God. It seems like Hex Hector and Mac Quayle have been M.I.A. for SO LONG. I remember when these guys were mixing EVERYBODY from Whitney Houston, Patti Labelle, Toni Braxton, Annie Lennox, Britney Spears, Anastacia and many many more. Pretty much every mix that I heard and loved was by Hector or Quayle or some combination of the two of them. Of course, this was back when I wasn’t too familiar with dance music. I liked the occasional dance remix of a Top 40 song but I wasn’t going dancing. Something about hearing a remixers interpretation of a popular song intrigued me. I couldn’t get enough…even if I was just WALKING quickly across campus to the thumping bass. I don’t think much has changed, in that I still go CRAZY for dance remixes…and the fact that I don’t go “clubbing” remains the same. Where as before, my taste in dance music was pretty one note…now I’m a bit more well versed in the genre now. I have branched out and like different kinds of dance music.
That all being said, I’m still a sucker for a good ‘old fashioned’ Hex Hector/Mac Quayle remix and their new mix of Christina Aguilera’s “You Lost Me” really takes me back…to the 2000s. If THIS is what the radio edit sounds like I can only imagine how EPIC the full length mix is. “You Lost Me” is the official second US single off of Aguilera’s new album Bionic. The song was produced by Samuel Dixon and co-written by Aguilera, Dixon and singer/songwriter Sia. By itself, the song is a heart-wrenchingly beautiful ballad. Aguilera sounds ever so slightly restrained, which isn’t a bad thing in this case. Aguilera is known for her BIG voice and crazy, out-of-this-world riffs. This ballad is sung softly and poignantly. Perfectly. What I LOVE about this remix is that it doesn’t muck that up. While it doesn’t make use of the orchestral track, it keeps the poignancy of Aguilera’s vocal in tact, particularly in the chorus. So expertly done. Then again, I would expect nothing less from two pros like Hector and Quayle.
No release date has been given for the remix but I assume it will be made available eventually. The video for “You Lost Me,” directed by Anthony Mandler, will premiere on VEVO this Thursday, July 22nd. Listen to the remix below: