A while back I blogged about Russ Chimes taking over the electro scene YouTube-viral-style and several months later I'm finally ready to do a follow-up post.
We'll start with the obvious.
This man can do no wrong by my standards. Every single remix he has touched has turned to aural gold. I make no mistake when I say the "Chimes Treatment" is golden. Often times I'll find his remixes better than the originals for several reasons, most notably Russ's uncanny ability to create tension, build-up, and climax in his songs and sets!
It's crazy how good his stuff is that I'm freaking tongue-tied about how to gush about him!!
Ok, I'll say this -- there's no doubting he knows his way around a production board, but what I like most about his sound is that it's consistently danceable. Like, get off your ass, jump up, throw you hands in the air, and shake what yo mamma gave you, danceable!
Let's take an example. Russ's newest remix is:
Justin Faust - Revenge (Russ Chimes Remix)
Somehow he finds the perfect balance of sounding 80's disco retro, but completely 21st-century futuristic AT THE SAME TIME!
Who else does that, I ask you?!?!
No, don't tell me. I don't want to ruin the idolatry.
At some level I don't want to talk about breaking apart and describing his sound because it's almost like revealing the mystery behind the magic. Hearing is believing and I don't want to stop believing.
But seriously, there are little musical motifs floating in and out of his songs everywhere and they come when you least expect it. A track will start off with a particular synth sequence or rhythm part, something else will layer atop of it that catches your attention, and then another thing, and before you know it, the original motif has faded out and the only time you realize it is when it comes back full force a couple minutes later to steal your senses. This is important to me because I get bored easily finding new artists since a lot of the time the production doesn't change fast enough or creatively enough to warrant my time. But Russ's stuff? I never get sick of it.
But let's not make him out to be a one-trick pony. Russ can mix a set like the best of them. Here's the promo mix he made for Valerie last month.
VA - Promo Mix February 2009 (Mixed by Russ Chimes)
Umm, excuse me, but did I hear clips of effing "Ride On Time," the '89 hit by Black Box, and the trance classic "Greece 2000" by Three Drives?!?!
BRIL-LI-ANT sample placement!!!
I love it when DJs find ways to mash-up the old school and new school tracks because it give them points for knowing their retro shit, but also proves that they're forward focused. Take what was best about the past and blend it with the best of the present. That is award-winning. Stamped. Sealed. Approved.
Whoever can find me a way to see this guy mix live can have my first born (although who really wants that? maybe you can have a pile of money instead).
A while back I blogged about Russ Chimes taking over the electro scene YouTube-viral-style and several months later I'm finally ready to do a follow-up post.
We'll start with the obvious.
This man can do no wrong by my standards. Every single remix he has touched has turned to aural gold. I make no mistake when I say the "Chimes Treatment" is golden. Often times I'll find his remixes better than the originals for several reasons, most notably Russ's uncanny ability to create tension, build-up, and climax in his songs and sets!
It's crazy how good his stuff is that I'm freaking tongue-tied about how to gush about him!!
Ok, I'll say this -- there's no doubting he knows his way around a production board, but what I like most about his sound is that it's consistently danceable. Like, get off your ass, jump up, throw you hands in the air, and shake what yo mamma gave you, danceable!
Let's take an example. Russ's newest remix is:
Justin Faust - Revenge (Russ Chimes Remix)
Somehow he finds the perfect balance of sounding 80's disco retro, but completely 21st-century futuristic AT THE SAME TIME!
Who else does that, I ask you?!?!
No, don't tell me. I don't want to ruin the idolatry.
At some level I don't want to talk about breaking apart and describing his sound because it's almost like revealing the mystery behind the magic. Hearing is believing and I don't want to stop believing.
But seriously, there are little musical motifs floating in and out of his songs everywhere and they come when you least expect it. A track will start off with a particular synth sequence or rhythm part, something else will layer atop of it that catches your attention, and then another thing, and before you know it, the original motif has faded out and the only time you realize it is when it comes back full force a couple minutes later to steal your senses. This is important to me because I get bored easily finding new artists since a lot of the time the production doesn't change fast enough or creatively enough to warrant my time. But Russ's stuff? I never get sick of it.
But let's not make him out to be a one-trick pony. Russ can mix a set like the best of them. Here's the promo mix he made for Valerie last month.
VA - Promo Mix February 2009 (Mixed by Russ Chimes)
Umm, excuse me, but did I hear clips of effing "Ride On Time," the '89 hit by Black Box, and the trance classic "Greece 2000" by Three Drives?!?!
BRIL-LI-ANT sample placement!!!
I love it when DJs find ways to mash-up the old school and new school tracks because it give them points for knowing their retro shit, but also proves that they're forward focused. Take what was best about the past and blend it with the best of the present. That is award-winning. Stamped. Sealed. Approved.
Whoever can find me a way to see this guy mix live can have my first born (although who really wants that? maybe you can have a pile of money instead).
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