Jamiroquai - Love Foolosophy (Raul Rincon Remix)
Buy at Discogs | Released by Columbia in 2006
Most Jamiroquai hardcore fans would never voluntarily let anybody alter their favorite music, but as it often is in the electronic music scene, it happens. Lucky for us though, since Raul Rincon is one of the few (still somewhat current) producers who understand the importance of a good bassline in a track.
Select an already funky Jamiroquai song, add some house flavor to it and we got this gem! In addition Raul really keeps the listener waiting for it by keeping the bassline to himself for quite a long time. First time we hear it is in the third minute and the main full-on chorus kicks in after the majority of the track has already passed, but it's an ingenious trick to raise it to new heights when it finally happens and it's totally worth it! Turn your amplifier to 11.
Röyksopp - Eple (Boris And Michi's Eplistic-Scratch-Attack)
Buy at Discogs | Released by Wall Of Sound in 2003
The second single, Eple, from Röyksopp's first album in 2001 is a pretty well-known track and it's been used numerous times by radio stations, advertisements and such. Apple even licensed it to be used as the introduction music for one of its software product, probably only because of the track name and the unusual (read: "new, hip and different, just like Apple wants itself to be viewed") feel of it - must've been a good deal for Röyksopp nonetheless! It wasn't quite the usual radio pop sound, borrowing some trip hop elements and fusing them with more dancey stuff in a style which was definitely their own.
Eple was re-released two years later with a bunch of remixes as a side dish, one of which was the Boris And Michi's Eplistic-Scratch-Attack. Behind a name like that is a surprisingly funky remake of Eple still having the cute little sinewave riff, but now with a full house backing including a four-to-the-floor beat (which has a great dragging feel to it!), obviously some fun scratching as per the name, very funk-esque guitars and a great new bassline that really is a huge cherry on the cake, if not the cake itself. I'm a bit surprised this version hasn't been a bigger success!
Shakedown - At Night (Kid Crème Club Mix)
Buy at Discogs | Released by Epic in 2002
While we're at it, let's squeeze in one more "classic" to the armada of tracks that quite probably have already seen their heyday among the mainstream of club-goers.
Back in 2002 this tune got pretty much everybody going mad while it was playing, and - what I think - for one pretty funky reason: the bassline. Backed up by the equally groovy drum beat and the slightly mangled guitar loop, there's not much that could've gone wrong. A touch of male and female vocals here and there and hey presto, you've got yourself a banging party track!
