You all know FAT FREDDYS DROP. I think no one could have missed them im 2005 since they were around, played everywhere and everyone once heard of them was instantly infected. Oohh, what a year! They sold more than 20k of their debut album ” Based On A True Story” (SK072CD/LP) only through pre orders in their home country New Zealand. At the end of the year they have reached the triple platinum status down there. They play sold out concerts whereever they go and the crowd is growing and growing. Incredible, but the story continues. They won the Music Award in NZ and the German “Musikexpress” made them members of the elite called “Newcomers Of The Year”. After being on the cover of “Spex” there wasn´t any hold anymore. Our office phones just wouldn´t stop to ring all day. And then this: “Worldwide Album Of The Year” on Gilles Peterson´s Radio 1!
Yes, we call it hype! And this is one, for sure! So what to do next? Hmm, ok, let me… yea, we do need a remix! So tell me, who´s the awards winning special team when it comes this? Exactly! And fortunately we know those guys quite well! That´s luck! And let me tell you that it was no problem to convince them since JAZZANOVA were one of the first worldwide supporters of this seven headed instrumentalists bunch.
They wanted to create a new feeling. “Flashback” is a heavily dub drenched souler, Jazzanova wanted something light, a house tune for club peak times but also for mediterranean afterhours. In one word: something “easy” .
The metamorphosis started, “Flashback” became more and more lifting and driving and in the end a real house burner which is also released on the CD version of the
“Worldwide Compilation Of The Year”, “Jazzanova – Remixes 2002-2005” (SK077CD). Jazzanova deliver the proof that the outstanding voice and charme of FAT FREDDYS DROP´s vocalist Joe Dukie shows its unique flavor in way more than only one context. There´s nearly nothing left of the original mix besides some snippets of the FFD´s brass section. You will find yourself dancing while rather drifting away on the spheric synth pads. Right in the middle of the tune you straight gonna have to throw your hands in the air for the “booty part”. Since this is the highlight of the track we decided to put it on the flipside as a bonus tool. No worries, cheers!
Apart from this lovely special you will find JAZZANOVA´s “Mashed Bag” on the B-side of this record. The working title of this was “Rock Version”. Following this the Jazzanovas chose a rocky and in a way folky instrumentation. If this “Flashback” Remix would have been finished a little earlier, the tune could also have been released on JAZZANOVA & RESOUL´s folk compilation “Secret Love 2” (SK066CD/LP). It would perfectly fit. But ok, that´s another story.
It´s entitled “Mashed Bag” because it´s a mash up of a Bulgarian rock tune from way back in the 60´s. Jazzanova took this lovely old piece of music and worked like surgeons use to. They cut a little here to put it back in over there and so on. It became some sort of an office hymn right here and DJ FITCHIE, responsible for beats and basslines at FAT FREDDYS DROP, nearly freaked out when he heard this remix for the first time. Have to check!