MUSIC ON MY MIND 7

THROWBACK

FRESH

IN BETWEEN

MIXIN UP THE SUMMER . . . RAC STYLE

Before we go any farther in this little conversation of ours I need to make a small caveat. . . if you take the time to listen to these next few selections with decent speakers you might just become dangerously addicted to this artist and neglect doing a number of important things, such as spending time with your family, your significant other(s), or attending to your personal hygiene. Now that we have that out of the way we can begin discussing one of the most talented remix artists I have frankly ever heard. I will admit that I am a pretty big remix and mash-up enthusiast, I'd say the love affair began the first time I went clubbing (not necessarily the best experience, 18 and over dance clubs in Portland Oregon saturated with bro sweat, popped collars, mustached 40 year old creepers, and girls who look like extremely fit and tall oompa loompas are not the most inviting of environments). Other than having fun dancing around with friends, the only other positive aspect of the night was hearing the mashups and mixes the Dj's were playing. I love the idea of taking a song and transforming it into something either completely new, or something somehow more appealing. With that said, it takes an incredible gift to be able to transform someone else's brainchild into something worth hearing, and even dj's who pull off one or two gems rarely impress me on a consistent basis.

That is where RAC comes in. Its not just their consistency, or synth riffs that set them apart, its the fact that they can take the Kings of Leon (a band I personally rarely ever listen to) and turn it into something I can't stop listening to, and then take a handful of songs that I love by bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeah's, The Temper Trap, and Bloc Party and turn them into songs that rival the originals (We can be honest here, when you can compete with Bloc Party or the Yeah Yeah Yeah's with their own material you have to be some sort of musical genius). I believe that a lot of times when musicians come up with songs they start with one idea, either lyrically or musically that then spawns into something much bigger and more encompassing; if you make a remix that ignores that epicenter and tries to go a completely different direction I think it's difficult to create something engaging. Music is complex, and I am not saying that in every case there is one central core of a song, but what I really respect about RAC is that they keep a lot of the instruments, and lyrics in their remixes, and then play with those ideas to make something unique and yet distinctly RAC. A lot of times the remixes even keep the original instruments and embed them in synth riffs and harmonies. Most of the mixes are also refreshingly accessible, they bridge this gap between dance, rock, hip hop and electronica that is often difficult for DJs to accomplish.

Unfortunately I don't have more time to pour out my praise for this group and its most central figure, Andre Anjos, all I can say is that you should put down whatever you are doing, turn up your bass and give these next few songs a run through. If you would like to learn more about the group and their unique approach to remixing I have posted a link to a good article below the entry. I have also posted a link to a blog with a few more songs with links available for download.

ARTICLE ON RAC:
"André Anjos and the Remix Artist Collective leverage initiative, ingenuity and the Internet into an online music force"

BLOG WITH DOWNLOADS AND SONGS

ARTIST'S WEBSITE