Justice - D.A.N.C.E. Remixes (Ed Banger)
4/5
It's reflective of the perdurable nature of dance music that Justice's shoulda/woulda/coulda been chart topper 'D.A.N.C.E' sounds a little over-familiar hardly any time after its initial release. Right on cue and clearly a concerted second attempt to confirm its status as the summer smash that never was, the 12" remixes have arrived. And thanks to Justice's now iconic position, they've pulled in some respectable names.
Alongside a dispensable live version which feels a little cheaply tacked on, MSTRKRFT plays to type, bypassing the frontal lobes and making a b-line straight for the feet. Sensibly, as with all the remixes here, the vocal line is brought to the fore, but it's lowest common-denominator electro minus the subtle flourishes that made the original so buoyant.
The ever dependable Alan Braxe/Fred Falke partnership serves up a slightly more rewarding effort, once again showcasing their passion for all things Miami Vice. Unsurprisingly, it's ostensibly Parisian house and that's rarely a bad thing, if still a tad phoned-in. If nothing else, it demands that Braxe once again starts concentrating on his own music. It's been too long.
The EPs true saving grace though lands on the shoulders of the king of glitch, Jackson and His Computer Band. At a heady twelve minutes long, Jackson truly dismantles the pop potential of the original. Metallic, sinister and cerebral, it's the inverse of MSTRKRFT's predictably Neanderthal attempt. All doom-y synths and spliced samples (is that 'Waters of Nazareth' I hear?), it's a logical next step on from Justice's scuzzy house. Where once the choir chimed euphorically, Jackson transforms them little angels into an army of robot children; a pre-adolescent Stepford Wives reclaiming the schoolyard if you like. Jackson's 'D.A.N.C.E.' is more a M.A.R.C.H. and all the better for it. Just don't expect to keep up.
Watch the original video to 'D.A.N.C.E.' HERE.
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