Pet Shop Boys - The Pop Kids

This is the first proper single from the English duo's upcoming 13th album Super. This is the second song to be heard from the album after the mostly instrumental "Inner Sanctum" was released as a teaser for the new direction of the album. The song's lyrics tell a story of two friends who met at university and shared a friendship during that time through their mutual love of the club scene. The story is given a proper conclusion in longer The Full Story remix which has an additional verse. The song's production is in a 90s House style. It has the deep tribal beats and the characteristic pianos. Some parts of the piano hook recall the main riff in Bizarre Inc's rave classic "Playing With Knives". This element is played up to great effect in the PSB Deep Dub version. Marc Kinchen and Offer Nissim provide the remixes. MK's take is in a similar vein as the original but in his usual straightforward classic House style. Offer Nissim's mix is dark and dramatic just as the remix name indicates. It contains most of the vocals and they have been spread out a bit. Both are really well done.

Listen to the remixes here:


Grade: A

Yinon Yahel feat. Maya Simantov - Take The World

This is the latest collaboration of the Israel-based producer/remixer/DJ Yinon Yahel and singer/songwriter Maya Simantov. They have worked together numerous times in the past on their own songs and with Offer Nissim, with whom several albums were produced. This is in a similar vein as their earlier work, however, this one sounds more contemporary and in line with Yinon's own production style which has a slightly harder Electro influence. Maya's vocals are soft and haunting, particularly in the beatless portions where she is highlighted.

Listen to clips and purchase here (Beatport)

Grade: A

Madonna - Ghosttown (Remixes)

The second package of remixes of the power ballad have been released. Armand Van Helden, Mindskap, and Offer Nissim. Armand Van Helden's mixes are a throwback to the 90s and feature a Deep House production and a killer bassline, however, the majority of the vocals have been removed and the few that are there do not fit with the production. Mindskap's mix is in a similar vein, however, it has even less vocals. Offer Nissim saves the day with his two mixes. The first is the Drama mix which begins with a stunning orchestral intro leading into the first verse. This mix contains nearly all of the vocals. The mood of the original has been perfectly translated into remixed form with this one. The other mix has a proper intro and is just slightly harder and omits the first verse. This one feels more like a vocal dub. The Drama mix is easily the best mix of the song so far.

-Listen to the mixes on Madonna's YouTube channel

The remix EP will be released for purchase in mid May

Grade: A

Madonna - Living For Love (Remixes)

This is the lead single from her forthcoming 13th album Rebel Heart. The song is a return to her Dance/Pop roots. It's an uplifting song produced by Diplo about moving forward after a breakup. It features traditional House elements including a groovy piano hook and straight out of church diva backing vocals. There are plenty of remixes already by Dirty Pop, Djemba Djemba, Mike Rizzo, Offer Nissim, and Thrill. The Dirty Pop remix is an electro-drenched one with a limited amount of vocals. The Djemba Djemba one is close to the original however it strips down certain sections. His mix uses all of the vocals. Mike Rizzo's remix takes the concept of the original and turns it into a hands in the air floorfiller. Offer Nissim delivers a darker, big room full vocal take that is appropriately titled as it does bring the drama. Thrill's remix is techy and plays up some of the choir backing vocals but it lacks direction. Overall, Mike Rizzo and Offer Nissim's mixes are the best of the bunch in addition to the fantastic original.

-Listen to the original here
-Listen to the Dirty Pop remix here
-Listen to the Djemba Djemba remix here
-Listen to the Mike Rizzo mix here
-Listen to the Offer Nissim remix here
-Listen to the Thrill remix here

Grade: A

Lana Del Rey - Young And Beautiful (Offer Nissim Remix)

The haunting original was given an official remix by Cedric Gervais who had previously remixed "Summertime Sadness". That other remix managed to be picked up by mainstream radio and it was a huge hit all over the world. The "Young And Beautiful" mix was cut from the same cloth. The remix sadly lost some of the charm that the original had.

A couple of days ago, Offer Nissim has posted a remix he made of the song that stays true to the original (it actually uses the minimally produced song to get the vocals). It begins in a dark, beatless fashion as the original does. As the vocals come in, it builds up and the beats come in. After somewhat of a buildup, a riff finally arrives. The riff is inspired by Deep Zone's underground classic "It's Gonna Be Alright (Help Is On The Way)". The second verse plays after that. Only the bridge has been omitted, however, that's okay.

Listen and download here:


Grade: A

Offer Nissim - Osa Osa

This is the latest release from the Israel producer/remixer/DJ. This unexpected track is mostly instrumental with just some jungle chants. It's very drummy and tribal. It would go well with other similar styled tracks such as "Voodoo Drums", "Wombo Lombo", and "Elements." This song will fit into a wide variety of sets despite its tribal/house style.

Grade: A-

Offer Nissim & Asi Tal feat Maya Simantov - Breath

This is a new vocal track produced by Israeli producers Offer Nissim and Asi Tal with longtime vocalist Maya Simantov (she is credited with her last name on this release though she went by just her first name on earlier collaborations). Maya delivers a spectacular vocal. This is not as hard and progressive as some of the other tracks she has sung on previously, but this one has that dramatic flavor characteristic of those songs. With the right edit, this one could be a hit on Dance radio. The song is even more beautiful in its Acoustic version.

Listen to and download the original Offer Nissim & Asi Tal mix:

Listen to the Acoustic version:

Grade: A

Kristine W - Everything That I Got (Offer Nissim and Mr. Black Mix)

Several months after peaking at #2 on the Billboard Dance chart, this remix by Offer Nissim and Mr. Black has finally been made available to stream. This dub-styled mix centers around some of the spoken parts and a few vocal samples. It's an energetic mix that would get the crowd hyped up. It ends up being one of the best mixes of the song. It's a shame the mix never came out.

Listen to the mix here:


Grade: A

Yinon Yahel feat Meital De Razon - Share The Night

This is the latest collaboration of the producer and vocalist. Meital's gorgeous vocals take center stage on this. The production starts off hard then softens for a moment, then it builds to a hard, progressive riff. The TLV Vocal is the hard version. The In Love In NY mix is much lighter and uplifting and the riff is less aggressive. An edit of this version could have potential to cross over to radio just as that other Avicii "I Could Be The One" track is doing right now.

TLV Vocal Mix
 

In Love In NY Mix


Grade: A-

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)

Tony Moran - The Event Unmixed Total Collection 2012

The double disc compilation containing mostly brand new material was originally released in 2007 along with a modified digital edition the following year. This special unmixed edition includes 41 tracks comprised of full length versions of most of the songs that appeared on both compilations plus some alternate versions, radio edits, dubs, and some previously unreleased tracks.

Some of the highlights include the alternate mix of Kristine W's "Walk Away" that is far more hard-hitting and anthemic than the well-known original version. The full length version and alternate mixes of Nicki Richards' "Freedom" are lovely as well. The previously unavailable 10 minute Altar mix of "La Fiesta (Relive Your Kiss)" featuring vocals by Kara Dioguardi is a floorburner. The original version of that song appeared on one of Tony's compilations over a decade ago.

Overall, this is an excellent collection at a great price.

Purchase it at Amazon | iTunes

Grade: A

Madonna - Girls Gone Wild (Remixes)

Just as the first clips of several album tracks were released, remixes for the second single were serviced. In addition to the album version and alternate Justin Cognito mixes, Dave Aude, Kim Fai, Lucky Date, and Offer Nissim provide remixes. Dave's big room electro house treatments are hard and driving with full vocals. The spoken word section from the album version as a bridge during a buildup is a nice touch. The dub is actually a little more exciting with the minimal vocal samples. Kim Fai and Lucky Date ditch the majority of the vocals for their mixes as well. There are some fun builds and synth breaks in Kim's mix, but it's kind of noisy. Lucky Date's mix is even noisier, grating on your last nerve. Finally is Offer Nissim's vocal dub. It begins with an inviting intro featuring bits of the spoken word and some Middle Eastern male vocals. Those additional vocals pop up in various places. The big room, techy-trance mix is thrilling with the big riffs. Only some of Madonna's vocals are in the mix and they pop up as samples. A full vocal version would have been nice, but that can be forgiven. Overall, Offer Nissim and Dave Aude's mixes are the best of the bunch.

Grade: A-

Yinon Yahel feat Maya Simantov - Like It (When We Do)

This is the latest release from Israeli producer/DJ Yinon Yahel and singer-songwriter Maya Simantov. "Like It (When We Do)" recalls the production style of earlier Maya tracks produced with both Offer Nissim and Yinon Yahel, specifically the classic "Be My Boyfriend". It combines both that earlier sound with what Yinon has been doing recently. Maya is as good as she usually is on vocals. There are 7 remixes, in addition to the original. All versions are circuit-oriented with some being a little harder, and some with more Electro elements. All the versions are pretty good, however, the Stephan Grondin & Alain Jackinsky and Allan Natal mixes are especially outstanding.

Listen to clips and purchase the digital single here (Yinon's store on Facebook)

Grade: A

Offer Nissim - Love Child

Yes, this is a remake of the classic by Diana Ross & The Supremes. Offer features a trio of vocalists on this including Maya Simantov, Meital De Razon, and Maya Buskila. The concept of doing a remake of this was nice in principle, but in practice is just so-so. Only a small portion of the lyrics are used (just the first verse, pre-chorus, and chorus). The vocals are decent, but all three singers are usually quite great, and consistently deliver, just not here. The production is not that different from his usual. Only the strings from the original are recreated here. The studio version lacks the passion and vocal power that was present during this live performance (YouTube) back in October.

Grade: B

Offer Nissim - Pride All Over 2010

This is a new continuously mixed compilation showcasing some of his recent productions and remixes. It begins with two new Epiphony tracks including "Mr. Charming" and "Boxing Ring." "Mr. Charming" sounds like the darker cousin of their earlier hit "Out Of My Skin" while "Boxing Ring" has some electro influences. Next is Offer's remix of "Why Tell Me, Why" by Anita Meyer which is based on the original. He beautifully turns the light Disco track into a club anthem. Following that is "The One & Only" with Nikka is a pretty, uplifting but dark track. Suzanne Palmer's cover of Melba Moore's "You Stepped Into My Life" is up next. It features additional vocals by Maya Simantov. It's mostly instrumental except for the few vocal samples and occasional breaks with Maya's vocals. The electro-tinged production with buildups and breakdowns is really fun. The next two tracks are in other languages including Greek and Turkish, respectively. Shlomi Saranga's "Essi" is a dark, moody track with some emotion-filled vocals. "Yeni Beni (Out Of My Skin)" is a cover of Epiphony's "Out Of My Skin" sung by a male vocalist. Some Epiphony vocals are used too. Ivri Lider's "F*** Off Berlin" is next. It's rather dark as well. It must be mentioned that it's not a song bashing the city of Berlin. Following that is a twisted techy-tribal update to Flickman's "The Sound Of Bamboo." Two more classic songs in other languages come next. The French "Nuit Magique" by Lara Catherine and the Hebrew "Adaa'in Kan" by Shoshana Damari. Both are really stunning. The latter is really haunting and dramatic. The compilation closes on a positive note with "Freedom To Y'all" by Mickiyagi. The unexpected 'symphony' break in the middle is a lovely touch. Overall, this is a good compilation. The mixing could be thought of as 'segueing' as each track does blend seamlessly into each other, but only for a few seconds at the end. The standouts include the Epiphony, Suzanne Palmer, Shoshana Damari, and Mickiyagi tracks.

Grade: A-

Yinon Yahel featuring Maya Simantov - Bringing You Home

After this was premiered more than half a year ago, this finally gets a release. "Bringing You Home" is yet another Maya Simantov vocal track that that strikes an emotional chord with the listener. Many of the songs her and Offer Nissim recorded in the past dealt with the subject of love and loss, topics that they turn into some really mesmerizing songs. Yinon's production is progressive/electro/tribal. The beatless parts are absolutely stunning. The main riff is reminiscent of the riff used in Offer's mixes of "Home" by Suzanne Palmer nearly 4 years ago. It's a nice nod to the past. This is a great track overall.

Buy the main mix here (Amazon)

Grade: A

Kristine W. - Be Alright

This is the latest single off of her much-awaited new album The Power Of Music. "Be Alright" is not exactly a new song though. An early version was completed in 2006. A remix by Offer Nissim appeared on his Forever Tel Aviv compilation which came out in early 2007. In this song, Kristine sings about how things will turn out fine even if there are obstacles in the way. The vocals sound very fresh and clear.

Featuring George Lynch, the original version is produced by legendary remixer/producer Hex Hector. It is a rock guitar-driven midtempo track. This does have Adult Contemporary format smash written all over it.

The Boris mixes have an electro/circuit/rock feel that works well. Tom Stephan's mixes are circuit/electro-ish. The Perry Twins mix is nice and anthemic. Bass Mekanik's is at a similar tempo as the original. It's Electro/Pop at it's best. Joe Carrano's are good too, but they lack that extra something his work has unless he is programming for someone else. His slower version is more effective. Offer Nissim's mix is the same as the one that appeared on the compilation mentioned earlier in the review. It's a minimal, dub-style mix. It loses most of the vocals, but keeps just enough. The production is really pretty though.

Overall, this package is pretty good.

Grade: A-

Offer Nissim featuring Maya - Hook Up

This is their latest single. Offer has been playing this one for a few months now. "Hook Up" is somewhat of a departure from their usual songs about love and loss. This one is a bit more sexual. Maya sort of speaks/raps the lyrics instead of singing them. It may sound a bit bizarre, but it works. The original is pretty tribal and slightly electro (think of taking the fun sleazy vibe of Starkillers or Hector Fonseca's productions and combining them with Offer's usual big room offerings). The gorgeous piano breaks and key stabs make up for the lack of sung vocals. Yinon Yahel's remix sounds more like what Offer would usualy do with his tracks. There are piano breaks in his mix as well. Those not liking the original may prefer this version. Ana Paula's mix has a nice strings break. The mix has a carnival-like atmosphere. Very good too. The Dimitri Vegas and Ben Preston mixes are both in a similar vein. They are much more electro-oriented.

A great package overall.

Buy the mixes here (Star 69 Records)

Grade: A-

Offer Nissim - Remixed

This is the first of two Offer Nissim releases that are being reviewed this week.

This collection is the latest release from the Israel-based DJ/remixer/producer.

Disc 1 contains remixes of some of Offer Nissim and Maya Simantov's earlier singles by other remixers. None of these mixes have been released previously on singles or other compilations. Some have been availabe at the digital retailers. Overall, a number of the mixes are Electro/House in style. Some of the highlights include Peter Rauhofer's mostly instrumental take on "Happy People", Ana Paula's reworking of "Love Me" with those lush strings and the Zoltan Kontes remix of "Only You."

Disc 2 contains the original versions of the last six Maya songs, including "For Your Love", "Wish You Were Here", "I'm In Love", "Happy People", "Why" and "Love Me", plus the new Epiphony track, "Out Of My Skin", the Symphony Extreme track "Remember My Name", which is based on the classic "Fame", Offer's new instrumental entitled "Bimbo" and Offer's revisit to Dana International's "Petra." Noticeably missing are the new tracks with Maya including "Hook Up" and "You'll Never Know How" and the two new covers of "I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten" and "Believe" with vocals by Hila Davidson (Symphony Extreme) and Meital De Razon (Epiphony), respectively. The new Epiphony track "Out Of My Skin" is one of his stronger works to date without Maya on vocals. Meital's vocal performance is quite good. The Symphony Extreme track "Remember My Name" is mostly instrumental, however the few vocals by Hila are decent. This one may have worked better with more vocals. The other instrumental, "Bimbo" is pretty good too. Really energetic. Some of the instrumental elements call to mind Offer's mix of "Ze She'Shomer Alay" from last year. The updated mix of Dana International's "Petra" is really good. Only some of the vocals from the original are used. The production fits extremely well.

All tracks on both CDs are full length, and totally unmixed. Physical editions of the collection are available at the Star 69 website. Digital downloads of the discs individually are available there too.

This collection is a must-have.

Grade: A

Offer Nissim featuring Maya - Happy People

This is the latest single from the Israeli duo who brought us a number of club hits including "Searching", "First Time", "Perfect Love" and many more. This one has had considerable buzz since Offer began playing this last year at his many club engagements. The song is a semi-cover of the mid-90's European hit "Happy People" by Prince Ital Joe and Marky Mark. The main hook and some of the instrumental sounds are kept in this remake, however, there are new lyrics by Maya that make up the verse in between the choruses. The dubbish style track is very uplifting and happy. It would be a good fit as a set opener or later on in the middle. It looks like this one will still be getting tons of spins into the Pride events coming up in the next few weeks. Purchase the main version here. Listen to the edit here.

Grade: A+