The Victoria, British Columbia duo known as Kill Them With Colour has been making a name for itself as formidable remix pros over the last few months, and the cut of theirs that stopped me cold in my tracks was this wonderful rework of a 1977 Marvin Gaye hit. (Yes, you read that correctly.)
They've sprinkled all the modern DJ tropes over this track (including a buzzy bassline, chopped-and-looped samples, and a house-y piano breakdown in the middle), and the basic beat is a long way from the community-cookout rhythm of the original. Instead, Marvin sounds fresh, young, and most certainly on top of modern club trends. Taking a classic soul voice of Gaye's stature and recontextualizing it in a current style makes a profound difference. I'd say this mix would be right at home tucked into a hip John Talabot set. And as much as I love some of the R&B influence in UK club music at the moment (Katy B, Ms. Dynamite, etc.) none of today's talents can touch Marvin's voice.
My wife, who is not a cutting-edge music fan, had me crank this up and play it several times around the house the other night, which is a sure sign of its broad appeal. And anything that brings Mr. Gaye out of mothballs is a good thing as far as I'm concerned.
Marvin Gaye - Got To Give It Up (Kill Them With Colour Remix) by Kill Them With Colour
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