U2 Remixed

I don't think anyone will argue the fact that U2 has been one of the greatest and most successful bands of the past three decades, which is about the same length of time that they've existed as a band - in itself no small achievement. However, it's only very recently that producers and DJs the world over have finally figured out how to remix their music. These days, with a veritable slew of indie-electro remixes of every buzz band from Bloc Party to Black Kids (don't get me wrong, a lot of these are awesome in their own right), it's exciting to hear a new take on creative remixes of guitar bands. With the possible exception of the Justice remix of "Get On Your Boots" that I heard a while back, it seems that a more progressive house sound is the way to go when it comes to U2 remixes.

U2 - Magnificent (Adam K Club Mix)
U2 - I'll Go Crazy (Dirty South Remix)

Those of us who generally shy away from commercial music and anything with the word "club" in the title (myself included - most of the time) can rest assured: you will dig this. Bono's Magnificent voice (see what I did there?) soars above powerful beats and pulsing chords, carrying the sound to incredible heights. This effect is not exactly new to those familiar with U2's original music, but with the increasing use of vocals in house tracks these days, it's very cool to hear what is truly one of the very best voices in music today used in that way.


Both of the original tracks are off U2's latest album, No Line On The Horizon (Interscope), released earlier this year, which I really enjoyed, so I was pretty stoked to check these remixes out. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed. Although I could see how the replacement of the rest of the band with more house-friendly sounds - with the occasional but notable exception of The Edge's guitar - might cause some lamentation among die-hard U2 fans, these tracks really do take the originals and create something entirely new out of them. Which, contrary to the popular belief that adding a club-heavy beat and turning up the bass on the EQ qualifies, is basically what remixing is all about. Mad respect to Adam K and Dirty South for these rad tracks.

This pic came up first when I searched for "magnificent" on Flickr. Rather appropriate, I thought.

Thanks also to my good friend DJ Burch for turning me on to these.

Enjoy.