RAC, Known For Remixing Rock, Brings His Own Songs To Chicago
By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 26, 2014 8:45PM
RAC's André Allen Anjos proves he's got live chops beyond the remixing board. Photo via RAC's Facebook page.
We admit we always thought the Portuguese producer and musician RAC—a.k.a. André Allen Anjos—lived in England. Why else would he rarely tour the States as his star steadily rose? Imagine just how wide our eyes grew when we learned the guy actually lives in Portland, Oregon! It was kind of like when Rob Gordon learns Charlie doesn't live on Neptune!
RAC made his name putting a dancey spin on indie rock tracks from up-and-coming artists through the mid- to late-aughts with such a deft touch he kept the rock intact while causing the hips to shake, even on the nerdiest of hipster boys. Hell, RAC is so good he can even make Kings Of Leon sound relevant and hip. Now that's talent!
He's released many of his remixes for free over the years, and you can listen to virtually all of them online, but he also slowly started to write and release original compositions. Many of them had that same knack for taking a rock based tune and throwing some strobes on it, or some soft swirling lights, depending on your dancing mood to that tune's particular melody. Most recently his song "Let Go" has permeated the fabric of American pop culture, seriously just give it a spin and in seconds you'll agree with us, and he's following on the success of that with his first full length album of original music, Strangers.
"Let Go" features vocals from Bloc Party's Kele, and the rest of the album also employs a strong roster of guest singers. The guest list of vocalists includes, but is in no way limited to, Penguin Prison, Tegan & Sara, Tokyo Police Club, Alex Ebert, Peter Morén, SPEAK, and YACHT. We've listened to the first half of the album—it was released seperately a few weeks ago—and it's simply stellar. It's some of the warmest,. poppiest dance rock we've heard in a long time. There's not a bum note in the bunch.
RAC is playing Lincoln Hall next Monday, and it's the day before the album is released, so we expect the show will probably benefit from that extra dose of excitement. Sadly it's sold out, but if you can find any tickets floating around anywhere you should snatch them up ASAP! And even if you don't, spin his new tunes and older remixes at home and create your own party.
RAC plays on March 31 at Lincoln Hall, 2424 N Lincoln, 8 p.m., SOLD OUT, 18+