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Lansana's Priestess (DJ Spinna remix)
My dear fellow Mogger
Bartleby consistently has proclaimed on these pages -her- his general distaste for remixes. As a DJ for decades, I (on the other hand) have come to accept remixes as part of my listening duty.Although I take liberties here with -her- his interpretation, I believe Bartleby's main contention with remixes is that so many of them result in a heavy-handed, overly synthesized mess that eschews basic music and composition principles in order to emphasize beat over holistic beauty.And for the most part, Bartleby is right. But as with all things, context is critical. The vast majority of remixes are created for DJs playing in environments that are not known for their devotion to sonic or musical sanctity. Based upon my experience, the vast majority of nightclubs feature subpar sound systems, artificially enhanced notions of enjoyment, and questionable musical programming acumen. In such an environment, the single element most likely to stand out from what customers have available to them in their cars and homes is extremely high sound pressure levels. Most remixes feed this orientation and are arranged, mixed and mastered accordingly, emphasizing the beat.To this end, I have tons of music in my collection that fills this purpose. I listen to very little of this music now, simply because it is uninteresting. (It probably was uninteresting to me when I bought it, but now that I've shifted playing programs and listening habits, most of it remains dusty.)The finest remixes, however, stand alone and true as individual compositions. Instead of bass heavy tracks unremarkable for anything save beat, the best remixes are unique arrangements that polish the original while remaining true to its native intent. Of course, the greatest remixes still encourage dancing, but they do so consistent with longstanding musical principles, reinforced by modern technology.DJ Spinna typically releases remixes that stand as individual works of art. This reworking of Donald Byrd's legendary "Lansana's Priestess" is a good example. For about two thirds of the song, there is little apparent difference between Byrd's original 1973 release and Spinna's derivative work save for a respectable synth wash in place of Byrd's trumpet. But Spinna's interpretation of the coda is magnificent. Instead of reinforcing the end of the song with hard, heavy beats (as one would find in a typical remix), Spinna changes the chord progression from mostly major to mostly minor. He introduces this change by dropping out the beat, concentrating on the vocals, bass, and keys, before reintroducing live drums (instead of a drum machine). Interestingly, Spinna saves Byrd's trumpet for this coda, echoing his horn as final flourishes where the original recording had none. The result is more a masterful polish than a dense reconstruction, and Spinna capably achieves more by doing less. (Indeed, the remix clocks in about 90 seconds
less than the original, which is unusual.) I think the Mizell brothers would approve.My only qualm with this recording is that it left the studio soiled with remnants of distortion. (One would figure this never would happen coming from Blue Note.) It remains good enough to post, however, mostly because the music is so delicious.I've posted the original in the comments for a comparison.P&L,Soultronica
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