I never really noticed the “Guinea Pig” single by Ben Watt back in 2008. So now when I started writing about the remixes, I felt obliged to do my homework and give the original a listen. Have to say, I did my best, but barely noticed it even now. It’s not really the biggest record Ben Watt has ever made. So, the man of the moment, DJ Koze, has been called up to turn it around. And he does.

With a pepebradock-esque ease, DJ Koze turns up the “Weirdify”-button on his gear. The result is a track that is a breakdown from beginning to end, never easing up on the suspense. Hardly having a beat, Koze’s production focuses on the vocals and transforms the somewhat plastic-sounding original to an organic and breathing piece of music. It’s certainly something for the more discerning DJs there to play, but I bet if you drop it at the right moment, you will see some heads exploding from pleasure.

Oh yeah, there’s also a M.A.N.D.Y. remix. That’s more true to the original, if you know what I mean.

A: Guinea Pig - Musical Variation (MANDY & Small Boy remix)
B: Guinea Pig - Vocal Variation (with Julia Biel - DJ Koze remix)

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Abicah Soul (apparently a one-man-show by DJ Stax) first came around with a self-titled EP on Wha? Roots at the time when the afro-latin sound was just becoming popular in house. The record nailed it with all the tracks on the EP. And it makes me glad to see that the Abicah Soul sound has made it to 2009 while many of his compatriots have lost their battle against you-know-what-I-mean.

His sound for me is reminiscent of Osunlade, also in the way that he’s able to fluently incorporate the techy/analogue sounds to his overwhelmingly percussive tracks. This one, “Makossa” (originally recorded by the legendary Manu Dibango, of course) is doing promotional rounds and the vinyl release is supposed to be due in May 2009. With the Culoe De Song release forthcoming on Innervisions, I’m wondering if we are seeing a little afro-house revival here…

A: Makossa (Main Mix)
B1: Makossa (Synth 2 My Beat Mix)
B2: Makossa (Beats)

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Both guys being regulars on this blog, this is definitely intriguing news. As for the 22 minute track, it sure sounds like a hangover from the “ReComposed” installment, a collaboration with Moritz von Oswald (of Maurizio fame) reworking the most famous works of 20th century classical composers Ravel and Mussorgsky.

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We have also prepared a mix to get you in the mood, check below.

Listen/download: Fijiama DJs - Promo Mix for Get Fucked 13-03-09

Tracklist:

Tony Lionni - Machine Talk - Versatile
Sideshow - If Alone ft Paul St Hilaire (Chateau Flight Remix) - Aus Music
Dop - Horns N Roses - Eklo
Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts - Le Tigre - Oslo
Afefe Iku - Mirror Dance - Yoruba
Henrik Schwarz / Ame / Dixon - D.P.O.M.B. (Version 2) - Innervisions
Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band - Man Of War (Henrik Schwarz Mix) - Z Records
Stephan Hill & Koljah - Nonresponder - Innervisions
Fazed Idjuts - Dust Of Life (Joe Claussell Piano Mix) - U-Star

See you there!

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God knows what’s next - Twitter? (Sigh…)

Here are some of our recent faves:

Sideshow – If Alone ft Paul St. Hilaire (Chateau Flight remix)

Gorge – Garuna

Lars Bartkhun – Goodbye Dancing Hello God (Arto Mwambe remix)

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For now, I’ll leave you with a little gem from James Teej called “I’m Human Now”.

See you soon.

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I will pretend as if the radio silence never happened. Shh…

Please – if you haven’t already – give a listen to this and try not to pee your pants. And if you do – welcome to the club. Apparently, the track is produced by two NY guys, Jacques Renault and Marcos Cabral. They mix up huge piano riffs, acid synthesizers, and insane percussion and reverberate it to a ridiculous amount. I will just shut up (something I’ve proven to be very good at…) and let you enjoy.

A: Brooklyn Club Jam
B: Brooklyn Club Jam (LSB Baqueira Jam mix)

Listen at Juno
Buy at Juno

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There’s one obvious choice for you. The Laurent Garnier record has already received enough buzz without me adding to it. However, I have decided to ignore this fact and talk about it anyway. Sue me.

So the story is that Dixon was playing with Laurent Garnier at Panorama Bar and suddenly the man with the red face dropped a track that we now know as “Back To My Roots”. Dixon immediately proposed signing it to Innervisions. “Panoramix” was apparently (see Dixon interview) made the weekend right after they had signed “Back To My Roots”. You could say the man is on a row, considering the number of records he has put out in the recent years (hint: not many).

“Back To My Roots” is sort of a tribalish epic production. What amused me was Dixon’s comment on a message board (Faith Fanzine, I believe it was) about the track being shit for the first 8 minutes. Hell, that’s about as long as your regular track gets. Anyway, if you listen to the track, you can probably see what he meant. If “Back To My Roots” could have just as easily been produced 10 years ago (and that’s a good quality, by the way), “Panoramix” is the more contemporary piece of music on this EP. When I first heard it, I presumed it to be a remix of Sebo K’s “Horizons” and later learned I wasn’t the only one to make that connection. However, it’s also got a clear touch of “The Man With The Red Face”, for nostalgic purposes.

For me, it’s another rock solid Innervisions installment.

A: Back To My Roots (original Afrodiziac mix)
B: Panoramix

Listen at Juno
Buy at Juno

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This little gem is something for you to start your weekend with - a perfectly orchestrated version of the nu-trance anthem that whisked Âme and the Innervisions gang up into hype heaven. Pizzicato strings take over the melody that all the office geeks with bags under their eyes were whistling in 2007 after living out their rave dreams over the weekend. The drummer probably had to have his arms amputated after all the hardcore cymbal action. Any more drama and we’d be watching “The Bold & The Beautiful”. I dare you to play it out in a club (let me know what happened).

Sonar Kollektiv Orchestra is a band (or actually much more than a band) made up of label artists and friends. On the album you will find Sonar Kollektiv anthems from the past and the present.

By the way, Âme is a French word, so pronounce it like one.

Buy/Listen at Sonar Kollektiv website

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But as long as it’s slow, I might share with you two classic tracks.

Pepe Bradock – Life
Atavisme - ATA 001

This one has been creeping back into my sets recently, showing off its timelessness. The use of the Prince’s “Purple Rain” samples is downright magnificent. This is why I forgive the man tracks like “Rhapsody in Pain”.

Joe Claussell – Agora E Seu Tempo (The Acroostic Percussion Version)
Spiritual Life Music - SLM PRO 11

This is an ultra-rare version of the beaufiful Mental Remedy (Joe Claussell + Jephte Guillaume) song. A couple of weeks ago, I walked into the MVE shop on Berwick St, London, and there it was, as if to remind me of my Spiritual Life Music obsession years ago. Fate, I presume. And I didn’t even have to pay the usual 50 pounds that it goes for on eBay. Shouts go out to Mr Madis Nestor who first turned me on to this one. I hope you like your percussion intros long.

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