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.

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."

Duran Duran - All You Need Is Now

If I had a pound for every time Duran Duran’s newest album All You Need Is Now is ‘the next Rio’, I’d be a millionaire. But, the thing is, it really is. Not since that marvellous, seminal album have the band sounded quite this good. And not just that, for Duran have released plenty of good tracks since then (though quite how many is rather debatable, depending on how big of a fan you are) – but on this album, they sound energetic, re-invigorated, and most importantly – fun.

2004’s Astronaut was an amazing album, but in many ways, it did not sound like Duran Duran. It was futuristic in the extreme, consistent to the extreme and packed full of immaculately produced pop-rock classics. 2007’s Red Carpet Massacre was a miss-step, a rash grasp at ever-changing musical trends, the band latching onto man of the moment, Timbaland. The result was a jarring and rushed sounding end-product that just didn’t grab you the way you wanted it to. The singles were in place, but the makings of a good album were not.

Perhaps this is why All You Need Is Now comes as such a breath of fresh air then. It’s got that classic, Duran Duran youthful charm to it; that killer element that have kept them alive and innovative when so many other bands of their era have long since fallen. The title track is a brilliant introduction to the album, a cracking blend of old and new – something that defines this album. You’ll hear hints of instruments and sounds that you would swear came straight from Rio.

There’s contemporary touches here too, with producer Mark Ronson at the helm. Important note though: those coming to the album expecting a re-hash of Ronson’s Verion album, all horns and Zutons covers, will be surprised. He’s kept his touches on the band’s sound minimal, serving instead to pull everything together, a commanding force to better ensure the continuity of the final album. Oh, and there’s brilliant guest vocals from the Scissor Sister’s Ana Matronic and Kelis. The latter’s contribution is especially impressive on the epic, hypnotic, irresistible pull of The Man Who Stole A Leopard. It’s easily the band’s best ballad since Ordinary World.

Girl Panic!  is another favourite of mine, harking back to the likes of Careless Memories, displaying an aggressiveness the band haven’t played to in years. Most importantly, as an album, All You Need Is Now is a firm reminder that a band never comes with a sell by date. For Duran to be putting an album this good out 13 LP’s into their career is astounding. And judging by the top 10 position the album surged to on iTunes stores across the globe in its release week, the public tend to agree. Stunning, wonderful stuff.