Duran Duran - The Reflex (808's De-flexed Mix)

"The Reflex" was always one of my favorite tracks from the Duran Duran album "Seven and the Ragged Tiger". However, when it came to single release, I have to admit, the single mix and accompanying 12" mix really annoyed me.

These versions of the song suffered from many problems: The annoying "fle-fle-flex" and "why-yi-yi-yi" edits, which were mildly annoying in the 7" mix, but went absolutely irritating in the 12" version. There is also a gradual pitch and tempo shift throughout the mix which I found grated on my ears. And in the 12" mix, the second verse of the song is completely missing! Instead, we get treated to absolute "fle-fle-flex" and "why-yi-yi-yi" nonsense, and some odd noise which sounds like someone farting in a bathtub, underwater. :)

Well, I went back and re-did the mix, using some of the less annoying elements from the 12" mix, and relying more heavily on the far superior album cut of the track. I had to go through and seperately beatmap at least 7 sections of the 12" mix in ACID, to ensure everything is finally at the same pitch and tempo. All the annoying vocal edits are gone, or at the very least downplayed, the second verse has been restored, a few flange effects and rapid fire edits have been added, and a semblance of sanity has been restored to what has to be considered one of the classic Duran Duran tracks of all time. This is "The Reflex", the way it should have been from the beginning.

Running time for this mix is 8 minutes, 9 seconds.

Listen here