Throwback Thursday: Scissor Sisters - Comfortably Numb

Every time I'm reminded of Scissor Sisters, my heart fills with joy and optimism. Their glamorous style (both musically and visually) is so undeniably inspiriting. When I was first able to explore the seemingly infinite world of music upon entering university, I immediately fell for their then-recent singles "Any Which Way," "Invisible Light," and later "Only The Horses." However, it was their earlier cover of the 1979 Pink Floyd classic "Comfortably Numb" that had me in pieces. Hearing it again in DJ Touche's 2004 Essential Mix yesterday, I figured it was time to return the spotlight to this sublime, energetic and disco-inspired affair.

Staying close to the original both in the lyrics and structure, albeit less on the latter, Scissor Sisters flip "Comfortably Numb" into a fabulous fever dream. Where the story of the original Floyd offering sees its protagonist Pink taking tranquilizers to make it through his show, the injection in the Scissor Sisters version is anything but a downer. Hallucinatory either way, the Grammy-nominated 2004 version sees Jake Sheers and the accompanying vocals take on the role of ostensible sprites singing a psychedelic siren song from the unexplored recesses of the mind. This fallacious fairy-godmother-like guidance takes the place of both Waters' and Gilmour's vocals, leading the newly lush, bouncy and euphoric electronic odyssey to new heights. And while I keep on about the Scissor Sisters take being the high, with the Pink Floyd being the low; the brilliance of both is that they are not exclusively one or the other. "Comfortably Numb" finds its timelessness in part thanks to that duality. It is empowering in its painkilling, sedative strength yet frightening thanks to those very same qualities. Like any high, it must be enjoyed sparingly and safely with respect paid to its power and addictive nature. That said, we could all use a little extra strength these days, so go ahead and enjoy this power-pill now, below.

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Throwback Thursday: Obie Trice - Got Some Teeth (Switch Vocal Mix)

This week's installment in my Throwback Thursday series looks back at one of the most captivating, hilarious and, truly well crafted remixes I've ever come across. Switch's Vocal Mix of Obie Trice "Got Some Teeth," which I first came across in DJ Touche's (aka Fake Blood) 2004 Essential Mix. 

Still to this day, I've never heard a remix that fits the original vocals quite so well. Right off the bat, its hollow, filtered sample strikes me as a perfect bed for Obie's lyrics, and reacts perfectly when Obie says come on, filling out that foundation. Throughout the track, Switch caters his production to suit Obie's inimitable lyrics and delivery. In a fashion reminiscent of Daft Punk, among other revolutionary producers, each added looped and layered sample compliments all those that came before it. I'm thinking specifically of the 'on-hold tone' beep that gives the track the feel that Obie is leaving himself a message reminding himself of what happened the night before. The constant utilization of effects, filtering, adding and removing samples add much needed depth to what could be an incredibly repetitive track. It remains one of my go-to tracks, when I want to impress my friends by reciting all the lyrics, as well as its constant and unmovable status in my 'dance-all-night' playlists. As I like to do with my Throwback Thursday posts, I often refer back to the place/time I first heard the track in question. As I mentioned before, I first came across Switch's "Got Some Teeth" in DJ Touche's Essential Mix. And as is the theme, it remains one of my favourite and go-to mixes, in part because it showcases an era of electronic/dance music that I was never really a part of, but also because of Touche's incredible mixing of so many incredible tracks, such as Fatboy Slim's remix of Scissor Sisters' "Comfortably Numb," Mr. Oizo's "Flat Beat," the first ever Boy 8-Bit track "The Colonel," a mind blowing mashup of "Forgot About Dre" (starting just before 1:06:00), and maybe the only thing that could top that, Touche's scratch edit of ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" (starting just after 1:33:00). The way "Got Some Teeth" is sandwiched between two fabulously funky tracks in Pleasure's "Disco Doctor" and Dino's "Call Me," furthers the awesome arc of DJ Touche's set, touching on so many styles and genres. Highly recommended listening, especially with the extra time we've got this May 24th weekend, get the full stream from mixcloud here, and follow along with the tracklist, here.