Out Of Office - Insatiable

What do you do after you’ve been labeled as a European trance one hit wonder for 8+ years, and outside of Ibiza that just isn’t getting you booked anymore? I mean, ecstacy, bootcut jeans, and shirts 3 sizes too small aren’t free, so you’ve really got to tap your resources to keep your head above water. Well, you can change your stage name and start to make UK electro. Under the moniker Warrior, Michael Woods, who now produces as Out Of Office, released only 5 original songs, only one of which, the self titled ‘Warrior’, ever really got stuck in anyone’s head. I had it on vinyl. Don’t know why, but I did. At the time, it didn’t seem as oppressively annoying as it would now if played at any decibel level above silent. To be honest though, I was on a lot more drugs back then. This would also account for my having gone to many raves solely to hear Thomas Michael, a name and talent that has (fortunately) slipped into the cracks of time.

Back to Out Of Office, here’s ‘Insatiable’, a bouncey 2008 release that is club-friendly and ready for launch on your command. This is the original edit. There’s a radio edit on OOO’s myspace that is complete crap. On the surface, Woods might appear to be your average European semi-buff metro-sexual DJ, but I have faith that we will hear some legitimately good music coming from him for awhile.

Moby - I Love To Move In Here (Holy Ghost! Remix)

YES. I AM AWARE THAT I HAVE BEEN POSTING A LOT OF MOBY RECENTLY. For whatever reason, I can’t seem to get away from the dude, and you are reaping the benefits! Quitcher whinin’! Here is a early evening disco gem remixed by DFA’s Holy Ghost! (you may be familiar with their single ‘Hold On’, which everybody and their fucking mother has played so much as to make it unenjoyable. The mock n’ toof version is still solid, though). I am actually unfamiliar with the original version of ‘I LIke to Move in Here’, but I am floored by the diversity and caliber of the remixes - minimal favorites Style Of Eye and Popof also work their magic on this single, in addition to Seamus Haji’s hip-house version. Here is a super accessible, disco-fun remix that doesn’t feel like it’s gonna get old anytime soon. Feels good.

*There are two versions of this track floating around. This is the extended edit.

We In Music - Grandlife

Having an external hard drive full of music that you’ve forgotten about it kinda like the toy chest at the dentist when you were a kid–it took a lot of time, annoyance, and often pain, but in the end you walked out with something pretty cool that you were stoked on for at least 3 days. After the brutal task of consolidating about 200GB of pure crap, I have emerged with just a handful of songs–all amazing, some having been in my possession without my even knowing. It’s heartbreaking in a way, but the only thing better than new music is new old music, so I’m very happy. First off is a track that I’m sure some of you have (and I hope share often). Filter disco house, though repetitive, is (in my opinion) the theme song of heaven. And of course heaven is a bonfire/roller rink where everyone cruises up on unicorn/pegasus hybrids. This particular song of the genre is by We In Music, who, if you you didn’t know, consists of Romain Séo, Benjamin Diamond, and Paul De Homem-Christo, among others on occasion. Any of those names sound familiar? The finished product is a lesson in making people lose their shit. Thank you hard drive.

Mr. Oizo - Bruce Willis Is Dead

I think the French spend 90% of their time making fun of ‘ze stewpeed Americahns’ (which is okay, I guess, because I spent about the same amount making fun of Frenchies). You may or may not know that I stopped being okay with Ed Banger when I started working at Turntable Lab and everybody and their weird Dad bought the Cross ‘limited edition’ (LIE!) 2 LP and thought that they invented modern electronic music, and then all blogs started sounding like “RARRNNNK RARRRNK RARRRNNK RARRNKKK CAH CAH CAH RAWRRRRRNNNNKKKKKK!”. Despite all of these prejudices, I attempted open-mindedness in hearing the new Mr. Oizo (I like saying “Oizo”, it’s a good word). This, my friends, is a rager. I imagine the youth will go mental when it drops (even though I’m utterly convinced the entire song is an exercise in mocking our nation), and start to climb on each other and work themselves into a lather like rabid dogs. I find it to be maybe one of the most abrasive tracks of all time and it makes me want to kill myself. You might like it, though.

Andre Harris - 10 Things Not To Say To A DJ

This is the most hilarious, accurate, awesome song ever. The fact that the instrumental is boring doesn’t matter AT ALL because the vocal more than makes up for it. I think the next mainstream gig I do, I’m just going to play it over and over again all night whilst scream-laughing.  

Thomas Bangalter - Colossus (The Phantom’s Revenge Rework/FutureFlashs Live Re-Edit) + FutureFlashs - Touch (Original Mix)

Yet another case of great music/bad graphic design has been spotted! This is a common pairing that we have seen recently in such extreme cases as The Sidechains and Coralcola. I wish that a clunky visual appearance didn’t halt the growth of such talented artists, but in such a multimedia world as today, having a strong, catchy visual front is just as much a part of your act as the ways in which you find to deliver yourself to the public. But, after listening to the newly blog-famous ‘Colossus (The Phantom’s Revenge Rework - FutureFlashs Live Re-Edit)’, I’m very glad that Niko spent his time in front of Logic, and not Photoshop. I’m also obligated to back him seeing as how he covers his Myspace with retro astronomy paintings, produces disco, and we are both german. I, like everyone it seems, immediately started dancing around the room upon hearing the track mentioned above, however there is definitely some criticism to be said about a re-edit of a rework of a song. So, I made it my business to get to the bottom of this and dig out some real gold for us all. The result was very pleasing, and definitely put my inner-critic to rest. Here’s some popular and soon-to-be popular music from Niko de Vries aka FutureFlashs.

Lil Wayne - A Millie (Nadastrom Remix)

When I first heard this track, I think my reaction was basically shouting nonsense at no one in particular. Everybody knows Lil Wayne is out of his fucking mind, and that his method of recording is typing rhymes he thinks of into his blackberry, then doing a couple of 8-balls and some Robitussen and going into the vocal booth and spewing. What else could justify his insistence on working “NO HOMO” into every single one of his songs? Or putting a photograph of himself as a baby with face tattoos on his album cover? Genius? Yes. Absurd beyond belief? Mmhmm. If you take that level of lunacy and multiply it by about a million (rough estimate) by giving it to our buddies Dave Nada (T&A B-More King) and Matt Nordstrom (’Other’), who conjunctively make up Nadastrom (Dubsided), you get this little slice of perfect. The ESG sample kind of seals the deal here.

For those of you who know me (or read this blog at all, ever), you are probably aware that I would almost never drop a Weezy track in a set. I am a total snob and ridiculous devotee of all things house. I’m not sure if this qualifies as such, but I don’t give a damn. This track is off the chain, makes me want to do swing kicks and crowd surf. Out of control. Hollerations where due: Thanks J2K for sharing the magic.

Axwell - I Found You (Phatjak Sunsoaked Mix) + Live In Finished Symphony (Deadmau5 Vocal Remix)

More good music from artists with questionable names! Angel Stoxx and Evan Kay are a progressive electro/techno duo from Athens who have put out a substantial amount of music on a number of kick butt European labels since 2001. Despite being studio magicians, Phatjak are obviously not internet famous. Their version of Axwell’s ‘I Found You’ (which doesn’t seem to have a bad remix) is a teched-up (semi) big room jam with plenty of chopping and screwing. This track kinda throws me for a loop. It’s minimal, but not minimal to be considered “minimal”. It’s housey, but not housey enough to be considered “house”. I guess it’s just good progressive goodness. God bless Axel Hedfors.

On to Deadmau5. I hate to admit it, but I didn’t know how to pronounce his name (ded-mouse) for about a year. I realize that this probably makes me retarded, but I’m not the only one. But once again, amazing music! Hybrid is a decent name by electronica standards, though it does sound a bit drum n’ bassish. Those guys always had names like evil robots. Vector, Omega, Hyper, Bassman, Conjecture. Nothing screams “I used to love trance” more than a newly self-realized DnB DJ. Though, if anyone has ‘Moment In Time’ by Invisible Man, I will gladly convert for a few minutes.

DEATH MATCH: Something About You

As I scooped up a handful of songs from my itunes, I realized that eventually song titles will just have to get longer to accommodate the fact that sooner or later all the possible combinations of commonly used words will have been taken. Many combos have already been duplicated by artists with completely no shame. As many of these songs are amazing (and amazingly successful), I don’t think anyone cares too much for having been the first, but it does pose the question in my head as I over-analyze everything as it is. I propose we hold death matches between 3 candidates, after which we will crown the winner that must uphold the title as soon as there become 2 new challengers. As a challenger, you would be allowed to submit what you feel is the strongest version, mix, or remix or your song, though should you lose, ALL versions would be cast into the depths of hell, never to be heard again.

I propose the first battle be for the title of ‘Something About You’. I have taken the time to select what I feel are the 3 strongest versions for this open judging. Oh yes, we must talk about judging! For now, we will hold the death matches on this site. Once the world discovers our system, and begins to praise us for the ground work that we have laid down, I’m sure some international council of elders (most likely consisting of French and Swedish house producers) will pay us off and create some higher styles of determining who lives and who dies. This really is an amazing idea. If there’s some song out there that you just hate, all you need to do is make a song with the same name, get someone else to do the same, then submit some type of application or form to the council. Hopefully your song kicks ass and wins.

This first death match will be between Live Element, Hatiras (Adam K & Soha Remix), and Jamelia (Mr. Oizo Remix).

Luckily, Daft Punk’s jam off Discovery is titled ‘Something About US’.

Let the judging begin! I am casting off my vote for Live Element.

*’Live Element - Something About You’ samples ‘Exile - I Wanna Kiss You All Over‘.

Alphabeat - Boyfriend (Dave Spoon Remix)

If it wasn’t clear before that Dave Spoon is the master of remixing of well-known songs (Big Fun, With Every Heartbeat, Sweet Harmony) into freak out emotional sparkling club killers, this track by Alphabeat (Danish/Loves 80’s Pop) will really drive the point home. It has some fidget house vocal loops and wicked rhythmic breakdowns. This is one of those tracks I will inevitably, uncontrollably shriek ‘PUNCH YOURSELVES!’ to the audience over and have people think I’m weird (again). Nasty! NASTY!

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