Sweden’s Refused are something I get very excited about. It doesn’t matter that they broke up in 1998 and their ashes have since scattered into other groups including The (International) Noise Conspiracy. Refused is my long standing favorite hardcore punk band.

Many are familiar with the track ‘New Noise’ off Refused’s last album, ‘The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombation In 12 Bursts’ on Burning Heart Records (and later Epiptaph). That tune, amazing music video and containing album had acute electronic music sensibility and it lends itself very well to club rotation. I’ve heard Steve Aoki throw down ‘New Noise’ in his sets on numerous occasions—I always smile, then throw elbows and stomp feet. The build up at the beginning drops right into some of the fiercest screams ever. Play it loud or louder.

MP3: Refused - New Noise

Yow! Electro “bangers” and hardcore punk aren’t so far apart, really. The energy levels can be nearly identical.

I know RATM gets love in L.A.’s hippest dancefloors, particularly since the Late Night Laptop Re-Edit remix that Ed Banger’s SebastiAn did.

Now San Diego’s Shark Attack have put an electro twist on ‘New Noise’. I think a re-edit of this track is long overdue and I’m excited to see someone has stepped up to the challenge. The main sample sounds a bit clipped, but who cares, it’s Refused! The novelty rules! Some of y’all might like it and others might think it’s the highest blasphemy. I’d like to see other edits and uses of this track someday.

MP3: Refused - New Noise (Shark Attack Remix)

And for good measure, here’s a another original, ‘Refused are Fucking Dead’ along with a remix that appeared on their 1998 ‘Theology E.P.’:

MP3: Refused - Refused Are Fucking Dead

MP3: Refused - Refused Are Fucking Dead (Bomba Je Remix, Long Version)

And on a final note—something different—hear this hip-hop from Montreal’s Hensforth that takes Stack House rapper C-Ride’s ‘P-P-Pushin’ and remixes it with ‘New Noise’ samples. Discobelle hipped us to this earlier this month. Again, the execution is a little rough, but I’m impressed with Hensforth for the move.

MP3: C-Ride - Pushin’ (Hensforth’s Skream at Me Remix)

Shop for Refused albums on Amazon. If you only own one hardcore album, make it ‘The Shape of Punk to Come’.

Visit Refused’s MySpace and Refused’s Wikipedia entry to learn more.

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