SB81 aka Nolige definitely knows his D&B; hardly surprising for a man who’s been a formidable presence in the scene for more than a decade. With a fresh remix of J Majik’s classic track Your Sound about to drop on the mighty Metalheadz, we picked his brain for his top 5 remixes…
Bjork – Bachelorette (Grooverider’s Jeep Remix) [Mother Records]
This is one of Grooverider’s many great remixes from this era, and for me quite possibly his best. The way the tune takes you on a journey with different elements switching throughout, it’s masterfully done. The rhythm created with the beats and bass and the deepness of the atmospheres is what really draws me in. It still sounds so fresh after all these years. Optical as the engineer, Bjork’s vocals, say no more!
Ed Rush & Nico – Technology (Boymerang Remix) [No U-Turn Records]
This tune just damages dancefloors and most the time gets the reload. The Blade Runner atmospheres, the eerie futuristic chopped up vocal before the drop, those huge razor-like breaks, it sounds so big and weighty in a club. One of a kind really compared to anything else out there, even to this day.
Optical – To Shape The Future (Remix) [Metalheadz]
Compared to the original, this remix has more drive and energy, with a darker twist. I’ve always been a big fan of Optical, he changed things up massively and inspired loads of producers around this era. The thing I like the most in his tracks is that industrial sound he seamlessly captures in most of his tracks, while still keeping it funky at the same time. The title is very apt on this one!
Doc Scott – Drumz ’95 (Nasty Habits Remix) [Metalheadz]
How do you try and better the original, and two other remixes? Like this! It’s so sharp and rollin’. I like the simplicity in this remix, although listen carefully and there is a lot more going on than you might think. It’s one of those tunes that sets a real ‘headz vibe in a club. It’s also one of a few tunes that broke away from the ragga jungle sound (which was big at the time) with a clear separation, taking things forward in a new direction.
Inta Warriors – Inta (Special Forces Remix) [Prototype Recordings]
Listening back to the original of this from 1993, and you can definitely here how it has influenced Photek in his own productions later in the years, so getting him to remix it made perfect sense. Like Optical, Photek has some of my most favourite beat work, very original and unique. I also love how he integrated the mentasms halfway through from Grooverider’s Sinister remix (another great remix), giving it that Metalheadz touch. Timeless stuff!
SB81’s remix of Your Sound is out Friday on Razors Edge, backed with an SB81 remix of his own track Blueprints. Hit up the Metalheadz Store to pre-order now!