t dot est – re:MAD

t dot est – re:MAD – Album Review
That’s it…I quit…I’m taking my ball and going home…I’m retiring. Lower case name and upper case titles…Jesus…do you know how much RED is on my screen right now while I’m trying to type this up?
Microsoft Word thinks I’m trying to reinvent language itself at the moment, and my OCD is raging y’all.
If it was anything other than t dot est, I’d probably continue ranting about all this, but thankfully the music from this improvisational artist tends to calm me down as much as it excites me to listen to it. I’m also a big fan of art inspiring art, which is exactly what you get here in this album filled with remixes from the MAD album released back in 2024. Eight out of the ten original songs are featured on re:MAD, and you’ve got fifteen tracks in total; mathematically, you’d figure that was nearly each song remixed twice, but things stack up way differently here than you’d assume. For instance, you’ve got cuts like “SIETE GATOS NEGROS” making two appearances, “ANGEL Y SOL” making three of its own, and “TORO CORRIENDO” making a mind-boggling FIVE entries into this set-list of remixes. Beyond that, there’s a single remix of the other five out of eight tracks that were deemed worthy of being recycled on re:MAD.
It’s hard to argue with a good time dear readers, dear friends – and with the Pysh Remix of “SIETE GATOS NEGROS,” re:MAD is off and running in the right direction without a doubt. YES it’s a beat-heavy remix that leans hard into its core of synthetic sounds, but c’mon y’all…this is catchy AF and produced with jaw-dropping clarity. You listen to a track like “SIETE GATOS NEGROS (Pysh Remix)” as your first impression and practically have no choice but to wonder how on Earth the rest of the material could possibly live up to standards set this high! Am I into it personally? You bet your ass I am! “SIETE GATOS NEGROS (Pysh Remix)” is remarkably addictive on all-fronts…it’s tightly tailored to deliver a non-stop thrill ride of sound, but it’s also packing an impeccable attention to detail that flexes professionalism from every pore of your speakers as it plays. As far as opening tracks go, “SIETE GATOS NEGROS (Pysh Remix)” is designed to get the party going instantly whether you’ve got a house full of guests, or not.
Like we’ve all run into many times in the music we listen to, it’s the incredible cuts that you almost have to watch out for, because whatever comes after has to work ten times as hard to make that same kind of impact. “LAS PALMAS (Zeu5 Remix)” is a decent effort, but it doesn’t reach the heights of what we just experienced in the opening track. Instead, the excitement is replaced by a more controlled type of Electro vibe, with a few sporadic choices of how to edit the beat in the mix to make sure you’re awake. I’m not opposed to it…it’s still good enough to keep me listening, sure, but it’s also a fairly standard and somewhat predictable style of remix I guess. Some tracks are easier to justify a second or third version than others…that’s kind of the nature of the digital game…and as for “LAS PALMAS (Zeu5 Remix),” I suppose this is where the material feels a bit thinner. Well produced and put together for sure, but it’s not the track that’ll get you running back to re:MAD to have another spin by comparison to the rest.
If you read my original review on t dot est’s MAD from 2024, you know I ran into a bit of trouble with trying to assess “TORO CORRIENDO” for the same exact reasons it was just tough trying to figure out what I felt towards “LAS PALMAS (Zeu5 Remix)” – it’s hard for great songs to come after even better songs, you feel me? As to how “TORO CORRIENDO” ended up being remixed FIVE times for this album after feeling the way I did about the original…there’s obviously some risk involved with having any song appear five times on one record, but perhaps t dot est also felt similar to how I did, and maybe “TORO CORRIENDO” had the most room to continue to evolve. Is the P.A.F.F. Europiano Mix enough to turn a good song into a great one? Not in my personal opinion, no. Still a good song, don’t get me wrong – but “TORO CORRIENDO (P.A.F.F. Europiano Mix)” is another fairly standard approach to Electro that is satisfying for sure, but still feels like it’s missing just a bit of the spark it needs to become memorable. I like the added details in the ambience of the background…that was fun…but yeah…it needed a bit more.
None of get too much of a choice in how we go about listening to a record like this. While it’s true that every piece of art is always different to a degree, at the same time, we’re all human beings – comparison is one of our most natural tools, and you have no real choice but to acknowledge that when you’re listening to an album built on different variations of songs you know. And of course, we’re all going to come to different conclusions about what we like or love most I’m sure – but at least no matter what we feel towards any given track, the professionalism of t dot est and this album’s production never wavers. Do I like the Maro Music Remix of “TORO CORRIENDO” better than I did with the version right before it? Absolutely. Not a doubt in my mind about that. Will everyone agree with me on that? Does everyone ever agree about anything 100%? Of course not. If you’re looking for a more straightforward Electro style of tune, you’ll dig what the P.A.F.F. Europiano Mix does. If you’re looking for something intensely innovative and more artistically flexible, chances are you’ll feel like I do and be quite partial towards the Maro Music Remix. I personally gravitate towards uniqueness, and it felt like the “TORO CORRIENDO (Maro Music Remix)” made more of a concentrated effort to stand out for doing things differently in that regard. I dig this track very much…it’s fresh, it’s exciting, it’s got brilliantly creative hooks & a beat that’ll catch people’s attention…and to be honest, it sounds truly sensational from the lefts to the rights.
Where real challenges can occur, is when you already have an amazing song – it gets that much tougher to make a remix that doesn’t pale by comparison. Like, in my head, knowing how awesome “ATLAS AMARILLO” was on MAD from last year, I had to wonder how it could be possible that Chris Korczak’s remix would possibly make it any better. On the bright side of things, I didn’t have to worry about that after all. On the flipside of the coin, I think it’s fair to say that any other version of “ATLAS AMARILLO” really didn’t have anywhere else to go but down. Do I like “ATLAS AMARILLO (Chris Korczak Remix)?” Sure! Do I like it as much as the original version of “ATLAS AMARILLO?” No! We’re talking about two separate things in that conversation I’m afraid. The Chris Korczak remix of “ATLAS AMARILLO” is definitely a good time to listen to, but it does remove some of my favorite elements from the original entirely, and that’s always a tough pill to swallow, you know what I mean? A lot of what we’d all love about the original is in there, but a few key pieces that we’d be listening for aren’t as well, and that kind of stacks the odds against this song a bit if you are familiar with what made the original so incredible. Good track…don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to listen to everything that’s on re:MAD – but like I was saying, comparison is just a natural byproduct that happens in listening to a record filled with remixes. “ATLAS AMARILLO” was kind of the crown jewel of MAD…it’d be seriously tough to level-up the original.
Yeah…I mean…like I was alluding to, you’d be hard pressed to not find everything on this record is well worth your time tuning in for, it’s just that some cuts are going to stand out more than others do in terms of the creativity in the remix, where others play it a bit more safely at times. I like the detail in the production of “ANGEL Y SOL (CoShade Remix)” as far as what you hear added to it or what’s emphasized, but I’d still be the first to tell you this isn’t exactly going to be the most creative cut you’re gonna hear inside the Electro realm. Professional, absolutely…but there’s a major difference between doing something extremely well, and doing something that’ll get people coming back for more, you feel me? I don’t know that I can say there’s a whole lot in a remix like this one from CoShade that makes any moves I haven’t heard a whole bunch in different forms throughout my time spent listening to Electro-based tunes…so despite the professionalism and sparkling quality of the sound itself, it still ends up feeling like it’s missing that crucial X-factor somewhere that would have us all running to push repeat.
I do like the fact that within the five different versions of “TORO CORRIENDO” that you’ll find on re:MAD, at least they’re all significantly different from each other, which justifies their existence as much as you really could in an instance like this. I still can’t escape feeling like “TORO CORRIENDO” wasn’t the track to feature five times by comparison to how insanely great so much of the rest of the material on MAD truly was, but hey, I’m not in charge of that decision. I seemed to continually struggle with “TORO CORRIENDO (A LEPE Remix)” whenever it came on in rotation over here…it’s not only the third time we experience a version of this song within seven tracks for nearly fifty percent of the front half of this record, but it’s even tougher to argue that this variation moved the needle forward on how I personally feel towards it. It gets my attention a bit more within its final minute & a half or so, but that’s still not quite the degree of change I think would be needed to turn this cut from good to great. So far, the Maro Music Remix is the clear winner to me out of the versions we’ve heard to this point.
Will my opinion change with yet ANOTHER version of “TORO CORRIENDO,” this time remixed by Matt Rudnicki? Nope! Still going with Maro Music by a country mile. I do think t dot est has got it easy this time around, because there’s no need to be offended in hearing opinions on what other artists have done to the original source material – but where t dot est DOES have some responsibility to what we hear is in how the album itself is laid out. By track eight, it’s clear cut – you’ve spent exactly fifty percent of your time listening to four versions of one song…and in my humble opinion, that’s too much, even with each variation being as decisively different as they are. I don’t have too much of a feeling one way or the other about the “TORO CORRIENDO (Matt Rudnicki Remix)” – again, it’s listenable…at the end of the day, that’s all we can really ask for right? We want everything to have a similar level of quality and professionalism to it, and it does – the rest is all subjective and based on our own individual opinions & musical taste. Essentially, what I’m saying is that if the “TORO CORRIENDO (Matt Rudnicki Remix)” was YOUR favorite track on the record, then right on…no judgements and a high five from me. Matt does what he does very well…so did P.A.F.F. & so did A LEPE…but I still want more on a creative level overall. In terms of the record itself, t dot est made a risky call by making “TORO CORRIENDO” occupy a third of the entire lineup, and ultimately he’s gonna have to live with that decision and how people react to it.
In some ways, Demsky’s spin on a remix of “EL CURADERO” is fortunate, because a new track introduced to the set-list as this point in the record feels like a breath of fresh air that was definitely needed – but it also happens to be one of the more static and threadbare mixes you’ll find on the album as well. Do I enjoy it? Sure! Like I said…there’s nothing on this album that I wouldn’t listen to – but again, there’s a difference between being willing to listen versus ranting & raving about something, you know what I mean? “EL CURADERO (Demsky Remix)” sticks really tightly to what it presents you with right from the beginning, and doesn’t have a whole lot of variation. Nothing wrong with that of course, but it’s a bit harder to argue on behalf of its creativity by comparison to some of the others. It’s a highlight for its sound selection and what Demsky chose to latch onto from the original created by t dot est. It might not flex a ton of audible variation, but I’d readily say what’s included is genuinely satisfying to listen to.
I will say this – I can only imagine how much fun it would have been for t dot est to sift through all these different remixes and hear what else could be done with the original source material. Like I said earlier, anytime that art inspires MORE art, that’s just about one of the coolest things we can experience in LIFE if you ask me, and what an honor to hear that so many artists were interested in furthering the story of these songs in their own unique ways. The “TREN LUNAR 404 (LoftY Remix)” was a solid win for re:MAD in my opinion…and it might be the very first example of a track that I think might possibly have come out even stronger than its original was. LoftY shows us a whole palette of exceptional skills and new ideas threaded into “TREN LUNAR 404,” but also makes what was a good song to begin with arguably even more engaging by infusing more energy into its aura and atmosphere. Excellent use of the beats in the mix, smart selection of sound and recognizable aspects of the original song…I definitely felt like the “TREN LUNAR 404 (LoftY Remix)” provides a fantastic reason to tune into this new album from t dot est & would easily be up there with the very best of the best tracks to be found within its lineup of remixes.
Dig the additional melody added into “ANGEL Y SOL” through the Jakub Zak Remix, which brightens up the energy and the vibe overall I’d say. Beat-wise, it felt like it might be a little overly-complicated for what it needed to be…with the enhancement of the melody, I’d have likely been tempted to go with a less is more type of strategy instead, but hey, I’m not the one doin’ the heavy lifting in the workload I suppose. It’s a good spin on the song though…I feel no major reasons to complain, and I feel like this has a solid chance of being one of the main reasons folks will come back to re:MAD for another listen. There is a quantifiable degree of universal appeal on display here that many of the other tracks don’t have automatically…a lot of the songs on re:MAD might take a spin or two to appreciate them as much as we probably should, but “ANGEL Y SOL (Jakub Zak Remix)” is probably one of the cuts that’ll have people listening intently from their very first impression of it. Again, I really think that the way that Jakub has put such a focus on the melody driving this song was the right way to go about it, and as a result, he’s come away with a remix that is going to reach a whole lot of the audience that’s tuning in.
And now the answer to the question we’ve all been waiting for – is the fifth time the charm for “TORO CORRIENDO?” Music isn’t like Comedy y’all…repetition doesn’t have nearly the same effect on us. That being said…I’m pretty partial to this version as well – I really like what Deefusion has done with this remix from start to finish. I still have to give Maro Music the crown for being my favorite remix of the bunch, but Deefusion’s “TORO CORRIENDO” remix is a commendably close second place. Album-wise, did we need so many versions of “TORO CORRIENDO?” I think we’re probably having a different conversation if we’re examining that, and I’m pretty sure you’ve figured out how I feel about that already…BUT…the best way to thwart us feeling like there’s too much of something, is to simply make it so that we can’t really complain, you follow me? The “TORO CORRIENDO (Deefusion Remix)” is so relentlessly entertaining with its multiple twists & turns and it’s highly clever methods of retaining so much of what we love about the original at the same time lead to an impressively engaging version that genuinely beats the odds in this particular case. I feel like a lot of listeners out there will be more than stoked to hear how well this final version of “TORO CORRIENDO” came out for t dot est and Deefusion. Would I have trimmed out the other remixes aside from what Deefusion and Maro Music created in an effort to tighten up the entire lineup of re:MAD overall? You betcha. No disrespect to the other artists that took their shot at creating a version of “TORO CORRIENDO” – they all did a decent job – but with there being only a handful of albums that are perfect with more than twelve songs on’em, I’d have cut a few versions in this instance, and especially when you consider that one song is a third of the entire set. Deefusion gets some much needed redemption for “TORO CORRIENDO” towards the end of this album.
Interesting! Like, let’s be real here…the competition between versions of songs has made so much of this interesting to listen to by the nature of how we tend to make comparisons. When I got to “SIETE GATOS NEGROS” for the second time in the lineup, this time filtered through the sonic perspective of the Erotykk remix, I didn’t think there was much of a chance I’d like it more than what I experienced earlier on the Pysh remix. And…I suppose I still feel that way, but like, on a very personal level. Like, I simply feel like the kind of sound the Pysh remix had is more organically appealing to my ears when it comes to the hooks and accessibility of it all, and that’s really all there is to it. If you’re asking me which of the two versions is more interesting and engaging, I’m probably going to go with this second variation in the Erotykk remix – like, I felt like I could sit down and eat this whole track with a knife and fork and chew it over thoughtfully while I listened to it, you dig? It’s really well-conceived and highly ambitious for starters…and then I suppose you have to tip your hat on how well it’s all been pulled off when you hear the full context of its results. So like…sure…it might not be as single-worthy or instantly appealing like the Pysh remix at the start of re:MAD, but it’s definitely the kind of song that’ll hold up potentially even longer than that cut is as the record gets spun over time. I feel like I could constantly listen to what the “SIETE GATOS NEGROS (Erotykk Remix)” has to offer my ears & I’ll always be excited by what I hear.
From what it sounds like, t dot est was focused on creating a killer finale to this new remix-based album. Things get pretty strong and consistent from the time the track listing gets into double-digit terrain, in my opinion. By the time you reach “ANGEL Y SOL (Zeico Remix)” it almost feels like a given that it’ll be another solid cut in the lineup, but credit where credit is due, this sounds like a single-worthy variation of the song. To me, this was the most well-balanced version of “ANGEL Y SOL” that appears on this record, and I felt like there’s a great argument to be made that it might very well be the best version of “ANGEL Y SOL” that exists out there between MAD and re:MAD. The original source material is good, no doubt about that…but this Zeico remix feels like there’s a newfound level of accessibility that really brings out the sparkle & shine in this song like we haven’t heard it before. It’s tracks like these last two on the album that are real confirmation as to why it’s always a cool idea to see what else can be done with a song, you know? When art inspires art, you can end up with some really exceptional stuff that wouldn’t have existed otherwise…I salute t dot est for putting his work out there to see what else could be done with it, and I’d imagine he’s absolutely stoked at hearing something like this Zeico remix come back to him. This particular remix fully revitalizes and refreshes “ANGEL Y SOL” in all the right ways.
Finishing things off with a final dose of Electro-based energy, the flexible vibes of “RIO MANZANARES (Alphastia Remix)” end re:MAD on the astounding quality that the album has carried constantly from its beginning to end. The production has been outstanding the entire time…if you’re an audiophile, you’ll love to hear the stunning quality of sound coming through your speakers in listening to this record. As far as the song itself goes, I’m not going to lie and tell ya that “RIO MANZANARES (Alphastia Remix)” is recreating the wheel here at the end of the album, but it’s definitely steady, reliable, and delivers the entertainment that true fans of Electro-based music love to tune in for. I also felt like it was a good move to have the energy come up a bit again for the final cut…it’s the kind of ending that induces a desire to repeat the whole experience over again, and hey, that’s never a bad thing, right? I’ve had a great time listening to this new offering from t dot est…this is a very innovative artist in his own right, and to hear him branch out by extending his art to the music community surrounding him was a great idea that has paid audible dividends instantly. You feel good when you listen to a record like this and knowing that this collaborative effort has all come together through the love of music, the passion for the craft, the respect for the art, and most crucially, the aspiration to keep YOU completely entertained.
Find out more about t dot est from the official website at: https://tdotest.com
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