Martin Clancy & The Witness Protection Programme - You Can't Stop The Rain

After last year's "Flat Foot" comes the latest neo-Disco offering entitled "You Can't Stop The Rain." Just as infectious as the previous single, this one is a little more modern. The bassline has a mid 80's hi nrg feel to it. The vocals are light and airy. The main version is lovely. There are remixes for this by Richard Morel, Timmy Loop, Stonebridge, Emjae, Chris Cox, Matt Joko, and DJ Yiannis. Richard's mix is soft and light Disco. Timmy Loop's mix is similar to the original, but the bassline is more prominent. Stonebridge's funky house treatment is bassline driven too. Emjae's vocal mix has a fun electro swing beat production. The dub is more circuit-oriented. The remaining three are circuit-oriented. Chris Cox's mix has a darker bassline harder synths, while the Matt Joko mix has some electro/tribal elements. DJ Yiannis' mix is very tribal too. Overall, every single mix is really good. It's very rare that every mix manages to be so thoroughly enjoyable. The Richard Morel, Stonebridge, and Chris Cox mixes are the standouts in addition to the original.

Grade: A+

Martin Clancy and the Witness Protection Programme - Flat Foot

This one has 'classic' written all over it. From the lush strings to the funky bassline and understated beats, this one has all the makings of something from the heyday of Disco. The vocals are great, complementing this retro jam perfectly. The main mix is pure Disco heaven. There are additional mixes by Stonebridge, Richard Morel, DJ Meme, Liam Bates, DJ Bander, and Louie Balo & Trakkula. Stonebridge toughens things up just a little while Richard Morel toughens it up a lot more. DJ Meme and Liam Bates both preserve the Disco atmosphere of the original while making it slightly more modern. DJ Bander vs. Floppy Kid's mix is sparsely produced keeping it to the bare minimum. Louie Balo & Trakkula's mix is a noisy, electro mix which doesn't really bring much. Also included is a mix called the Clancyhouse Elizabeth Jane mix which has an electro-tinged "I Feel Love" type production. Overall, the original, DJ Meme, and Liam Bates versions are the highlights, however, Stonebridge and Morel's closely follow.

Listen to the full original version here (MySpace)
Buy the vocal mixes here and the dubs here (Amazon)

Grade: A+