[PLAYLIST] The Best REMIXES of 2012 – Part 1 (Jan-June)

So far, this year has been one of the best for remixes, making this list no easy feat. Speaking of feet, you should warm them up because they will moving in a second…

(Artwork pattern drawn by a Lego Turntable robot)

25. Toby Keith – Red Solo Cup (It’s The DJ Kue Remix!) / And suddenly Toby Keith is not only palatable but highly listenable.

24. Y Luv – Never Touch The Ground (Gazzo Remix) / It’s pretty impossible to improve on the original so taking it in a different direction was a wise move. Get pumped!

23. St Lucia – Closer Than This (Viceroy Remix) / How do you make tropical more tropical? Give it to Viceroy.

22. Jupiter – One O Six (ANDY Rmx) / All the best parts of the original turned up to 11. Plus a dash or weirdo freak beats to keep thing interesting.

21. Theme Park – Two Hours (RAC Mix) / Collaboration from heaven. Laid back groove heaven.

20. Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe (Manu El Chino Remix) / Bold moves to chill things out pay off big time. Plus the palpable tension he creates is a perfect metaphor for blah blah blah.

19. Mr Fogg – A Little Letting Go (Maribou State Remix) / Had to listen to this one a handful of times before it sunk in. Then had to listen a handful more. That guitar!

18. Meiko – Leave The Lights On (The Crystal Method Remix) / Crystal Method do a peanut butter and get crunchy!

17. The Tempter Trap – Need Your Love (RAC Mix) / (Thanks to RAC) The Temper Trap is back!!

16. Bravestation – Signs of the Civilized (Polarsets Remix) / If palm trees and cocktail umbrellas went to ninja school they would end up like this.

15. Tyga – Rack City (DWNTWN REMIX) / The original may have been a big thing to some but this is the only version that will ever matter to me.

14. Of Monsters and Men – King and Lionheart (Dzeko + Torres Streesh Bootleg) / Not too big. Not too small. This remix nails exactly what it needed too and gave me a whole new respect fro the source material. But I’ll always love this version a bit more.

13. Drake – Crew Love (STAR SLINGER’S JERSEY REFIX) / Dunno what this has to do with Jersey except my arms be fist bumping the whole 5 minutes. So I guess I do know…

12. Fixers – Iron Deer Dream (RAC Mix) / A living example of when its worth shelling out the big bucks to get RAC to remix your jam. Now I know who Fixers are.

11. SBTRKT – Hold On (Joneses Remix) / If I thought it was good before then that breakdown at 3:18 karate kicks it to the next level. It’s dubsteppy but doesn’t make me suicidal!

10. Radiohead – Codex (Hannes Fischer Edit) / No vocals until over 2:30 into this jam! Talk about aural foreplay.

9. Imagine Dragons – It’s Time (Penguin Prison Remix) / I hear the original is kind of a big thing. Actually, all I hear is this bendy-bass PP remix. #swaggerpop

8. Usher – Climax (Billy Webber Remix) / There is an international mega DJ named Kaskade. This remix is mega better than his.

7. Example – Changed The Way You Kiss Me (It’s The DJ Kue Remix!) / Leave it up to Kue to smooth out all the rough edges (read: breakdown bullshit) and turn this jam into the bangernator it was born to be.

6. Strange Talk – Eskimo Boy (Draper Remix) / I just hope that the eskimo boy this song was written about has a proper sound-system to get wild to this jam.

5. Van She – Idea Of Happiness (SebastiAn Remix) / I know I used the #swaggerpop tag earlier but I’d like to bring it back for this jammernaut.

4. Electric Guest – American Daydream (Herr Vogel Remix) / Every time I hear the original I forget how much less good it is that this remix. Electric Guest owes my interest in them to this remix.

3. Housse De Racket – Chateau (Gemini Club Remix) / The longest jam on this list never feels it. Instead, it feels like slapping your lazy ass around for not jumping and dancing!

2. T-Pain – 5 O’Clock ft. Wiz Khalifa, Lily Allen (DWNTWN Remix) / The Mike Tyson clip that intros this track speaks to everything this remix is about.

1. Ambassadors – Unconsolable (NoteOn [Samsa] remix) / Ambassadors deserve more love then they get. But really, this remix is the most love any band could get. A song that was once great becomes otherworldly. Start this one laying down with your eyes closed and let me know where you end up.

Get on that ZIP tip.