Kristine W. - Be Alright

Kristine is back again with another amazing song. This time, she teams up with Israeli DJ/remixer/producer/artist Offer Nissim for this vocal anthem. Offer reportedly produced this track.

Offer previously remixed Kristine's "The Wonder Of It All" last year, and before that, he gave her song "Save My Soul" some significant play in his sets through the phenomenal Gabriel & Dresden mix.

This collaboration works just as well on paper as it does in execution. There's not a lot of vocals, however, the amount of vocals that are there work quite well. It is done in the way most of Offer's vocal tracks with Maya are done. But this one has more of an emotional element to it because of the stellar production work. Kristine's vocals are simply gorgeous. The vocal effects only add to the beauty of her voice.

This one is an essential right now.

Tony Moran has reportedly remixed this one as well. Perhaps his will have more vocals. If not, no problem.

Shakira - Illegal [Johnny Vicious Remixes]

After the international smash hit "Hips Don't Lie", Shakira is back with "Illegal", which features the legendary Carlos Santana. After a stream of less-than-stellar mixes from the Oral Fixation Vol. 2 album, some mixes that are really great have been done for "Illegal."

Johnny Vicious does the remixes this time.

Epic shipped a CD promo to DJs:

01. Johnny Vicious Warehouse Mix
02. Johnny Vicious Warehouse Radio Mix
03. Johnny Vicious Roxy Mix
04. Johnny Vicious Roxy Radio Mix
05. Johnny Vicious Ballroom Mix
06. Johnny Vicious Ballroom Dub


The Warehouse mixes are really dark and are reminiscent of some of Johnny's mixes from the mid to late 90's. It's a nice throwback. In some places, Shakira's vocals don't really fit. They're not off-beat. But they seem out of place.

The Roxy mixes are not as hard. These are much housier. The "chugging" hook in the background is really good. And the piano breaks are very beautiful. This is the mix of choice. It's perfect for clubs and radio.

The Ballroom mix is very dubbish. There's only some vocals and the few that are there are heavily manipulated. These are quite tribal. The whole track builds and builds to this amazing beatless break which then leads to this amazing synthy bass. Then the beats come back in and it's great. The Ballroom dub has more vocal samples and loops than the mix. This could be considered the accompanying dub to the Roxy versions.

Vicious' dubs are always a treat. And these last two are quite well-executed.

Check out these mixes.

David Guetta - Love Don't Let Me Go [Maor Zohar Mixes]

This song has been out for quite some time now in various forms, including that one mashup with that The Egg song.

Israeli DJ/remixer Maor Zohar has remixed this song and given it a darker, more circuit makeover. Not that the original needed work, this mix takes it to another level.

Medium tribal beats, a pulsating bassline and soaring synths are the highlights of Maor's new production. The vocals have just the right amount of effects and looping to make the song fun. The vocals feel right at home with this new production.

On the digital promo, there are two mixes. One is a full club mix and the other is an "intro version" that goes right into the club mix after a short, stunning, beatless intro.

Those who could not play this record because it did not fit into their circuit house sets have no excuse to not play this record.

Check it out!

Promo tracklisting:
01. Maor Zohar 2006 Club Mix
02. Maor Zohar 2006 Intro Mix

DHT featuring Edmee - I Go Crazy

This was originally the b-side to the UK release of "Someone." It is now the third official U.S. single.

Just like their breakthrough hit "Listen To Your Heart", which was a cover of a Roxette song, "I Go Crazy" is also a cover. This is a cover of a song by Paul Davis.

Lead singer Edmee does justice to this song. Her vocals are simply perfect and spot on.

The Album Version is a simple piano-based ballad. The main single and club versions are remixed by Giuseppe D. It is a hard, thumping energetic mix. It calls to mind the Furious mixes of "Listen To Your Heart" and "Someone." However, this one is much more melodic. The piano elements from the original are still present though.

In the HardBounze edit and extended mixes, the beats are a not as hard as they usually are. These call to mind Cascada's signature sound just in the style. This song is really begging for a Cascada mix. The breaks elements that are there every so often in the verses are really nice too.

House mixes are also available too. The previous DHT releases did not have House mixes for the U.S. Many DJs voiced their concerns and they have been taken into consideration. Hardino's mix is a sophisticated funky house confection. It is so perfect. Again, the piano elements are still present. The vocals just sound great over this simple layered production. Closing the single is the stellar Old School House Remix. Sporting newly recorded vocals, this mix is a lot more soulful than the Hardino mix. It calls to mind 70's disco and the soulful house of the early 90's. It works quite well.

All these mixes are quite good. This is a must-have.

Here is the tracklisting of the U.S. CD maxi single:

01. Giuseppe D.'s Radio Edit (3:29)
02. Hardbounze Edit (4:12)
03. Album Version (3:45)
04. Giuseppe D.'s Euro Madness Mix (4:50)
05. Hardbounze Extended (5:33)
06. Hardino Remix (6:43)
07. Old School House Remix (3:12)


The CD maxi single is now in stores and online, and the digital single as well as individual mixes can be purchased on iTunes.

Beyonce Knowles featuring Jay-Z - Deja Vu (Offer Nissim Mix)

Okay, "Deja Vu", the first single from Beyonce's highly-anticipated followup to Dangerously In Love has been out for quite a long time now. Same thing with the remixes. An announcement was made about 6 weeks ago that Israeli DJ Offer Nissim had done a remix of this song for his own sets. He has been known to remix many current non-Dance songs for his sets, and this was a pleasant surprise. Many had been discussing who they would like to see remixing Beyonce in the future, and even particularly with this song. While Maurice Joshua, Junior Vasquez and most recently the Freemasons have been turning out mixes of Beyonce's tracks, many fans were ready to hear some other mixers work on Bee's tracks. The Freemasons and Junior Vasquez mixes were the ones sent to the clubs and promoted. "Deja Vu" peaked at number one on the Billboard Dance/Club Play chart some months back.

Offer Nissim has taken this song in another direction. His signature dark, synthy, tribal sounds are more present in this mix than in some of the other mixes he has done this year. The energy in the mix is comparable to the amount found in Offer's amazing mix of "Isaac" by Madonna. The vocals are very minimal. He only uses the vocals from the chorus and they have been totally manipulated. The vocals have been stretched and reverbed into oblivion (that's a good thing). The repetitive synth hook is really gorgeous. And the matching bassline goes really well with it. This mix is best enjoyed turned up very loud. Listen up for this one at Offer Nissim and Peter Rauhofer's future spinning engagements. You know they will play it.

Speaking of Offer Nissim and Peter Rauhofer, they are both remixing two more Beyonce songs. Offer will be working on a mix of "One Night Only" from Dreamgirls (the movie Beyonce stars in this Winter) and Peter is working on a mix of "Upgrade U" from Beyonce's B'Day album. As per information right now, the "One Night Only" mix is a private mix. No word on the other one.

Dirty Old Ann - Turn Me On

This is an update to the 1997 smash hit "Turn Me Out" by Praxis featuring Kathy Brown. That one was especially popular in the Sol Brothers mix that was basically a mashup of Kathy's fierce vocals and some sampled elements from "Sugar Is Sweeter" by CJ Bolland, as remixed by Armand Van Helden.

This time, the Freemasons are behind this remake. In true Freemasons fashion, this one features a hot vocal and classic production. It is just sublime. This record began making the rounds as a white label earlier this year and now it is getting the proper release it deserves. This one is a must-have!

Beyonce Knowles - Ring The Alarm (Remixes)

The original packs quite a punch, even though it only clocks in at under 80 BPM! Beyonce reads her man's new woman like a trashy novel in this angry-diva track. This one is totally appropriate for the clubs.

The vocals are delivered in a manner that would make doing a 125 to 130 BPM remix quite challenging. See the two extremes of mixes that were done for "Check On It" some months back by Maurice Joshua and Junior Vasquez. Maurice had slowed down the vocal to a crawl while Junior made Beyonce sound like she was a chipmunk on speed. This time, the Freemasons, who do the remixing honors slow down the vocal. And it doesn't sound like it will take a week for the mix to finish playing.

The production is flawless. The intro and beginning build is their usual best. The chugging bass and haunting violins are just awesome. The mix has a retro vibe with these strings. The vocals are reverbed to perfection over the production. Towards the last 4/5 of the club mix, some interesting vocal effects come in, and the "whomp whomp" instrumental portions are really cool. Those portions call to mind the ferocious Timo Maas mix of "Dooms Night" by Azzido Da Bass. It is unclear whether that's was being referenced by the Freemasons. Either way, it works. One other noteworthy part of the mix is where the last word in the line "you ain't never seen a fire like the one I'm gon' cause" is stretched and looped into oblivion. Truly amazing. Now if there was only a hot dub of this mix with some choice vocal samples. The U.S. 12" promo includes an instrumental of the club mix as well. The radio edit of the Freemasons mix is just what the name says it is, with the profanity edited out.

The Freemasons' execution of this mix is just perfect. Look out for this one and snap it up immediately.

Ivri Lider - Nights In White Satin

Israeli singer, songwriter, producer and icon Ivri Lider is back with a much-awaited remake of a true classic. He teams up with DJ/producer/remixer Offer Nissim on this remake of the Moody Blues song. Some club remakes of this standard have been done over the years including a very well-known one by Mario F which had remixes by Junior Vasquez and Ralphi Rosario.

The track begins with a haunting intro which is just some layers of synths and wind sounds. Ivri's beautiful vocals come in immediately and take ahold. It is almost orchestral when he begins crooning "and I love you." Then Offer's signature beats come in with a spooky room-shaking bassline. A small vocal snippet is looped and begins filtering in. The bass begins to build and get synthy. Towards the middle, the mix becomes reminiscent of Offer's mix of "Cinderella Rockafella" which was based around just two short vocal snippets. After the buildup, it breaks and it becomes similar to the lush intro. Then the synths begin to build again. It soon ends.

This mix is one of Offer Nissim's highlights for 2006. He has outdone himself yet again.

Jzabehl - It's All About Me (Remixes)

Roxiny Rivas and Keiry Valdez are Jzabehl. They describe themselves as "empowering and socially conscious Latinas." Drawing upon their life experiences, they bring a sense of rawness and realisim in their lyrics. "It's All About Me" is an empowering female anthem. And to take this anthem to the next level, Tony Moran and Jody den Broeder provide the remixes. Their main mix is a stunning big room stormer. The soaring synths and hard beats take ahold instantly. Roxiny and Keiry deliver their fiery lyrics with true finesse. This one was made for the clubs and this one will surely be a floorfiller. The dub takes some of the vocals and loops them creatively. The "act like a bitch and trip out" loops are totally camptastic. The additional effects on the vocals are great as well. Look for this one to be rocketing up the charts very soon.

Depeche Mode - Martyre

This is the lead single off of the legendary Electronic/Rock group's upcoming Best Of collection. In its original form, it is in the same vein as some of the songs on the group's last effort Playing The Angel. Dave Gahan's vocals are the center of attention on this one. This one is pure perfection with the instantly-catchy hook. The Indian sitar synths that are peppered throughout the track are a nice touch.

Paul Van Dyk and Booka Shade provide the remixes. PVD provides some mixes that are a bit of a departure from his regular sound. The Radio Edit of his mix stays very true to the original. It sounds like an alternate version. The Speed Garage sound of the mix is a nice throwback to some of his earlier work, particularly on his epic remixes of "Blue Skies" by BT featuring Tori Amos. The Vonyc Lounge Mix is a misnomer for the kind of mix it is because it is not a Lounge type of mix at all! Some of PVD's usual sound with the hard, big room beats are present in this version, all the while the BPM is still similar to the original version. The Dub and Dub Vox mixes are a bit more big room-ish, but not as hard as the Vonyc Lounge Mix. The Dub Vox contains some vocals and the Dub contains no vocals. The Vonyc Lounge Mix seems to be the only club length mix at this time by PVD. Finally, there is the Booka Shade Dub. It is totally an instrumental. It is very electro and reminiscent of Roysopp and Trentmoller's current work.

There is no word on whether U.S. mixes will be done for this song. These mixes are great. Don't miss out on these.