Dance and electronic superstars on why they are remixing Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’

Legacy Recordings/Sony Music Entertainment has expanded news posted by TMN earlier this week of dance and electronic superstars reinterpreting Paul Simon’s 1986 classic Graceland album.

Graceland – The Remixes is set for release on June 1.

It covers Deep House, Afro House, DnB, and Tech House.

The story goes that in the early 1980s, Simon was suffering a depression because his solo records were not selling.

In 1984 he heard a bootleg cassette of South African township music and became fascinated.

He and co-producer Roy Halee journeyed to Johannesburg where he recorded with South African musicians.

Having sold over 16 million copies worldwide – 560,000 in Australia where the chart topping record was certified 8 x platinum – Graceland saw Simon sampling diverse sounds and World Music styles, creating an eclectic mixture of pop, rock, African Zulu isicathamiya, and mbaqanga dance styles.

He faced criticisms by anti-apartheid groups that he broke the cultural boycott of South Africa.

Those now remixing the album include Groove Armada, Rich Ahmed, Paul Oakenfold, MK & KC, Joris Voorn, Jouce Munz, Sharam, Rich Pinder & Djoko, Gui Borattio, Thievery Corporation and Photek.

“What do you say when someone asks you to remix a classic? Well normally, No!” laughs Andy of Groove Armada.

“It’s a rule we’ve managed to follow for 20 years.

“Until we got a call about remixing a track from Graceland.

“Here was an album…which had opened our ears to a new world of sound.

“We decided to break the rule because we could choose a tune.

“In [‘You Can Call Me Al’] was a horn riff which we’d been dropping in our sets ever since we tried it at Fais Do-Do’s Ballroom in LA back in 1998 and it created an electric moment of dancefloor unity.

“So the remix wrote itself and our ace-in-the-pack Horn Drop is now public property.”

“To say it was an honour to mix one of Paul Simon’s tracks is an understatement,” said Richy Ahmed, referring to his thunderous remix of ‘The Boy In The Bubble’.

“It is one of my favourite tracks ever.”

TRACKLIST:

1.     Joris Voorn – ‘Homeless’
2.     Joyce Muniz – ‘Gumboots’
3.     Sharam – ‘I Know What I Know’
4.     Paul Oakenfold – ‘Crazy Love, Vol. II’
5.     Richy Ahmed – ‘The Boy In The Bubble’
6.     Groove Armada – ‘You Can Call Me Al’
7.     Rich Pinder & Djoko – ‘Under African Skies’
8.    MK with KC Lights – ‘Graceland’ *
9.    Gui Boratto – ‘That Was Your Mother’
10.   Thievery Corporation – ‘Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes’
11.   Photek – ‘All Around The World Or The Myth Of Fingerprints’ *
12.   Joris Voorn – ‘Homeless (Kitchen Table Mix)’