SONG OF THE DAY: Cyndi Lauper – “Time After Time (Remixes)”

Set for release in April is the 30th Anniversary Celebration edition of Cyndi Lauper’s epic debut ‘She’s So Unusual.’ Spawning massive hits like “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “Time After Time,” and “She Bop” that have stood the test of time, this reissue will no doubt be enjoyed by many. For clubland, both “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “Time After Time” have undergone the remix treatment. While I have yet to hear how the Aussie pranksters Yolanda Be Cool have reworked “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” the Bent Collective and Nervo remixes of “Time After Time” have already started igniting dancefloors. The Bent Collective (Danny Verde and Steven Redant) structure their remix as a four-part story – the energetic intro (which has a keyboard hook similar to Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams”), the amped-up verse which keeps the feel of the original while making it club-friendly, the stadium treatment of the chorus with the epic dropout, and the big build-up to the middle bridge, which has a world music anthem feel similar to a Deniz Koyu (Tung/Bong) record. The brilliance in this mix is the way the four parts come together as one and make the classic song sound like a journey. While the Bent Collective mix keeps the lyrics intact, the Nervo twins take some liberties and reimagine the song as a modern festival track – i.e. big beats with all the vocals over a beatless drop. It feels more like a Nervo featuring Cyndi Lauper track rather than a remix of the original – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since it will probably attract a younger generation. Of course, you can’t really discuss remixes of “Time After Time” without mentioning Josh Harris’ remix that was done for the True Colors tour and sounds just as good now as it did when it came out in 2007, or that great white label that brought in Planet Rock beats underneath Cyndi’s voice. No matter which you favor, these remixes will hopefully open the door to more mining of Cyndi’s classics – could you imagine an Avicii remix of “True Colors,” Soundprank taking on “Change of Heart,” Matt Pop making a Morning Music/NRG monster out of “The World is Stone,” or an Armin van Buuren mix of “All Through the Night?”

Bent Collective

Nervo

Josh Harris

Image Courtesy of Sony/Epic.

Cyndi Lauper – “Time After Time (Remixes)”

SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): Nikki Williams – “Glowing (Remixes)”

Ask and ye shall receive.?? About two months ago, I wrote up “Glowing” as an enchanting europop song with electro beats and asked for remixes. Well, remixes by Cazzette, Danny Verde, and Fedde Le Grand surfaced and were heard all over Miami during the Winter Music Conference.? Avicii proteges Cazzette go the stadium house route, adding in some unique ’90s trance-influenced synths.? Danny Verde fuses modern tribal beats and progressive keyboards for a big room monster that will work on dance floors everywhere.? Fedde Le Grand mimics the duality of the original (pretty and hard) with euphoric, angelic energy, balance with grinding electro passages.? It’s a strong remix package that will help get Nikki Williams club play to boost the buzz from her internet buzz videoclip “Kill Fuck Marry.”? Speaking of which, remixes by Bob Sinclar and Adrian Lux of “KFM” have surfaced as well, and while they aren’t the most dancefloor-friendly, both are great interpretations of the quirky, fun love song.

Image Courtesy of Island/Def Jam.

SONG OF THE DAY: Scissor Sisters – “Let’s Have a Kiki (Remixes)”

We already wrote about Scissors Sister’s buzz record “Let’s Have A Kiki” when the amazing VideoDrome video version started its own internet meme a few weeks ago. Responding quickly to the buzz, the label has enlisted a diverse range of producers to give it their own spin. Danny Verde serves up a tribal mix with a touch of retro rave sound effects (keeping it on trend with athe latest round of electro tracks making the rounds.) Olugbenga’s downtempo cabaret take seems perfect for a Kiki with capital (or should I say “Special”) K. The bouncey lo-fi mix by 2 Bears keeps the fun of the original and adds a rubberband beat to make it a little more dancefloor friendly. Leave it to the Almighty boys to take a camp record and energize without going completely overboard, this is probably their most commercial mix since Usher “OMG.” So basically, if times are rough, gather your friends, have your own kiki to whichever of these mixes fits your groove.

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