Chris Cox's Unreleased Remixes

Remixer/producer/DJ Chris Cox has done many remixes over the years both with Barry Harris as Thunderpuss and on his own. In addition to all the released ones, there are a handful of unreleased ones that the public has never really had a chance to listen to unless they check out Chris playing them live. In the month of May, Chris posted streams of a few of these in addition to many previously released ones. A few had posted before that time, but some may not have checked them out yet. These are some of the rare and even previously unreleased ones: Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me", Ellie Goulding's "Starry Eyed", Houston's "I Like That" (this was released on some 12" singles and the edit on some CD maxis but it's really rare), Janet Jackson's "All Nite (Don't Stop)", and Kelly Rowland's "Still In Love With My Ex".

(Note: These are all Soundcloud links and not download links)

Astrid Suryanto & Tracy Young - Color Of Your Eyes

This is the latest collaboration of the avant garde singer and the DJ/remixer. Tracy had previously remixed "To Find You" and "Home." The 80s synthpop style of the original is refreshing. Astrid's warm vocals are so hypnotic and intoxicating, much in the same way Sade's are. The poetic lyrics are so beautiful. There are two remixes by Lovejet which are in a similar style as the original, but they make it a little more uptempo. Additional remixes by Tracy Young and Tedd Patterson are planned for a later release [source]. This is a great release.

-Purchase the digital single on iTunes here
Preview the digital single on Spotify:

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Same Love (feat. Mary Lambert)

This was originally released as a single last year but didn't really get much mainstream attention. The humorous "Thrift Shop" ended up being their breakthrough, and the current single "Can't Hold Us" is a bona fide hit. Already a favorite among fans, "Same Love" has begun to get airplay across the U.S. and may in fact be the next single. The song is groundbreaking in that it is a rap song in favor of the legalization of same sex marriage. This topic has rarely ever come up within this genre. Mary Lambert's chorus is haunting, complementing Macklemore's rapped verses. Overall, this is a really great song.

Music video (YouTube)

Grade: A

Jessica Sutta - Again (Remixes)

The remixes of the the former Pussycat Doll's single that was released in late March are now available.

There are remixes by Dany Cohiba & The Henchmen, DJ Theresa, Emjae, Gianluca Cesaro & Venz DC, Hector Fonseca & Tommy Love, IDeaL & J-Break, Jerome Farley with both Del Pino Bros. and Joel Dickinson, Jesse Voorn, JRMX, Myke Rossi, and Nikno, in addition to the extended version of the original. It would take too long to describe each and every mix as there are so many, but all are really great with the two sets of Jerome Farley mixes, the JRMX, and Myke Rossi ones being the best of the bunch.

NEW: Preview all of the mixes in full on Spotify


Purchase the remixes from iTunes Part 1, Part 2
Grade: A

Ke$ha - Crazy Kids/Supernatural (Unofficial Mixes)

There have been many unofficial remixes of these two Ke$ha songs making the rounds lately. There are a few that are really worth checking out.

Crazy Kids
This mashup mix of "Crazy Kids" with Christina Aguilera's "Let There Be Love" by Country Club Martini Crew works so perfectly. The familiar, mainstream sound of the Christina song meshes nicely with the vocals. CCMW also did a mashup with the Christina vocals over the Ke$ha song which works well too, giving LTBL a totally different feel.

Listen here:


Supernatural
The sexy electro/pop song gets turned into a tribal floorfiller courtesy of Tyler Nelson. The underground sounding mix takes the song up several notches.

Listen here:

Kylie Minogue - Skirt

This new song purported to be from her upcoming album surfaced a few hours ago. Produced by Nom De Strip and written with The Dream, the erotically-charged, Dubstep influenced Dance track has Kylie delving into territory she has never really gone into before. Her cute signature vocals are there, however, the parts with her moaning in sexual ecstasy might be a bit too much for some. The chorus is super catchy though. It is unknown whether this might be a single, but this has the potential to reinvent Kylie yet again.

Listen to the song here:


Grade: A-

Sir Ari Gold - Play My F**kn Record (Music Video)

This single was reviewed here 5 months ago and the IndieGoGo campaign to fun the video, remix album, and book were featured as well. Thanks to the efforts of the generous fans and industry people who want to nurture talent, Sir Ari Gold reached his fundraising goal! The music video for "Play My F**kn Record" is now ready and was made available today. The remix album is due later this Summer. The music video features a number of cameos. It was so worth the wait. Check it out! (it's a little NSFW)

Get More:

Shara Strand - I Will Carry You (Remixes)

This is the latest single from the rising star. The remarkable vocalist is a former winner of multiple singing competitions. The original is in a pretty, Adult Contemporary style. It has the feel of something from the 90s, yet it sounds modern.

The massive remix package includes remixes by D1 Music, DJ Corey Dee, DJ Escape with Tony Coluccio, Edson Pride, Klubjumpers, Mike Rizzo, and Soulbeats. With the exception of the DJ Corey Dee, Mike Rizzo, and Soulbeats mixes, all of the mixes are in different variations of the big room, circuit style. DJ Escape & Tony Coluccio is especially good, working well at peak hour and in mainstream sets. Naturally, the dub is harder. Mike Rizzo's is more of a mainstream Dance/Pop one. The Soulbeats mix has a tribal element but it's subtle. Overall, all of the mixes are really good.

-Listen to clips and purchase here (iTunes)

Grade: A

Richie Campbell - That's How We Roll

This is the first U.S. single from the Portuguese singer. The song is in a characteristic Reggae style, recalling the amazing works of Bob Marley. Having recorded a number of other songs already, this is the perfect song to help the singer make a successful crossover into the U.S. Only a handful of contemporary Reggae-influenced hits of have been able to do that, most notably Inner Circle and UB40. The song's summery, laidback feel is just so great. Richie has an incredible voice on this. This song is sure to be a hit with the right promotional push.

-Buy the song on iTunes here
-Watch the music video here (YouTube)

Grade: A

Beyonce - Grown Woman

The R&B diva's newest single has finally arrived. A little bit of it had been featured in her Pepsi commercial a few weeks back. She has also performed it during her energetic Mrs. Carter tour. The uptempo features a tribal production, similar to her previous "Run The World (Girls)." This is in the exact vein as that song as well, especially with the whole empowerment of women theme. The song is brash and in your face, but it is also very typical of Beyonce's songs. The song unfortunately lacks the hook that is usually so characteristic of her music. This feels more like an album track than a single.

Listen here (YouTube)

Grade: B

Carmen Electra - Bigger Dick (feat Mams Taylor)

After the success of her single "I Like It Loud" last year comes the racy new followup. The song's title may indicate that it is some sort of a sexual song. It is one of those songs, but it is more about female empowerment actually. It's a rapidfire half sung, half rapped song with an electro/pop production. Rapper Mams Taylor provides some shoutouts. The club mixes will be released in the next few weeks as will a clean version called "Bigger Stick." This will be a major floorfiller this summer in the clubs.

Listen to clips and buy the song here (iTunes)

Grade: A-

Lana Del Rey - Young and Beautiful

Taken from The Great Gatsby soundtrack, she co-wrote this song with Rick Nowels, who also produced it. The epic, orchestral ballad doesn't deviate much from Lana's own material, but this one is definitely more dramatic. The layered arrangement with gothic drums is absolutely dreamy. Lana's vocals are haunting and ethereal. The alternate Orchestral version is also gorgeous with the additional strings. It feels darker. Both versions are incredible.

-Listen to the original version here (YouTube)
-Listen to the DH Orchestral Version here (YouTube)

Grade: A

Kelly Rowland - Dirty Laundry

The former member of Destiny's Child's latest single is a slow midtempo addressing some of the difficult things that she went through in her personal life. Although she doesn't explicitly name those certain people involved, it's pretty obvious who it is about. After a string of singles that were sexually explicit, this one is a welcome departure. The intriguing song is beautifully sung by Kelly. The song is deeper and isn't quite as commercial as her prior singles, but interest generated from the potential controversy over the subject matter might help it a bit.

Listen to the song here:


Grade: A

Michael Jackson - Remember The Time (Dezrok Remix)

This song was originally the second single off of his Dangerous album. The New Jack Swing-styled song had an iconic music video featuring Eddie Murphy and Iman. The accompanying remixes from the initial release were in a similar style as the original and in the classic, early House style.

Remixer/producer/DJ Dezrok, known for his epic big room, tribal productions throughout much of the 2000s is making a comeback after some time away from the producing. He revisited this classic, making it over in his signature style. Thought the original was not at all like this, the dramatic, synthy production with hard drums works perfectly. It's a lovely, melodic mix. Dezrok has made it available for streaming and limited time download.

Welcome back Dezrok!

Listen and download here:


Grade: A

Inaya Day & DJ Escape - Make Some Noise (Part 1)

Several months in the making, the Gospel/House diva known for the classics "Keep Pushin", "Hold Your Head Up High", and "Movin' Up" has teamed up with one of the Circuit scene's brightest stars for this new single. This song has the same soul and passion that made her earlier hits so memorable and beloved. Inaya sounds amazing. The main production by DJ Escape with Tony Coluccio is in their signature synthy, tribal style, though it is more anthemic than usual. The dub of the main version would work as a great tease to the full mix. Additional remixes on this first package are by Eddie Elias and Peter Presta.  Eddie's mixes are even harder than the main ones, capturing the big room vibe of Earth era Junior Vasquez mixes (especially the ones he did with Joe Carrano). Peter Presta's mix is hard as well, but it has more of a techy, tribal feel. It's nice as well. Rounding out the package is a DJ tool with just some of Inaya's ad libs and some of the main hook. Overall, every mix is great. A 2nd package with more mixes is planned for a later release with a lineup including Dom Capello, Johnny Vicious, Razor & Guido, Stephan Grondin, Nick Bertossi. This is sure to be the massive this year.

Listen to clips and buy the mixes here:
-Amazon (MP3s)
-Track It Down (MP3s and WAVs)

Grade: A

Michael M - It's Just Me EP

Known for the mid 2000s hit "Dear Diary", his latest EP features several songs and remixes. Oba Frank Lords produced all the songs. "Guess Who's Back" has an 80s underground feel. With its warped, manipulated vocals, "Star" is a glitzy, glamorous song. "Skeletons" features Jei and is really dark. "Butterfly" is the highlight of the EP. It is a throwback to 80s Depeche Mode and Erasure, only darker. Additional remixes of "Guess Who's Back" and "Star" are included. The Danny G mix of "Star" makes it much more mainstream.

-Listen to all the songs here (Soundcloud)
-Purchase on iTunes here

Grade: A-

Kat DeLuna - Stars (Remixes)

This is the latest single from the starlet who had a big hit with "Whine Up" several years ago. "Stars" is another club track. It has an 80s feel during the verses. The song immediately calls to mind Alexis Jordan's Stargate-produced "Acid Rain" minus the hard electro breaks. The song is extremely catchy. Kat sounds great. There are some remixes by Chris Cox and Steven Redant. Chris Cox's mixes are nice and peak hour-oriented. Steven Redant's are harder hitting with the pulsating production. Overall, both did a great job.

Listen to the original here (YouTube)

Listen to the Chris Cox mix:
 

Listen to the Steven Redant mix: 

Grade: A-

Pegasus Feat. Chloe Wolf - Gorecki

Lamb's "Górecki" was a haunting midtempo released in 1997. Though an unusual choice for reinterpreting as a Dance song, this new version is so tastefully done. The haunting feel of the original is maintained while making it suitable for the dancefloor. The subtle orchestral elements which slowly come in are lovely. The vocals by Chloe Wolf are stunning, coming close to Lamb's original. This is just so beautiful.

Listen here:


Grade: A+

Jennifer Lopez feat Pitbull - Live It Up

This is their latest collaboration after doing "Fresh Out The Oven", "On The Floor", a remix of "Papi", and "Dance Again." Produced by RedOne, the song is tailormade for the dancefloor. The song doesn't really deviate from the formula of the aforementioned singles. Despite some of them doing quite well, this one ends up falling short. Pitbull's rap is really lackluster, almost sounding like it was written using Mad Libs. Jennifer's parts are only slightly better. The production is quite noisy and uneven sounding. Overall, this one is not a good single.

-Listen to the song here (YouTube)

Grade: D+

DJ/Remixer Peter Rauhofer, 48 passes away

The Grammy winning DJ/remixer/producer/record label owner lost his battle with brain cancer today at the age of 48. Originally from Austria, Peter began his career working as a record label A&R for Gig Records. He made forays into DJing and production a short time after.

Peter's first major release was under the alias Danube Dance with "Unique." which went on to be an underground hit. Under his most famous production alias of Club 69 with Eric Kupper and Georg O'Luksch, "Let Me Be Your Underwear", "Sugar Pie Guy", and "Take A Ride" followed. These appeared on the full length album Adults Only released in 1995. A second album, Style was released in 1997. In addition to usual vocalist Kim Cooper, he introduced a new singer Suzanne Palmer who had only done a handful of songs at the time. "Drama", "Much Better", "Alright", and "Muscles" were the major hits from the album. After Twisted Records closed, Peter created the Star 69 label to release his own tracks as well as for a number of other artists. Amuka, Lula, Offer Nissim with Maya Simantov, and Suzanne Palmer were some of the label's biggest successes.

In addition to the original productions, Peter remixed almost every major artist including Annie Lennox, Beyonce, Cher, Christina Aguilera, Deborah Cox, Depeche Mode, Donna Summer, Duran Duran, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, k.d. lang, Kristine W, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Nelly Furtado, Pet Shop Boys, P!nk, Rihanna, Seal, Scissor Sisters, Shakira, Toni Braxton, Tori Amos, Whitney Houston, and Yoko Ono. These are just some who he did remixes for. Of the aforementioned artists, he notably remixed Madonna's songs more than any of the others. Peter won a Grammy in 2000, and was nominated again in 2001 and 2004 (for his mix of Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful"; the category of Best Remixer used to be for a body of work for a particular year until it was changed in 2002).

In just the past year, Peter had begun to actively remix again completing both official and private mixes of Adele, Alicia Keys, Gossip, Inaya Day, Janet Jackson, Kazaky, Madonna, Miasha, Mika, Offer Nissim, P!nk, Rihanna, Scissor Sisters, Swedish House Mafia, Toni Braxton, Tori Amos, and will.i.am & Britney Spears.

In addition to his many remixes and productions, Peter DJed regularly, often playing his many private collection mixes. For several years, he had a regular residency at the legendary Roxy club until its closure. He also played at Spirit and Stereo at various times too. He notably played at The Saint At Large's Black Party held at Roseland. Peter had his Work party events several times year, often co-headlining with other newer DJs.

Despite the many changes in Dance music both in terms of tastes, styles, and industry shifts, Peter constantly reinvented himself staying relevant and successful more than 2 decades. He leaves behind a tremendous body of work that is almost unparalleled by any of his contemporaries. He will be truly missed.

Condolences, messages, and stories may be posted and shared on his official Facebook page here

Some of Peter's best remixes:

Eurythmics - 17 Again (sorry, it won't let me embed)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIfsXlSMbYw

 

Depeche Mode - Soothe My Soul (Remixes)

The first of many remixes of the sleazy "Personal Jesus"-esque song has been released. Steve Angello and Jacques Lu Cont (an alias of Stuart Price) have done the mix. They have un-swung the vocals from the original. The verses and chorus have been spread throughout the mix, not appearing totally in the original sequence. The Electro/House production of the mix maintains the sleaze factor of the original, but there are some cool dramatic dropout sections, mixing it up a bit. It's a fun mix overall.

Listen to a preview and buy the mix here (Beatport)

Grade: A-

Mariah Carey feat Miguel - #Beautiful

This is the highly anticipated single from Mariah's upcoming new album. She teams up with sexy R&B singer Miguel who recently smashed with "Adorn." Produced by Mariah herself, Miguel, and Happy Perez, the song is a mature R&B midtempo. It has an early 90s feel, yet with all the recent throwbacks, it will be perfectly at home on radio and it will stand out too. The song ends up being a duet with slightly more of Miguel than Mariah on lead, but it all works. Mariah sings in a full voice versus the sensual whispering she is known for sometimes. Miguel sounds smooth. They complement one another and blend so well. The slightly sexual lyrics are suitable for a song of this nature. Overall, this is an amazing song and is a great taste of what is to come with the new album. R&B is back in a big way.

Listen to the song here:

Buy the song on iTunes here

Grade: A

Sylvester - You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) (Ralphi Rosario Remixes)

Sylvester James had a number of influential hits during the Disco era. He sadly passed away in 1988. "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" was easily his signature song and has gone on to be covered, sampled, and remixed dozens of times. A new greatest hits collection called Mighty Real: Greatest Dance Hits featuring all of his major singles will be released in June. To promote it, two new Ralphi Rosario remixes have been promoted. Ralphi previously remixed the song in 2001. He stretched the classic to over 12 minutes. The big room tribal mix incorporated some elements of the original as well, most notably the recognizable synth riff. The two new versions bear some resemblance to the earlier mix but are more contemporary, also incorporating some of the original's elements. Interestingly enough, the dub version is included on the new hits collection instead of the vocal mix. The dub is harder and darker, but it does have some bits of the chorus and bridge plus Sylvester's signature falsetto and high notes sprinkled throughout it. Both are really great.

Listen to Ralphi's Big Mix (from 2001)

Rod Stewart - Sexual Religion (Remixes)

The legendary artist is back with a brand new album. The Dance-oriented Pop song is a bit of a departure from his usual. It has the feel of something Enrique Iglesias or would have done in the late 90s. Rod's voice is in great form despite being on the scene for so long. The lyrics are really great and age-appropriate.

There are some remixes by Baggi Begovic and Jump Smokers. Only a handful of Rod's songs have received the remix treatment, most notably "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and "Human." Baggi's mixes are euphoric and anthemic while Jump Smokers are more mainstream. Both have done a great job. Baggi's are the best of the bunch.

-Listen to a preview of the original here (YouTube)
-Listen to a preview of the Baggi Begovic mix here (Soundcloud)
-Listen to a preview of the Jump Smokers mix here (Soundcloud)

Grade: A

Rihanna - Right Now (feat David Guetta)

This is the 4th single from her Unapologetic album. This had also been an early favorite and now it is a single. Produced by David Guetta, Stargate, Nicky Romero, and Tuinfort, the club-oriented song is typical of what one would expect from them. This one should easily top the charts.

There have been a bunch of uncommissioned remixes of this song making the rounds. The two best ones so far are by Eddie Baez and Nick Harvey with Billy Waters. Eddie's peak hour circuit mix makes this a floorfiller. Nick Harvey & Billy Waters' mix has a big room feel but this has a much more mainstream feel. This one improves upon the original considerably making the song so much more exciting.

Eddie Baez mix

Nick Harvey & Billy Waters mix


Grade: B (for the original)/A (for the remixes)

Armin Van Buuren feat Trevor Guthrie - This Is What It Feels Like

The Trancemaster is back with a new single featuring Trevor Guthrie (formerly of SoulDecision). Trance songs with a gorgeous male vocal have been making quite a comeback lately. The Electro/Dance/Rock track is so well done. It's very versatile in that it could work on Pop radio or in the clubs with the same version. The remixes are by Antillas & Dankann, David Guetta, and Giuseppe Ottaviani. Antillas & Dankann's aggressive Electro treatment works but might be too noisy for some. David Guetta's is pleasant but it doesn't deviate much from his usual blueprint. Giuseppe Ottaviani turns it into a big room Trance masterpiece recalling what Armin used to do in the early 2000s. Fans of that style will love that one. Giuseppe's version is the best of the bunch.

-Listen to the Giuseppe Ottaviani mix here (YouTube)

Grade: A