SLAG PATROL

Yelle – Qui Est Cette Fille (Robyn cover)

This is part of a ‘foreign exchange,’ where Yelle did a Robyn song and Robyn did a Yelle song. Yelle’s is way better–Robyn just added Yelle’s lyrics on top of Cobrastyle, while Yelle constructed something completely new. The chorus is gorgeous.

Royksopp feat. Robyn – The Girl and the Robot
Davide Rossi – Suite for a Robotic Girl (Reinterpretation)

Speaking of Robyn — this is awesome. I love the synth and strings, and Robyn’s anger, and the fact that they took the song literally when they made the video.

Royksopp – This Must Be It

And speaking of Royksopp — another good track off their recent album.

And this was meant to go up last November… oops.

Christina Aguilera – Genie 2.0

And here it is, the full version of this from the VMAs. I really like it, but having listened to the short version again and again and again, this version feels a bit too long–actually, 1:21 too long to be exact. Still, I love the strings.

Sash! feat. Stunt – Raindrops (Encore Une Fois) (Fonzerelli Club Remix)

I often find long mixes of songs boring and repetitive. But I absolutely adore Fonzerelli’s short remix of Raindrops, and his long version is perfectly executed–the anticipation builds and builds until the multi-tracked chorus explodes in a well-worth-it release.

Katy Perry – Hot N Cold (Bimbo Jones Remix Radio Edit)

As light and fun as the Jason Nevins mix while often sounding like the beginning of The Cure’s Just Like Heaven.

Christina Aguilera – Keeps Getting Better (Tom Neville Club Remix)

The original of this: nice but nothing to write home about. Tom Neville’s take: driving, pulsing, actually better.

Forever the Sickest Kids – Whoa Oh! (Me vs Everyone)

Nice emo rock song with a fantastically catchy chorus.

Lady Gaga – Paparazzi (Stuart Price Remix)

Love Gaga. Love Stuart Price. This is brilliant: brooding with a great piano riff.

Freemasons feat. Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer (Radio Edit)
Freemasons feat. Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer (Bitrocka Italo Mix)

I am obsessed with this song. I like extra sheen the radio edit has over the original, and the Italo mix stretches it out in a rather nice way.

Hello again!

Britney Spears – Womanizer (Mike Rizzo Funk Generation Radio Edit)
Britney Spears – If U Seek Amy (Mike Rizzo Funk Generation Radio Edit)

Mike Rizzo’s Womanizer mix has become one of my favorite songs of all time; it’s by far the best of the Womanizer mixes. Britney’s taking no prisoners — I love it. The If U Seek Amy mix is also very good. It takes a song that couldn’t take itself less seriously and plays it straight, turning it into something very danceable.

Lady GaGa – Poker Face (JDB Edit)

It’s the ah-ah-ah-AHs at the beginning and during the chorus that really make this for me. As a whole the song is poppy (the poppiest Jody Den Broeder mix I’ve heard certainly) but still a little restrained, and quite pretty.

The Saturdays – Just Can’t Get Enough (Wideboys Club Mix)

This song is irresistibly camp, even after this by-the-numbers remix. I also love the video.

Lily Allen – The Fear (Stonebridge Clean Radio Mix)

A remix that very much improves upon a decent song. The progression at the beginning, that the whole song is layered upon, really suits it.

Fall Out Boy – I Don’t Care (Cobra Starship Suave Suarez Remix)

First I love the narcissism of the chorus. Then I love the bombast that Cobra Starship adds compared to the original.

Sash! feat. Stunt – Raindrops (Encore Une Fois) (Fonzerelli Rework Radio Edit)

Fonzerelli takes the chorus somewhere completely unexpected, and it’s amazing.

Paul Oakenfold feat. Ryan Tedder – Not Over (Oakenfold 2008 Remix)

The downward progression during the chorus is so good.

Katy Perry – Hot N Cold (Jason Nevins Radio Edit)

I loved the original, and I love this remix even more. It’s uncontrollably joyous. There’s bouncy synth! There’s a superfluous mini guitar solo at the end! I can’t resist.

Pink – So What (Bimbo Jones Radio Edit)

Bimbo Jones is at his best remixing Pink (see U and Ur Hand); this is just fantastic–it takes the cheese out of the melody and turns a light, fun song into a tight, angry anthem.

Britney Spears – Womanizer (Nick* Remix)

This remix just changes the backbeat, in a fierce, Personal Jesus sort of way. I’m still waiting for a remix that makes a fundamentally new song, but until then this works.

Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out of my Head (Greg Kurstin Remix)

Thoroughly Modern Kylie: Greg Kurstin has created the best remix of this song yet. It wouldn’t sound out of place on X; it keeps the song’s irresistible melody and makes it slicker, better.

Lindsay Lohan – Bossy (Sam998899’s In Control Edit)

Lindsay Lohan is indeed still making music; the original version of Bossy is fine, but not as good as this. Sam998899 adds a video game vibe and a pounding synth that is so 80s and so good.

Britney Spears – Womanizer

OK, so it’s not exactly original; it’s Rihanna’s SOS + Rachel Stevens’s Some Girls + Britney’s Radar mashed together. Still, it’s excellent. The chorus sounds metallic, a touch industrial but still poppy. Good work Britney’s producers.

Christina Aguilera – Genie in a Bottle (2008 rework)

More palate cleanser than full song, this version of Genie in a Bottle is from her performance at the 2008 Video Music Awards. It’s very very sleek, and unfortunately only a minute and a half long–the new song it segued into on the show wasn’t nearly as good.

BWO – Lay Your Love On Me (Biffco Mix)

BWO (formerly Bodies Without Organs) were a Slag Patrol favorite, until they put out about 10 truly awful ballads in a row and put on the worst show I’ve ever seen at the Astoria. Lay Your Love On Me is a very welcome return to form. It’s slick. It’s fun. It doesn’t take itself too seriously. I like.

Robyn – Handle Me (Ortzroka Death To Disco Dub)

The best mix of Handle Me I’ve heard yet. Everything saccharine in the original has been replaced with an angry, throbbing synth.

Rihanna – Disturbia (Craig C & Nique’s Master Radio Mix)

This remix loses the original’s irresistible melodic Bum-Bum-Be-Ums, but it adds a fantastic ‘destroy everything you touch’ edge.

Coldplay – Vida La Vida (Grant’s Uplifting Club Mix)

I was so over Coldplay, and then they came out with Vida La Vida, one of my favorite songs of the summer. This mix doesn’t change much but adds a good beat.

The Killers – Human

Stuart Price has done good work here. It’s the Killers at their synthy, yearning best. Very excited for this album to drop.

Katy Perry – Hot N Cold

I really shouldn’t like this song so much. I don’t understand why. It just make me so. happy. The Max Martin magic is working.

Eric Prydz – Pjanoo

While this Eric Prydz track lacks the saccharin bubble-gum popness of Call on Me, it remains very slick and well done; its driving, pulsing beat is almost but not quite too repetitive.

Seal – The Right Life (Josh Harris Radio Mix)

The original version of this song is slow and awful. Fortunately Josh Harris’s remix is neither of those things.

Britney Spears – Gimme More (Paul Oakenfold Radio Mix)

Missed this one somehow when it came out. It’s fantastic, especially the intro. More urgent than other mixes.

Mariah Carey – Touch My Body (Seamus Haji Radio Edit)

I’m against all things Mariah Carey stands for, but this remix grew on me a lot. The chorus kind of gets under your fingernails and before you know it you’re singing along.

Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake – 4 Minutes (Rebirth Remix)
Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake – 4 Minutes (Junkie XL Remix)

What can I say? The unremixed original has grown on me and these remixes are quite good. The ‘Rebirth Anthem’ mix, by Marcos Castellon, is the most complete of the remixes I’ve heard in that it’s excellent throughout. The Junkie XL mix hits the highest highs–its reworking of the ‘If you want it’ chorus is absolutely ace–but the first two minutes and last two minutes are kind of boring. Very excited to hear this album.

UPDATE: Oh noes! Got my first DMCA takedown notice. Links to 4 Minutes mixes removed.

Kylie Minogue – In My Arms (Sebastien Leger Remix)

This is a great, more serious, slightly sinister take on In My Arms. Big improvement on the saccharine original chorus. Sebastien Leger did a fantastic remix of Justin Timberlake’s What Goes Around last year; the quality of this mix doesn’t come as a surprise.

The Veronicas – Untouched (Listen Deep Remix)

As you’ll recall from the original, the chorus was the weakest part of the song and like the Kylie track, this remix is a big improvement (even though it takes the strings away). The beepy synth works well.

David Guetta – Baby When the Light

Pretty chilled as dance tracks go. I’m slightly skeptical of David Guetta, because he’s French, but I do like the video.

Britney Spears – Break the Ice (Kaskade Radio Edit)

Break the Ice is my favorite track off Blackout. Kaskade is one of my favorite DJs. And together? The inner teenage girl in me is shrieking OMFG. The chorus is transcendent. As a whole the song almost tops Kaskade’s mix of Paris Hilton’s Nothing in this World. Almost. The other remixes of Break the Ice (including the Wideboys mix) are good but not this good.

Rihanna – SOS (Nevins Glam Club Mix)

I somehow missed this when it came out. The wavy synth is brilliant.

Estelle feat. Kayne West – American Boy

I like the smoothness and easiness of this one. And Kayne’s rap is good.

Utah Saints – Something Good 08

Derivative 80s synth? Check. A complete lack of originality? Check. But I was eventually won over by this track (thanks to Robin), mostly because of its crazy video. We have yet to actually rock these moves on the dancefloor, but it’s going to happen.