We Cast Music: Clap Your Hands (Fred Falke Remix)

Song: Clap Your Hands (Fred Falke Remix)

Artist: Sia

Album: Clap Your Hands

Fred Falke Remix Week

This week I wanted to take the time to highlight one of my favorite remixers, French-based but German-born DJ/Producer Fred Falke. I've highlighted a couple of his remixes before here on the blog as often his re-work I tend to listen to more often than the original.

Falke got his start working with Alan Braxe, another French DJ, who released the song "Intro" in 2000 which contained a sample of The Jet's hit "Crush on You." The duo did about a dozen remixes together form 2000 to 2007 including work for Goldfrapp, Royksopp, Kelis, etc. Falke has continued to remix, working the most he's had in 2009, and has already done a bunch for 2010. Not sure if he has plans to release an album of his own soon, though his Wikipedia page has some mention that he's working on "the Vandroid album project." ???

Falke's remixes are a bit house, a bit pop, but have a trancy-dance-floor bliss transcendence to them that I find irresistible. I've often really connected with his mixes as he tends to keep the basic song-structure of the original track, but makes it something his own. This is evident with his take on Ke$ha's "Tik Tok," which I listened to MUCH more than the original, and also "Heavy Cross" by The Gossip, Which is one of my favorite remixes of all time.

So for the start of Fred Falke remix week I wanted to start with something brand new, his remix of the latest Sia single, "Clap Your Hands." I'm actually really excited about Sia's new album "We Are Born," which is scheduled for release in June. Sia is probably best known for her song "Breathe Me," which had a major moment at the very end of a much beloved HBO show. (Click here to listen.) Her music was sort of a more folk-influences Dido, with quite a bit more edge and "artiness." It came as a bit of a surprise to hear that she was working with Christina Aguilera on her new record, but it seems that Sia is also getting a bit more upbeat with the new album. Remix aside, "Clap Your Hands" is a dance song in it's original form, and the other tracks from the album show a much more up tempo vibe to her work. (You can check out six tracks from the album here.)

"Clap Your Hands" is a killer song, and Falke really knocks it out of the park. We'll have one new remix a day from him this week.

Enjoy!

Clap Your Hands (Fred Falke Remix) - Sia