Depeche Mode - Puppets (Royksopp Remix)

With the absolutely brilliant new Personal Jesus mixes being made available for download on iTunes last week, Depeche Mode now treat us to another of the exciting new versions from their upcoming remix album.

This time, instead of a well known single, they've gone for an album track from their debut LP. It's a good'un though. Puppets has always been a personal favourite of mine and the Royksopp mix plays gently with it, approaching it in a similarly contemporary manner as the Personal Jesus mixes were done in. Things take on a more subtle note here though and the vocals seem every so slightly tweaked, again, to bring them up to date.

Britney Spears - Till The World Ends (Featuring Nicki Minaj & Ke$ha)

After cropping up on Rihanna's S&M remix, it's now Britney's turn to head into the mix as forthcoming tour buddy Nicki Minaj and wild party girl Ke$ha feature on an extended remix of Till The World Ends.

Rather fitting, in a way, seeing as Ke$ha co-wrote the track. Nicki's rap is suitably fierce, as you might imagine, but I'm yet to be completely sold on this version. Take a listen below though and see what you think:

Linkin Park - Iridescent

Linkin Park have a long history with the Transformers films; contributing What I've Done and New Divide to the soundtracks of the previous two movies. It's a strategy that's worked well for the band with What I've Done becoming the band's highest charting UK hit when it reached Number 6 back in 2007.

Iridescent was one of the standout tracks from their most recent record A Thousand Suns and is now being released as the album's fourth single in a new remixed form in conjunction with the latest Transformers movie; Dark Of The Moon. With its epic chorus and dramatic build-up to an intense crescendo, the track is rounded off with lyrics about letting go of all the pain and hurt in life. A song that talks about the 'cataclysm raining down' is suitably fitting for the scale and action-packed nature of the Transformers movies.

This mix of the track adds a new beat, giving it a slick, glossy feel, following in the vein of Leave Out All The Rest from the band's previous album Minutes To Midnight. Essentially a lush piano ballad, Iridescent shows that Linkin Park really are just as apt at the subtle, slow stuff as the all out 'loud' tracks. The new mix elevates Iridescent out of the far more intense, almost gothic feel the original album version had with its touches of church organ in the verses. In its place is something that has been cleverly trimmed and streamlined.

The big guitar solo is still every bit as epic, as are the chanty shouts of 'LET IT GO!' in the anthemic finale. In the final chorus singer Chester Bennington's vocals reach a real grit and passion; the kind of texture he's always done so well; conveying the lyrics with utter sincerity and emotion. It's all actually rather moving - which is precisely what you want on a Hollywood film-fronting track like this.

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (nothing to do with that legendary Pink Floyd album...) is out in the cinemas on the 1st July.

Iridescent is released on the 16th May.

Wonderland - Starlight

Not to be confused with the new Sophie Ellis-Bextor track of the same name, Wonderland's next single following Not A Love Song is Starlight. While the full version of the track is yet to premiere yet, there are a number of clips of the track floating around on YouTube including a short extract of the studio version and a live performance.

My personal favourite has to be the dancey 7th Heaven Mix (who have previously re-worked The Saturdays' Higher). It starts slow and subtle before launching into a soaring, spacey chorus - properly epic in all sense of the word. The chorus of 'I wanna dance underneath your light, cos you pull me in like you're on my side. When I die in the day, I'm revived at night. Can I call you mine,' is just amazing; one of those real bliss on the dancefloor moments. And just at the end of the clip you can hear the beginnings of a dub-step breakdown. The mix just got even better.

What I really love is that as dancey as this version is, it retains enough pop sensibility that it could just as easily be presented as the radio version of the track. Fans of Girls Aloud and The Saturdays, if you haven't already checked out Wonderland then this could be the one to convert you.

In terms of the studio version, it's got a real drive to it and like Not A Love Song, really plays to the strengths of the girls' impressive harmonies. The band are currently in LA filming the video and we can't wait to see the finished thing!

Starlight is released on the 22nd May. You can also pre-order Wonderland's debut album here.

Sugababes - The Best of the Bs / The Complete Bs

Two new Sugababes' albums I hear you cry, where did these spring from? Well, they're not really new albums to be fair, rather an assortment of Sugababes b-sides.

Released on iTunes and Amazon, they actually represent remarkable value for money - enabling you to quickly many of the band's hidden gems, previously squirreled away on long-deleted CD singles (remember those?). 'The Best of the Bs' features just the b-sides, while 'The Complete Bs' features all these plus a vast host of remixes.

In the case of the latter, you're basically getting 100 tracks for £12.99, which is a Pretty Amazing Deal in anyone's book.

Check out the album tracklistings and buy them here: 'The Best of the Bs' / 'The Complete Bs'

Britney & Adele - Rolling Till The World Ends

Take two of the biggest tunes out at the moment and what do you get? An amazing mash-up. Of course, it's not that simple - and some clever soul has to put in all the leg-work coming up with the thing in the first place, but every so often everything will come together just right and you'll end up with an absolute gem like this.

As the first few bars of the Britney instrumental play, you're not quite sure what to expect. Then the Adele vocals kick in, and as with so many mash-ups, your initial reaction is one of trepidation. After hearing the originals so many times, this new configuration teases and confuses as you try to sort the two separate elements apart. But then you give in, sit back and enjoy... or rather, in this instance, get up and dance - for as the chorus hits, this mix is transformed. Flavoured as it might have been with vestiges of retro disco in its original form, the Adele track now becomes an out and out club banger.

You can't help but smile at how well the two tracks go together; the video splicing done here is pretty impressive too. I remember the awesome Take That / Eric Prydz mash-up from a few years ago, and this is right up there with that - clashing together two of the year's biggest hits in a melding of pop and dance. Wonderful.

Lady Gaga - Born This Way (Bollywood version)

Even better than the Country Road version. In fact, a lot better. Born This Way is given yet another lease of life with this genius take on the track. With added sitar, string section and a thumping beat, this is like Jai Ho! to the power of ten and just works SO well. The mix is by by brother duo Salim and Sulaiman and if you fancy more along the same lines, there's an urban desi mix too.

“We collaborated with Indian music producers from across the globe to show our respect and appreciation for our desi fans and music community,” says Troy Carter, CEO of Gaga’s management company.

"Gaga has truly fallen in love with India," added Anjula Acharia-Bath of the production company behind the new mixes. "So we’re helping her pursue this audience to authentically connect with both the huge diaspora and South Asia itself."

Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus (The Stargate Mix)

A few weeks ago we had the absolutely stellar Alex Metric mix of Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus, and now we have another, this time from Stargate. Clocking in at 3.58 and laden with glossy synth riffs, it's very radio friendly, hence what seems to be the 'Personal Jesus 2011' single cover art they seem to be marketing this under.

What's most interesting though is how this is the most 'modern' Depeche Mode have ever sounded. You see, Depeche Mode's charm is that even on their most contemporary of albums, they retain that dark beauty of their 80s beginnings, carrying with them the legacy of all their years in music. But with this mix, that is stripped away to a degree and replaced with a super-commercial dance mix. I have to admit I prefer what the Alex Metric version did, keeping the original guitar hook intact, but this is nice too. Oh, and it's very Pet Shop Boys-esque too, which is always good.

Personal Jesus (The Stargate Mix) by dmremixes8111

And if you're looking for something really different, then check out the Eric Prydz mix of Never Let Me Down Again. This was one of the other mixes I was instantly looking forward to from the remix album as soon as it was announced - when you get a big-name remixer on board like this, there's always going to be high expectations. Again with this, as with the Stargate mix above, it's very modern sounding. The guitar riff from the song's beginning is stretched out, elongated and tweaked to encompass the whole track; all laid over an infectious bass hook. It works amazingly well, and I guess my only wish is that this version contained more of the track's vocals.

Never Let Me Down Again (Eric Prydz Remix) by dmremixes8111

Remixes 2: 81-11 is released on the 6th June and can be pre-ordered here.

Billie Ray Martin & Hard Ton - Fantasy Girl (Snuff Crew Remix)

Here at TotallyVivid we loved Billie Ray Martin's last single Sweet Suburban Disco so when we heard she was putting some more new material out there, we had to take a listen. One of our favourites is this cover of Phuture Phantasy Club's Fantasy Girl, dripping in proper old-school house vibes. There's great piano hooks, hand-clap beats and some real moments of chilled-out dance bliss. Billie's vocals are exactly the kind of soulful, hushed essence that you want on a track like this too.

In age of massively technical and at times overpowering dance tracks, this is stripped back simplicity - a real harking back to the old days.

Billie Ray Martin and Hard Ton: FantasyGirl SnuffCrew Remix by billie ray martin

Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus (Alex Metric Remix)

Depeche Mode's most famous hit, Personal Jesus, is one of those defining tracks of rock music - on one level oh-so simple, yet so incredibly effective. That thumping, rhythmic beat and that iconic guitar hook; all topped off with a killer chorus.

So how do you go about remixing such a recognised track? Well Alex Metric's version, one of the various mixes from the band's upcoming 81-11 album, does a pretty good job. It's respectful enough to the original - leaving many of the key elements like the beat and guitar intact - but adds enough contemporary elements to re-invigorate and revitalise this track for a new era. Indeed, in many ways this version serves to remind you just how good the original really is. A synth bassline and all sorts of bleepy electronic loveliness are thrown into the mix, a new sheen of gloss on what is truly one of the greatest songs of all time.

Personal Jesus (Alex Metric Remix) by dmremixes8111

Depeche Mode - Remixes 2: 81-11

Now this is what I call a fantastic CD tracklisting:

1. Dream On - Bushwacka Tough Guy Mix Edit (2001)
2. Personal Jesus - The Stargate Mix (2011)
3. Suffer Well - M83 Remix (2006)
4. John The Revelator - UNKLE Reconstruction (2006)
5. In Chains - Tigerskin's No Sleep Remix Edit (2011)
6. Peace - SixToes Remix (2009)
7. Tora! Tora! Tora! - Karlsson And Winnberg (from Miike Snow) Remix
(2011)
8. Never Let Me Down Again - Eric Prydz Remix (2011)
9. I Want It All - Roland M.Dill Remix (2011)
10. Wrong - Trentemøller Remix (2009)
11. Puppets - Röyksopp Remix (2011)
12. Everything Counts - Oliver Huntemann And Stephan Bodzin Dub
(2006)
13. A Pain That I'm Used To - Jacques Lu Cont Remix (2005)

Those new Personal Jesus and Never Let Me Down Again mixes in particular really excite me. As two of Depeche's best tracks, I can't wait to hear what contemporary spin has been put on them. Now, you might all cry that Depeche Mode only put out a remix compilation seven years ago, but to be honest, when you've been in the game as long as they have and got such a consistent back catalogue, you're pretty free to do whatever the hell you want. And as a massive Depeche Mode fan, I'll be first in the line to lap this up. Last year's Tour of the Universe was breathtaking, and with every album release Depeche bring out, I can only marvel again and again at the sheer force of power in their music. True icons.

Remixes 2: 81-11 is released 6th June.

Adele - Someone Like You (The Thin Red Men Remix)

Sometimes you just want a big fat dance mix of your favourite pop ballad. Remember how good the High Contrast remix of Adele's Hometown Glory was? Well, now you get to dance away to her current Number 1 single Someone Like You too, courtesy of Thin Red Men (who've done a load of Cheryl Cole mixes in the past).

Rye Rye - RYEot powRR

Something getting a lot of rotation on my iPod this week is Rye Rye's fantastic new mixtape, rather awesome-ly titled 'RYEot powRR'. She's signed to M.I.A.'s N.E.E.T. Recordings label. Rye Rye is quirky, fun and feisty - for those hooked on Nicki Minaj at the moment, Rye Rye is a perfect second-course to move on to. The mixtape is full of energetic reworkings of contemporary hits like Whip My Hair and Party In The USA. Expect choppy beats and big, crunchy basslines. I'm feeling a bit of a Gorillaz vibe at times too.

Nadine Coyle - Put Your Hands Up

February 21st sees the release of Nadine Coyle's seconds solo single Put Your Hands Up, a song many fans latched onto as one of her albums definite highlights. Whereas the title track and lead single saw Nadine tackling those rock vibes, Put Your Hands Up is an intriguing blend of R&B and dance - resulting in a song that you could almost imagine fitting just as easily on Cheryl's Messy Little Raindrops. With a sexy, sultry chorus, some cool little brass sections and a floaty, ambient instrumental section that sounds like it could have come straight out of some Ibiza trance club, this track really does have it all.

It's well worth checking out the Dave Aude mix of the track too which transforms an already dancey song into an all-out club banger. Here, any vestiges of 'adult-contemporary' Nadine are stripped away and replaced by an empowered dancefloor diva (a side of the star I know many feel is her best). It's mixes like these that show just how vesatile her voice actually is, soaring above the thumping beats and grinding synth basslines. You get the feeling that coming from some anonymous dance outfit, the likes of Radio 1 would be all over a club anthem like this, but ah well... Only time will tell if the next stage of the Nadine/Tesco is a success, but with tracks as good as Put Your Hands Up, it more than deserves to be.

Put Your Hands Up is released February 21st.

Sunday Girl - Photoshop Handsome (Everything Everything cover)

I love the original version of this song by Everything Everything, but this cover/mix of it by electropop starlet Sunday Girl is quite possibly even better. One of my favourite bits of the original are the bonkers, quirky lyrics, and in Sunday Girl's version, they stand out even more.

All the dreamy, bleepy synths are lovely and by the time it hits the chorus it just leaves you going 'WOW'. It's a pure 80s, almost Human League/Blondie-esque new wave straight out there slice of awesome. Sunday Girl looks set to be one of 2011's biggest new stars and paired with her amazing single Stop Hey, stuff like this is getting me very, very excited for her album.