DIPLO: SELECTED
H Y P E -
P O W E R
ALBUM: Diplo – Decent Work For Decent Pay: Selected Works Vol. 1
words: Jamie Milton
originally scribed for gigwise.com
Remixes don’t float everybody’s boat. But Diplo, who specialises in such, has changed the way most of us tackle them, solely because he doesn’t murder the original with pointless repetition. Unaware of the name? Look upon hypemachine or another blog-centric site and you’ll see his name scattered across the page. As I type, he’s at the #2 ‘hottest track’ spot. Wes Pentz makes heads turn. He changes our perspectives on some of the most infectious, durable tracks of the 21st century and occasionally, he excels on the original.
But then again, remixes are rarely, and only in Diplo’s case are they sometimes, better than the original. Most of his work does require some extra incentive to go back to. But, opinions on remixes are subjective and if their popularity on the blogosphere is indicative of anything, they’re doing well. Takes on Spank Rock’s ‘Put That Pussy On Me’ and CSS’s ‘Let’s M
ake Love…’ deserve the most credit. In these cases, Pentz samples the finer elements of the original and combines them with newly-introduced elements that his wide portfolio of instruments and gadgets can provide. For example, Lovefoxxx’s charming, almost-erotic vocals take centre stage in the latter of our examples, with Diplo surrounding it all with squeaky-pop beats and start-stop rhythms. This is when remixes go well. If you’re thinking of delving into the more-difficult-than-you’d-imagine world of re-working hits, come to Diplo for advice before you do anything.
Pentz’s very own work also features occasionally on ‘Decent Work For Decent Pay.’ But at no time does it warrant as much of your time as the remixes. And that leads us onto the next point that perhaps, Diplo’s success stems from the fact that he rarely touches on anything other than big names. M.I.A’s ‘Paper Planes’, Peter Bjorn & John’s ‘Young Folks’ and other such hits with a “cult status” feature on the album/compilation. Without subtracting any credit from his work, Diplo might not have gained the reputation he has now without working with such credible artists with such already-established popularity. Just a thought…
Let’s wait for Diplo’s follow-up to 2004’s ‘Florida’ until we can decide whether he’s a 21st century genius or just a clever chap. For now, this record can be held in high regard for summertime parties, but nothing more.
6.0
mp3: Spank Rock – Put That Pussy On Me [Diplo Tonite Remix] (zshare)
[Buy 'Decent Work for Decent Pay: Collected Works Vol.1']
MFM @ HYPEM
