jack Beats' bangers - they've crafted a lovely, stripped back remix of Patrick Wolf - the consistently weirdest, and Ketamine addicted, musician around. Jack Beats' best remix in an age, or possibly ever:

Patrick Wolf - Hard Times (Jack Beats Remix)

Some trendy whiny female, vocal stuff going on here. Catchy or enoying? Take your pick. But I'd say it's good fun electro house:

Speech Debelle - The Key (Loose Cannons Remix)

I only post breakbeat from time to time. Here we have a mammoth dancefloor remix from Splitloop (AKA Phil and Bren). A huge thumping broken beat bangs over a hefty, spluttering bassline. Nasty, rasping remix of one of Mr Tubbs's big tunes from the 'Knuckle Sandwich' album:

Rico Tubbs - The Party (Splitloop Remix)

I was sent over this remix of Cyprus Hill, that the whistling 'Insane In The Membrane' sample without sound like a cheesy, throw-away remix. They forge a fun house tunes equipped with a rasping bassline:

Smoke & Mirrors - Insane!

Noob's blippy, techy remix has been floating around for a bit now and is one of my favourites of the ace Tiga smasher:

Tiga - Shoes (Noob Remix)

Brooklyn's Trouble & Bass recently releases Princess of Bass' debut EP on the label, equipped with this banging remix from established London bassline don Dexplicit. Dirty basslines and ominous beats make for a big banger:

Star Eyes - Disappear (Dexplicit Remix)

An older one, but similar to Lazy Jay's massive Float My Boat - this time he's sticks with the minimal approach and thudding house beats and with an equally catchy bleepy trumpeting:

Lazy Jay - Honk My Horn

Evil Nine readily switch between filthy electro, hip-hop, breakbeat and everything inbetween. Always keeping their diverse productions fresh, Evil Nine have remixed their Icicles EP, with growling electro riffs beefing out the rocky vocal stomper. Check out the label boss' - Adam Freeland - remix for a simpler bass-oriented take:

Evil Nine - Icicles (Evil Nine's Graveyard Smash)

Alex Metric is consistent. Consistently good. His remixes are plain and simple electro - nothing fancy - they should sound bland and boring, but they're well produced, and always work well. His Infadels remix was a charming electro remix; indie, but without sounding too fluffy. (His recent Freeland remix was superb too and keep your eyes peeled for Alex Metric's incoming 'What Now') :

Phoenix - Lisztomania (Alex Metric Remix)

Londoner Para Beats has flitted between hip-hop and garage, and is experienced in the music industry to say the least, but recently put out this fidgetty bangers that possesses some lively electro verve. Big ups to my chums over at Noise Porn for this one:

Para-Beats - Put The Needle On The Record

Ernold Sane sent his remix of Major Lazer last month, it's a great remi and a good taster of the huge Pon Di Floor - the exciting collaboration of Diplo and Switch before their album drops tomorrow on Downtown Records. Displaying some crazy reggae and dancehall sounds blended with everything from afrobeat to baile funk:

Major Lazer - Pon Di Floor (Ernold Sane Remix)

A couple of months ago the writors of Bump blog sent over a couple of stabs at production. Thissimple techno remix of Tiga works strangely well - they bravely and rightly remove Tiga's main bassline and replace it with some addictive, bumpy bleeps of techno - and a clattering drum breakdown halfway through - making for a refreshing take on Tiga's 'Mind Dimension'. Check out their superb blog too:

Leisureweare - Mindreamer

Hey Today's latest - I'm keen to hear the Van She Tech remix too - has been given a clanging old-school house remix from Institubes' star Bobmo - all . Another recent remix of Bobmo's worth a look-in is his David Rubato a simliar ghetto-house take that blends rave organ house chords with bmore percussion:

Hey Today! - I Was A Wonderman (Bobmo Remix)

David Rubato - Institubes Express 999 (Bobmo Remix)

The always-impressive Trevor Loveys has moved away from the bombast of fidget house to this brilliant remix. I think I'm right in saying this is slightly different from the remix he did with In Flagrenti of the same tune. The chirpy percussive intro drops into a humming and twanging melange with plenty of character:

Don Diablo - Too Cool For School (Trevor Loveys Remix)

Last but not least, we have the brand new and unreleased Fake Blood remix. It's been a while since we've heard from the eponomous Fake Blood, and here he gives the fake blood treatment to that summery slice of indie pop from Mike Snow that's been cuasing a stir. Fake Blood's remix is free of his usual thick slabs of floor-shaking, contorted bass, replaced with bouyant and fuzzy reverb synths (left-click the link - it's mediafire):

Mike Snow - Animal (Fake Blood Remix)

June: Pelski Highly Recommends Chart

 Remember to check ou the April and May charts, with some choice tunes still looking fresh. Buy all tracks listed from beatport:

1. Major Lazer - Pon Di Floor

2. Malente - I Like It (Riva Starr Remix)

3. Sticky - Jumeirah Riddim

4. Benga - Buzzin'

5. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Bournemouth

6. Patrick Wolf - Hard Times (Jack Beats Remix)

7. Zombie Nation - Shottieville (Proxy Remix)

8. Alex Metric - What Now

9. Laidback Luke & Diplo - Hey!

10. Minimow - Keep Groovin'

11. Sidney Samson - Riverside

12. La Roux - Bulletproof (Zinc Remix)

13. VV Brown - Shark In The Water (Zombie Disco Squad Remix)

14. Italoboyz - Bla Bla Bla

15. Zombie Disco Squad - Eurovision (The Boog-A-Loo Crew Remix)

'Get Rude' with Nat Self

So far Zombie Disco Squad have smashed 2009 - and everyone from here to Berlin are jumping on that current african percussion fixation. ZDS's 'Eurovision' has been championed by the likes of Annie Mac and Jesse Rose, though my favourite was 'Esperanto' for sheer outlandishness. 'The Dance', too, was an excellent slice of chirpy minimal house. Jesse Rose's Made To Play Label just released their latest EP 'Banging On Drums' - pick it up here.

Nat Self is one half of Zombie Disco Squad - alongside Lucas Hunter

(and they both write for the gutter blog). I first heard his bouncy, stripped back remix of Martin Brothers' 'Dum' in a mix Zombie Disco Squad did for Curb Crawlers quite a while back. Since then he's produced a number of equally impressive remixes.

The Martin Brothers - Dum (Nat Self Remix) [pelski highly recommends]

His edit of Sidney Samson's Riverside is a simple, drawn out re-edit that cuts and loops a section of Samson's original, with snipping and echoing the vocal sample. Nice:

Sidney Samson - Riverside (Nat Self Remix)

Samson's 'Riverside' has been tearing up dancefloors all over. It's a collaboration between Gregor Salto & Sidney Samson's imprint SamsoBeats and Sneakerz MUZIK. Riverside, if you haven't heard it by now, weilds an infectious screeching synth that's reminiscent of Radioclit's 'Divine Gosa', but inforced with an agressive, catchy vocal hook. Afrojack's remix is a must, whacking a big thumping afro beat onto the original:

Sidney Samson - Riverside [pelski highly recommends]

Sidney Samson - Riverside (Afrojack Remix) [pelski highly recommends]

Bonus:

This is another brilliantly bizarre remix from Zombie Disco Squad. The maximal, electro-heads among you musn't dismiss this as boring (and I know there's alot of you out there). It's a real grower:

VV Brown - Shark In The Water (Zombie Disco Squad Remix) [pelski highly recommends]

crack house and dubble step

To D'n'B fans, any mention of DJ Zinc will evoke memories of grimy, raucous drum'n'bass nights. But he's now (wisely) turned his hands to house music - or at least his take on house music; the self dubbed 'crack house'. What's crack house? I dunno really - possibly a cynical marketing scheme, trying to whip up a blog/internet frenzy on a par with the accidentally-forged fidget house... But the tunes Zinc's knocked up so far certainly sound as crazy as crack, er, in a good way (to clear things up...you don't need a penchant for crack to enjoy these).

Zinc's 'Bingo Bass' (an offshoot of his own original 'Bingo Beats' label) has been sending me his crack house mixes since January and they're alot of fun - alongside his own tunes, Zinc chucks in everything we're loving right now, from Foamo and Switch's bouncy house to skream's dark dubstep.

La Roux's quick assent to fame after everyone went 'in for the kill' mad, left us all wondering if the great combination of Skream and La Roux was a one off. Perhaps it was, but Zinc's done a brilliant job on Bulletproof - almost equally infectious as 'In For The Kill'. Heavy droning bass throbbs between La Roux's sweet vocals - a tight production and a real grower. (this was sent to me by accident by Bingo Bass, it turns out La Roux's label owns the copyright and has to be withdrawn from the blogs, sorry). But you can pick up the dubplate for just £6 here.

La Roux - Bulletproof (Zinc Remix) [pelski highly recommends]

Bingo Bass also kindly sent over Zinc's Killa Sound EP. It includes collaborations with UK hip-hoppers Foreign Beggars - a wobbly bass monster called 'Move'. But the standout is 'Submarines', a mesh of drum'n'bass, breakbeat and house. He uses that bleepy sound familiar to Zinc fans (found in his pioneering 'Super Sharp Shooter') and bears alot of resemblance to Redlight's sound (another former dnb producer turning his attention to reinventing house music):

Zinc - Submarines[pelski highly recommends]

Speaking of La Roux, check out Foamo's dubstep remix. The production seems a little more rushed than the housier remix he did (find it on hype, it's done the rounds), but his dubstep take is fun nonetheless:

La Roux - Bulletproof (Foamo's Dubstep Remix)

And n the subject of crack house and new genres... L-Vis 1990 has had a fiddle with a couple of huge dubstep tunes to come up with his very own 'dubblestep'. It's not any entirely new genre, and neither are these edits huge alterations on their originals. But the hugely inventive L-Vis 1990 injects a bit of pace, with 2-step percussion, cutting these dubstep bangers into jittery dancefloor tunes. It sounds a bit like 2-step and soca, with choppy dubstep bass. L-VIs 1990 injects a new lease of life into these much played tunes:

Joker & Jakes - 3klane (L-Vis 1990 Dubble Step Edit)

Caspa - Where's My Money (L-Vis 1990 Dubble Step Edit)

Benga - 26 Basslines (L-Vis 1990 Dubble Step Edit)

loud & noisy dubstep

As dubstep continues along its assent/dissent (delete accordingly) into ludicrous all-out racous rave noise, I thought I'd post some of my current favourite dancefloor orientated dubsteppers. These are the great big dancefloor monsters, verging on electro in terms of sheer maximal bombast and clamour. This isn't the somber, often dark 2-stepper style we associate with Kode9's superb (and my favourite) Hyperdub label, but big bad anthems suitable for tearing excitable dancefloors up. Some of the best dubstep around right now is the quirky, kooky and downright weird stuff from the likes of Zomby, Scuba, Martyn, Ramadanman, King Midas Sound and Cotti. But for now I'll focus on the big room filth:

Residents of Trouble Vision, the Boog-A-Loo Crew's sets are always fun, inventive and diverse. And now they've bombarded their myspace with a throng of standout productions. Eurovision's been causing a stir (and appeared in Pelski's Top 15 this month) and this dubstep remix is sheer genius. Offering beefy drops galore, it switches between catchy dubstep hooks and the chiming circus house of ZDS's original (also worth checking out is 'Calling All Dancers'):

Zombie Disco Squad - Eurovision (The Boog-A-Loo Crew Remix) [pelski highly recommends]

Here, another featuring of Pelski's Top 15 given a superb electro-dubstep makeover. By retaining much ofthe essence of the original and the focus firmly placed on those croaky, bellowed vocals, Caspa's remix does justice to the legendary English band Depeche Mode. Caspa's remix of Deadmua5 is a more relaxed track than the rest of this post of raoucous bangers. Reworking Deadmau5 vocal smasher 'I remeber', replacing thumoing house beats for warbling dub bass:

Depeche Mode - Wrong (Caspa Remix) [pelski highly recommends]

Deadmau5 - I Remember (Caspa Remix)

Canadian dubstep artist Datsik's put together this filthy slow-burner: all whining womps and groaning bass. The clattering percussion provides some forceful punch to all the bass; satisfying:

Datsik - Apples [pelski highly recommends]

This exclusive track from London's newcomer Herbdout landed in my inbox over a month ago. Herbdout started out making garage in the early 2-Step days but has since turned his hand to dubstep, rnb, garage, dnb and hip-hop. The track starts with a vocal prelude- a rant about the economy, crime and politics - insisting we've gotta 'get mad', before dropping into some hefty, angry dubstep. Madness:

Herbdout - Get Mad [pelski highly recommends]

Another YCCMP exclusive that landed in my inbox a couple of days ago, from the weird, wonderful and downright filthy High Rankin. A grating, growling remix of Kevin Rudolf and Kid Cudi's current single. Slamming drums crash between thick hums of gnarled bass:

Kevin Rudolf feat Kid Cudi - Welcome To The World (High Rankin Remix)

Yet more driving dubstep here verging dangerously close to distortion-based electro from Nero. Props to discodust for this banger:

Boy Crisis - Dressed To Digress (Nero Remix)

Both Don Diablo and Doorly've been bombarding me with their big dancefloor bangers since the beginning of the year, and this is the first time I've got round to posting either of their productions, it's apt that it's a remix of the former by the latter. Other recent Doorly remixes worth a look-in are his Dizzee Rascal and Man Like Me remixes:

Don Diablo & Example - Hooligans (Doorly Remix)

I received a throng of Last Japan remixes a while back, all focusing on thumping electro-house. But this remix is Last Japan's only stab at dubstep, and is, really, more of an edit than a remix retaining most of Skream's production until it drops into a more dubsteppy breakdown than Skream's drum'n'bassy take:

La Roux - In For The Kill (Last Japan's Skream Re-edit)

Guns 'n' Bombs' dirty electro smasher surely couldn't get any more filthy? 12th Planet and teaLong prove us wrong with this fun rework:

Guns 'n' Bombs - Riddle of Steel (12th Planet & teaLong Remix)

yet more Jesse Rose adulation

YCCMPelski favourite Jesse Rose has been turning house music on its head since 1997, and lately he's really hit big: 2007 saw him scoop up best British DJ award at DJmag's Best of British awards, he now holds a residency at his monthly Made to Play night at Berlin's Panorama Bar and reportedly tours the world for fifty-two weeks of the year. And I'm sure regulars have heard enough of me waxing lyrical about his album. Mr Rose hasn't half been around the block either (in a strictly musical sense)- recording for 'Classic', 'Get Physical', 'JBO', 'Simple'; as well as his own 'Made To Play' and 'Dubsided' labels.

He's experimented with Chicago house and Detroit techno, helped forge 'fidget' (I've gone back to referring to fidget in inverted commas because its simply not cool anymore... apparently) and drawn on everything from jazz to 80s funk. Often sticking to minimal progressions and simple effects, Jesse Rose still manages to craft tunes that are immensely fun.

Towards the end of 2007 Underworld commissioned Jesse and Audiojack to remix 'Holding The Moth' from the new album. The single then wasn't released as a single, so that the two remixes were hidden away. A couple of months the two remixes were granted their own official release. Pick up Audiojack's mix here. Oscillating punches of fuzzy bass waver and wobble along to Underworld's looped vocals in Rose's rejigg. Breezy, bouncy stuff:

Underworld - Holding The Moth (Jesse Rose Remix) [pelski highly recommends]

An older one here that's also undergone the Jesse Rose treatment. The original is a bygone gem by Rekid (AKA Radioslave) - a tribute to Chicago house, utilizing an irresistible folk vocal sample, not all that dissimilar to Jesse's own 'Well Now'. Simple thudding beats, hi-hat claps, guitar samples and a whistling melody fit around the gruntled vocal snippets. (For more of this download the superb 2007 Rekids One Compilation):

Rekid - Next Stop Chicago [pelski highly recommends]

Rekid - Next Stop Chicago (Jesse Rose Remix)

Look out for Jesse Rose' incoming project with Samim, under the monicker Two Much Fun.

May: Pelski Highly Recommends Chart

A slightly belated monthly 'pelski highly recommends chart' has arrived. It includes the 15 tunes I'm most enjoying that month: they'll mostly be new releases (though not necessarily - so no scenester whining that one or two are 'old'), spanning from jackin house to miminal techno to the odd dubstep warbler. It is a chance for me to list a number of tunes I can't - or dont feel it's fair to - share. (Check out the April chart here). Buy them from beatport.

1. Renaissance Man - Spray Can

2. The Dub Pistols - Back To Daylight

3. Toasty - The Knowledge (Untold Remix)

4. Tiga - Shoes

5. DJ Hell - The Angst

6. Zombie Disco Squad - Esperanto/Eurovision

7. Deadmau5 - Catbread

8. Solo - Congoloid

9. In Flagranti - Brash & Vulgar

10. Butch - Amelie (Format B Remix)

11. Joker & Ginz - Purple City

12. Rico Tubbs - Hip Rave Anthem

13. Depeche Mode - Wrong

14. Man Like Me - London Town (Foamo Remix)

15. N.B Funky - Riddim Box

Commercial stuff? On Pelski?!

YCCMPelski rarely features commercial dance tunes, but these remixes breathe new life into this much loved classic. Robin S's 1993 classic 'Show Me Love' was reworked to huge applaud last year by house dons Steve Angello and Laidback Luke. They mashed it together with their hit 'Be', transferring its hefty drum beat alongside the organ rave riff of 'Show Me Love' and Robin's cheesy-as-house vocal croons.

Afrojack injects the tunes with a new lease of life with some jacked up downtempo chords; he crafts a distinctive sound . His remix is the pick of the bunch:

Steve Angello feat. Robin S - Show Me Love (Afrojack Remix) [pelski highly recommends]

YCCMPelski favourite, Style of Eye brings more of his organic tech-house sounds. It's filled with a skittering drums, shaker builds,vigorous horns and beats. Show Me The Love is barely recognisable until the vocals are thrown in at the 6 minute mark:

Steve Angello feat. Robin S - Show Me Love (Style of Eye Remix)

California's very own Something Wrong is one half of NoNewYork and serves up a huge bubbly bassline rework, that incorporates screeching, growling synths and squelchy bass:

Steve Angello feat. Robin S - Show Me Love (Something Wrong Mad Love Remix)

Be sure to check out Blame's drum'n'bass remix as well as AC Slater's jittery, ravey rework.

Zombies & Demons

After sitting half of his entire degree in the space of two weeks.... Pelski's back. Sorry for the three week hiatus. There's a Pelski's Playlist and May Chart in the pipeline, as well as tonnes of tunes coming your way - expect to see all sorts: mimimal, tech-house, electro, the dirtier side of dubstep and, as per usual, all kinds of pretentious crap to tickle your fancy.

First up we have that rare thing - a worthy mashup that could be considered an original production if you weren't already familiar with the two tracks that've been slotted together. The echoing ambiance and deliciously cheesy house vocals of Swedish House Mafia's 'Leave The World Behind' are slipped in between Zombie Disco Squad's bouncy slow burner 'The Dance'. Swedish House Mafia are the formidable collaboration of Axwell, Steve Angello, and Sebastian Ingrosso. Zombie Disco Squad were originally a booming group of nine, but have since scaled down to their present twosome and have been causing quite a stir lately. They're now residents at the regular Made To Play night at the famous Panorama Bar. Keep your eye on these two - Zombie Disco Squad will be turning house music on its head this year, as they draw heavily on African percussion, minimal flavours and an upbeat originality.

Zombie Disco Squad vs Swedish House Mafia - Leave The Dance Behind [pelski highly Recommends]

Next up I have a tune, in a similar minimal vein to the last, that I picked up from my Danish pals over at the consistently fresh data sapiens blog. Copenhagen's Kenton Slash Demon lift Veto's strained vocals and cut and chop them against a plodding house beat - enforced with satisfying claps and a bouncy progression. A truly enjoyable remix:

Veto - Blackout (Kenton Slash Demon) [pelski highly recommends]

Trouble Vision vs Dead Fish vs Dirty Canvas

Hold tight - Trouble Vision are back with their fifth outing, showcasing some of the most exciting sounds in British underground dance music. Teaming up with label Dead Fish and london night Dirty Canvas, TV have put together arguably their best line-up yet, in terms of exciting names stirring up a buzz.

This officially launches Mowgli's new label Deadfish, a joint project with fellow Italian-turned-Londoner Solo, that arose from sharing a studio together. A sub-label is in on the cards too, 'FreshFish'. DeadFish focuses on big house and techno beats, while FreshFish offers sounds more minimal in essence.

Mowgli's been smashing the underground scene for a couple of years now with his inventive remixing and twitchy house tunes. Since his immensely fun Chemical Brothers and Michael Jackson remixes, he's pulled his production style back a bit, but retained that fun bounce, turning a little more towards the minimal; assuming his Minimow monicker for the deeper, techy numbers. Exotic flavours resonate throughout his remix of Zombie Disco Squad's 'Eurovision' (ZDS are definitely ones to watch this year). And one of his older tunes, a remix of MJ's 'Bad', nails a fidgety, rasping bassline:

Zombie Disco Squad - Eurovision (Mowgli Remix) [pelski highly recommends]

Michael Jackson - Bad (Mowgli Remix)

Partner in crime, Solo, made an appearance at the last Trouble Vision (check some of his tunes in my post here) and will be smashing Room 1. Hot on the heals of some stirling remix material, Solo has number of highly anticipated releases (namely 'The Big Stef EP'). Solo's aptly named 'Congoloid' is gathering alot of support, wonderfully wielding some bumpy tropical house beats. And Mowgli, as his Minomow alter ego, strips it down with a subtle techy rework. The original is a must and can be found on a twin release with Zombie Disco Squad on the 'Congo Fire' EP. An older production is Solo and Mowgli's remix of Elite Force invigorating, whirring tech-house stuff:

Solo - Congoloid (Minimow Remix)

Elite Force - Turning Back (Mowgli & Solo Remix) (3 min SAMPLE) [pelski highly recommends]

I've already posted on Riva Starr a number of times; one of my favourite producers right now - listen to his enchanting tech-house mix here and his exceptional Laidback Luke and The Doors remixes here. Pelski [highly] recommends you check out Riva Starr's set, it's bound to be an intriguing mix of house, electro and techno. His remix of KRS-1's hip-hop classic chops that acapella allong to some rolling tech, while Vouxhall brings chunky thuds of bass (techno-heads ought to seek out Tom Green's superb remix).

KRS-1 - Sound of Da Pecan (Riva Starr ReChunk) [pelski highly recommends]

Riva Starr - Vouxhall

Don't forget electro filth maestros Nadastrom will be nestled among all these names. Nadastrom's ghetto-tech banger 'Pussy' has been ripping up dancefloors all over. 'Pussy' booms out everything, from a famous R'n'B vocal sample (Soul II Soul) and bmore percussive beats to hefty eletro riffs and a buzzing bassline. Their remix of 'Back Up In This' is a bit of departure from their usual brand of electro as is his lovely exclusive 40 minute TV megamix, filled with tribal tech-house percussion and clappy shuffles. The tracklist is on the left (and attached to the artwork), click the image to download it.

Designer Drugs - Back Up In This (Nadastrom Remix)

Additionally, the established and pioneering dubstep DJ Chef will be heading Room 1 - a busy man who holds residencies all over Europe, including London DMZ and FWD, as well as running his long-standing radio show on Rinse FM.

Joker's one my favourite Dubstep artists right now(Check out my Joker post here), and will be shaking the TV dancefloor with his blasts of rumbling sub bass and 2-step, through Corsica's mighty Funktion 1 soundsystem. Having firmly stamped his name on the Bristol scene, Joker's keeping dubstep fresh, not purely resorting to floor-filler popularism, but swinging between 2-step sounds, crazy synth-work and grimey acapella-led productions. Each tune's catchy (without sounding commercial) and hugely diverse. Gullybrooks Lane's a whirring monster, while the jittery, brilliant 'Zariack' has been provided by Joker for the Grimeforum EP. :

Joker - Gully Brook Lane (Instrumental) [pelski highly recommends]

Joker - Zariak

Mumdance, in Room2, is the guy who got everyone all hot and flustered with his inventive remix of Evil Nine late last year. His new remix of indie-electro outfit The Whip builds up through some juddery glitching before dropping into some full-on 90's synth-rave madness, before switching to a bubbly niche bassline.

The Whip - Divebomb (Mumdance Carnival Remix) [pelski highly recommends]

Santogold - Creator (Mumdance Mix)

OneMan will be providing the 4X4 fun, while Tomb Crew'll be playing out their usual crunky blend of hip-hop, garage, dubstep, house and bmore; always immensely fun. And one of my favourite remixes of the Dead Prez classic is Tomb Crew's simple, sprightly baltimore edit. It fits perfectly:

Tomb Crew - Bigger Than [pelski highly recommends]

It's gonna be a big one.

Very limited £7 Early Bird tickets available here. £8 before midnight, £10 after . For more information please call Chris on 020 770 34760, or email chrisgold@corsicastudios.com