Finding the Rhythm

A new twist on an old classic

January 8, 2009 at 6:22 pm 1 comment

I have blogged multiple times in the past about remakes, those dance cover songs that have been a near mainstay of much of dance music for several years now. I won’t go into all the bigger issues of cover songs again, at least not right now, but as a precursor to the blog posting, I’ll say the following…

Cover songs come in two forms: faithful covers, and what I’d probably refer to as trailblazing covers (although the word “trailblazing” probably overstates the concept most of the time).

Faithful covers are those that respect, often to a fault, the original. Of course they have a place, and they are often commercially quite successful. A faithful cover is familiar and comforting, but still quite fresh, because the production is new, and of course if it’s dance, it’s often got an entirely new feel—especially if the original was, say, a slow ballad. But with faithful covers, the overall arrangement is designed to keep close to the original, the song key is the same, and often, the vocals are designed to closely (or even exactly) emulate the original.

Trailblazing covers go to the other extreme. They keep enough of the original to be familiar, perhaps a sound pattern, or instrument hook. But frequently the lyrics are massaged, keys might be changed, and the entire point is to sound quite different from the original.

The problem with a faithful cover is that they’re often too close to the original, almost a knock-off. Trailblazing covers are often too cutting edge, so far from the original that they are nearly a slap in the face.

While there are certainly shades of gray in between the two extremes, a just-released example of a great trailblazer comes from System Recordings out of New York: Trona’s Jaded Love.

Trona, a Liberian-born producer who grew-up in North Carolina, delivers a fresh, interesting take on Soft Cell’s Tainted Love. Why Trona (or his label) chose to rename the song isn’t particularly clear, but it’s fitting; the song is at once a cover, and most definitely a trailblazer. Lyrically, it’s Tainted Love, and it keeps a couple of familar elements of the original arrangement.

But from there, Trona goes into entirely new, interesting, and fresh territory, truly making the song his own (as those pesky American Idol judges are fond of saying). It is at once minimalist, and yet, rich and sonically complex. It fits into a DJ set perfectly, and yet is relaxing to listen to. System Recordings calls it “progressive house,” and I suppose it probably is, but it doesn’t fit the classic definition.

This one’s for sure going to be a part of my DJ sets for awhile, but if you’ve not heard it, definitely find it and check it out. It’s one of the coolest, most innovative tracks I’ve heard in awhile.

Entry filed under: Dance Music. Tags: American Idol, cover songs, Jaded Love, Soft Cell, System Recordings, Tainted Love, Trona.