Sinjin Hawke - First Opus Remixes

One year ago today Sinjin Hawke dropped what would end up as my album of the year (see here). In celebration of First Opus' anniversary, he's offered up seven superb remixes, with one hell of a lineup, including the likes of MikeQ, Murlo and Fractal Fantasy favourites Canblaster and Zora Jones.Exactly what made the album itself so good, is what makes this effort so immaculate. Each track delivers a unique alchemy, that fits into Sinjin's club oeuvre exquisitely. The opening remix, a genius jersey club flip from Gutta gouges into the shimmering scent of "In Loving Memory" sending the floor into uncontrollable pulverizing gyrations. It is at once gleaming yet grimy.

Continuing the grime feel, Swing Ting brings Trigga into the equation who doubles the damage of the bass and strings. "They Can't Love You" keeps command of the floor, impregnating it with an incredible groove. The life brewed there arises in the whipped up artificial intelligence of "By Any Means" whose synths dance divine. MikeQ then plays god with "Don't Lose Yourself To This" controlling the skies, bringing thunder and lightning bursting to life in the club.

That club storm brings turns to Murlo to who transports us to the jungle with the "Prophecy Of Bootyspoon." The elemental energy of this mix is obvious, but whether it's from this earth is not. Zora Jones ups everything in her return, with an incredibly unbound take on "Snow Blind." It's power leaves you losing your bearings as though you've all broken all connection to your senses.

As the capstone atop of this monument, the EP ends with cinematic cunning. Canblaster brings even more movement to "Monolith," warping it to his wild want. It's got genius groove sections and pungent percussion that, like First Opus, will leave your jaw on the floor as you scramble to hit the play button again. Stream/purchase the EP here.

FOLLOW SINJIN HAWKE: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Missy Elliott - She's A Bitch (MikeQ Remix)

The internet was alight last night with a lot of people talking about Missy Elliott's performance at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors. Of course the honour was well deserved for Missy, who's proven that she's still got it. The "lil chubby chick from VA" continues to hustle hard, and I believe it's safe to say she is an inspiration to many. Further to that point, her music has inspired an endless onslaught of remixes, the most recent release coming from MikeQ. His take on "She's A Bitch" was actually made last year, but we can thank Missy's performance for this ballroom vogue flip finally seeing the light of day.

Now, I've previously written about MikeQ here, so perhaps you're already familiar with his work, and while this comes in the same vein as much of his catalog, the symbiosis between the two is truly a treat for the ears. Apparent immediately from Missy's shout out to Mike, the track ceases to be one artist's take on another, it's become a track worthy of standing on its own. While club music isn't necessarily supposed to be smooth or polished (and I'm not really sure this is), it certainly has a velvety feel. Of course it's more tuned towards the club via MikeQ's demanding dance disposition. Finally, as I was writing this piece I saw that DJ Jayhood, the man behind the Jersey Club flip of "She's A Bitch" that Missy used in her performance last night, uploaded that very track. See both brilliant bootlegs below.FOLLOW MISSY ELLIOTT: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW MIKEQ: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW DJ JAYHOOD: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody (MikeQ Remix)

East Orange producer MikeQ's latest in a long line of remixes, transforms Chaka Khan's timeless classic "Ain't Nobody" into a break laden shuffling, dance-off. Of course it keeps its throwback feels by leaning on a fair amount of the original structure, but it also has a distinct mid to late '00s vibe. That, in combination with MikeQ's creative additions, make it a force to be reckoned with. I picture an absolutely packed club, still moving to every note, despite the sun's immanent rise. At worst, it's a powerful DJ tool. At best, it's a five star, must-start-my-day-with-it, masterpiece. For most of you, it'll be somewhere in the middle, which is a venerable slice of throwback feels, that successfully repositions a classic.  MikeQ has made the track available absolutely free, so grab it while you can.

FOLLOW MIKEQ: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER