Soundclouds of the Underground: The Remix Edition, Part 3

ABOVE: GROUNDISLAVA.

These days, music truly lives online, with an infinite number of websites dedicated to hosting tunes for the laptop-wielding masses. However, the web’s bottomless pit of blogs isn’t the only place to troll for mp3 treasures—some of the newest and most exciting (Internet-friendly) artists can be sought out via Soundcloud, the online stage that allows musicians to promote and distribute their music to fans and friends across the globe. In this weekly column, expert Internet sleuth Alex Chapman goes into the depths of the music-sharing site, in hopes of shedding light on emerging acts, as well as sharing some digital diamonds in the rough.

Thanks to the Internet, the remix is more powerful than ever before; if you’re a producer, chances are you’ve rearranged one of your favorite tracks at one time or another. Remixing a popular song is one of the best ways to get your name on the blogosphere’s expansive map, plus there is something special about hearing something you’re familiar with through a new perspective. To prove just that, we’ve sought out three addictive remixes of three of the most popular songs out at the moment—check them out below.

Miley Cyrus: “Wrecking Ball” (Easy Girl Remix)

Who: L.A.-based producer Easy Girl is getting quite a bit of buzz for his glossy takes on the biggest hits of the present—look no further than his renditions of Lorde‘s “Million Dollar Bills” and Grimes’ breakout hit “Genesis” for proof the beatmaker’s massive-sounding vision.

The Song: This wild remix starts with a rapid-fire, Ibiza-esque staccato synth that segues into a massive build with big bass, reaching its climax with a Haddaway-style melody and an on-point trap beat. The result? A perfect club banger with the emotion of a power-pop ballad.

Current Project: Track the love for Easy Girl’s “Wrecking Ball Remix” (Lily Allen tweeted a link to the track) via the artist’s FB page.

Drake feat. Majid Jordan: “Hold On We’re Going Home” (Groundislava Remix)

Who: Having released a handful of songs with WeDidIt and Friends of Friends, two of music’s coolest collectives (WeDidIt is home to super-producers like RL Grime and Shlomo, while FofF also hosts the incomparable Salva), Groundislava is a certified talent whose eccentric take on house music has made him a favorite for music-makers and fans alike.

The Song: Warm, happy dance grooves accompany a sped-up version of the original song to start, but the track quickly gets transformed into a piano-heavy house track that would certainly draw a tear or two of joy from Drizzy Drake himself.

Current Project: The producer is already in the middle of a tour with Baths, followed by another with Jerome LOL and Kaytranada—find out all the deets via his Facebook page.

Lorde: “Royals” (Lazerdisk Remix)

Who: Formerly known as Lazerdisk Party Sex, Zack Johnson and Chad Bechard make bass-heavy, aggressive anthems perfect for the hardest of partiers—after all, the aforementioned qualities are a prerequisite for any artist who collabs alongside rage-master/Mad Decent founder Diplo (see the intense “Set It Off“).

The Song: The ultimate goal of a remix for most tends to be to create an almost entirely new song, and Lazerdisk accomplishes that, flipping the melodies and moods of the original for more a rigid, electronically inclined sound, anchored by a hard-hitting bass synth.

Current Project: The duo’s final LA show of 2013 will occur on October 17th at The Room in Santa Monica. For more info, head to their Facebook page.

Soundclouds of the Underground runs every Thursday. For more, click here.