British remix artist and DJ Toddla T has partnered with Trojan Records and footwear brand Clarks Originals, which I first heard of in my early teenage years, when my father tried to bequeath a pair for my freakishly-too-big-for-a-thirteen-year-old sized feet, to bring you a series of remixes of the classic song Let Your Yeah Be Yeah, made popular in 1971 by The Pioneers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vRSp2-R4E01
Part of an ambitious international remix project to celebrate 40 years of the Desert Trek Boot – renamed the Trojan Trek – the iconic reggae label will be releasing four remixes of Let Your Yeah Be Yeah, starting with Toddla T’s version. Toddla T, whose real name is Thomas Mackenzie Bell, is a composer, producer and re-mixer originally from Sheffield. His blend of electro, fusion and dubstep has brought him accolades (as well as a stint as a Radio One DJ). His remix is an interesting and energetic take on the original, and really infuses it with some modern “dancehall” sensibilities.
Notorious for drawing from different styles and influences from the UK to Jamaica, Toddla T not only boasts a permanent slot on BBC Radio 1 but is a major player in the worlwide music scene’s appreciation of Jamaican and reggae culture. Taking his unique technique of juxtaposing genres, this fusion of mighty sinkhole bass lines and clattering clusters of heavy beats confidently defines the infamous Toddla T sound.
Toddla T said of the collaboration “I love Clarks Originals. I love the style, I love the heritage and the way the brand plays such a big part in music in general. I think what they’re doing with international artists and cultures is amazing and it genuinely joins the dots between cultures even though it’s a British brand. I go Jamaica… I see it there, I go America… I see it there. It’s a thread between different types of people but they’ve all got the same love for it.’
Repping Italy is Riva Starr, who has remixed everyone from Usher, Estelle and Plan B, to Fatboy Slim, Azari & III and Major Lazer. Infamous in the worldwide DJ community this colourful and exuberant bright new star promises a funky twisted house remix for a track that’s dynamite on the dance-floor. The Riva Starr remix will be available on 6th August as a free download onwww.clarksoriginals.com.
And representing Japan, The Mighty Crown, a collective formed in 1991. Major players on the dancehall scene and taking the title as the biggest reggae act to emerge from Japan, this collective promises to explode with a fusion of dancehall, reggae and hip-hop in their distinct production style. This remix will be available on 3rd September as a free download on www.clarksoriginals.com
For the USA there is TOKiMONSTA (Jennifer Lee), once an unfocused pupil of classical piano and now one of the most cutting edge members of a growing group of LA based electro producers. TOKiMONSTA hopes to fuse elements of vintage sounds with classical hip-hop beats for the ultimate in urban flavour. Remix available 1st October as a free download on www.clarksoriginals.com.
Trojan Records will also be releasing the material via its website www.trojanrecords.com on vinyl, CD and digitally.
