If you have been keeping your ear to the ground in recent times, you may have heard of a DJ collective from France going by the name of Birdy Nam Nam. Though they have been dominating the French underground turntablism scene since the 90s, their first taste of 'mainstream' exposure came through their participation in the DMC Technics 2002 World TEAM Championships, which they subsequently won.
Despite winning such a prestigious competition, however, rather than concentrate their efforts on cementing their legacy on this circuit, they instead chose to make their mark on the world doing what they do best: sampling and assembling. Whilst such techniques may not necessarily be new within the production community, it is how they structure and develop their sound that sets them apart. After all, one of their main objectives is to operate turntables as if they were real musical instruments in the contemporary sense of the word.
Whilst their earlier sound is a mish-mash of downtempo, jazzy breaks with a dose of synth-hop thrown in for good measure, in more recent times they have adopted a more electro-orientated approach, which is exemplified by their latest album, Manual For Successful Rioting, almost entirely being produced by Yuksek, with the exception of the track The Parachute Ending which has been produced by Justice.
The latter aforementioned collaboration is a main point of note, because while it has undoubtedly boosted their reputation amongst audiences, such an unlikely partnership could be seen as being a double-edged sword for the DJ maestros. This is primarily because it is no secret that many Justice remixes have a tendency to borrow a little too heavily from their own back catalogue. Thankfully, The Parachute Ending doesn't suffer the same fate. Even though there are certain similarities on the synth front, the song is one of the freshest outside productions they have done in years, kicking it into overdrive yet retaining a familiar almost nostalgic feel. To add to this, there have been several remixes from both underground and more widely established producers such as
NEUS, Jaffinson, Mathematikal, Vitalic, Dilemn and The Noizy Kids. While Dilemn's remix is no doubt going to become a dancefloor favourite, special mention should go out to The Noizy Kids who really take this track to the next level. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that many DJs will drop this bomb due to the sheer relentlessness of it, but if you hear it out, count yourself extremely lucky.
Enjoy the tracks.
Birdy Nam Nam - The Parachute Ending (Produced By Justice)
Birdy Nam Nam - The Parachute Ending (NEUS Part-2 Remix)
Birdy Nam Nam - The Parachute Ending (Jaffinson Remix)
Birdy Nam Nam - The Parachute Ending (Mathematikal Remix)
Birdy Nam Nam - The Parachute Ending (Vitalic Remix)
Birdy Nam Nam - The Parachute Ending (Dilemn Remix)
Birdy Nam Nam - The Parachute Ending (The Noizy Kids Remix)
