The Cold Cut

Webbafied- Can't Tell Me Nothing/Garbage (Link 2)
Webbafied- Phantom Part II (Link 2)

One of my favourite up and coming artists, Webbafied, has started to make some serious progress. I wrote a 'Definitive Justice' post a few months ago, and his tracks went to the top of the hype machine, as well as the post receiving a huge volume of hits and comments.

I know Webb has a load of great friends and we are all rooting for him: if you haven't downloaded it yet, 'Webbafied Does It Justice' is one of the best free releases of last year (yes, including 'In Rainbows'). He sent me an email update recently:

"So...my band mate Morgane invited me to the Release Party for ED REC VOL.3...LIVE in Paris, France...Of course I accepted the invite and got into party mode...assume of you may know, my latest project 'WebbaFied Does It Justice' is a cover of the Ed Banger Records Release 'Cross'

So it was a very good look for me to be in the house with these folks..hmmmm...Lemme rephrase that....not in the house..but ON THE BOAT...these dudes rented a boat for the party...it was nuts...we we're on La Seine at midnight when the Eiffel Tower lights up and shit..It was so ill!!!

Despite all the great scenery and extreme inebriation I had some promotional work to do...the first Person I polly'd with was DJ A TRAK...i don't know what the hell he was doing there but I'm glad I got to build with him...he was cool...talked about the buzz surrounding the Glow in The Dark tour...chatted about my project...and kept bumpin into each other for the rest of the night...It wasn't that big of a boat...oh...and his set was crazy...I got to build with DJ Medhi and he seemed impressed by the concept of the project...

I met both of the dudes from Justice...I hit one of them with a CD...He loved the idea of the project and assured me he would check it out...one of the dudes from Justice and Medhi did a set...and body'd it...the crowd was huddled around the DJbooth...it was funky as hell..it smelled like hot locker room and onions... Last but not least was Busy P...he was cool as hell...me and him kicked a lot throughout the night...I told him the details of the project and he was impressed with the fact that we didn't chop up their music...that I just rode it out as it was...he seemed genuinely interested in what i did...we had drinks..talked some shit....we really got it popping...he knew some of the people I came with so we were all just going in!! It was classic...
Left the boat at like 4:30am...got a crepe...hit the train...and hit the sack..."

Webbafied sent me some great photos: I'm pleased to see that he's making some serious progress. Visit Webbafied's Myspace and download his 'Hits Of The Year: Volume 1' and 'Webbafied Does It Justice' albums free. Now that Justice have a copy of his album I'm pretty sure things are going to get mental: more online exposure and some magazine interviews over the summer, no doubt. I can't wait!

When I first heard Justice's '†', I was impressed, but not as much as the hype said I should be. Worst of all, I found the Daft Punk comparisons confusing: they're a duo, and they're French. Must be the next Homem-Christo and Bangalter, then. Never mind the fact that their music is only loosely similar.

However, the album really crept up on me- mostly due to its marketing: the videos have all been excellent (watch DVNO, NOW), and the endless stream of remixes has kept up their exposure. Everyone has had a go, and whilst some have been more successful than others, there is no doubt that '†' is remix fodder. Even Justice have contributed- "What? So you weren't happy with the original song? Oh well...". Put it this way- wikipedia has a whole page devoted to Justice remixes. Here are a few of the best:

Justice- DVNO (Justice Remix)
Justice- Phantom Pt. II (Boyz Noize Remix)
Justice- D.A.N.C.E. (Les Rhythmes Digitales Remix)

Over the last few weeks, a more interesting application of '†' has emerged: the backing for a rap. Wale did it first, with the unbelievably amazing W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E., which I was only alerted to a couple of days ago. He really does kill it, and its an intuitive use of a brilliant song. I await his label debut: check out some mixtapes over at DatPiff.
'Cut beats; I'm a fucking word surgeon. Scalpel... Sponge... This working. D.A.N.C.E.'

Justice/Wale- W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.

Only minutes after hearing Wale's interpretation of the song, I received an email from Webbafied. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, this up and coming hip hop artist had me hooked from the moment I opened the email. Justice's '†', re-tooled with a rapper. The whole thing. Free. With the 'Grey Album', Dangermouse took two distant albums- The Beatles 'White Album' and Jay-Z's 'The Black Album'- and created something new, but retaining the quality of the original work. Webbafied has pulled off a familiar feat with 'Webbafied Does It Justice', except rather than working as a producer (like DM), he has lent his lyrical wit to the songs.

Justice/Webbafied- Let There Be Light
Justice/Webbafied- Stress

Admittedly, its an ambitious project, and not every track has the necessary space or vocal cues that Webbafied needs to work with. There are a handful of occasions, though, when the potential of such a project is fulfilled: the new version of 'Let There Be Light' sends shivers down my spine... 'Valentine' takes on a heartful meaning: 'Everyday is February 14th. Say my prayers hoping that you won't leave. All my life I waited for the right one. You're the type I need to mother my son.' Best of all, though, is 'DVNO', a song that has felt the power of ressurection. With So-Me's video and this re-tool, it is rapidly developing into my favourite Justice release, period.

The intelligence of Webbafied is clear: his interpretation of what the original songs are actually about is generally spot on. Artists hoping to cut a path into the big-time should follow his example: coupling your skills with an album of well known songs is a sure-fire way to get noticed. In doing so, he has already jumped the first hurdle: familiarity. And with a respect for the original material, he cannot fail: whereas Wale turns the backing treble right down, Webbafied waits for the gaps to do his thing. Sometimes, this creates awkward silences, but it's the right approach to take for an album interpolation.

You should check out Webbafied's MySpace page, where 'Webbafied Does It Justice' can be downloaded for free. Also, make sure you have a listen to his extensive back-catalogue.

Update: A behind the scenes look at the making of 'Webbafied Does It Justice'...