The Cold Cut

Rihanna- Disturbia (Link 2) (Link 3)
Rihanna- Disturbia (Jody Den Broader Remix) (Link 2) (Link 3)
Rihanna- Disturbia (Anthony Lago Vs. Flashlight Creeping Club Remix) (Link 2) (Link 3)

So, Rihanna has really changed. There is obviously much more to this Barbadian teen (apparently not- she's now 20) that we first thought.

'Disturbia' is a departure for Rihanna- it's not as chart-safe as her previous output, and with the exception of 'Umbrella', arguably superior. The video has been long in the making- ever since I heard the opening line 'What's wrong with me? Why do I feel like this?', we've known that something was up.

The video is a weird mix between a 'Blue Orchid' style stop motion with some very strange imagery. From bodypaint to bodybuilders, this video exudes a feeling of unease. This is what pop music videos are meant to be like. Do you love it?

[Buy]

This is really a brilliant time for music: yesterday I got my hands on the new albums from m83, No Age, Cut Copy, Santogold and Phantom Planet. All of which are excellent. And yet, I don't really have time to dwell on their brilliance, because a new wave of music is coming through.

Rihanna- Disturbia (Link 2)

Rihanna has actually gone bad. Her recent album's title- 'Good Girl, Gone Bad'- suggested a new direction, but didn't deliver. I'm happy with the fact that it had a few tunes on it, and in chart terms, Rihanna can do no wrong. The first single from her re-release of 'Good Girl Gone Bad', 'Disturbia', shows signs that she might be trying some new styles. Okay, so she sounds like a robot. But that's more than made up for by the first sentence: 'What's wrong with me? Why do I feel like this? Oh, and the fact that she actually says 'shit'. Maybe things aren't going so great for the chart queen? Oh, and did anyone else make the connection between the song title and her purported connection with Shia LaBeouf?

Immuzikation- We're Gonna Have a Paaarty (Immuzikation GetTheFuckUpToniteBlend) (Link 2)

Immuzikation is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. I've been chatting to him a lot lately, and all I can say is that both he and I have some treats lined up for you. Stay tuned, and listen to his latest amazing mash-up: the last few have shown some serious signs of progression... my personal favourites are Santo Mia, Fish Tacos, and this latest addition. Check his day-glo Myspace.

Jon Regen- Let It Go Live (Link 2)

Jon Regen has just finished his European tour. You might remember my post about him a few months back- since then, Jon has been getting loads of positive write ups in blogs and other meda, and an extremely strong response to his tour. He sent through a live recording of 'Let It Go', the first single from his recent album, 'Let It Go'. It's a nice version, and Jon, with the help of a two man band, switches things up. Visit Jon's website...

Wale- Roc Boys (Freestyle) (Link 2)

Wale's new mixtape dropped a few days ago. Easily as good as '100 Miles And Running', this sets the bar higher. The beats are more clean cut, the rhymes more sophisticated, and althogether the music is more polished. Download it here.

Kenna ft. Lupe Fiasco- Say Goodbye To Love (Link 2)

Kenna's 'Make Sure They See My Face', released in October 2007, is a truly excellent album. Hopefully, this remix with Lupe Fiasco will see some more commercial success than the album version.

There's been a definite change in direction for the music industry: any song that makes it onto the charts has it's own set of remixes before you can say "cash-cow". I made it my job today to dig through the mountain of material and find some of the real gems:

Rihanna Ft. Chris Brown- Umbrella


This is an interesting one: I shamefully admit that I'm a massive fan of the original, and Chris Brown is a solid addition, slotting in his computer-enhanced voice and some original lyrics:
"Baby girl you can be my Cinderella, ella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh"
It was a brilliantly bold hip-hop song to begin with: add Chris Brown, some more 'direct 'lyrics and you have an even superior version... but please don't spoil the magic and re-release it (as if Rihanna needs more money anyway?).

Feist- My Moon My Man (Boyz Noize Remix)

You might spot the trend (yes, I only just wrote about Boyz Noize), but this is a lot more than I expected from him on the remix front. You have to have balls to mix Feist's whispy voice with a bloody great voice synth, but the bravery pays off. I've listened to this about 15 times and I can't see any reason to dislike it- someone influential get a hold of this, I beg you, and give credit where it's deserved (Yes, Zane Lowe, YOU, if for some crazy reason you're reading).

M.I.A Ft. Battles & Akon- Boyz (Diplo Remix)


The sign of a skilled DJ/MC is that they can remix a song with an artist you hate an make you love them 3 minutes later. I have always been quick to show my confusion towards Battles and their space-rock- how else can you describe it?- and Akon has been a thorn in my side since 'Lonely' clogged up MTV Base. Mix these together with M.I.A.'s insanely brilliant Boyz, however, and you have something which miraculously works, and even sounds less 'out-there' than most of Kala, her latest album. Please let me know how you feel about these songs- isn't Boyz Noize remix awesome?

So there you have it: some DJ's do themselves proud and outdo the numerous "Jazzy Phizzle produc-shizzles" which get dumped on the music industry each year.

Update: The original version is also below...

Rihanna (ft. Jay-Z)- Umbrella