Hot 8 Brass Band Hot 8 Remixes

• Words: Derek Beres
• Label: Tru Thoughts
• XLR8R Rating: /10

Over the last decade, the brass band sound has made its mark on American culture, allowing groups such as New Orleans’ Hot 8 Brass Band to take off with their cover of “Sexual Healing.” Here the track is featured as a re-edit, instead of a remix, yet it remains a musically inventive, albeit vocally challenged, take on Gaye’s classic. The vocals on “Mish Mash,” remixed by Unforscene, prove much better, as do the beats added to the soundscape. It’s unfortunately, one of the few solid mixes on this nine-track collection. While Lack of Afro’s mix of “It’s Real” gives it that New Orleans skunk, most of the remixes employ beats and bass that are way too thin to match Hot 8’s larger-than-life sound.