Not only has it been a good year for Aude, but other mixers had made their names known in 2009. Whether official or not, no one can deny that Chew Fu has blown up the scene with his ghettohouse "fixes," a term he uses in place of "remix". The only consistent thing about Chew's style is that he tends to rock every track he gets his hands on. Who knew he could take a Lady Gaga track, add Marilyn Manson in the mix, and make you dance your ass off to it? He jacked up "Boom Boom Pow" by turning Fergie into a man, throwing all four on the floor, and turning the track into a dirty electro club stomper. All Chew's hard work has gained him some very well-deserved attention. His remixes for Lady Gaga's "LoveGame," "Paparazzi," and "Bad Romance" are all official, and he has been signed on to remix all of Rihanna's latest, Rated R. And launching them straight into the forefront of people's minds with a well-timed auditory beat down for Chris Brown with "My Flow So Tight," the Jump Smokers made their collective break on the scene with radio-length pop-friendly remixes across the board. Nothing quite as brilliant as their debut or "Don't Be A Douchebag," of course, but 2010 may see them exceed their own high water mark.
2009 for me was both a high and low time, when it comes to music. As I stated earlier, the prevalence of dance music in the mainstream has been both a boon and a burden. With dance music at the most commercial it has possibly ever been, it got to a point where you had to search through mounds of trash to find the gems. When those gems were found, however, they were priceless. Here are some of my absolute favorite standouts from 2009:
The Oral Tunerz - "Till You Drop": Once we get bouncy and effervescent Italian remix production on pop recordings, I am going to be a happy dance fan. As it stands now, this is one of my favorite tracks of 2009, dance or otherwise.
Planet Funk - "Lemonade" (Benny Benassi Remix): This mix really saw Benassi exploring his post "Satisfaction" style in a great way. Dramatic, engaging, and hot, this is one of the best mixes of his career.
Shakira - "She-Wolf" (Calvin Harris Remix): Calvin Harris had a good year for remixes (other people's tracks, not his own. No one can manage to remix Calvin Harris well...) and this funky, bouncy reinterpretation of a mediocre Shakira song is just the proof we need of that.
Mr. Hudson feat. Kanye West - "Supernova" (Calvin Harris Remix): More proof about Calvin Harris' perfection, this remix was also able to highlight a stellar track by an excellent singer. I hope to hear more from Mr. Hudson in the future.
Dada Life - "Happy Hands & Happy Feet": Dark, twisted circus house with highly edited vocal samples? Yes, please! Can we get them to mix some Pink in the future?
Medina - "You & I" (Deadmau5 Remix): Deadmau5 didn't really have a big year. He had previous years to be big, but this mix was an excellent showcase of his style and of a talented Danish singer one can only wish will continue releasing beautiful music.
Carolina Liar - "Show Me What I'm Looking For" (Haji & Emanuel Remix): One of the biggest unreleased tracks of the year, this mix utterly transformed what was otherwise a mellow pop-rock track that didn't truly stand out into something that made you stop and pay attention.
Tiesto & Sneaky Sound System - "I Will Be Here" (Original & Wolfgang Gartner Mixes): Managing to turn his own sound straight on its posterior, Tiesto's collab with Sneaky Sound System proved to be one of his best commercial house tracks ever.
Lady Gaga - "Bad Romance" (Bimbo Jones Vocal Mix): Bimbo Jones has a signature style that they can get stuck in, but this mix of "Bad Romance" rebooted that sound, and a song I'd otherwise have passed on.
Huggy & Dean Thomas feat. Sam Obernik - "Indian Summer" (Thomas Gold Remix): What a departure from her work with Tim Deluxe! Sam Obernik became a house diva on this track that brings the roof down.
Richard Vission & Static Revenger starring Luciana - "I Like That": Finally earning a starring role, Luciana's involvement on this glitchy and powerful electro track was a stroke of brilliance.
The Black Eyed Peas - "Meet Me Halfway" (Richard Vission Remix): Fergie proves she is truly deserving of her spot in the mainstream with this beautiful track that Vission turned into a club stomper. Kudos!
and (shameless plug)
Ciara vs. Wolfgang Gartner - Work (LeDuxe's 5th Symphony Mash)
So, goodbye 2009. I hope 2010 can learn from your successes and mistakes!
