Name: Branden Funkhouser

Bio:Southern Maryland is a desolate place with little more than chain restaurants and dive bars to offer its residents but somehow, the area's youth found ways to create their own culture and unique voice. Of the members of the "Great Art Migration" out of the area that has recently taken place, one of the strongest artistic visions ever to come out of Southern Maryland belongs to Branden Funkhouser. His attention to detail, passion for new ideas and a love of expression through a variety of mediums makes him a Baltimore artist to keep an eye on. Chris Richards of Washington DC's legendary Q and not U called the recordings that Funkhouser did for his cinematic indie-rock sextet Cutlery, "Reznor-esque" and "something no one is really doing out there at all". The Washington City Paper described his band's live sets as mixing skuzzy Big Muffed guitars, with protools which certainly accurate considering Funkhouser treats his recording set up more as an instrument than a means to simply get his music into people's hands and hearts. Recently, Funkhouser completed the film score for "White Lies/Black Sheep", the follow up to cult director James Spooner's classic D.I.Y. documentary "Afro-Punk". Currently he is producing the debut record from former My American Heart (Warcon Records) guitarist Matt VanGasbeck..

Comments:Desolate, minimalist, prolific, well thought out, sweeping, moody, hopeful - all of these terms describe both Funkhouser's style and the small Maryland town he left for the city. After all, you can take the boy out of Southern Maryland as they say.

Website: http://www.myspace.com/cutlery Click here to comment

Name: Stray Ghost

Bio:NA

Comments:My intention really was to produce the effect of listening to heartbeats through a dream, inside a dream or possibly while dreaming. Kind of inspired by the dream-pop tag that gets given to bands such as yourself.

Website: NA Click here to comment

Name: wkc

Bio:wkc is a solo project crafting music for rooms and head-rooms using, among other things, a guitar and a computer. After exiting his former band, wkc began experimenting with electronic music production in early 2007. Prone to nomadic tendencies, he presently resides in Baltimore. He is very happy to have the opportunity to work with one of his favorite bands from his transplanted hometown.

Comments: I was trying to do something that would define its own space while preserving the warmth and energy of the original.

Website: http://www.myspace.com/wkcsound Click here to comment

Name: Insect Guide

Bio: na

Comments:I wanted to strip the song naked, soak it in valium and create a cathedral of guitars to provide a sonic backdrop for Annas beautiful vocal.

Website: http://www.myspace.com/insectguide Click here to comment

Name: C Bentley

Bio:Located in Dalton GA, the last place on earth you'd ever think to find an electronic artist, you'll find C Bentley huddled over stacks of gear tinkering, tweaking, and mixing into the wee hours of the morning. Bentley has recorded, produced, and mixed a a variety of artists from almost all genres but has a special place in his heart for the sound of the synthesizer and the pulsing beat of electronic music. With the success of cover songs included on New Order Online's "Community" Cds, C Bentley continues to work on solo electronic music, collaborations, and taking on the challenge of helping other artists sound their best.

Comments:I'm a big fan of taking a song out of it's element to see how it fares supported by a different production. As much as I like the original, I wanted to speed things up a bit and make it into a dancier no excuses synth pop tune. With this remix I did set a goal of staying away from the typical 4/4 909 kick drum and also to try and avoid lengthy builds. Anyone who has ever heard my other electronic tracks will feel right at home with the swirling, blipping, and chattering synths as well as the random elements that aren't always as random as they seem. Hope you enjoy it!

Website: http://www.myspace.com/cbentleymusic

Name: Rob Sharp

Bio: when not singing for the seattle-based band Facts About Funerals (Evangeline Records), producer rob sharp usually hides out in his Helios/API/Telefunken fronted studio built into a 2700 sq.ft Cape Cod home in Seattle, mixing up poisonous new renditions of songs from some of his favorite bands– The Vivians (UK), Palomine (Belgium), PWRFUL Power (US), Shake Some Action (US), among others...

Comments: i initially planned to replace the drums with a more traditional remix sort of beat... but i liked the rawness of the real drum tracks, so i just decided to push the whole thing off a steeper jesus & mary chain meets the breeders cliff. i also used an old cruddy dbx 120xp subharmonic synthesizer to add some deeper meat to the drums and fuzz bass. my style is to just go "big" with everything, pretty much in a steve albini/kearney barton kinda way. plus, everything sounds better with mellotron, so i brought in pete colclasure (from facts about funerals) to lay down some choir tracks that upped the "pretty yet haunting" vibe a little more.

Website: http://www.myspace.com/theplayroomseattle Click here to comment

Name: The Antlers

Bio:At only 21 years old, In The Attic Of The Universe is Peter Silberman's 5th release, though only his second under The Antlers moniker. After moving to Manhattan last year, he set up a cramped, make-shift recording studio in his apartment and set to work on what would become The Antlers' first proper LP, "Uprooted", a different sort of take on the transplant album, exploring claustrophobia and sleepwalking against a fuzz-folk backdrop. He spent 2006 performing throughout his new home in support of the album, and in the fall of 2006, sprawled his equipment on the floor and set to work on "In The Attic of The Universe", a concept-EP in which he ups the instrumentation from the acoustic guitar that dominated "Uprooted", introducing a full rhythm section, moog, accordion, and piano (both traditional and toy) and a host of others, while parts of the album were recorded outside the farmhouse he grew up on with an old Sony shoebox tape-recorder. The result is a sound revolving around swelling ambience and climactic explosions in the vein of The Arcade Fire and Sigur Ros, alongside Silberman's voice, a sort of cross between Jeff Mangum and Jeff Buckley. After self-releasing the album for free on his website in March 2007, over 10,000 people downloaded it, and the record was subsequently re-released by Fall Records in November. Since this time, Silberman has released more free music, a 3-song EP entitled "Cold War", and is currently at work on "Hospice", the follow-up to "In The Attic Of The Universe", which will for the first time incorporate the members of his newly-formed live band (Justin Stivers, Darby Cicci, and Michael Lerner) into the recordings.

Comments: As for what I was going for with the remix, I think underneath the original I was hearing some combination of a 50s pop song and something electronic, so I attempted to bring that to the surface, but without ignoring all the haziness and atmosphere. Does that make any sense?

Website: http://www.myspace.com/theantlers Click here to comment

Name: Torsion Fields

Bio:orsion fields / straylight is a collective formed by members of a cricket in times square and alcian blue. we've been focused on making psychedelic music and video for quite a while. torsion fields is currently finishing up an album to be released simultaneously on safranin sound and fla tapes. straylight recently made the official video for ulrich schnauss' single 'medusa.' other projects on the table include a remix for french labelmates safe as home as well as an ongoing collaboration with archie moore's (black tambourine/velocity girl/etc) latest project bye!.

Comments: heartbeats is a rare kind of pop song: timeless and earnest at the same time. we were struck by the clarity of anna's voice and the straightforward classic production on the original. we decided to make it more overtly psychedelic. we stripped down the rhythm section to get a more austere feel while adding additional instruments to accentuate the implied melodies in the song in a psychedelic way.

Website: http://www.myspace.com/torsionfields http://www.myspace.com/straylightsoundandvision

Name: Jonathan ‘Stylo’ Richardson

Bio: As it turns out, Stylo’s career with, and passion for, music is not a new phenomenon. Rather, it has its roots in the happenings of a childhood rich with diversity and inspirations. Jazz, classical piano, trumpet lessons, breakdancing with friends and family, all these influences have caused the music fan in him to surround itself constantly with rhymes and rhythms. DJ Stylo’s (pronounced Stee-low) focus and specialty these days is mainly House, deep and soulful. He also has a vast repertoire of Downtempo styles, ranging from Nu Jazz and Neo-Soul to Brazilian, Dub Reggae, and to underground, conscientious hip-hop rhythms filled with the pulsing sounds of urban society. The DJ has been hired to showcase his unique blend of sounds at a variety of events, including clubs and lounges, art gallery shows, and private parties. Through this labor of love, he has also been able to be one of the first local outlets to feature the music of diverse talents such as Si*Se (www.sisenyc.com, Turntables On The Hudson), Kristia Di Gregorio (kristia.com), Eli and Joos (GroovaDelica.net), Ms. Nyema (famousnobodies.com, DC), Sunchasers (UK) which recently had their hit 'Sunshine in London' featured on Ugly Betty (ABC), and Dolphin (www.wardolphin.com, Baltimore). Stylo has also been busy with producing his own music and remix projects, including his exclusive bootleg remix of Sade's “Bullet Proof Soul” (2006), and forthcoming live performances with Dolphin.

Comments: In the original work, I love the feeling of outer-space, night-time, etc. I thought to try to enhance those textures and bring them to the fore. Thus the use of multi-layered keys, the reverb, and the Everything But the Girl/Telepopmusik use of the vocals, plus the addition of the muted dance beat…

Website: http://www.mgrooves.com http://www.myspace.com/djstylo Click here to comment

Name: Jonesmatic

Bio: Fat beats. Big bottom. Jonesamatic is two chubby guys with a lot of technology: Baltimore musician/producers Peat Biby and Ian Jones. The two met as the touring rhythm section for oddball indie-popsters Viva Satellite, and they recorded many ‘90s bands in the breadbasket of indie-rock, Arlington, VA — home to Teenbeat, Slumberland, Dischord, Simple Machines labels. This year, Jonesamatic are preparing a remastered, extended version of their 2003 CD “Cha Cha Cha,” (Sun King Records.com) with new remixes and brand new tracks like the first single “Rub The Buddha.” As one reviewer put it: “These two mix it up perfectly: sound and fury and reality and emotion all together.

Comments: We wanted to stay true to Thrushes’ vision of the song while creating a toe-tapping dance mix with a tinge of ‘90s Manchester.

Website: http://Myspace.com/jonesamaticchachacha Click here to comment

Name: Destructo Swarmbots

Bio: Doom pop or perhaps, drone pop?... however you want to label it, Destructo Swarmbots has carved a very unique niche for themselves. With the addition of composer Joshua Booth, walls of white noise, improvised textures, 20th century classical arrangements, and meditative washes of ambience sit comfortably side by side with mentally abusive pop hooks. With "Buzzards," Destructo Swarmbots continues their journey towards artistic isolation. There will also be 4 films made for the album. Mike Mare has been working under the name Destructo Swarmbots collaboratively and as a solo musician for the past 6 years. In this time, he as had the opportunity to collaborate(both live and in the studio) with artists such as dälek, MGR (Mike Gallagher of Isis), Darsombra, Faust, Magicicada, Knell, Ala Muerte, Oddateee, and Zu. He has also scored short films, taken the producer role with other artists, and remixed tracks (often times creating unrecognizable new renditions of the originals) for Isis, Genghis Tron, Trephine and Branta ÏX. Joshua Booth is a composer, teacher and musician. He has been co-producer on all of the dälek (Ipecac Records) records, taught music theory at Rutgers University, and was also a member of the band All Natural Lemon and Lime Flavors. In 2007, Mike and Josh became full time members of dälek

Comments: NA

Website: www.myspace.com/destructoswarmbots Click here to comment

Name: DtheNextLevel

Bio:  DtheNextLevel is a 31 year old laptop producer/remixer based in Arlington, Virginia. Inspired by everything from old school hip-hop to Jackson Pollock paintings to French new wave films, D has been making music for over a decade. In addition to remixing 'Heartbeats', his latest projects include a self-produced hip-hop EP due out in March 2008.

Comments: I always thought the song had a very cinematic feel so I guess I tried make it sound like it was playing at a very key moment in a John Hughes movie. Like the prom scene in 'Pretty in Pink'.

Website: http://www.myspace.com/dthenextlevel