I’ve always been a big fan of Missy. In fact, along with her often partner Timbaland, I’d call her an influence. Even when her rhymes are stupid silly, they just have this freshness and style that you don’t find in a lot of hip-hop these days. Boy, and those hooks! So when I came across the acapella for this track, it was no question that I had to remix it.
It’s done quite well for itself, being spun across the globe from the UK to Australia and places in between. If you’re a DJ and are interested in doing the same, download away. All I ask is that you let me know about it and how it went down.
Like, all of my remixes on offer here, this is not for sale. I could’ve gone white label with it, but I’m a bit divided on the issue personally so I’ve decided not to pursue that route.
Ah, Blu Cantrell. What’s not to like? When I heard the original Dr. Dre production of this track, I instantly fell in love with it. After a bit of searching, I found myself an acapella and went to work on it re-mixing it TekMonki stylee. Bo!
In retrospect it’s not one of my best remixes, and listening to it now there’s things I would’ve done differently, but it is what it is and you have to call it “done” some time and overall it’s received a pretty good response. Have a listen for yourself.
If you don’t know, “Frou Frou” is Imogen Heap and Guy Sigsworth. I dont know much about Imogen, but that lovely luscious voice says volumes. Guy is quite well known as a behind-the-scenes kinda . . .guy . . . (sorry, couldn’t help it) who’s worked with everyone from Madonna to Bjork to Bebel Gilberto to . . Britney Spears. Yes, even Britney. Collectively, as Frou Frou, they’ve put out some great electronic pop songs. I highly recommend them. You can check them out here.
This track was up on acidplanet as a remix contest. Initially I had planned on entering it, but I then decided to move cross country so I missed the deadline by several months. Oops. This has to be one of my favourite remixes of mine. Such a beautiful track in it’s own right, but I think I did it some justice in my own TekMonki style all the same. Check it..
Oh Lenny. Mr. Rock Star. He’s just got that inimitable style about him, doesn’t he? The original track was a bit of a mopey affair. “Love lost”, “sad sam”, and all that. At the time I was very much into house so I tried to make it much more dance floor friendly - TekMonki house style.
The odd thing about this one is towards the end when it goes off on it’s thing that it does, everything just kinda solidifies and it hits on this weird indescribable level. Like “yeah”.
I really loved Garbage’s first two albums. This one was off the third and honestly I wasn’t really feeling it very much when I heard it. At the time I was looking around for a project and came across yet another remix contest featuring this track. Again, I wasn’t really into it and I find it hard to remix a song that I don’t really feel I can do much with, but I pressed on all the same.
I forget if I actually entered this in the contest, or I had given up on them by that point, but I think it turned out quite good. Looking back, it needs to be remastered as the levels are a tad much in places, but overall I’m pretty proud of this remix in the way that I brought an 80’s electro-esque vibe to it.
Another long-time favourite band of mine. This remix, another acidplanet affair, came on the heels of the Depeche Mode remix. I actually collaborated on this one with someone else, but he’s since dissappeared from the internet so I can’t give him props due. I knew him as “DL”. He did a bit of the drum work, and I did the rest of it.
Another one I feel I could’ve done a bit better on, but we were coming up to the deadline fast and the whole collaboartion thing was new to me and I think him as well. So we got it as close as we could and called it a day. All in all I’m happy with it though.
This was my first ever remix. I came across this little site called acidplanet, that was having a little contest featuring one of my early musical idols. No question there, had to do it. I labored on it for about a month and a half, trying to come up with something impressive, and uploaded it to the server right around the deadline.
Weeks passed, then a month or two. Nothing. Then one day I got an email from a guy claiming to be a label rep (A&R if I remember right) for Reprise, Depeche Mode’s label. He told me that out of over 1100 entries, 10 had been chosen to be sent on to the band and their management for final review and winner selection. He told me that mine was one of those 10. This being my first ever remix (ever) for a band that pretty much got me into electronic music and has been a perrenial favourite of mine for near 20 years now, I jumped out of my chair at work and threw my arms up in victory. Everyone kinda stared at me like I was a freak. Which I am. But, “I’m in the top 10!!!!! I’m in the top 10!!!!”
It was clearly only a matter of time before Martin Gore called me up and told me how they’re shopping for producers for the next album and they wanted me to take the helm. Visions of red carpets, limo’s, my own private TekMonki jet danced in my head.
Then they picked someone else as the winner. :whatever: They obviously didn’t listen close enough. Their loss. However, I did make it into the Depeche Mode discography (#5, “Last Temptation Remix” - and of course they cut off my damn name in the title! Hmph!). So I have that going for me. Which is nice. Oh, and that label rep promised me limited edition vinyl and free stickers and something else. If you’re reading this, I’m still waiting buddy.
