(PIAS/Creative Vibes)

In May 2005, Carl Cox’s most recent artist album Second Sign was released on PIAS, the French label (PIAS, an acronym for Play It Again Sam). The first song on the album and the second single is That’s The Bass, a co-production from Cox and Norman Cook/Fatboy Slim

In the album review, I had this to say about That’s The Bass; “The electronics underneath and the big beat make you think it could be the Chemical Brothers with Fatboy Slim”. Well, with that out of the way, let’s get into the remixes on the single package.

First up is Cox’s Rock Drums Remix. DJ Times Magazine mentions in an interview with Cox* that he and Cook had talked about a collaboration for 15 years leading to this, and it was Cox creating a rock-drums version and then getting direction from Cook. Cox’s mix is a slightly pared down version of the album release. Cook also has a remix, Norman’s House Mix. Essentially give the song a healthy dose of big house drums and this is the essence of this mix.

Touche (of Wiseguys fame) brings out the banger of the lot, his reworking of the track makes use of the vocal hook mostly while building a different style of song around it. Tim Deluxe and Sequence 11 Aka Strebinszky used the same technique and each version is very different from the original and each other. Touches’ is a fat, chunky sound with space set around the drums and synth noises. The track progresses around various drum sounds and if heard on a big dance floor would be the one to get folks jumping.

Tim Deluxes’ version confused me, as what I have heard of his music seems to focus on main floor big house tracks, yet the minimal edge he brings in…and Deluxe brings it in well…is not your normal main room sound. Then the noises we hear about minimal being the new craze sets in and all makes sense. This is a creeper of a track that has the right minimal/tech elements to get people moving well.

The final ‘different’ version is by Sequence 11 Aka Strebinszky. An artist name that has eluded any information to this reviewer. This version begins with a beat, a good start for any song, then the vocal hook delayed and the instrumentation begins. This song makes me think of the word trance, for the melodic feel. By the end of the track it harks an epic sound that could be used to build up a set quite dramatically.

* http://www.djtimes.com/issues/_features_current.htm