I was blessed to be able to see so many good friends last night. Just when I thought the night was over and I couldn’t get any closer to blacking out, I ran into Emma. She and I talked a bit about the joys of blogging and she said she thinks I need to post more. Well, now that there is a demand I feel obliged to comply and fill the site with more lovely choons. Ted’s friend Vasili has a couple of cracking remixes ranging from finely crafted Deep House (Lisa Shaw), to chunky anthemic Electro. His take on Robin Thicke and Pharrell’s “Wanna Love You Girl” is particularly nice. I love how he brings the drums up with that wet echoing Pharrell shout at the beginning. It all sounds a bit Grace Jones. Then there are those little bleeping 8-bit videogame sounds in the background that function like cowbells do in so many No-wave songs; just adding detail to the percussive structure. Not something you could play in a club, but great for the chillout or preparty. Gavre’s “bigger room” take on JT’s “What Goes Around” can’t quite compete with the sacherine brilliance of Junkie XL’s small room version. Piercing synths, a grungy bass drone and expertly tuned guitar strains float around Timberlake’s voice for just under five minutes at a 131bpm clip; just long enough to keep it from getting too sweet.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Well, its not really the 90s, but something derivative of Electronica. You know… that Wall of Sound, Southern Fried, irreverent Big Beat Boutique sound. When I’m voraciously consuming music, I seldom keep good track of all the big jammers that come across my plate, but I never forgot “Manila.” Seelenluft, like a true anthropologist, spent a couple months in LA and managed to record the vocals of 12-year-old Michael Smith for this cerebral, bunk-bed banger in the kid’s South-Central home. I was reminded of the tune when the Zongamin Remix popped up in the 2004 Touché Essential Mix. Why DJ Touché hasn’t gotten more credit for sticking to his guns and developing the sound he made famous with “Ooh La La” and other late-90s, genre-smashers like “Cowboy 78,” I don’t know. His 2004 mix is a precursor to everything that’s burbling up in the clubs right now: Switch mixing Obie Trice, my first encounter with Justice vs Simian and DFA. Would love to hear this guy tear a club up.

If you looked in the right bass bins between 1999 and now, you’ll have noticed that Drum and Bass never really left the other side of the warehouse/convention center/video arcade. While you were wearing your big pants it probably seemed as though DnB was the meth-addled hyper sister of the more sophisticated House and Trance playing at the party, covering up a void of musicality with ridiculously fast snare and hi-hat. Well, ladies and gentlemen, rave’s bratty sister got some braces and damn is she a whole lot sexier. For musical evolution to happen, even in small strides, often its most ardent purveyors and consumers have to be left to their own devices. I doubt we’d have ever seen a hit like the ubiquitous Mundian Te Bach Ke if Panjabi MC had really given more of a flying fuck about selling records than having the best track to play at Indian weddings. Similarly, the purveyors of Drum & Bass today have gotten used to operating outside the fringe, at least as far as any American interest goes, and this relative obscurity has suited their craft well. Where once lived shabby sped up breaks, now thrive driving synthesizers, melodic lines that put Trance leads to shame, and emotionally charged peaks and valleys. There are a couple of key players. One is Hospital Records’ golden child High Contrast. Another is Perth’s own Pendulum. The group has a very rocking, very Ozzfest stage show complete with black lacquer guitars, bass and drums. It doesn’t get much more rave than their remix of Prodigy’s “Voodoo People.”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Is it too early to start talking about the song of the summer? If you’ve experienced the season with me, you know there is nothing I love more than figuring out what pop track goes that extra mile and dominates not only the airwaves, but our hearts as well. I remember when it was “No Scrubs.” and before that Britney Spears had her first summer jam. Sisqo had one way back in 2000 and so on and so on. Last year’s coveted title was fiercely contested. The obvious choice seemed to be “Crazy,” but I’d venture to say that was out way too long to be eligible. My best bet was at first on Kelis’ late spring fire-starter, “Bossy,” but then Ryan Leslie’s “Me & U,” sung by that glorious fembot Cassie, sprang up in the bottom of the 9th. She crept into our dreams like a succubus, haunting them with her disinterested vocals and blasé blasé demeanor. I can already tell that this year’s competition will be just as stiff. There’s not an obvious “Yeah” or “Crazy In Love” contender yet, but Ne-Yo has made a strong move with his bland, R&B-laced House stomper “Because of You.” Mims broke too early and Ne-Yo may have a followup single up his sleave, but I’m praying that somebody comes out of left field to dominate. Regardless of who claims the prize, the battle will be fought on car stereos up and down Broad Street. It will bleed across genres into the Providence Is Burning playlist. I’d love if it were a Mark Ronson production. I know the bloggers aren’t sleeping on him, but when will they start playing “Stop Me” on rock radio? It has to happen sooner or later. I’m not sure if he has the ability to be as prolific as Timbaland or Pharrell simply because his arrangements seem to feature so many live instrumentalists. This Kissy Sell Out Remix, complete with almost off-kilter synth breaks and boxing-match bells, has been floating for a while, but I’m posting it because it took me so long to find. By the way thanks to everybody who came out and showed what can happen when a community pulls together to create good clean fun. Not a drop of free booze and that barnstorm raged until 3:30 at least.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.