After "Remixes 1997-2000", the album "In Between", "In Between Remixed" and "Mixing" Jazzanova now come up with Remixes 2002-2005, a compilation of released, unreleased and brand new remixes. Its always been a priority for Jazzanova to produce remixes. Back then, the six DJ/Producers from Berlin created a buzz with their remixes. Nowadays, the focus is on their own compositions and projects and their collaborations with artists from the Sonar Kollektiv community as well as Worldwide DJ-tours and the expansion of their Sonar Kollektiv label.
Jazzanova created a classical soul feeling for Heavy’s "Wonderlove (For Minnie)". They took up the challenge to arrange the strings and horns, recording them with live musicians in their Berlin studio in order to combine them with their renound precise programming. The result is a mesmerizing uptempo soul tune , while the Original is a beautiful ballad.
It was also a privilege and honour for Jazzanova to be able to remix Masters at Work feat. Roy Ayers ! For "Our Time Is Coming" they fuse broken beats with a house feeling to create a spirit that captures the typical 70ies vibe of Roy Ayers but still has that Jazzanova twist.
Jazzanova are continually looking for new music and taking ideas from their DJ sets and from one idea they combined the acapella of Status IV with an afro beat, which then lead into a remix only for their own DJ sets. Due to the positive reaction from audiences in clubs around the world and a powerplay by Peter Kruder, the original 'mash-up' is now the first 12" single from this album (SK087).
Jazzanova always liked and respected Shaun Escoffery as an artist and singer and they were delighted to remix Shaun Escoffery's "Let It Go", In this remix Shaun's gospel feeling is melted into Jazzanova's view of early 90ies house music. Together with Shaun Escoffery they also produced another song, "Boom Clicky Boom Clack", which soon will be re-released on Sonar Kollektiv (alongside a Mr. Scruff remix!). Watch out!
The story behind the remix for Eddie Gale is similar to Status IV. Jazzanova had their eyes on an acapella part of his "Song Of Will" for quite some time, before Blue Note / EMI called the guys up for a remix. That made it pretty easy for Jazzanova to choose one artist to remix from the huge Blue Note catalogue as they had also already had the idea for this remix in mind. They produced a deep, hiphop influenced hypnotic remix.
Hypnotic and driving also describes their remix for Marcos Valle’s "Besteiras do Amor". Naturally it was a big honour to remix such a 'brazilian-hero'. The result is once more surprising: an energetic combination of the original's fragile brazil moments with epic string chords and sounds from Detroit.
One could always hear and find Folk, Rock and Indie influences in Jazzanova's productions, DJ-sets and, of course, on their compilations Secret Love (SK042CD/LP, SK066CD/LP).
So for their remix for Calexico, Jazzanova had the possibility to choose their favourite song of the "Feast Of Wire" album. The choice was "Black Heart". The original's dark mood, led Jazzanova on a peculiar path for their remix: dubby elements, noise and slow-motion beats mixed with string parts and the voice of Joey Burns.
For the remix of Nuspirit Helsinki's "Honest", the soulful vocals of Nicole Willis were underlaid with a challenging broken beat. The hook of chords, bass, athmos, strings, the boogie feeling and more ingredients were the musical basis for the remix, and after several sketches and drafts they released this groove monster which is still being played by DJ’s worldwide (SK023).
Like Status IV the next track is also exclusive and previously unreleased. Several years ago Jazzanova discovered the music of Free Design. Many titles by this 70ies vocal ensemble are favourites of Jazzanova and they have collected all of the bands records through the years. Jazzanova were so inspired by the pure acapella of "Lullaby", originally a good night song for children, that they decided to do this very special remix.
Fat Freddys Drop, the marvellous soul / reggae band from New Zealand (released on SK072CD/LP), is one of Jazzanovas’ favourite artists. Their remix for "Flashback" has just been completed and therefore it is not on this promo cd. But we can give away, that Jazzanova orientated their remix on the structure of the original. They have adapted the bass line and other elements to a kind of boogie tune with dub influences, certainly satisfying both, freestylers and house-music-lovers. In the middle of their remix is a little surprise part with extra vocals of Fat Freddys Drop singer Joe Dukie.
The release "Jazzanova Remixes 2002-2005" comes alongside a blank, but designed cd-r. Either for back-up or for a copy to friends, everybody can use this blank disc as he chooses to. Jazzanova created a special DJ mix, exclusively downloadable on
www.jazzanova.net.
released November 28, 2005
