Phoenix – Trying to Be Cool (A-Trak Remix)

I’ve been a fan of Phoenix since their first album, so I was really excited to take this one on. – A-Trak

Not as excited as me. A-Trak’s remix of Trying to Be Cool is already one of my favorite remixes of the year and it’s only been out for a couple hours. Sometimes you may forget how broad artists’ musical tastes can be, especially when you think of A-Trak you think of hip-hop, classic vinyl, breaks and scratches, etc. But he’s really done everything from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to Cyhi The Prynce, and now to Phoenix. His newest remix of Trying to Be Cool has a disco house vibe that more clubs and venues should adopt. Don’t get me wrong, quick changes and edits into songs keep the crowd guessing and are amazing, but nothing beats a seven, ten, or twelve minute club mix of one track. There’s no fist pumping here. Just smooth beautiful music to get lost into. This is what we need to hear more of today, especially for newcomers who may not be as familiar to this style. A-Trak, my friend, you hit this one out of the park.

There must be something in the water in France that produces an overload of creativity because Phoenix seems to be just as challenging as Daft Punk. After hearing a brief interview they did on Pitchfork.TV, they seem to be perfectionists searching for something above what the music industry has to offer. Listening to them talk about everything from sampling notes to titling the album; you really get to see a fraction of how much work they’re putting into their albums. The indi and alt-rock collaborations and remixes have been wildly popular as of late with our favorite DJs. You see remixes with groups like Passion Pit, Phoenix, Capital Cities, Imagine Dragons, and the list goes on from there. Expanding into other genres is a great way to bring on new fans for both the producer and the original artist. Check out this unbelievable remix and Phoenix’s interview below.