Best remixes OF the Chemical Brothers

[Wolkenkrabber]

A post on the forum FB page mentioning someone's favourite remix of a Chems track got me thinking: There have been a couple of independent compilations of remixes by the Chems, but what about remixes of the Chems?
Has anyone ever improved on a Chemical production, or would that be considered blasphemy? Is there a Chemical track you've listened to and thought: "Hmm, this could do with a good remix by...Scooter! or... Swedish House Mafia!" ? 

I don't think this subject has been covered during my time on the forum. So I had a browse through Discogs and compiled my own favourite top 10 remixes of Chems tracks.
I didn't agree with the favourite choice mentioned on FB, so equally I suspect many of you won't agree with my choices. Let the arguments begin (if anyone cares)!

In very rough order of liking:

1 The Golden Path (Ewan Pearson Extended mix)
2 HBHG (Soulwax)
3 Sometimes I Feel So Deserted (Skream)
4 Swoon (Boys Noize Summer mix)
5 Wide Open (Kolsch)
6 Go (Special Request Basement mix)
7 Star Guitar (Pete Heller Expanded mix)
8 Battle Scars (Beyond The Wiazards Sleeve)
9 Got To Keep On (Riton)
10 HBHG [again] (KiNK)

What no Sasha? What no Bloody Beetroots? (I actually don't like the Bloody Beetroots remix of Dissolve but I may be in the minority on that one).

I was tempted to include the Secret Psychedelic mix of Let Forever Be, but I decided to keep it to "outside" remixers rather than Chems remixing Chems. I'm also therefore, excluding live versions.

I reckon some of the top 5 on my list could be considered as good as the original (or maybe even better?) ::Ducks for cover::

[Zesty]

Horse Power (Popof Remix)
Sounds like a type of mashup between HBHG and HP and I love it 

[ThePumisher]

I like the H Foundation Remix of Come With Us. And i really love the Brookes Brothers Remix of Shinichi Osawa's version of Star Guitar.

Is there a Chemical track you've listened to and thought: "Hmm, this could do with a good remix by...Scooter! or... Swedish House Mafia!" ? 

Akufen doing a remix of Not Another Drugstore, that would be sweet

[Explud]

Anyone?

[actionjackson780]

I haven't been a huge fan of many remixes by other artists, not because I think it's blasphemous or anything like that, there just aren't a ton that I really dig. I also don't think I'd consider any of these an improvement on the originals, but the ones listed here are standouts and I listen to them as often as the originals. In no particular order:

Swoon (Lindstrom and Prins Thomas)
Life is Sweet (Daft Punk)
The Boxer (The DFA)
Battle Scars (Beyond the Wizards Sleeve)
The Golden Path (Ewan Pearson)
Out of Control / Surrender to Love (Avalanches) *could split these up and they'd still both be included here

[GLAKO-FAHN]

Anyone?

first thing i thought of!

i love the idea of this thread, though, nice one. taking the opportunity to listen to some these remixes i haven't given much time to

[Bosco]

we've gone this far with no mention of Micronauts remix of Block Rockin Beats? A full on assault of chaotic noise, driving distorted beats, and an epic island steel drum finish. It sounds like an banging 9 minute rave.

Not a sound engineering marvel by any means, but damn, I love this remix

[actionjackson780]

This is definitely inspiring me to listen back to some remixes I haven't given enough time to, or in some cases more or less dismissed. Most BITE-era remixes were only skimmed over at the time because it took me long enough to really get into the album itself haha

[Ben_j]

Block Rockin Beats (The Micronauts remix)
Salmon Dance (Crookers Remix)
Salmon Dance (Hervé Remix)
Hey Boy Hey Girl (Soulwax Remix)
Hey Boy Hey Girl (KiNK Remix)
Sometimes I Feel So Deserted (Skream remix)
The Boxer (DFA Remix)
Get Yourself High (Switch remix)
Come With Us (Fatboy Slim Remix)
Go (Special Request Warehouse remix)
Shinichi Osawa - Star Guitar (does this count as a remix, though ?)

[Csar]

I kind of feel like Actionjackson when it comes to official remixes of the Chems for the same reasons. Only rarly do I find they add to the originals or go new paths that I find interesting. But ocassionally there're some really good ones such as

Beyond the Witard Sleeve's version of Battle Scars.
Boyz Noize's Swoon (this was on repeat when it came out and is still one of my favourites).
Bloody Beetroots Dissolve is fantastic and brings out a whole new track with its strings and stuff.
DFA's The Boxer.
Dave Clarke's Chemical Beats mix from the Loops of Fury EP  is pretty dope! Great breakbeat percussions.
Of course the fantastic Golden Path remixes by Ewan Pearson.
Kölsch's remix of Wide Open is pretty nice too. It's very energetic especially the middle part.
I wasn't so sure about the Avalanches Surrender Mashup at first but since then it has grown on me so much that I've come to love it.
The most recent remix of the Darkness by the Blessed Madonna has some nice parts as well.

And I think that's about it.

But there are also unoffical remixes out there that are pretty good. Two that I can think off the top of my head are remixes of Snow that I really dig which I stumbled upon 2 or so years ago.

Sonic Tramp

Mescalin Baby (my favorite of the two)

I would also mention Shinichi Osawa's Star Guitar if it wasn't more like cover than a remix I guess.

[ThePumisher]

But there are also unoffical remixes out there that are pretty good.

Oh, i totally forget about the "unofficial" remixes

https://soundcloud.com/thepumisher/the-salmon-dance-reconstructed

This one was send in for the Salmon Dance remix contest, but i think it was rejected because it features samples from Prince

I would also mention Shinichi Osawa's Star Guitar if it wasn't more like cover than a remix I guess.

Am i the only who likes the Brookes Brothers remix more than Shinichi's cover?

[androidgeoff]

This one is one of my favorites, bless Matthew Dear

[Bosco]

Mescalin Baby (my favorite of the two)

So Damn good

[satur8]

I enjoy almost all of the remixes mentioned, and the Micronauts' remix will always hold a special place in my heart. Ewan's Golden Path remixes are also stellar among good company, and Soulwax totally reinvented HBHG and nailed it.

However, DFA's take on The Boxer may be the only remix of a Chemical Brothers track that I strongly prefer to the original. I love that one.

Actually, now that I think about it, I enjoy the Special Request Basement Mix and Claude VonStroke remixes of Go more than the original as well.

And if I'm being really honest, on some days I also feel the same about Sasha's remix of Out of Control...but I don't want to get banned after all these years.   

[𝒥𝑅𝒮𝒵]

Daft Punk's remix of Life is Sweet is great ❤️

[Ben_j]

I'm starting to feel lonely with the Salmon Dance remixes 

[Bosco]

unofficial, and it has its tempo problems, but good concept/mashup. Track transcends happiness and really shines the beauty of music:

[androidgeoff]

The forum's remix album of Further 

https://soundcloud.com/furtherremixed

[Wolkenkrabber]

taking the opportunity to listen to some these remixes i haven't given much time to

This is definitely inspiring me to listen back to some remixes I haven't given enough time to, or in some cases more or less dismissed.

Oh good. I kinda did this myself before starting the thread. And I realised: July 2019 was a BIG month for Chemical updates on YT. They just put everything up there (apart from their remixes of other artists which they don't own). I used to struggle to stream some of these due to weird territory restrctions (Abe Duque remix of Galvanize springs to mind), but not now!

Shinichi Osawa - Star Guitar (does this count as a remix, though ?)

Let me just check with the adjudication panel...



Oh, hard luck. But maybe we can class it as a Special Mention. Particluarly as the Chems seemed to like it and they got Shinichi to do DJ support the last time they played Japan.

I kind of feel like Actionjackson when it comes to official remixes of the Chems for the same reasons. Only rarly do I find they add to the originals or go new paths that I find interesting. 

I've noticed when a new remix of a Chems track is released, only a handful of people here bother to even comment on the remixes, as though they just don't care. In fact I wondered if anyone would even bother replying to this thread. I'm glad that you did.

Oh, i totally forget about the "unofficial" remixes

https://soundcloud.com/thepumisher/the-salmon-dance-reconstructed

This one was send in for the Salmon Dance remix contest, but i think it was rejected because it features samples from Prince

So it was remixed by a friend of yours but you uploaded it to Soundcloud, is that right?
Which Prince track is sampled? Something from the early 90s? I think I prefer this to the official remixes.

Am i the only who likes the Brookes Brothers remix more than Shinichi's cover?

For me, what I like about Shinichi's "original" version is that it rocks out and it has room to "breathe". The Brooks Brothers remix is very fast D&B and loses that natural feel, IMO. The Japanese Popstars mix was fun though. Whatever happened to them?

Akufen doing a remix of Not Another Drugstore, that would be sweet

Even though I asked the question, I'm not sure I've ever listened to a Chems track and thought: "X should remix this". But when I first heard Wide Open I thought that someone should remix it. And when the remixes came out, I preferred them all to the original (album) version. Which is kinda rare.

And if I'm being really honest, on some days I also feel the same about Sasha's remix of Out of Control...but I don't want to get banned after all these years.   

I was tempted to swap the Sasha remix in for Riton's Got To Keep On in my list.
I'm in two minds about Sasha's production here. On the one hand I think he takes some of the "oomph" out of the original version. On the other hand, he adds his own production which feels quite um, complete (?). Not just a rushed remix for the ££ but a well produced thing of its own. I do however prefer the 7 minute edit to the 11 min version - that's just too long for me.

unofficial, and it has its tempo problems, but good concept/mashup. Track transcends happiness and really shines the beauty of music:

Havent heard this for a long time. I remember the people behind this also did Screamixadelica which had its moments.
So we've got Smashing Pumpkins 1979, The Strokes' The Modern Age (whch may have subconsciuosly influned S2A in the first place), Across the Universe. And something else. Who Is Katie Enlow (an obscure NZ vocalist?) Is she doing the female baking vox, or have those been pinched from somewhere else?

Getting back to who would I like to see remix the Chems, it seems we might be entering into a new album cycle. In which case we've already had Haai and Blessed Madonna on remix duty for 'Darkness'. Who else might be good for remixing the Chems?

UNKLE/James Lavelle (not exactly a new name but I do think his current album is an underappreciated release)
Bernard Sumner/Stephen of New Order. They both do remixes from time to time. Tom has remixed New Order, it's time for them to return the favour.
In fact, a brand new remix of Mogwai's Ritchie Sacramento by Stephen & Gillian came out last Friday.
Maceo Plex
Jamie XX
Moderat
Jon Hopkins
Hot Chip
Adana Twins  (yes one of my new favorite discoveries as per 'Now Playing'. They do remixes and

too)
Solomun (a bit of a lockdown-defyng plague raver, but I can't deny the qualiy of his productions)
Yotto
Super Flu
Bicep (if the Chems ever retire will these guys steal their crown?)
Overmono
Scuba
TEED
Red Axes

[Bosco]

^I like your picks,

I will add,

-Daphni aka Caribou aka Dan Snaith... and quite frankly, I'm surprised this hasn't happened, yet
-Múm (not totally sure if they are even active. Haven't listened to them in a while, but I do remember being pretty passionate thinking they have a vibe fitted with chems)
-Liam Howlett (I don't think this is a good match anymore, but I'm willing to give a try!)

Other interesting fits, but probably won't happen due to cost:

-Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, (grammy/Oscar winning composers/producers, why not...)
-Bjork (both Collab and remix... any type of project is kinda long overdue.)
-John Frusciante (yup, he does electronic music and it's pretty good, too!)