mixtape maestro (2.0)

Oh look, it’s in-box cleaning out time again.

Wale & Just Jack “Embers/ Good Girls (Phillip Martell Mash-Up Remix)”

For it’s first two-thirds, this mash-up concoction by ATL DJ Phillip Martell emerges quite effective in it’s enchanting blend of the acapella from Wale’s 2007 track “Good Girls” with a hyper-speed orchestral loop and sampled vocal snippets swiped from Just Jack’s ’09 UK hit “Embers”, but it’s in it’s final minute-and-a-half when the project truly blooms, thanks to Martell completely doing away with the JJ instrumental for a killer assault of electro-house pomp.

DL: “Embers/ Good Girls (Phillip Martell Mash-Up Remix)” (alt)

Aaliyah “One In A Million (Belief Remix)”

The third installment in L.A.-based producer Belief‘s on-going Aaliyah remix project
finds him taking on the late singer’s 1996 classic “One In A Million”, and while nothing could really come close to topping the way-ahead-of-it’s-time Y3K sonics Timbaland cooked up for the original, we’re digging the languid, neo-soul-ish incense vibe Belief brings here.

DL: “One In A Million (Belief Remix)” (alt)

Private “My Secret Lover”

First things first: Thomas Troelson, the main producer and lead singer dude of this Dutch dance-pop trio, looks a little bit freaky.

Once you get past his physical creepiness, though, you’ll likely be swept away by the pure ’80′s pop infectiousness on display in this single, an irresistible sugar packet of helium-voice mackadelics (“Girl take off your dress/ Let’s make this place a mess!!”), warped old-school B-boy-isms and glossy bubblegum-funk carved from the guilty pleasure-filled catalogue of Wham!.

DL: “My Secret Lover” (alt)

Tayma Loren featuring The-Dream “Tipsy”

This Detroit-born R&B newcomer‘s real-life brother Carlos “Los Da Mystro” McKinney has co-helmed some of the best The-Dream jams (“Shawty Is A 10″, “Rockin’ That Thing”, “Walkin On The Moon”, “My Love”), as well as hits for Usher (“Trading Places”), Trey Songz (“I Invented Sex”) and J. Holiday (“Bed”), so it’s only right that he would hook up his sister with a joint that’s just as smash-worthy.

Tayma’s debut single “Tipsy” oozes that signature Dream/ Mystro radio magic, from it’s light and lazy piano bounce to the quirky, echo vocal mini-hooks speckled throughout it. It’s most entertaining factor, however, lies in the humorous honesty of it lyrics’, which detail how a drunken, post-nightclub one night stand usually ends up being a regrettable moment in one’s life rather than the mind-blowing sexcapades event most R&B acts blow it up to be (“When you wake up/ It’s all fucked up”).

DL: “Tipsy” (alt)

Isn’t it funny how “My Boo”, a thirteen year old R&B/ booty bass cut performed by an act a majority of folks (minus bloggers of course) probably wouldn’t be able to name without some Google aid, has suddenly turned into one of the most covered/ re-tooled tracks of ’09? Following DJ Solly’s chopped-up re-working of the Ghost Town DJ’s single (posted here back in July), the past few weeks has seen a few other new takes off “Boo” bubble their way to front pages all across the blog patch, and un-surprisingly, we heart every single one of them. Check ‘em out below:

American Dream Team “My Boo”

This Brooklyn-based squad of DJ’s, VJ’s, producers, designers and animators cover the record with a Cascada-esque dance-pop touch (though far less cheesy than that may sound), employing a slightly Auto-Tuned, anony-robo-female to mimic the song’s high school-age X’s and O’s sentiment in between a solid assortment of bloopety-bloop club noise. An ideal dancefloor delight.

DL: “My Boo” (alt) (American Dream Team)

Desktop “My Boo”

Desktop is an synth-pop duo out of Detroit who have released two EP’s this past year that are both chock full of fetching, keyboard-dominant tunes ’80′s pop lovers should dig (Our favorite: the work-out inspiring “Fired Up”).

Their “My Boo” remake features a faint loop of “A Milli” in the background, a killer opening groove that’s just begging to be sampled for some new crunk & b confection, a talk-box (we think) assisted breakdown that’s still got our heads spinning in circles and a heavily distorted lead male vocal that makes the longing lyrics take on a intriguing stalker-ish bent that wasn’t all that easily apparent in the original.

DL: “My Boo” (alt) (Desktop)

Mariah Carey featuring OJ Da Juiceman, Big Boi & Gucci Mane “H.A.T.E. U (Remix)”

Last but not least, Mimi busts through with this remix of her Memoirs’ slow jam ballad “H.A.T.E. U”, and we must say, anticipating entering the angry phase after breaking up with her man goes down a lot better when supported by the light bounce of a “Boo” sample and smirk-inducing guest turns from OJ Da Juiceman, Big Boi (“I’m colder than a polar bear’s toenails”) and, the “Ludacris of ’09″, Gucci Mane, in what’s probably his two-hundredth appearance on a song in the past four months alone (and yet somehow we still crave more cameos from the “Wasted” emcee).

DL: “H.A.T.E. U (Remix)” (alt)

Every music blogger will feel the Maestro’s pain when it comes to the overly-packed in-box.

Filled to the brim with PR’s showcasing that “hot new indie artist” whose bandwagon you just HAVE to jump on early, “exclusive” remixes that have obviously been CC’d to damn near everyone else on the Hype Machine/ Elbo.ws circuit, the endless announcements of new mixtapes and video releases and numerous follow-up artist representatives stressing you out over whether you finally got a chance to listen to their respective act’s material, it’s almost impossible to get through all of it and live a normal person’s life too (Not to mention the fact that a majority of the music just really isn’t all that good).

So in an effort to lighten up the load a bit, check out this jumbo-sized post full of some noteworthy cuts that’s come the Maestro’s way in recent weeks:

• The Constellations “Felicia (Death Metal Disco Scene Vocal Remix)”

Now this is how you do a remix!! The Constellations‘ original (from their Cee-Lo and Asher Roth-featured debut, Southern Gothic) was already a killer track thanks to it’s enjoyable mix of a Southern soul and rock strut with a little hoochie White girl rap sass. But the plastic-funk textures applied on this remix from UK dance remixer/producer Death Metal Disco Scene (Lily Allen, The Verve, Kylie Minogue) takes “Felicia”‘s greatness to a whole new level. Hotter than a firecracker, indeed!

• Beyonce “Diva (Slot-A Remix)”

The hook line “A diva is a female version of a hustler” still sounds dumb, but Detroit producer Slot-A makes that point moot with all the snazzy ’80′s decoration he pastes on the Beyonce banger.

• Drake featuring Peter, Bjorn and John “Let’s Call It Off”

In which Degrassi: The Next Generation actor-slash-singer/ rapper Drake cleverly embeds himself within Peter, Bjorn and John’s sublime 2006 break-up ode, resulting in eleventy-hundred bloggers suffering a collective stroke from excitement. (from Drake’s new mixtape, So Far Gone)

• Jake Troth “Shush”

“This the type of shhh that make the haters stop talking,” drone-raps indie multi-talent Jake Troth through “Shush”‘s devious stomp and suspenseful guitar linger. And since Maestro doesn’t fall in line with that crowd, we’ll proudly go ahead and state that ears need to be firmly set on this one-to-watch in ’09. (from Troth’s upcoming Daydream Big mixtape)

• Jemex “Breathe” featuring Dean Grey

It’s understandable why an artist would want to put out their sappiest stuff now, this being V-Day and all, but with drippy lyrics like “I can hear my heartbeat so carefully/ When I hear that sound it must know you’re around”, “Breathe” (from Brooklyn producer Jemex) edges into being a little too Velveeta-y. If only we could shake off the tenderness we feel inside every time it’s dreamy Prom Dance production smothers the ears, though…

• Wreckx N Effect “Rump Shaker (Jemex Remix)”

…Ah wait, here’s the answer: “Check baby, check baby 1-2-3-4″!!!! Sigh…Macho-ness retrieved.

• Teedra Moses “Weekend Goodtime”

Following an odd slow intro in which Moses bemoans her lack of a husband and white picket fence, the underrated R&B cutie suddenly shrugs off her woes, puts on the instrumental to Snoop Dogg’s summery “Let’s Get Blown” and hits the streets in search for a one-weekend stand. (from Moses’ new album, Lionhearted: Young Hustla, Vol. III)

• The Ting Tings “Great DJ (DJ Jem Mix)”

In which Chicago’s DJ Jem decides that the Ting Tings jam just doesn’t have enough beat sizzle for the jukin’ sect.

Add Sade to the list of acts taking waaaaayyyy too long to drop something new. It’s been nine long years since the soft-singing British beauty and her backing gang of sophisticated soundmen gave us Lovers Rock and we’re long overdue for some new material. Perhaps feeling the same kind of desirous pangs, female emcee (remember those?) Mae Day has dipped into the Sade catalog for her tributing mixtape Cherish The Day, which finds her lacing adored classics like “Is It A Crime?” and “No Ordinary Love” with her own lyrical spin for some quite soothing results.

On project highlight “Sweetest Taboo”, Mae twists Sade’s sensual 1985 Valentine of the same name to back her own romantic worshiping. “Swear you compare to a new drug/ That’s why/ Need a hit of you, weed will never get me high,” the Detroit femcee rhymes in a gentle flow that perfectly rides the sampled original’s still-illustrious candlelit groove (causing one to fiend for a Floetry comeback along the way).

Set the Valentine holiday mood right and pick up the rest of Cherish here for FREE.

DL: “Sweetest Taboo” (alt)

Of the sort who believe that R&B is dead? Well, that’s only because you’re not getting your soul fix from the right sources…real-deal sources like the Platinum Pied Pipers, the non-R. Kelly-affiliated (you can breathe a sigh of relief, now) teaming of Detroit musician/ production duo Waajeed and Saadiq.

After raising eyebrows and catching eardrums with one-off creations like their fuzzy, slow-funk recreation of Burt Bacharach’s classic “The Look of Love”, PPP unleashed something the soul junkie crowd were desperately in search of with the 2005 full-length Triple P, a core-soothing collection of wondrously crafted aural chocolate that drew heavy praise from various corners of the globe.

Preceding their recently released (and even more acclaimed) sophomore album, Abundance, PPP gave fans a belated Christmas gift with the outtakes and remixes-adorned Abundance Mixtape (which you can download for FREE HERE), highlighted by a revised treatment of their cover of Paul Simon’s oft-re-referenced ’76 No. 1 “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover”.

Current R&B fave Raheem DeVaughn fronts this stellar new version, his eased croon applying the perfect delicate touch to the Pipers’ cool Latin-jazz soundbed. Those not moved into a snapping frenzy by this tune’s breezy hi-hat sizzle and jammy synthesizer doodling need to check their pulse immediately.

DL: “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover (Paul Simon Cover)” (alt)

No matter how awkwardly obvious or stupefyingly surreal their musical direction, every new White Stripes’ release leaves you in awe of Jack and Meg’s (but mainly Jack’s) vast aural scope. “Icky Thump”, the first single from their new album of the same name, doesn’t leave the instantaneous stamp of approval of “Seven Nation Army” or feature any hint of the marimba that played featured guest on the last album, but it’s another ferocious and perplexing tune that demands it’s own twelve-week college course just to explain it’s existence.

A booming blues stomp, haunting laser-like squiggles and frazzled guitar solos that light up the atmosphere dictate this psychedelic adventure in Mexico. Jack White’s always enjoyable manic vocal pushes the campfire tale of a creepy “redhead senorita” with “one white eye” who knocks him out with a strange concoction only to awaken penniless “handcuffed to a bunk”. All the while, the much-missed Meg White stays close to her precise amateur delivery, pounding away to a one-two beat while her partner plays like the Mad Hatter all around her. It’s a very big production that makes very little sense but in the duo’s red, white and black universe that’s always a given and the reason why we salivate over every new note they give us.