The Cold Cut

Update: Links changed!

Santogold- I'm A Lady (Diplo Mix ft. Amanda Blank) (Link 2)
Santogold- Les Artistes (XXXchange Mix ft. Movado) (Link 2)
Richie Spice And Ratatat- Marijuana (Link 2)

You may have heard of Diplo and Santogold's new mega collaboration mix-tape 'Top Ranking'. I was late on the uptake (that changed, and fast), and if you still haven't got a clue, remove yourself from under that rock, and please Google it asap.

This tape is 'so hot right now', mostly down to it's ambition. Sprawling over 75 minutes, this is stacked full of rarities, with delectable names to boot. Does 'Santogold- Creator (Mumdance Mix ft Jammer, Badness, Chronik Rage, Slikman & Tempz)' float your boat?

'Top Ranking' is almost impossible to 'review' as such, due to its pure size and density. The majority of songs feature at least one artist (disregarding both Santogold and Diplo) if not three. I've listened to the tape in it's entirety a few times, and I will say this: if you love either Diplo or Santogold, this is an essential buy. However, to give you a track by track review of this mammoth tape would probably keep me glued to my computer for the best part of a week. Instead, take it as a whole- a whole that is absolutely incredible.

We get three completely new tracks from Santogold, and finally a musical meeting has been arranged between M.I.A. and Santi. They don't disappoint (see here for full coverage of 'Get It Up'), and I could easily see a Diplo/Santogold/M.I.A. tape coming out in the future -if M.I.A. continues with music, that is. And whilst I'm not fond of the constant comparisons between the two, this tape blurs the line between them. Diplo has worked with M.I.A. before on her Piracy Funds Terrorism tape- which was pretty much identical in concept.

The comparisons, however, are besides the point- Santogold and Diplo are the ones in the spotlight, not M.I.A. and Santi. They really are an unstoppable combination: Santogold is already one of the most inventive artists around at the moment, and Diplo never fails to accentuate and expand her sound even further. This tape has something for everyone, and pretty much every genre under the sun finds its way somewhere onto the 35 tracks. This tape is off the wall, absolutely insane and worth every penny. Cop it.

The tape is being released on Diplo's label Mad Decent. It's a steal at $9.00- purchase it from the Mad Decent store. The tracklisting is as follows:

01 "Dub Selection Intro"
02 Three 6 Mafia: "Late Night" (Unstoppable Mix)
03 Santogold: "Shuv It" (Disco D Blend) [exclusive]
04 Santogold: "I'm a Lady" (Diplo Mix ft. Amanda Blank) [exclusive]
05 Sir Mix-A-Lot: "Posse on Broadway"
06 Santogold: "Lights Out" (Diplo's Panda Bear Mix) [exclusive]
07 Aretha Franklin: "Save Me"
08 Devo: "Be Stiff"
09 B-52's: "Mesopotamia"
10 Gerri and the Holograms: "Gerri and the Holograms"
11 Santogold: "Anne" (Switch Mix) [exclusive]
12 Santogold: "L.E.S. Artistes" (XXXchange Mix ft. Movado)
13 Cutty Ranks: "Dutty Six Pack" [exclusive]
14 Santogold: "Find a Way" (Graeme and Switch Mix ft. Kid Cudi) / Lunar Camel [exclusive]
15 Richie Spice x Ratatat: "Marijuana"
16 Desmond Dekker: "007 (Shanty Town)"
17 Santogold: "Guns of Brooklyn" [exclusive]
18 Dixie Cups: "Iko Iko"
19 Tony Matterhorn: "Big Belly Guns" [exclusive]
20 Santogold: "Get It Up" (Radioclit mix ft. MIA & Gorilla Zoe) [exclusive]
21 "Mark Ronson in Studio"
22 Trouble Andrew: "Run - Hide"
23 Sister Nancy: "Pigeon Rock"
24 Nora Dean: "Barbwire"
25 Shinehead: "Know How Fe Chat"
26 The Clash: "Ghetto Defendant"
27 Warrior Queen: "Check It"
28 Santogold x Benga: "Unstoppable / Night Dub" [exclusive]
29 Shawty Lo x Skream: "Dey Know / Stagger"
30 Santogold: "Creator" (Mumdance Mix ft. Jammer, Badness, Chronik Rage, Slikman & Tempz) [exclusive]
31 Xray: "Turbulence Dubplate" (Starstruck Diplo Mix) [exclusive]
32 Barrington Levy: "Send a Moses"
33 Prince Jazzbo: "Ital Corner"
34 Santogold: "Icarus" [exclusive]
35 Santogold x Diplo: "Right Brigade" (hidden track) [exclusive]

Above and below- two of the most breathtaking posters you will ever see. Click through for glorified super high-res versions!

Santogold- Starstruck (Diplo Remix) (Link 2)

Discuss: Did you help The Dark Knight break these records? What's your verdict?

The dreams have come true. The Dark Knight has broken a long list of records on it's opening weekend, and I for one am ecstatic. It's great to see a mature, brilliant, non-universally friendly film making a shed load of money, and finally knocking the trash that was Spiderman 3 off the opening weekend record list. Titanic still remains as the highest grossing film ever (and will continue to), but at least TDK has started the clear up job. Maybe Titanic is a job for the next Batman sequel?

The Dark Knight took $155.34 million, beating Spiderman 3's previous record of $151 million by over $4 million dollars, which isn't a lot in relative terms. On the way to this absolutely astounding figure, Batman also set a host of other records, including the following.

1. Film playing on most screens: 4366
2. Opening-night midnight takings: $18.5 million
3. Opening day takings: $67.8 million (biggest one-day total ever)
4. Midnight IMAX screens takings: $640,000
   
5. IMAX weekend takings: $6.2 million

Eat that, credit crunch. Even you cannot stop people going out to see what will now surely be held as one of the greatest movie's ever. I will have to wait to pass judgment, as I am holding out to see The Dark Knight on my birthday (26th July, in case anyone wants to send me a presents- jokes!). The Dark Knight also currently holds the number 1 spot on imdb's top films of all time. There is clearly something about this flick that has really stirred up the public, as The Dark Knight is the first film ever to unseat The Godfather from this hallowed list.

Whilst Santogold is once again taking the web by storm, second time around she's not alone. Instead, her new mixtape with Diplo ('Top Ranking'- I will be posting on this once I buy it) has brought together Santi and M.I.A, alongside a host of other crazy collaborations. She has quite clearly been bitten by the bug after 'My Drive Thru' became far more popular than it deserved to.

Santogold has been touted as the next M.I.A. since she burst on to the scene, and it's a comparison that has dogged her rather than pushed her career forward. If anything, this track proves that whilst there are some undeniable comparisons, Santi and Maya are two completely different artists, with their own interpretations. And thank god, because if it was any other way this track wouldn't be worth listening to.

This song is a wonder, as if you had stuffed the best moments of 'Kala' and 'Santogold' into 3 minutes. We have sirens, a guest rapper -Gorilla Zoe, who sounds remarkably like Busta- and cat calls from M.I.A., and Santogold's diverging harmonies, humming and bass driven melody. Oh, and how could I forget- influences from a truckload of different genres find their way into the song. It works in a way that we will never comprehend.