mixtape maestro (2.0)

Fresh off Beyonce’s record-breaking six Grammy Award wins Sunday night (and a fiery, weave-tossing, Alanis-covering stage performance that only renewed our wishes for the diva to commit to recording an R&B-and-rock-themed album in the stylistic vein of En Vogue’s “Free Your Mind” or Janet Jackson’s “Black Cat”), Major Lazer and Elephant Man bring this cover of her Best Female Pop Vocal Performance-owning “Halo”, trading in the original lyric’s Hallmark beau praise for Elephant Man’s shower-singing growls about “haters”, “hypocrites” and “bad man”.

Yeah…we don’t get it either, though it does lead one to wondering if it means Beyonce and co-producer Ryan Tedder’s Coldplay-meets-boom-bap arrangement will become the new riddim du jour in 2010.

DL: “Halo (Beyonce Cover)” (alt)

In other Major Lazer-oriented news, someone else has taken upon themselves to give their endlessly re-tooled “Keep It Goin’ Louder” some brand new flavor. This time around, it’s those crazy Telephoned kids, chopping up and re-pasting together bits of the beloved single with re-sung elements from Whitney Houston’s “Million Dollar Bill”. Grab the results, from Telephoned’s new Off The Hook mixtape, below.

DL: Telephoned “Million Dollar Bill” (Major Lazer/ Whitney Houston Cover)” (alt)

By now you’ve probably heard the Major Lazer/ Nina Sky/ Ricky Blaze ’09 delight “Keep It Goin’ Louder” re-spun a number of wildly different ways, but have you ever considered how good it might sound when re-fashioned with a ’50′s pop Phil Spector/ girl group twist?

That’s the vibe Vancouver remixer DJ Kutcorners goes for, and awesomely nails, on this ‘Surfs Up’ revamp, which marries Blaze and Sky’s already blissed out vocals with a clap-happy and twinkling chimes-adorned Wall of Sound groove that’ll have you wishing you had some kind of sock-hop-themed event to attend.

(shouts)

DL: “Keep It Goin’ Louder (Kuts Surfs Up Remix)” (alt)

A sprinkling of Chic-y glitter all over the then-Santogold’s ridiculously lovable dub daydream “Shove It” would seem to be needless (God knows we’ve heard this non-single favorite made over enough different ways), but Canadian DJ/ producer Grandtheft‘s disco treatment ultimately pushes this version near the top of the “Shove It” remix heap, it’s festive swirl providing a surprisingly effective companion to Santi and Spank’s vocal contributions and making the record an even bigger club anthem.

DL: “Shove It (Grandtheft’s Disco Remix)” (alt)

Continuing the Ms. White love, check out this mash-up of Major Lazer’s “Hold The Line” over Soulja Boy’s still-fire “Turn My Swag On” beat (courtesy of Philly’s Emynd) below:

DL: “Hold The Line Vs. Turn My Swag On (Emynd Remix)” (alt)

Major Lazer is a side-project collaboration between revered DJ/ producers Diplo and Switch that will supposedly take their love for all things reggae and dancehall and give it a tantalizing digital wash. Unfortunately, the album, Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do, isn’t due until June (lone teardrop), but the boys thankfully delivered an early 4/20-soundtracking gift (Props to Mad Decent!!) with the recent unleashing of dizzying cut “Hold The Line”.

Powered by a sharpened surf guitar loop and giddily decorated with all kinds of random sound effects (including horse cries and cell phone rings), “Hold The Line”‘s modern island shuffle is quite overwhelming on first listen, but once one grows accustomed to it’s rapid-fire rhythm, and the accompanying skittish chants of featured guests Santigold and Mr. Lexx, with repeated listens, the busy bag o’ tricks displayed land as a very intoxicating concoction.

Reason No. 1,025 for why summer needs to be here like YESTERDAY?: The full release of this album. Frustrated sigh.

DL: “Hold The Line” (alt)