Neomix Volume Two

Finally after so many people bugging me, I've put together another mixtape in the Neoloop series Neomix (I guess I can call it a series now there is a second volume!). Volume Two is as eclectic as the first and covers all the stuff we love on Neoloop.

Tracklisting is as follows:

• 1. Get Free: Major Laser
• 2. Why: Carly Simon
• 3. On and On (Ruined by Rick Rubin): Justice
• 4. Big Love: Matthew E. White
• 5. Without You: Behling
• 6. I Walk This Earth: King Biscuit Time
• 7. I'm on Fire (Cousin Cole's Bad Desire Remix): Bruce Springsteen
• 8. Hamjam (Tofu Mix): The Soul Session
• 9. Social Studies (Plastic Plates Remix): Body Language
• 10. So Good At Being In Trouble: Unknown Mortal Orchestra
• 11. Big Shot: Dr.John
• 12. Bombay: El Guincho
• 13. Tear Club: Moullinex
• 14. Chip Off The Old Block: Chic
• 15. Destiny: John Talabot
• 16. Le Grand Sommeil: Ginger Ale
• 17. Get Lucky: Daft Punk
• 18. Utopia: Footprintz
• 19. Juicy Onion: Brusco
• 20. Benediction: Hot Natured & Ali Love
• 21. Bourgie Bourgie: John Davis & The Monster Orchestra
• 22. Inspector Norse: Todd Terje
• 23. Lost: Frank Ocean
• 24. Sea: Roosevelt
• 25. Done and Over It: Marie Madelenine
• 26. Goblin City (Holy Ghost Remix): Panthers
• 27. Island: The Whitest Boy Alive
• 28. La La La: Snoop Lion
• 29. Fashion Killa: A$AP Rockey
• 30. Perfidia: Phyllis Dillon
• 31. The Baddest Man Alive: The Black Keys
• 32. Blue Skies: Willie Nelson

Slow chilled out beats for a cold dark Monday morning. The new Jamie xx remix of Four Tets Lion from the Pink album.

Step into Something Good

Following Alt-J being shortlisted for The Mercury Music Awards with debut album An Awesome Wave, released in May this year, it's well deserved nomination. Something Good is released as a single (at the end of last month), I loved the original album version and this remix by Fort Romeau retains what is so good about it but pumps up the jam for the dance floor. Previous remixes have caned it to much for my liking and not retained enough of the looping melodies and piano flourishes that give the song it's charm.

Written by Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Gwilym Sainsbury, Thom Green and produced by Charlie Andrew.

Official Site Click Here, Buy it on iTunes Click Here

All killer!

In anticipation of Gaslamp Killer's new LP Breakthrough out next week, I've been listening to his classic mix-tape All Killer: Finders Keepers Records 1-20, from 2009. Mashing-up old rarities from around the world it features some great old, obscure and eclectic music from the likes of Sarolta Zalatnay, Mustafa Özkent, Bruno Spoerri, Vampires Of Dartmoore, Pierre Cavalli, Stanley Myers, Yamasuki and loads more. This tune, three tracks in, is a blend of Amral's Trinidad Cavaliers Steel Drum Orchestra and Serge Gainsbourg's composer of choice Jean-Claude Vannier. If your in the mood for some off kilter, leftfield indulgence then look now further than this unique selection.

WONKY!

Still enjoying John Talabot's ƒin album (Click here for review) and also some of his great remix work, this old track from The Golden Filter gets a full Talabot make-over, the steady build-up of the wonky organ and ghostly samples wash over a pulsating beat. 

X

The eagerly anticipated follow-up to The xx's groundbreaking debut continues to gain momentum following a plethora of remixes of first single to come from Coexist. Angels has received a number of treatments over the last few weeks. This one from Bodhi is the pick of the bunch adding some sweet beats to original and keeping Romy Madley-Croft's delicate vocals in tack. Love this!

Caught up in a Rapture

Seven minute disco-punk from The Rapture courtesy of a compete overhaul from Ashley Beedle, Colleen Cosmo Murphy and Yam Who. Originally appearing on the NYC bands 4th album In the Grace of Your Love released last year. This DarkStarr Diskotek remix shapes the original into a house monster with cowbells and ESG style baseline in a future retro diskotek. Cool and catchy hooks that will have your head nodding and feet tapping all day long.

Official Rapture website click here

Born Ready To Die

Terry Urban links up with DopeCouture to present Born Ready To Die, a mash up of Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready to Die with Lana del Rey’s Born to Die.

Using the music from Lana’s Born To Die (remixed and resampled) and Lyrics from Biggie’s Ready To Die, it's fucking epic stuff, This track renamed Juicy Lolita is brilliant, I wouldn't have thought Biggie's Juicy would work without the Mtume backing tune Juicyfruit, however this sounds like the perfect Bond theme! Throughout this mixtape it all sounds so natural, Lana's strings and moody tones work perfectly with Big's gritty drawl.

A fitting tribute to the 15 year anniversary of Christopher Wallace’s death.

Check it out you can download full album by visiting mixstream.com

Living On The Edge Of Time

French electro-pop composer Yuksek's Always On The Run remixed by Tom Furse from the Horrors, blends elements of both acts’ sounds in a building booming dance tracks shimmering with synth flourishes and echoing vocals.

Born Pierre-Alexander Busson, Yuksek crafts decadent dance tracks with irresistible pop centers: meticulously plotted creations that no doubt owe their refinement to the Frenchman’s classical training. He’s also cut tracks with New York's Chromeo and Amanda Blank. Giving Justice a run for their money! Latest album Living on the Edge of Time is available now on iTunes.

But on iTunes

Like this? Try: Justice, Daft Punk, 

I heard that you like the bad girls, honey, is that true?

Undoubtably one of this years most blogged tunes, Lana Del Rey has made her mark in 2011. Seemingly coming from nowhere, the power of the internet launches another star, the gangsta Nancy Sinatra has earned a faithful following and deservedly so as the B-side Blue Jeans and forthcoming single Born To Die proves she's not a one hit wonder. There's a good few versions of Video Games, Chicago house legend Mr. Fingers mesmerising house mix, Kasabien's live cover and Bombay Bicycle Club. So far my favourite mix is from the night-stepper Jamie Woon. Lana's vocal never sounded better over Woon's intense dark beats, a pop-noir delight.

Official site

Neoloop Mixloop Volume 1

Thought it was about time I posted up some mixes for you, here's a new 2 hour mix I've put together for your listening pleasure. It's an eclectic mix of tunes that have featured on Neoloop over the last 2 years. You can just download it by clicking the little download button next to the player or play it here. Sit back, relax and enjoy, Cheers! Neo

Track listing ...

• The Look - Metronomy
• Close Your Eyes (feat. Lucy Liu & Jay Electronica) - The Bullitts
• Light Seep - Bibio
• Rain Showers (7" Edit) - Sizzla
• Midnight Sun featuring Elodie Rama (Prince Fatty Version) - Natural Self
• P.I.M.P - The Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band
• Bluebird - One Self
• Benzie Box - Cee-Lo and Danger Doom
• Hangin' On A String - Loose Ends
• Insane In the Brain (feat. Horseman) - Prince Fatty
• Before I Move Off - Mount Kimbie
• Senseless (Original Mix) - Maya Jane Coles
• Muskrat Love (T2MM Beta Edit) - America
• You Put A Smell On Me (Breakbot Remix) - Matthew Dear
• The Warriors (Cristoff Remix) - Barry De Vorzon
• I Wanna Dance (Todd Terje Tangoterje Edit) - Claudja Barry
• VCR (Matthew Dear Remix) - The xx
• Around (Solomun Vox) - Noir & Haze
• Fun Girl (Keinemusik Remix) - Jessica 6
• Home - LCD Soundsystem
• Gli impermeabili - Paolo Conte
• Demolition Derby - Bertrand Burgalat
• Sweet - Black Affair
• Walkin' - Thundercat
• Santa Fe - Beirut
• Waiting for a Train - Flash & the Pan
• Colourless Artibella - Major Lazer & La Roux
• Tungstène et Bakélite - Pierre Robin
• Le Vieux Piano De La Plage - Charles Trenet

Tales of the Unexpected

I used to love Tales of the Unexpected when I was a kid, specially the theme tune. The Bullitts and Passion Pit have come together and laid a vocal over there iconic instrumental theme. Makes me smile listening to this. The Bullitts have done quite a few film theme make-overs, including Taxi Theme (Bullitts main man Jeymes Samuel), The persuaders (with Roisin Murphy) and Magnum Force (with Wretch 32). Check there Facebook page for more, free to download, click here.

Bullitt's official website here.

Lion In Cages is one of the great stand-out tracks from Wolf Gang's new album - Suego Faults, Memory Tapes Remix give the track laid-back spaced out feel and sounds like it came straight from their own LP Player Piano. Bringing the backing vocals to the front and sounds exactly what you want from a remix, a new track. Is it better than the original?, no probably not but it's completely different. It's Cool!

Sometimes you find a bootleg that shouldn't work that just does. Kings of Leon's Sex is on Fire was getting so overplayed a couple of years ago it just became annoying, time for a bootleg make-over then. This mash-up by Al Fingers takes the the Sex is on Fire vocal and lays it over an old skool 80's soul classic, Mtume's Juicy Fruit. Check some more of Al's remixes at alfingers.com

Hear the original Juicy Fruit below...

My Cloud is my new favourite track from Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx We're New Here album. This completely captivating track was initially recorded for but not included on the initial album I'm New Here. A rare moment of Gil's pure raw soul singing backed with Jamie Smith's lush instrumentation, doing his best impression of Four Tets finest moments. The American poet and jazz singer made a memorable comeback with I’m New Here in 2010 his first of original material in 16 years and ended up in most album of the year charts (Neoloop's included). Jamie Smith the man who cultivated the sound of the xx's eponymous debut composes exceptional remakes of the original recordings sampling older Scott-Heron songs and works them into these newer songs.

I can tell you now that this will feature in the 2011 alum of the year charts all over.

Buy it from the source here

Nice remix of Lykke Li's I Follow Rivers by Dave Sitek. Original version is from her forth-coming album entitled Wounded Rhymes, the enigmatic Swedish indie singer/songwriter returns with her trademark ethereal sound. set for a March 1 release via Lykke's own LL Recordings. With this track and the amazing Get Some it's already shaping up to be one of the most anticipated releases of 2011.

Here's a cool Teen Daze remix of the Local Natives Wide Eyes, adding blissed out dream-scape vibes to a great little indie tune. The original track appears on the LA band's debut LP Gorilla Manor (2009).

Listen and lose yourself in a feel-good moment of dreamy psych-folk.

Bands official site, Buy it on iTunes

Pink Floyd's introspective prog masterpiece Dark Side of the Moon as a dub reggae album on 2003's Dub Side of the Moon was genius. Easy Star All-Stars have now commissioned a remix album to give a different spin on their dub versions. Each track features a unique dub producer exploring spaced-out reggae and bass-heavy remixes of the original Dub Side of the Moon, Can it get any dubber? Hell yeah - Dubber side of the Moon is another triumph, some remixes work better than others Mad Professor, Scientist, Adrian Sherwood and Jazzwad, and Alchemist turning in best reworks. This Dubmatix remix of Speak to Me/Breathe gets my vote as the cream of the crop, speeding it up and making the bass even heavier. This is superb - Turn up the bass bins!

Like this/ Try: Dubmatix, Lee Scratch Perry, King Tubby

Following Matthew Dear's remix of The xx's VCR, this week see's the release of a new remix of VCR by Four Tet. It seems there is plenty of life yet in the revered Mercury winners seminal debut. The xx original album track is barely recognisable but for the hushed tones of Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft plus bursts of Jamie Smith’s xylophone fluttering in and out the hypnotic groove of Four Tet's organic percussion. While it feels somewhat unnecessary for another remix, this is quickly dismissed as you get totally captivated by Hebden's reworking that breathes new life into an already stunning piece of music. 

The xx and Four Tet together - It's a blinder!

Buy it on iTunes

Continuing the Matthew Dear connection below, the original of this track is from his previous LP Asa Breed (2007). Four Tet adds the extra percussion in this remix which is still sounding good 3 years later. Also released on May 8, 2007 on Ghostly International Records as a single. It was released on 10" and digital formats only, and both versions feature a remix of the song by Four Tet. Both Asa Breed and his new LP Black City are well worth checking.

Buy the Black edition of Asa Breed on iTunes, Official Site

Two of Neoloop's favourite artist combine on this excellent remix by Matthew Dear of the The XX's VCR. With all the recent publicity The XX have gained from their Mercury Award for the brilliant debut and Matthew Dears latest album Black City still dominating the speakers here at Neoloop I dug out this remix that came out back in January. I never posted it up back then (kinda thought I did) but it's an amazing mix so if you didn't hear it then, sit back and relax in the beauty of it all. It could almost be a lost track from Matthew Dear's Black City (With a guest xx vocal of course) I love it.

Maximum Balloon, the new solo project by TV On The Radio's Dave Sitek - album due at the end of September. Groove Me features the eccentric talents of Brooklyn’s finest Theophilus London, surely only a matter of time before Theo goes big-time! This track has been reworked for the single by DOOM collaborator and Philly producer Jnerio Jarel (also available on the forthcoming iTunes deluxe version)

Sitting along side Theophilus London, the debut LP will also feature contributions from Karen O, David Byrne, Aku Orraca-Tetteh, and Little Dragon.

Like this: Try: Theophilus London

Official Site, Pre-order on iTunes

Nanna Øland Fabricius is the daughter of a mother opera singer and a father theatre organist, born in Denmark now mixing it with the Brooklyn music scene. Recording under the moniker Oh Land, this track is taken from her forthcoming EP on Epic Records in the US. French producer Yuksek transforms the europop original into a much heavier dance-floor stomper, keeping Nanna's delightful vocals and mashing-up the 80's synths. 

Like this? Try: Fever Ray, Vanessa Paradis, Emiliana Torrini, Olivia Ruiz

Official site, Oh Land on iTunes

Au Revoir Simone's latest album of remixes (released last month) is a solid quality listen, called Night Light, the compilation is a remix album of Still Night, Still Light LP and features remixes from the likes of Neon Indian, Jensen Sportag, Silver Columns, Aeroplane, cocknbullkid and many others. The iTunes version incudes 20 tracks. I featured the Neon Indian remix of Another Likely Story back in December last year (check it out here). Clock Opera's remix of Tell Me is quite a wild departure from the original version and the pick of the LP for me.

Like this? Try: The XX, Dirty Projectors, Neon Indian, Little Dragon, Ladytron

Buy it on iTunes, Bands place in MySpace

Banging new dance hall EP from Major Lazer (a.k.a. American producer Diplo and British producer Switch) featuring brand new songs and remixes of tracks from the original 2009 release, Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do. Even Thom Yorke contribute's a remix of Jump up. But I'm really feeling this track, K.L.A.M. remix of Can't Stop Now. Wack the bass up!

Not available on the UK iTunes yet, listen at the Major Lazer MySpace page.

Loving this new mash up of La Roux by Major Lazor (as recommended by @ablackcanvas) specially this track, giving it a real skanking. There is a complete album's worth of remakes available on the Mad Decent website, download the whole mixtape for free - Lazorproof.

The Major Lazer braintrust (Diplo & Switch) put this mixtape together for La Roux while working on new material in Jamaica. It features a bunch of JA-inspired blends, special remixes, dubplates and more, it's all crazy shit! Recommended!

Mad Decent website

Since today is the first day of British summertime I'm digging out some old feel-good summer tunes. What better than some Brazilian vibes, this just oozes the heat of the sun with a chilled out groove. Totally tropical, Bonobo remixes the track for the bottletop project (see more about this at bottletop.org) which raises money for inspiring causes through music sales. Taking original music from all over the world and asks various leading DJ and producers to remix them. For more of this kind of fantastic music, look no further than Mr. Bongos.

Like this? Try: Gilberto Gill, Caetano Veloso, Tom Zé, Os Mutantes, Sergio Mendes

The original version of Health's In Heat from their Get Colour LP is only just under two minutes long and is somewhat of an interlude. This new remix by Brooklyn's Javelin makes the song a completely different animal, cleaning up the fuzzy guitars and feedback to give it a clearer pop sheen. Making this a fresh new tune for a sunshine day!

Buy HEALTH on iTunes, HEALTH's Official website, Javelin's place in MySpace

Just makes you wanna dance, so infectious, it's highly contagious. Banging jazzy breaks run in to a swarm of trumpets, dramatic moody bass, piano stabs and the beautiful voice of Isabella Kaiser all collide in a midnight rendezvous. Midnight Rendezvous is the prolongation of the success of forties retro-chic in modern dance-music on a extra high level. Pulse-racing stuff! Released on Parov Stelar´s Austrian label Etage Noir recordings.

Like This? Try: Parov Stelar, Waldeck, Mr Scruff

Record Label Website, Buy it on iTunes

Marvin Gaye never sounded so good, this is a cheeky mash-up from Al Fingers of Marvin's classic tune with the old reggae standard, Johnny Osbourne's Truth and Rights. As the sun is starting to shine at the end of a long hard winter, we need some feel good vibes to soak up the rays and warm your soul. A magic combination that works so well, many will say it's a sacrilege to mess with the great soul master, but hey if it sounds this good who gives a shit. Go to Al Fingers website for some more excellent mash-ups and mixtapes here.

Marvin's original on iTunes

Like This? Try: More Marin Gaye, Johnny Osbourne, Burning Spear, The Heptones, The Mighty Diamonds

In the mood for some Dark dancehall? Look no further than Diplo and Jayou's remix of The Partysquad's Murderer, and it's murder on the dance floor! After a few listen's this really sucks into your head, the skanking guitars and booming dub beat pound on relentlessly before an light skanking interlude interrupts and sends the whole track into space via a badass an echo chamber. The Partysquad are positively massive in their home country of the Netherlands. Murderer freaks out the Barrington Levy track of the same name. I'm loving' it!

Find out more at Mad Decent, Buy the full EP on iTunes, Bands place in MySpace

The skanking grooves keep coming, I'm listening to loads of SKA tinged latin today! Nowadays your latin music can come from anywhere, this is a cracking Mo'Horizons remix of fellow German's Una Mas Trio. If you dig nu-jazz and Latin music check out their MySpace page for some more good shit. Then hop over to Mo'Horizons page for even more!

Like This Try: Mo'Horizons, The Juju Orchestra, Nickodemus

Bands place in MySpace, Mo'Horizons Place in MySpace, 

Another quality remix from NYC's Nickodemus, skanking guitars, banging drums, spanish rap and haunted backing singers all wedged together for a latin feast. You just can't sit still for this one.

Taken from the EP El Micrófono / Para No Vivir Desesperado. The original version appears on the 2007 album Piñata, they released their latest album Soy Sauce last year. Mexican Institute of Sound (MIS; or Instituto Mexicano Del Sonido in Spanish) is the brainchild of Mexico City-based DJ and producer Camilo Lara. Along with groups like Nortec Collective and Kinky, M.I.S. is part of a growing Mexican electronica movement, mixing traditional Mexican music with contemporary electronica sounds. 

Like This Try: Nickodemus, Quantic, Sidestepper, Fussible, Panóptica

Bands place in MySpace, Nickodemus MySpace, Official Nickodemus site, Instituto Mexicano Del Sonido on iTunes

Following on from the Waldeck post below, here he is again under the Saint Privat moniker. Saint Privat is Waldeck and fellow Austrian singer Valérie Sajdik.  Pour yourself a Gin and Tonic and soak up Tous les jours, the connoisseurs’ summer hit of 2004 in Germany, Austria and beyond. They have since released the album Superflu, heralding the revival of the “Chanson psychédélique”. Chill out baby.

Like This Try: Waldeck, Pink Martini, Koop

Valerie Sajdik's place in MySpace, Official Site, Saint Privat on iTunes

The mighty Ian Brown gets a re-work from The Prodigy on this, his latest single Just Like You. Liam Howlett & Co. give it a scuzzed up electro vibe, letting Ian's original vocal slide over the top. I still like Ian's original from his My Way album with the funky brass section, this remix takes it in an entirely different direction firmly hitting the Indie dancefloor. 

Ian's official site, Ian's place in MySpace, Latest album on iTunes

The fabulous Neon Indian gives fellow Brooklynites Au Revoir Simone's tune a real psychedelic make-over, taken from their Another Likely story EP released last month. Neon synth's and pounding beats are pulled through the Indian echo chamber, love this.

But it on iTunes, Au Revoir Simone Official site, Bands place in MySpace

Like this try: Neon Indian, Little Dragon, Ladytron

I'm currently considering my albums of the year and revisiting lots of great stuff. Passion Pits album Manners is a cracking loud pop mash up. I also enjoyed Miike Snow's debut effort of quirky pop gems. Both these band have been remixed to oblivion this year. But this combination of Miike Snow remix of The Passion Pit's The reeling is one of the years great pairings. Whose albums of the year will up here soon, watch this space.

Passion Pits place in MySpace, Miike Snow's place in MySpace, Buy Passion Pit on iTunes

From the new Richard X remix of 1991's Foxbase Alpha album, the Neil Young cover "Only Love Can Break Your Heart", an epic Balearo-disco banger. Always loved the original Neil Young version and the original Saint Etienne version (amazing to think that it's nearly 20 years old, Saint Etienne were one of the bands that helped define the indie dance genre in the early 1990s), this new remix gives it a nice polish for another few years to come.

Official site, Saint Etienne greatest hits on iTunes

Oregon's Yacht adds a bit of electronica swagger to this rock groover, almost crosses over in to a disco stomper! Like the freestyle rap by Yacht at the end, cool! The original track was posted up on neoloop last September.

Wolfmother are an Australian rock band that formed in Erskineville, Sydney in 2000.

Buy it on iTunes, Yacht's place in MySpace, Wolfmother.com

The xx incredible remix of Florence + the Machine's version of Candi Staton's classic 'You've Got The Love'. Originally appears on her Mercury nominated Lungs LP. Every now and again a track comes along and blows you away, this is an amazing remix, practically a complete remake, stripping the original down to basics and reconstructing it with subtle xylophone and warped harp to dubstep beat and cutting up The XX's vocals with Florance Welch's chorus. The XX can do no wrong, captivating!

The XX Official site

Florence + the Machine official site

Got a bit a chinese urdu going on on this remix by Memory Tapes.

Primary 1 is churning out good shit at the moment and Memory Tapes are right on the money. This just builds and builds, Tune!

Bands place in MySpace

The original track from Miike Snow's debut album is real stand out tune and one of the top 20 of the year so far. There have been many remixes of this track but Mark Ronson gives it a complete make over and takes to the tune in to an entirely different direction. A light ska beat, a wonky organ and Ronson's signature brass is superb. (There are a few versions of this mix on various blogs which has a bit Lady Ga Ga overlapping the end, but this is the complete version).

A superb chilled out remix from Folk-Hippie Devendra Banhart

Devendra said: We LOVE and have LOVED Phoenix since Alphabetical, and have wanted to do more than just ogle at their awesomeness for quite some time. With the release of their luminary Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix we got the chance to un-floccinaucinihilipilificate our dreams and with awesome, oceanic glee, we took Rome for a ride... a mellow, meditative one, let’s bring out the candle-lit side, a side of the song suited for lucubration !

You can download this and more Phoenix remixes here

Driving along to the rhythm of the sun.

Imagine yourself cruising in an old open top sports car along a winding road high in the mountains on a bright sunny day, the wind in your hair, designer shades and the sound of this floating out the speakers. A new album from KOC is due this September, looking forward to that!

Official site - kingsofconvenience.com

Thundering and lightning big time in London tonight.

Some haunting melodies playing on my ipod as battle through the wind and rain turning my umbrella inside out. This remix isn't too far from the original, Karin Dreijer Andersson's vocals searing through the mix like wolf in a storm.

Fever Ray is a solo album by The Knife's Karin Dreijer Andersson from Sweden.

Official site - feverray.com