Britney Spears

[teknorich]

James Holden remixing Britney Spears:

http://www.uneasysilence.com/index.php?p=2177

Opinions please...

[teknorich]

(Am more interested in what you think of the concept than the track itself.)

[TechMouse]

Just downloading for a listen.

Suprised he's got away with releasing these.

A guy I (indirectly) know, who is a very talented producer, got comissioned to write a Britney track for one of her previous albums. It never made it to the album in the end, but it was actually pretty good - and made me think quite a lot about what goes into making pop tracks.

Anyway, my point is, he wasn't allowed to give copies to anyone. Her record company had total control of all rights and he said he was probably playing with fire even letting us listen to it.

So, I'm suprised Holden is making them available for download. Still, kudos...

[Udy]

It's clear that a hell of a lot goes into making pop tracks these days.
Obviously some can break through and sell just on their persona (westlife etc.) but Britney, Madonna, Robbie and all that need great producers to make their tracks fat too.
True it's super shiny, but some of the backing tracks up nice and loud really do rock.

[Buttman]

Britney Spears - Toxic (Grovskopa Remix) kicks ass ;)

[Jay Pace]

Tim Exile's live version of Toxic is outstanding.

[Francisco Scaramanga]

This might be heresy - but I actually enjoy the original version of toxic, in fact I reckon its on the pop masterpiece sort of level! And I've heard various remixes played at proper bangin underground nights, both techno and drum and bass, it felt a bit strange to be having it large to britney, but everyone kept dancing...

On the subject of pop and dance mergers, I had a listen to Madonnas new one just to see what its like, and I reckon Jacques Le Cont (spelling???) did a pretty good job, then Madge murdered it with lame lyrics and crap ideas throughout. Same old Madonna I guess - crap but fit.

[Udy]

Toxic is definitely a pop masterpiece as an original and has tons of good mixes too.
On a similar tip and written by the same 80s pop star (Carly Simon) is Sweet Dreams My LA Ex by Rachel Stevens, another great one.

Not sure about Madonna being fit though, mutton n all that.

[Francisco Scaramanga]

Toxic is definitely a pop masterpiece as an original and has tons of good mixes too.
On a similar tip and written by the same 80s pop star (Carly Simon) is Sweet Dreams My LA Ex by Rachel Stevens, another great one.

Not sure about Madonna being fit though, mutton n all that.

So Toxic and Sweet Dreams My LA Ex were written by Carly Simon? I never had a clue, I always thought her high point was you're so vain. But yeah, that Rachel Stevens version is another good example of pop music that someone actually made an effort on.

[Dustin Zahn]

Back on subject...

I kind of feel like the Holden remixes kinda hold the true essensce/style of traditional techno. If techno to purists is taking something like a sample from pop music and turning it into a futuristic piece I think Holden's really hit it on the head with these tracks. Even if one thinks the tracks are more trendy cannon fodder, the whole idea behind getting a Britney Spears acapella and totally twisting the **** out of it so much that the label rejects it is very appealing. I personally really enjoy the dub version of these remixes a lot and have played it out for a good year now. From a production standpoint I think both remixes are pretty brilliant. Holden can get a bit too trancey for my tastes at times, but as a producer he is a true innovator in my eyes.

[rotten]

i heard a "toxic" remake by the society suckers from berlin. awesome mash up breakcore!

[Stella Boy]

Britney Spears - Toxic (Grovskopa Remix) kicks ass ;)

sounds interesting, do you have a link please ?

[Buttman]

Nope.

[Stella Boy]

nay mind, don't like your work anyway :razz:

[davethedrummer]

britney?????
a thread
on here
really?
why?

[Udy]

any excuse to stroke my chin really ;)

[teknorich]

Dave, I think you got the same idea as me. Britney Spears just don´t belong in techno. I was very surprised to see Holden agreeing to remix her, and personally I´m not happy with it. The label didn´t refuse the remix because it was too twisted (Sorry Dustin) they just decided not to release this track at all, not Britney´s version and none of the remixes either.

Holden did the remix as a serious track, and that scares me. Will this lead to a whole bunch of pop star "techno" remixes? Is this going to be the death of minimal in the same way that "toytown" tunes killed off old skool happy hardcore (Charly, Sesame´s Treet, Trumpton etc)?

Or is it just a one off, made for money, label whoring effort from an otherwise good producer?

Thoughts and opinions please!!

[teknorich]

(Next up - DAVE the Drummer remix of Destiny´s Child! Somehow I doubt that...)

[Jay Pace]

Sorry - but what would be wrong with pop star techno mixes?
Providing that they produce good records (which seems unlikely) what would be the problem?

Techno doesn't need to be cossetted and kept "underground" to survive.

If Britney's label want a schranz mix, thats their perogative :razz:

[Udy]

Yeah i've got more things to worry about than whether some people are making some music they want to make.

[teknorich]

Each to their own mate, but I´d like to see your face when you´re stomping away in your local techno club, having a wicked time, and all of a sudden the break drops and .... Britney starts singing. Damn. What a way to bring you down!

[Jay Pace]

I don't go to clubs, I go to see djs.

If Magda, Mills or Rachmad played a Britney track I would be pretty damn suprised.
But if they did, I guess that that the only reason they would play it was if it was shit hot and was going to rock a crowd.

DJs act as shit filters when it comes to crap like this. If its rubbish, no one will play it. Simple as.

I think its more likely James Holden will hear his britney mix in a cheesy nightclub than anyone else will hear it in a techno club.

[Miromiric]

regis played spears - toxic the original.

[teknorich]

You may be right with that, Jay.

And Miro, I never know if you´re serious or joking!!!

:eh:

[Miromiric]

neither do i.

[dirty_bass]

I don't go to clubs, I go to see djs.



From the waist up.

Don`t you go for good music?

[teknorich]

Yeah, I thought the same thing. I mean, you can have a wicked laugh with just some random resident DJ if the music is good, right?

[Jay Pace]

I don't go to clubs, I go to see djs.



From the waist up.

Don`t you go for good music?

:lol: Pedant

I'm actually more interested in seeing a few square inches of Jeff Mill's wee alien head. Like a tiny yapping terrapin.
It thrills me.

Most random residents just piss me off. I just end up thinking how much better I am, and start lamenting my laziness and inability to sort things out... ;)

[Dustin Zahn]

Dave, I think you got the same idea as me. Britney Spears just don´t belong in techno. I was very surprised to see Holden agreeing to remix her, and personally I´m not happy with it. The label didn´t refuse the remix because it was too twisted (Sorry Dustin) they just decided not to release this track at all, not Britney´s version and none of the remixes either.

Holden did the remix as a serious track, and that scares me. Will this lead to a whole bunch of pop star "techno" remixes? Is this going to be the death of minimal in the same way that "toytown" tunes killed off old skool happy hardcore (Charly, Sesame´s Treet, Trumpton etc)?

Or is it just a one off, made for money, label whoring effort from an otherwise good producer?

Thoughts and opinions please!!

There have been far worse things in techno than Britney Spears. Pop music being sampled and used in techno has been apparent since its beginning. Hell, Mills used to sample Michael Jackson. With the spears remix (vocal dub mainly), he does pretty much the same thing as Mills, which is sample weird endings of verses and breathing noises. The only time you can hear anything that remotely sounds like a chorus of her singing is towards the break and it lasts for 4 measures.

Now, I'm not sure where you get your info from...but I got mine first hand. We booked Holden and had him here and he went into detail about the story. Unlike a lot of techno producers who will cover their tracks to look cool, Holden just told us it was because he has nothing to lose. He told us the label was unhappy with the remixes he did and were pissed off because it didn't have enough of Britney in the track. He didn't bother to change the tracks and the deal was never made. I don't know if he ever got paid in full for them, but I'm sure he got something small in advance.

Next, you're saying that it scares you that Holden did a remix of this track, taking it very seriously. Actually, Holden send no to the remixes at first but then said, "How often will I get the acapella of some professional superstar on my computer?" So, he decided to do it as a challenge and see how far he could take the acapella. Don't get all worried that "popstar techno" will be the end of techno. This shit is nothing new and won't become a trend. Hell, it happens in house and DNB on a weekly basis. Watered down club remix on one side, and the "rave" remix on the other.




If Magda, Mills or Rachmad played a Britney track I would be pretty damn suprised.
But if they did, I guess that that the only reason they would play it was if it was shit hot and was going to rock a crowd.

DJs act as shit filters when it comes to crap like this. If its rubbish, no one will play it. Simple as.

I think its more likely James Holden will hear his britney mix in a cheesy nightclub than anyone else will hear it in a techno club.

Surprise, people of that caliber have been playing the Dub remix. You'd be surprised how many techno DJs have played it in the past year. We booked Hawtin two nights after Holden in October and we got on the subject of Holden. Hawtin was really impressed with how far Holden had come as well.

Has anyone here actually listened to the remixes? People make it sound like these are really awful DJ Tiesto type tracks but realistically, and especially for the Dub Mix, there isn't much of Spears in it at all. Its just syncopated synthy techno shit that has better production than 99% of the techno to come out in the past few years. That's fine if people generally aren't down with the track, but really its not the awful steamy piece of cheesy shit people are making it out to be. Holden is capable of much worse and much cheesier.


I can understand where people would be floored to see Holden making something that techno DJs would play, or actually seeing Holden play techno, but it does happen. When Holden was here he was playing a bunch of techno, from sleeparchive type shit, to plastikman tracks, as well as a bunch of really beating acid cuts and of course trendy minimal like trentemoller. The guy got really ****ing cheesy at the end for about 20 minutes but before that it was pure class.

Once again topics like this prove that the whole idea behind techno is losing its edge. I got into it because from what I gathered its about taking anything and making it something. Take something you appreciate or despise and make something amazing from it.

[Miromiric]

justin and britney SITTIN IN A TREE

[Dustin Zahn]

Certainly not after she popped out the kid. When she was 16 maybe.


Okay, that didn't sound good. :paranoid:

[Miromiric]

you two would make a perfect all-american couple. with that new haircut of yours.

[dan the acid man]

Once again topics like this prove that the whole idea behind techno is losing its edge. I got into it because from what I gathered its about taking anything and making it something. Take something you appreciate or despise and make something amazing from it.

good call :)