Bad Blood

Simian Mobile Disco has collaborated with Alexis Taylor, the singer from Hot Chip (not to be confused with the adult film star). This collaboration between these two artists is so sensual I love it. It’s almost like a revised version of “10,000 Horses Can’t Be Wrong” combined with the casual yet enticing vocals of Alexis Taylor.

Simian Mobile Disco – Bad Blood (feat. Alexis Taylor)

We’re looking for a lot of love

“Every time that we walk the streets / I try my best to keep up with the beat”

I wish I could get my hands on the Hot Chip album with Robert Wyatt and Geese. I’ve heard the remix of “We’re Looking for a lot of Love” and I can’t stop listening to it today. This could be due to the rain and excessive amounts of commuting. But either way, it’s a really good remix that you should check out. When comparing it to the original, the Geese remix has less of an obvious drumbeat to it. The original has a pretty steady, subtle beat throughout the whole song. But this makes the remix slower and, I think, more emotional. Robert Wyatt‘s voice seems to attribute more passion and meaning to the song as well. Check it out for yourselves.

Hot Chip with Robert Wyatt – We’re looking for a lot of love (Geese Remix)

Sweden wrap up

Stockholm, Sweden
I’ve been back in Vancouver for a bit now; still slightly off-balance and mentally exhausted. Considering my mental state here, I would say my trip to Sweden was very good. The great shopping, the amazing company, the interesting food, the Stockholm club full of 16 year-olds, the dirty streets of Malmö, the DJ lesson, the indie dance work-out, the candles, Christmas Day 2008, New Years Eve 08/09, the new music, the culture; are all entities or memories I will never forget.

Short music summary:

Travelling
Metronomy – The End of You Too

Gothenburg
Bon Iver – The Wolves (Act I and II)
As in RebekkaMaria – Yours Truly
Convoj – My Timekeeping Heart

Stockholm
MGMT – Time to Pretend (YouTube link)

Kristianstad
Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah (YouTube link)

Malmö
Hot Chip – Over and Over

Excuse me while I get lost in this beat

“A heartbeat, a flicker, a line; it’s just a line”
I blogged about how awesome Late of the Pier was a couple of months ago. And now, Hot Chip has provided a sweet remix of “Heartbeat.”

If you aren’t into this remix at first, wait until the song is about halfway through. The “Sandstorm”-like ambiance and electrified guitar riff creep up unexpectedly and really coerce you into the music (this is a good kind of coercing…). I also like how Hot Chip made the remix mainly focus on the lyrics; “it’s just a line.”

Late of the Pier – Heartbeat (Hot Chip Remix)

Late of the Pier – Heartbeat

Sian Alice Group Remix EP

I fortunately got a chance to interview Sian Alice Group when they played at Vancouver’s Biltmore Cabaret. I really liked the persona of the band members and their live performance. They gave me a vinyl record of their Remix EP (which is only available for sale on tour and online for download, but will soon be available in select record stores). Remix has 3 remixed songs: “As the Morning Light” by Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip, “Murder” by Brian DeGraw from Gang Gang Dance and “Way Down to Heaven” by Spring Heel Jack (a band that Rupert, the drummer of Sian Alice Group, produces).
The remixes were fairly intriguing. I liked Alexis Taylor’s remix of “As the Morning Light”. Though, I thought it was more like a cover than a remix. I kind of wish he had kept Sian Ahern’s voice in there. “Murder” by Brian DeGraw was another interesting spin on Sian Alice Group’s music. At one point, he really made Ahern’s voice high-pitched which, in my opinion, may have overdone the 15 minute remix.
Overall, it was definitely a cool and enticing EP to listen to. Remixes are always interesting to listen to whether you think they’re good or not. Rupert explained, “in a way we get to live vicariously through their interpretation of the music we write.” Since I’m so obsessed with remixes, I really liked this quote. I never really thought of remixes as an outlet for listeners and artists to live vicariously through an interpretation of music by another artist.

So here is the official website of Sian Alice Group’s record label, The Social Registry (it’s a pretty good label website) and a video that proves to me once more that this band is flawless when performing live. Just ignore the shaky camera work.
Sian Alice Group – Motionless