Flashback Friday.. Muse - 'Muscle Museum' (Soulwax Remix)

Seeing as Muse released their first single from their sixth album, The 2nd Law, this week, I thought I'd give you a bit of a Muse flashback, as I went all uber fan on the 'Madness' post and thought I'd educate (can I call it that? :P) a little!

So keeping with the conventions of 'Madness' and my Flashback Friday feature, here is a vintage Muse track with an electronic twist! Here, I present you with the Soulwax remix of Muse's third single, 'Muscle Museum', taken from their debut album, Showbiz. Showbiz was likened by many a music review to Radiohead back in the day, and in listening to the original song you will find elements of a Muse just waiting to hatch into the beast that they would become! Slightly faster, this remix retains all of that aggression and energy, just pinpointed through a laser and made somewhat more catchy and menacing, and channels drum'n'bass undertones.

This is quite universally considered the best Muse remix within their fanbase, and goes to show that electronic music and Muse have been thrown together rather well in the past, so this may dispell a few of the sceptics of their new direction, although the final results remain to be seen!

http://muse.mu/
https://twitter.com/muse
http://www.facebook.com/muse

New Waves.. Charli XCX - 'You're The One' (Odd Future's The Internet feat. Mike G Remix)

This first appeared on her mixtape HEARTBREAKS AND EARTHQUAKES (review here!), as a mini contribution and the very very end, and here is the full version, unveiled as a birthday gift early on Aug 2nd and a treat for the fans on which appears to be Charli's birthday (Happy birthday!).

Many fans have stated on Youtube that they prefer this remix by Odd Future's The Internet and Mike G to the original single. I don't really have a preference in this instance, as I tend to love the different interpretations of remixes and covers anyway, and this one is above average.

Check it out!

http://charlixcxmusic.com/

http://www.facebook.com/charlixcxmusic

http://soundcloud.com/charlixcx

Rapid Review.. Charli XCX - HEARTBREAKS AND EARTHQUAKES Mixtape

As you should all know (or soon shall!) I love Charli XCX! In fact, I <3 her! She is a cool, quirky, pop powerhouse, and she is going to be big, be it in indie cyberspace or above the water.

She released her mixtape HEARTBREAKS AND EARTHQUAKES approximately a month ago now, and whilst I've been listening to it non-stop and have been planning to review it, I just never really got around to it.

But I shall now! The mixtape is split into arcs named after famous and cult films (namely Beyond the Black Rainbow, The Craft, Kill Bill, Cruel Intentions, American Beauty), incorporating soundbites to show the transitions. Similarly, the arcs shift between moods, altering between sultry seductress, self hate and love, largely discussing relationships and doubts.

Charli has a penchant for spoken word/semi-rapping segments, and this gets a lot of air time here, similarly to when used on 'Stay Away'. But the balance is right, it works and makes the songs more interesting (Charli recently stated in an interview that she used to have pipedreams of being a rapper in her early days, so it is most likely channelled here!). 

Apart from that, the mixtape contains samples and remixes of Blood Orange, Blood Diamonds, Drake, Rudimental, plus others, as well as a very short remix of her recent (US)/ soon to be (UK) single, 'You're The One' by Odd Future's The Internet and Mike G.

So anyway, apart from the delay, a very good mixtape to whet our appetites for the album later in the year!

Enjoy :)

http://charlixcxmusic.com/

http://www.facebook.com/charlixcxmusic

http://soundcloud.com/charlixcx