Buraka Som Sistema's Blood Diamond Mixtape

So more Buraka Som Sistema news - they've dropped their latest mixtape entitled the Blood Diamond Mixtape, conceived, mixed and produced by J-Wow aka Lil John.

This mixtape ain't just a diamond, it's a GOLDMINE (HA feeble I know, I know. Look, its 7am. 'Nuff said). It's also a perfect example of the further cross culturality (is that a real word?) in music and new contexts that the current wave of '3rd world beaters' are putting various 'ethnic' influences into.

Like, when the guitar riff sample kicked in on the Radioclit vs Guns 'n' Roses track, my eyes widened in mild disbelief - I mean, I realise that 'Sweet Child 'O Mine' is as much of a party choon as the next total cheese ball, but after having heard it twice in as many days in this kind of context I can't help but feel I'm missing something...when did the Gunz actually get cool? I didn't realise that they'd gone so far into being good that they were bad, that they had come back to good again.

Another moment was Toy Selecta's remix of Buraka's latest single 'IC-19'; reminded me of DFA's remix of Paper Planes - enjoyable.

The whole thing was handled with mad skillz; this mixtape is super nimble. For some reason I generally associate a heavy weight feel with kuduro and Buraka Som Sistema in general, and this was as light footed as their previous work on Lykke Li's track. Some wiiiicked beats are dropped, and I was utterly sold by the time I hit 'Aqui Para Voces (Favela Funk Samba BSS Mix)' as it contains one of my favourite funk samples EVER (vamos começa essa brincadeira gostosa?).

All the tracks are super short, the shortest clocking in at 42 seconds and the longest by far being the Buraka remix of Lykke Li's 'Dance Dance Dance' coming in at 3mins 42. The brevity of the tracks was a great move, offsetting the wit of the mixtape brilliantly, showing off Buraka's nicely exercised musical muscle on this one without at all being strained.

HAWWWT.

Cop the mixtape HERE. RUN. NOW.

Tracklist after the jump >>

Buraka Som Sistema

Photograph by Richard Kelly

When I interviewed Joao, Kalaf and Conductor of Buraka Som Sistema in 2008, the boys explained to me what the now upcoming single - due out in the UK on the 20th of July - 'IC 19' is actually about...

JOAO: There’s a song on the album called IC 19; it’s actually a road. We did that song cause a lot of people, well, do you know about tuning here? Like when people race…[illegal car racing]

KALAF: It’s kinda like pimp my ride –

JOAO: No, pimp my ride is kinda like ‘make my car look beautiful’. Tuning is like, make my car go 300km per hour and make a lot of noise. And that road, during the day time, is the busiest road in the whole country...So we named the song that, cause if I was driving my car while listening to that song, it would make me want to step on the gas.

[CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE INTERVIEW]

And you know what, the track is actually pretty fast and the furious; reminiscent of revving up an engine to a roaring frenzy of adrenaline pumping percussion and undulating electronica - even the pauses in the song are like a sports car shifting gears. The track has been remixed by James Talk, A1 Bassline, Mikix the Cat and Deathface (half of the brains behind the now extinct Guns'n'Bombs).

The two best remixes of the package (cop them below) are James Talk's and A1 Bassline's. James Talk's edit has more of a [Tokyo] drift feel with a kind of tropical flair, maracas decorating the beat.

[Removed on request]

A1 Bassline add in what I like to call 'wowow' (check the track, you'll get what I mean) and develop 'IC 19' into more of a journey with some awesome peaks and dance-outs.

[Removed on request]

Deathface keep it pretty cut and dried, whilst giving it more of a zippy toy car cruising feel rather than a raging machine, building the track into a zippy little number. Vrrrroooooom.

And for extra measure, here's the L-Vis 1990 remix that didn't make it onto the single as well, with it's deep hyper rubber bass.

Kalaf, Conductor and Lil John

Photograph by Richard Kelly

I love it when worlds collide. Buraka Som Sistema have collided beautifully with Lykke Li in their gorgeously subtle remix of 'Dance Dance Dance'. Buraka enhance the gently funky beat of the original track by amping up the drums and flavouring them a la Pictureplane. This, Lykke’s ethereal and occasionally echo effected vocal, combined with Buraka’s unmistakably banging, booty shakedown produces an unlikely marriage that somehow works.

I adore both Lykke Li and BSS in their own right, and was curious as to how this was going to turn out. BSS handle Lykke with a light handed touch – yet somehow, do this without taking away any of their usual explosive energy – keeping the track as agile and quick footed as the original. With this remix Buraka Som Sistema have proved to me that there's more to them than what I originally thought (and loved). I can't wait to see what else they have up their collective sleeves.

I also got wind that Buraka were going to be working with M.I.A.'s other kid prodigy, Afrikan Boy. Stay tuned for the exclusive interview with Afrikan Boy coming up later this week!