ReMix:Sonic the Hedgehog "The Ultimate Ab Solution" 5:59

Get your BOWFLEX out & your PARTY on as Ivan Hakštok & finbeard (Chuck Simpson) team up & elevate mix title punnery into an art form with an energetic Andrew W.K./Maroon 5-ish fitness rock vocal take on Sonic (2006)'s classic "Dreams of an Absolution" - Ivan writes:

"This song was done last year for Time Travel Month on Dwelling of Duels, but I've reworked it a bit in the meantime and figured I could submit it to OC ReMix. I asked Chuck to do the vocals since he's awesome and this song was awesome, but he made it even more awesome by, as he said, "spraying bullshit all over the song." :)

P.S. We even got compliments from Bentley Jones himself."

Chuck feistily adds:

"adam levine is a hack and i'm coming for his job & wife like that movie where they take the guy's face off"

I can never remember the name of that one... Strong Levine feelings manifest in a brief nod to "Jagger" that you might miss if you're too busy partying; low end dominates, with a deep electric funking it up like John Bassdow. If a late night fitness infomercial got busy with a catchy piece of frat rock, this might resemble the resulting, adorably-doomed chimera. If you're looking for a masterful, Peter Gabriel-esque rendition of this source with approximately 100% less emphasis on muscle tone puns, check out Cyril & M-One's collab from 2010; still a favorite. If, however, you are in dire need of partying hard, and wish to harden both your partying AND your torso, you've come to the right arrangement. MindWanderer is at the party:

"I'm drowning in the cheese! Ivan and Chuck clearly had a ton of fun with this, and it's downright infectious. I love the solos, and the extra melodic elements added onto the original's simple pads and arps add considerable dimension. There's a little bit of frequency conflict in places (e.g. 1:41-1:52), but it's minor. Singing is slightly flat at a few moments, but in this silly mix, I think it's fine (especially in contrast to the massively autotuned original). Let's get this posted and bring some smiles."

Greg was late to the party, but just showing up is half the battle:

"Ah, I've been enjoying this one quite a bit. I didn't feel it was all THAT cheezy overall - if that bowflex ad wasn't in the middle of the track, I would've actually taken it at face value. Also, Ab Solution... I just got it. HA! Anyhoo, it's much bouncier than the source, seeming to take you on a less serious, more fun filled adventure, and I'm digging it."

Any goofiness (real or perceived) aside, the transformation of the original verse structure into a rock power anthem was creative and works oh so well; the chorus is more intuitive/direct, but I was legit impressed at how familiar-yet-new the verse came off with this treatment - kudos. If you've been looking for that special Sonic rock vocal arrangement that will let you burn calories while reliving the glory days of 90's fitness gurus... you're weird. BUT, your needs have been met & thoroughly exceeded by two very special gentlemen who have unleashed upon us an Ab Solution that is truly, as its name proclaims, ultimate. Excellent stuff!