Hey Rusty B here with my top ten for 2009. As you can see this year I kind of got away from the funky bass and break-beat sound I'm known for and I've grown more fond of synths and disco drums. I'll blame it on the boogie and Neighbour. Anyway, I would like to thank all those whom send me music and support the music we make and release, much respect
1. Phoenix: "Lisztomania" (Alex Metric Remix)
Recently I was at a dinner party and a friend was playing Phoenix in the background, something about the singers voice really moved me even at a low background volume. When I got home I downloaded a couple of songs and I liked everything but being dj minded I wanted something I could play out. This was the first remix I found and I feel like Alex Metric took the song in a great direction, he took it to the disco which could have went really bad but it works oh so well.
2. Miami Horror “Don't Be On With Her” (Treasure Fingers Remix)
Treasure Fingers kills it on this remix, he takes the already cool Miami Horror song and somehow makes it danceable and emotional at the same time. I love the synth work and attention to the little details on the remix, he keeps the best parts of the song intact while stretching out bits and just making it a perfect club track.
3. Arcadion “Torque”.
Arcadion is amazing, first off the name Arcadion reminds me of Arcade Funk which I believe was Trouble Funk's more electro based alias. He did a song last year called Ghost Feeder which is basically old school go-go mixed with some seriously inventive synth work. He works that same charm on “Torque”, but takes it on a bigger journey this time around.
4. Featurecast “On the Run”
Even though this is on my own label, I have to rep this song. Lee is a good friend, but boy can the guy write some mean tunes. Here he takes a gang of samples and makes them compliment each other in really interesting ways and then adds some of his own wobble and harder beats and the whole thing turns out like a mini-masterpiece.
5. Ting Tings “Shut up and Let me Go”
I know this song is from 2008, but it's pretty new to me. Frank sent this to me one afternoon, and I instantly liked it. We have a remix from Risk One which keeps the song pretty much intact but he speeds it up and adds some bits here and there. It reminds me of something you would have heard in the 80's, like a shallower Tom Tom club.
6. Neighbour & Think Tank “Night Owl”
Neighbour is a beast, Frank and I play and hype this dude constantly. This song sounds like something Sugar Hill Records or any classic hip hop label would have dropped in the early 80's. Feel good raps, disco boogie beats but updated and re-freaked by Neighbour's deep synth work.
7. Maelstrom “The Beat Police” (Is This House Remix)
I had to have at least one banger in my top ten, Maelstrom killed it on this song. I edited it for maximum impact, and have seen this song just destroy the right parties. Great wobble bass + cool breaks + party raps + interesting breakdowns = awesome song.
8. Miike Snow “Animal” (Fake Blood Remix)
Miike Snow is dope and Fake Blood is insane, I was almost afraid to hear what Fake Blood was going to do to this song but he nailed it on this remix, keeping the great parts of the song intact but making it super clubby and dare I say emotional as well. Something about that mixture of emotion and disco has really found it's way into my crate this year.
9. The Glimmers “Physical”
Only The Glimmers could have covered a crappy song like “Lets get Physical” by Oliva Newton John, and make it cool again. The bassline is just butter and rides all the way through the track, and then they have a guy sing the lyrics and it doesn't sound ultra lame. I love playing this song and watching people sing the “let me see your body talk” parts and they don't know why they know this song.
10. San Serac “Dub Tatics”
This song is from 2007, but it sounds like it could have been recorded in 1982. I found out about San Serac from his new song “Night Works”, and I dug into his back catalog and was amazed by his earlier works. Dub Tatics is a dubbed out version of his song “Love Tatics”, and he kills it with some great synth work, cool 80's drums and a big cool breakdown with a breakbeat.
