Soulwax, also known to the dance community as 2ManyDJs have released one of the best tributes to David Bowie so far. “Dave” is an incredible mix of sound and vision of the man’s songs, a great reminder and a fabulous introduction to Bowie’s songs for the generation of this new millennium.

Sound

David Bowie would have loved “Dave”, the tribute video and mix by Belgian band and DJs soulwax. In one hour the two DJs have managed to cleverly mix Bowie’s most iconic tracks from “Fame” to “All the Young dudes” taking us on a true journey through the sound of David Bowie. After doing a number of Bowie mashups in their gigs, they now released what is so far the best compilation mixing Bowie tracks making us take to the dancefloor. For those who know the man’s work this is a fabulous reminder of his body of work, a clever mix of songs featuring also some great remixes. “Let’s Dance” is one of the most striking examples: The remix adds some beats that remind of us of “I Feel Love” and by doing so they provided a true 21^st Century Mix to that popular Bowie song. Transitions from track to track are once again a proof of these Belgian DJs’ talent. See the transition from “Fame” to “Starman” and then to “Always Crashing in the Same Car” or the transition from “Under Pressure” to the generation hymn “Heroes”. This mix, according to Soulwax, is “our homage to the man whose ability to change whilst remaining himself has been a massive influence on us. There are many legends in the music industry but for us, there is no greater than the mighty Dave. We’ve included all things Bowie, whether that is original songs, covers, backing vocals, production work or reworks we made, to attempt to give you the full scope of the man’s genius.”

Vision

Soulwax did not focus on the music alone. Considering David Bowie’s visual legacy they made a one hour film with model Hannelore Knuts in Thin White Luke-like attire who takes us through a one trip at the sound of Bowie’s songs. Directed by Wim Reygaert, the film leads the absolutely cool looking Hannelore through a hotel where she meets characters resembling to the likes of Iggy Pop, William S. Burroughs, Freddie Mercury or Tony Visconti. Clever tributes to the man should take into account both the sound and vision dimension of the man. That was particularly the case of LuxFrágil in Lisbon, a huge three-storey club where 2ManyDJs have played more than once, and that hosted a Bowie hommage party combining both elements: while a number of DJs played Bowie songs images compiled and mixed by José Pinheiro, one of Portugal’s best music video directors, were displayed to the delight of a crowd that cleverly dressed for the occasion. “Dave” is a true voyage through sound and vision, providing the right imagery to the man’s legacy, a document for you to retain and show your kids, friends and next of kin. A true tutorial to the work of David Bowie.

 Carlos Tomé Sousa