ReMix:Bust a Groove "Bust This Groove '81" 3:53

Donna Summer, eat your heart out. If I were a girl, and could sing, I'd have covered this song a long time ago, because ever since the first time I played the game and heard Kitty-N's pop anthem, with its chorus of absolute fruity kitschdom addiction love-love power hyper plus, I've been a fan. It's the type of song that'll turn even the strongest, silentest, truck-drivingest, arm-wrestlingest, testosteronified manly-man into a dancing queen, in the truest, ABBA-est sense of the word.

Before I proceed describing AkumajoBelmont's latest mix, however, there's some important announcements. After years of loyal, dedicated service to the OverClocked ReMix Judges Panel, Malcos (Stephen Malcolm-Howell) has stepped down due to time constraints brought on by a new employment opportunity. It's hard to encapsulate Malcos in words - quite simply, he's been a part of OCR for what seems like forever, contributed numerous great mixes, was a consistent voice of measured reason on the judges panel, and did all of this without ego playing any factor whatsoever. As the site grew, so did his musical abilities, and his leaving literally feels like a little piece of OCR is being ripped apart - with any luck, he'll still find time to hang around the forums and hopefully even submit a mix or two, but I also have to credit him with being candid about his time limitations. That's just the type of guy he is - I'm on a basketball kick lately, so you'll forgive the analogy, but he reminds me of Tim Duncan: a big contributor, solid, not big on the glitz or glam, but gets things done, gets 'em done well, and is selfless and team-oriented. He'll be missed, and we wish him the best of luck with his new gig.

As a follow-up, the irreplaceable Malcos stayed around long enough to nevertheless vote in a replacement, our newest addition to the judges panel, Mr. Samuel Ascher-Weiss, alias Shnabubula. While those under consideration were all viable candidates who would have made excellent choices, we think he'll be a great and unique addition to the panel. He's got big shoes to fill, but he's got a pseudonym that's goofy enough to fill one of them all by itself, so he's already halfway there.

So, as David Bowie stutteringly put it: "Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes" - inevitable, painful, and hopeful, all at the same time. But without further adieu, in deference to Mr. Sabo, let us return to busting grooves. The ReMixer writes:

"I took it upon myself to write a second verse and change some of the lyrics in the final chorus.

The vocalist is my cousin Stephanie, and i think she's done this track great justice. There are also back up vocals... i have had some criticism about them, but i am happy with them, and they are staying:)

I don't really have the best equiptment for recording vocals (i hope to remedy this mid year - tax refund... YAY!!!), but i have done the best with what i resources i had available to me:)

This song is a homage to everything the source track represents, but i've added many new elements to it, and it's in a completely different style to the original tracks.

My samples aren't the greatest, but i believe i have worked them enough and utilised them in such a way that it doesn't detract from the mix. And yes that is a (heavily modified) FL slayer as the lead guitar - i don't play guitar , or have a means of getting a real guitarist to help me out, so it's the best i could come up with... i wanted it to sound synth-y anyways... a lot of Moroder's stuff utilised synth guitars , and i think they sounded great - if you can't tell, he's one of my heroes:)

And a note... some people found the key change jarring... i don't - I have many songs on my hard drive with keychanges similar to the one i have implemented, and i am quite fond of the impact it has:)"

First off, I'm gonna have to agree with "some people" in finding the key change... not necessarily jarring per se, but a sticking point, and not as smoothstuffs as the rest of the mix. But hey, the rest of the mix is pretty damn smoothstuffs. Stephanie's got it going on, her voice works for the style of the track, and when she begins each verse with "boy" you'll feel like she's talking right to you and get a warm feeling in your pants. Well, depending on who you are. And what your pants are like. Whatever - point being, the track does pretty much demand a female vocal, and Robbie's cuz delivers. Introing with ride cymbals, anthematic piano, and some nice strings, the beat is at first deliberate, but picks up at 0'30" as the mojo Summer-style funk comes in (think "Hot Stuff"), replete with octave-jumpin' bass, brass riffs, piano chords, LFO-sync'd analog synth jive, and a downbeat that'll instantly tempt you to work your best Travolta impersonation. I have no beef with with the backup vocals, whether they be Stephanie's own or the contributions Robbie's made - it works well enough. Check the slayer solo at 2'30", which incidentally exposes some of the underlying aspects of the full arrangement more clearly; good stuff. Meant in the best possible way, Sabo's a cheesemeister - it takes one to know one - and this song is born for his treatments. His additions work, the genre's been convincingly fluxed over into the disco realm, and he's lucky to have talent in the extended family that is willing and able to assist in his endeavors. Like Makke's Dizzy mix, this here's got a chorus that'll be running through your head randomly, potentially for the rest of your life, depending on your particular retention. Quoth weed:

"The arrangement is interpretive and builds on the (fairly repetitive) original while simultaneously adding new, fitting elements. The vocals are superb, too."

Anyone into disco is going to be all up in this, I prognosticate, but it should have fairly broad appeal whether you are one with the polyester or not. So, a fond farewell to judge Malcos, a promising welcome to Shnabubula, and some hot disco action from Robbie + Stephanie - that pretty much sums it up.