mixtape maestro (2.0)

Since The xx crept it’s way onto the blogosphere around a year ago, it seems that nary a week has gone by without umpteen DJ’s/ producers/ remixers/ masher-uppers offering their own respective tweakings on the London trio’s entrancingly, ebon-hued indie-pop.

The latest artist to inject his two cents into this ever-popular gig is San Francisco DJ Wait What, who, after becoming intrigued with the idea of hearing the vocals of Notorious BIG’s rags-to-riches classic “Juicy” atop the instrumental of The xx’s “VCR”, was then moved to create an entire mash-up mixtape marrying the two acts.

Not every cut works, an expected result when it comes to projects like these, but The Notorious XX surprisingly ends up more hit than miss, producing more than a handful of genuinely awesome cut-n-paste moments across it’s eleven-track span (whether it’s hearing Romy Croft hesitantly co-sign the mezmerizing powers of Biggie’s mic chops on “Basic Hypnosis” with a clever “I still let you in” cut-in, or having Biggie reflecting on his come-up while “hook-boy” Oliver Sim chimes in “Where would I be/ If this were to go under?/ That’s a risk I’d take” on “Islands Is The Limit”).

Peep the video for project jump-off “Juicy-R”, alongside offerings of two of our favorites, below, or simply pick up the entire album here.

juicy-r [the notorious b.i.g.'s juicy vs. the xx's vcr] – wait what (mashup) from wait what on Vimeo.

DL: “It’s All About The Crystalizabeths” (“It’s All About The Benjamins” v. “Crystalised”) (alt)

DL: “Mo Stars Mo Problems” (“Mo Money Mo Problems” v. “Stars”) (alt)

Finding out what songs/ acts our favorite artists rock to on their own time is always an intriguing discovery, but what’s even more killer is when they bring that appreciation to life through awesome live cover treatments.

Below, peep two recent live performances that have garnered plenty of blog love (and repeated viewings by us) since their respective premieres: El Perro del Mar’s transfixing take on the xx’s debut album highlight “Shelter”, and an oh-so-smoove cover of Carole King’s oft-revisited staple “You’ve Got A Friend” by Erykah Badu.

Here’s a slew of new remixes that were either crammed into our uber-stuffed in-box or caught our attention via some other corner of the World Wide Web. Enjoy!!

Beyonce “Ego (The Twins Remix)”:

You may remember The Twins from their twinkly keyboard-decorated re-haul of Drake’s “Best I Ever Had” that premiered a while back. On their latest hot-like-fire project, they completely strip away the old-school R&B influence of Beyonce’s “Ego”, giving the double entendre-laced ditty a Timbaland-like futuro-club sheen complete with hard knocking drums, synth sine waves that seem to fold in and out of eachother and re-processed vocals that re-imagine Mrs. Carter as this icy, stiletto-toed cyborg-diva.

DL: “Ego (The Twins Remix)” (alt)

Jackson 5 “The Love You Save (The Knocks Remix)”

We’ll never get enough of today’s producers/ DJ’s giving our favorite MJ records a brand new twist. Our latest favorite: Those consistently entertaining Knocks cats bringing an energetic new spirit to the Jackson 5′s 1970 classic, “The Love You Save” without losing sight of the original’s prized candy-soul magic.

DL: “The Love You Save (The Knocks Remix)”

Florence + The Machine “You’ve Got The Love (The xx Remix)”

It’s amazing how an inspirational-themed tune originally recorded in the 1980′s solely for a direct-to-video documentary has managed to enjoy so many chart lives over the following decades through mash-up-after-remix-after-remix-after-cover. The song’s latest incarnation involves ’09 music darlings The xx deliriously chopping up bits from the magnificent Florence + The Machine cover version then adding in their own signature unisex vocal treatment, and it’s arguably the best take of the song yet.

DL: “You’ve Got The Love (The xx Remix)”

Chew Fu & Steve Clisby “Purple Rain (Prince Cover)”

Take an old Prince staple, a solid funk-dance construction by one of the hottest re-”fix”-ers of today, and a fuzzed-out (and oh-so-soulful) vocal performance from a guy more people should really be aware of, and what do you get? A “Purple Rain” you’ll want to be showered over with again and again.

DL: “Purple Rain (Prince Cover)”

Sugababes “About A Girl (Serotonin Thieves Remix)”

From their recent line-up changes to the horrid, Pussycat Doll hand-me-down that was “Get Sexy”, the Sugababes’ 2009 attempt at coming back/ re-invading American shores has been met with so much disaster in it’s beginning stages, we really don’t understand the purpose of the girl group even continuing on (that is, unless they change their name entirely and start over from scratch).

But, in an effort to spin some strand of positivity out of their current troubles, we will say that we like their new single “About A Girl” a thousand times better in the remixing hands of UK duo the Serotonin Thieves. In this frame, the record grasps an appreciable early Madonna-like feel that couldn’t at all been heard in the original’s pounding and waaayy over-produced Red One-helmed theatrics.

DL: “About A Girl (Serotonin Thieves Remix)”

Lloyd featuring Pusha T “Pusha (Alternate Version)”

Less an actual remix than it is a simple switcheroo of guest rapper (Lil’ Wayne out, Clipse’s Pusha T in), this version of Lloyd’s controversial R&B simmer is basically one for the folks tired of hearing Weezy on every damn thing, and the dopes who think a song called “Pusha” featuring someone named Pusha is a “cool move”.

DL: “Pusha (Alternate Version)”

Just in case you needed a brand new reason to be head over heels in love with The xx, the much blog-beloved UK act delivers another winner with new single “Basic Space”.

Seducingly minimialist and, in keeping with their signature, coolly dark, “Basic Space” spends it’s opening verse rocking nothing but odd drum machine tones as leads Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft drowsily trade off twisted lines of devotion towards one another.

Gradually, other musical elements (ringing guitars, lone synth hits, lingering basslines) are brought in to help add some color to the creeping nocturnal soundscape, but never once do these additions make the song lose grasp of it’s sexy, bare-boned allure, as the band retain enough space in between the instrumental tracks to keep things both captivatingly off and gorgeously weird.

Pre-order the band’s debut album (due August 17th), via Rough Trade.

DL: “Basic Space” (alt)

Here’s something you live music lovers might want to bookmark: Amsterdam Acoustics is a new site recently launched by “three film and music lovers” that captures up-and-coming indie bands performing stripped-down sessions while backed by the Netherlands capital’s quaint outdoor settings.

One of the first acts to be featured? None other than the previously MM-supported UK boy/ girl duo The xx, who contribute an addicting acoustic rendition of their current single, “Crystalised”.

Catch their performance below, and make sure to keep checking out Amsterdam Acoustics for future postings.

Amsterdam Acoustics – The xx : crystalised from Mokummercials on Vimeo.

Any period between midnight and dawn is the best time to take a listen to The xx, a four-piece band out of the UK currently stirring up blog buzz thanks to their penchant for haunting boy/ girl hush-vocals and darkly-hewned rock arrangements that ooze vampiric sensuality.

On their seducing debut single “Crystalised”, dual leads Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft play out a tense exchange between lovers (“Do I have to keep up the pace/ To keep you satisfied?” she inquires; “Don’t think that I’m pushing you away/ When you’re the one that I’ve kept closest”, he reponds) as morse code basslines, flickering guitar strums and Halloween-esque sound effects construct an eerie nocturnal setting around them.

The xx – Crystalised from Young Turks on Vimeo.

It’s simultaneous gripping of twilight ambiance and accessible pop songform is entrancing, signalling a great introduction to their Cure-like style, but upon delving deeper into The xx’s heretofore catalogue, a far different source of inspiration comes to the forefront that really kicks their appeal up a notch.

Turns out the band hold a fondness for American R&B as well, and they geniously interweave that influence into their sound, whether it’s by adding their signature gloom to covers of Womack & Womack’s “Teardrops” and Aaliyah’s “Hot Like Fire” or borrowing lyrical chunks of old urban jams to help pad out their own original material, as they do when they cite an entire verse from Missy Elliott’s “All N My Grill” on the middle section of “Stars”.

Pick up the limited 7″ of “Crystalised” via Rough Trade. Look for an album sometime later this year.

DL: “Hot Like Fire (Aaliyah Cover)” (alt)

DL: “Stars” (alt)