Fort Knox Recordings has a solid history of releasing solid music and their latest EP, The New Gold Standard 2 Remixed EP 2 is no exception. In fact, it may be one of the finest examples of the label I've yet heard. It hosts four remixes of songs from two of the artists found on The New Gold Standard 2, and the work is done by the hands of J. Boogie, DJ Sabo, Nickodemus, and Nappy Riddem.

1. Nappy Riddem "One World Sovereignty featuring Asheru (J.Boogie Remix)"
2. Empresarios "Cumbia (Nickodemus Remix)"
3. Empresarios "Sabor Tropical (DJ Sabo feat Dario Boente)"
4. Empresarios "Sabor Tropical (Nappy Riddem Remix)"

The opening track is Nappy Riddem's "One World Sovereignty" remixed by J. Boogie, and it has a certain sound that's made it's way into some of the best club-wise remixes I've heard lately. It's almost like a disco rhythm stripped of all its soul and glitter, reduced to the bare essence. On top of that, you've got a layer of rich bass that really leads the sound way more than the traditional synth or guitar might lead a song. The center of focus is the vocal, which stands out nicely against the sparse instrumentation. It's a really nice sound and J. Boogie really got it right on this mix.

Nickodemus comes on next and he delivers what is probably the most dance floor destroying track on the EP, his version of Empresarios "Cumbia". The original track off the compilation, followed a nicely laid back tone, and it's one that fits right in the groove of some of Quantic's best Latin work of late. Nickodemus layers on percussion and an amazing rolling bass sound, among a ton of other elements that fit so right they may as well have been considered part of the original song. The difference is, where the original is a perfect seaside, poolside, or deck-side complement, Nickodemus' remix is pure dance fire. No kidding, at all. It's serious.

Next up is DJ Sabo's remix of Empresarios "Sabor Tropical", and it brings back that stripped down disco essence I was talking about with the J. Boogie remix. Sabo typically pulls things together with either a particular Afrobeat or Cumbia style, but in this case, he picks up on the Salsa foundation of the track and takes it deep into the dance floor. About mid-way through he dials down the tempo, morphing it for a moment into a sort of Cumbia, before spinning things back up to Salsa speed. You can't ask for more. It's an excellent remix for this song, which in original form, is something you need to hear. Strength on strength right here.

Last up is the Nappy Riddem remix of Empresarios "Sabor Tropical" and instead of following the Salsa foundation, Nappy Riddem take the sound downtown and pile on tons of funk vocals, with a subdued break beat percussion behind it. It's a solid mix that gives you a completely different experience than Sabo's version.

This is all gold. Don't pass by any of these tracks.

http://soundcloud.com/fortknoxfive/what-make-ya-dance-badboe-remix
http://soundcloud.com/empresarios/cumbia-nickodemus-remix

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