Various Artists Annie Mac Presents (Island)
4/5
By: Bronya Francis
The darling DJ Annie Mac has made a simply sterling selection of remixes from some of this year’s best new acts. This compilation is clearly best suited to the dance-music-ophiles out there, of which there are many – however, I am not one. I can appreciate the odd remix though, so here are a few subjective comments on a selection of tracks Annie has handpicked for this double album.
On listening to the first track, your inner rude bwoi or gyal will scream “this is ButterFLYYY” (maybe..?), as Mac’s remix of Dizzee Rascal’s song is very lively indeed. What is the ‘Butterfly’? Well, luckily Dizzee tells us through the medium of poetry! “The butterfly is simply an expression of the body,/ It’s kinda like a culture, it’s more than a hobby”. As far as rappers go, Dizzee Rascal is one of the best, and seeing as this is a remix by arguably the leading contemporary female DJ, this track has turned out pretty darn banging.
Another highlight is the formidable MSTRKRFT’s ‘Heartbreaker’ featuring John Legend. Luckily the remix stays rather true to the original, which is a relief because anything MSTRKRFT produce is near faultless.
The grower, ‘Animal’ by Miike Snow, the remix of which has been given a rare jungle vibe by Crookers, results in being a bit peculiar- Crookers’ efforts to be uniquely tribal do not result in anything innovative or edgy, rather it just seems a little weird. On the subject of the bizarre, what’s really annoying is that high-pitched ‘heliumised’ voice that remixes often tend to have, and unfortunately this odious tone occurs numerous times throughout the album; a particular annoyance is its feature on a remix which ruined the originally utterly beautiful ‘Daniel’ by Bat For Lashes.
To conclude, this album is quite exuberant and therefore a little draining after listening to about ten minutes of it. Mind you, it would be easy listening after a few units of ethanol.
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