My favorite Dirtybird has a special treat for us today. Claude VonStroke dropped his Urban Animal LP back in September of last year. Urban Animal was Claude VonStroke’s third full-length album and it featured 10 brand new tracks from the Dirtybird label chief. Songs like “The Clapping Track”, “Can’t Wait”, and “Lay it Down” saw heavy rotation in Claude VonStroke’s DJ sets, as well as many other DJs’ sets around the globe. Now, just over six months later, us dance music fans have the pleasure of revisiting those ten tracks in a completely different light.
Personally speaking, I’ve been waiting for Justin Jay’s remix of “Sugar & Cinnamon” to drop for quite some time and I’m glad I can finally download a copy of this track. Justin Jay has been on fire lately, especially with his previous track “Le Voyou” which was released on the Dirtybird BBQ compilation. I’ve seen the 21-year-old DJ live as well and he does not disappoint. His set at Naga in Cambridge, MA was possibly one of my favorites of the past six months. So what else rocks on the Urban Animal RMXS EP? Pretty much the whole thing is awesome. Claude VonStroke did a great job of choosing some unique producers to remix his tracks. The Solomun remix of “The Clapping Track” remains as funky as the original but adds an element of ethnicity to it – giving the track a Middle Eastern feel. Kill Frenzy is on point as always, creating an eerie vibe with his take on “Dood”. I absolutely love Dixon’s dub mix of “Urban Animal” with a driving beat and some cool synth work. I’m glad VonStoke commissioned some non-House work on this remixes EP, as the Photek remix of “Oakland Rope” gives us a nice Break Beats/Drum and Bass track. But who can forget the master himself? Claude VonStroke remixes his own track “Can’t Wait” as the “Where’s Kenny?” remix. This remix of “Can’t Wait” goes much harder than the original and certainly kicks it up a notch, ready to pummel dance floors across the country.
I feel like a bit of a broken record by saying this, but the Dirtybird family just doesn’t seem to let me down. I’m highly impressed by the remixes on this LP and I can’t wait to crank it over my speakers on repeat – especially Justin Jay’s “Sugar & Cinnamon” remix. Do yourselves a favor and grab the entire thing on Beatport!