Daptone Remixed
Daptone Records and its artists have gained a reputation for their ability to recreate the sounds of classic funk, soul and Afrobeat. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before the Daptone label was sampled by DJ's and remixers. Daptone Records Remixed was commissioned by the automaker Scion, and is now available on iTunes and eMusic.Mark Ronson's remix of the Budos Band's "Chicago Falcon" creates a high-tech sheen that little resembles the original. Wale adds a rapid-fire rap to "Chicago Falcon", and drops a few Seinfeld references. Hank Shocklee (from the Bomb Squad) emphasizes the hypnotic guitar line and the squalling horns in his remix of the Budos Band's "TIBWF".
The Budos Band and Antibalas both made well-received albums this past year that recall the Afrobeat style pioneered by Fela Kuti. Some of the members of Antibalas were in a group called the Daktaris, who released an album in 1998 called Soul Explosion on the Desco label (a predecessor to Daptone). The Daktaris' song "Eltsuhg Ibal Lasiti" gets a dub makeover by the Mad Professor.
There are four tracks from Daptone's flagship band, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. Ticklah's remix of "How Long Do I Have To Wait For You?" recasts the song with an upbeat reggae rhythm that is well suited to Sharon Jones' supple vocal melody. The Kenny Dope remix of "Keep on Looking" amps up the BPM's, as does DJ Spinna's remix of the Dap-Kings' "My Man Is A Mean Man". The aptly named Cool Calm Pete recites a humorous list of the unglamorous aspects of an ended relationship over the sampled backing of the Dap-Kings' "Stranded In Your Love".
James Brown soundalike Charles Bradley sings with the funky organ trio The Sugarman Three on "Take It As It Come", with a dub breakdown at the end by Afrodisiac Soundsystem. The Sugarman Three return on the final track, "Bosco's Blues". The remix of this track recalls the Daisy Age productions of Prince Paul, and the Large Professor's rap on "Bosco's Blues" pays tribute to the Daptone label. "Bosco's Blues", as well as "Stranded in Your Love" and "How Long Do I Have to Wait for You?" are my favorites on this compilation.
2 Comments:
I just wanted to let you know that I'm standing in the back of the room listening.
You'll be hearing from my attorney.
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