Yoko Ono - Walking On Thin Ice 2013

The final mix of this song with the mysterious, ominous-sounding vocals was produced hours before her late husband John Lennon was tragically murdered. The song was one of her biggest and most well known hits. It was given remixes by Danny Tenaglia, Eric Kupper with François Kevorkian, Felix Da Housecat, Orange Factory, Pet Shop Boys, Peter Rauhofer, and Rui Da Silva in 2003.

Now it is back a decade later with brand new mixes Danny Tenaglia, Dave Aude, Emjae, Ralphi Rosario, and R3hab. Danny's new mixes are a throwback to his work with Peter Daou in the mid 90s. His 'Grand Ballroom mix' starts off with a lush, nearly 3 minute downtempo introduction before the tribal beats come in. His 'Give Ice A Chance Mix' is slightly shorter, omitting the downtempo intro. It has been many years since he has done mixes in this style. Dave Aude's piano-based mixes are lovely too. Emjae's are pleasant too with the "Love Is Gone"-styled piano melody. Ralphi Rosario delivers his usual tribal anthem. R3hab's has some pretty sections but it gets really noisy quickly.

Overall, Danny Tenaglia, Dave Aude, and Emjae's are the best of the bunch.

Full streams of all the mixes can be heard on Yoko's website

Purchase here:
Part 1 on Beatport, Part 1 on iTunes
Part 2 on iTunes

Grade: A 

Cher - Woman's World (Remixes)

The official release of the single finally happened today. The song was first streamed on her official website late last year. The album's release campaign kicked off with the release of the single and a performance of the song on NBC's The Voice.

The new version of the song is very similar to the previously streamed one. That is being considered the demo version. The vocals and production are pretty much the same, but everything is much smoother and cleaner sounding. The song Paul Oakenfold produced song is an empowerment anthem for women in every sense of the word. Cher sounds great.

There are some remixes by Danny Verde, R3hab, and Tracy Young. Danny delivers a hard, dark pulsating circuit anthem. It is the definitive peak hour mix of the song. R3hab's mix has some nice moments, but the noisier sections end up ruining it. Tracy's mix presents her newer sound that is more akin to what is in many of the Electro Dance/Pop songs flooding the radio airwaves right now. This version would actually be the one to use if the song is given a top 40 push. Tracy's mostly instrumental dubs with an emphasis on the piano sections are pretty. Overall, Danny and Tracy's are the best of the bunch.

Listen to the original version here
Danny Verde | R3hab | Tracy Young

Grade: A

Bruno Mars - Locked Out Of Heaven (Remixes)

This was the lead single from his highly anticipated Unorthodox Jukebox album. The song's verses instantly call to mind Alcazar's club classic "Crying At The Discotheque" which sampled Sheila B. Devotion's "Spacer." The electronic/rock/pop song is insanely catchy.

There are some remixes by Cazzette, Late Night Hustle, Major Lazer, Paul Oakenfold, and R3hab. Cazzette's mix is a straightforward big room electro/house mix. Late Night Hustle's electro mix has an 80s synthpop type of sound. Major Lazer's mix is laidback with a light reggae sound. Paul Oakenfold opts for a heavy electro sound with only the verses having a lot of melody. R3hab deviates from the usual for a hip hop meets dubstep styled mix. Overall, Cazzette and Major Lazer's mixes are the best of the bunch.

-Listen to the Cazzette mix here (YouTube)
-Listen to the Major Lazer mix here (YouTube)

Grade: A-

Priyanka Chopra - In My City (Remixes)

After releasing her first single a few months ago, the remix EP has now been released. R3hab & ZROQ, Maestro, LA Riots, Morris, Wideboys, ANSOL, and Rishi Rich provide remixes for the RedOne produced track. R3hab & ZROQ's mix is extremely noisy and not for the faint of heart. Maestro's is a little better but it just feels too repetitive. The LA Riots mix is on the chill side with just a hint of electro. The Mr. Morris mix is downtempo and in a mild dubstep style. It's close to the original. This would be a perfect alternative to the original for radio to play. The Wideboys mix is bassline driven with some nice drops and complements the vocals well. The ANSOL mix is a big room electro mix. The best mix of the bunch is the Rishi Rich one. The use of Indian instruments with modern dance beats works so well.

Listen to clips of all the mixes here:


Purchase the digital single here (iTunes)

Grade: B (for the overall remix package), A- (for the Rishi Rich mix)

Madonna - Turn Up The Radio (Remixes)

This is the 3rd single off of her MDNA album. Produced by Martin Solveig, this is another fun retro track. It is in a similar win as last year's hit "Hello." This could be thought of as a cousin of that song. Perfect for radio and the clubs, there is also a full remix package including mixes by Leo Zero, Marco V, Offer Nissim, R3hab, and Richard Vission. The remixes by Offer and R3hab are new while the other three were previously released on the special Smirnoff edition of MDNA a few months back. Leo's mix has a Giorgio Moroder-esque sound with the "I Feel Love" type production. Marco and Richard's mixes lack melody and direction and feel like a vacuum cleaner set to beats. There are some good sections in both mixes, but the bad parts overshadow the good. Offer's mix is mostly light and airy with nearly all of the vocals. The original melody is retained for the most part. It has its darker moments, however, they fit in quite well. R3hab also delivers a surprise with his mix. It is rather melodic and complements the original quite well. Offer and R3hab's mixes are the best of the bunch.

Grade: C (for the Marco V, Richard Vission mixes), B (for the Leo zero mix), A (for the Offer Nissim and R3hab mixes)

Jennifer Lopez - Papi (Remixes)

This is the sexy new single from her Love? album. A Latin, club-oriented track in its original version, this gets a full package of remixes by DJ Kue*, Mixin' Marc & Tony Svedja, R3hab, and Rosabel. Mixin Marc & Tony Svedja's synthy big room mix feels like a souped up version of the original. R3hab opts for a heavy electro-house sound. Rosabel's piano-laden tribal mix is surprisingly tame, but pretty. Overall, the Mixin Marc & Tony Svedja mix is the best of the bunch.

*DJ Kue mix was not available at press time and was not reviewed.

Listen to the original here (YouTube)

Grade: A-