- There won't be many EPs this year with such a broad range of styles as the Monkey Been To Burn Town Remix EP, but then this is Animal Collective we're talking about. You sense that Panda Bear and co. see Brian DeGraw as a kindred spirit, and the man who gives Gang Gang Dance their electronic soul rises to the challenge with a sprawling, avant-pop remix of "Monkey Riches."
One of juke's originators, Traxman, pumps the track full of adrenalin, switching between an out-and-out footwork rhythm and loping ghetto-tech. At times, the original's skedaddling drums are sped up so much they sound cartoonish, like Scooby Doo escaping from the Headless Horseman.
Nothing could be more of a contrast than Shabazz Palaces' reimagining of "New Town Burnout." The Seattle hip-hop outfit leaves little trace of the original, remoulding it with their trademark doom-laden beats, gunshot-effect percussion and suitably gothic rhymes. Standing alongside DeGraw's contribution as an EP standout, Teengirl Fantasy offer an all too brief remix of "Monkey Riches" that takes in analogue house, indie thrash and dreamy Machinedrum-style juke.
Tracklist A1 Monkey Riches (Brian DeGraw [Gang Gang Dance] Remix)
A2 Monkey Riches (Tha Traxman Teklife Remix)
B1 New Town Burnout (Shabazz Palaces Remix)
B2 Monkey Riches (Teengirl Fantasy Remix)