On This Day In Dance Music History: A-Trak Remixed "Heads Will Roll" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Remembering when A-Trak released his remix of "Heads Will Roll" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, one of the most iconic remixes of the decade.

Author:

Nick Yopko

On November 17th, 2009, A-Trak released his remix of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' song "Heads Will Roll." Fueled by nostalgia and the undeniable energy of the tune, a decade later dance floors across the world still erupt in the same way they did when the remix was originally released.

Before its eventual rework, the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland-inspired track was released on June 29th, 2009. The single from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' third album would go on to achieve massive success in the indie rock realm while helping the album pick up widespread critical acclaim.

On Twitter, Dancing Astronaut posted a commemoration tweet in honor of the tune's anniversary, which prompted A-Trak (real name Alain Macklovitch) himself to share some backstory on how the remix had a slightly bumpy road to release. As a bonus, for the producing readers out there, Macklovitch released a short video showing the world exactly how he created the song.

He shared some words from his In The Loop remix compilation album which described how he decided "Heads Will Roll" was the track he wanted to remix after seeing the band perform at Coachella. When proposing the finished remix to executives, they denied the track citing that they already released a remix for it and that the single had already been out for a long time.

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Having faith in his work, Macklovitch decided he would try to push the song out on his own by sending the tune to several popular DJs including the Ed Banger Records founder, Busy P.

Thankfully, the plan was a massive success and his remix quickly became one of the most recognizable songs of the decade. All it takes is one play to realize the track's legacy as the moment the iconic synth leads kick in, all ears perk up and the energy of the room elevates.

H/T: Dancing Astronaut