Brandon's Buzz

Whitney Houston — “Love That Man [Peter Rauhofer NYC Mix]”
(from Love That Man [The Mixes]) —

Tori Amos — “Flavor [Peter Rauhofer Club Mix]”
(from Flavor [The Mixes]) —

Anyone who gives even the slightest damn about the world of dance music must find him- or herself in deep mourning this day at the stunning death of the extraordinary DJ and remixer Peter Rauhofer, who lost his brutal battle with brain cancer yesterday at the far-too-young age of 48. Rauhofer never quite managed to hit the same rarefied commercial air as a handful of his peers and progenitors (think Todd Terry with his crazy-cool radical reinvention of Everything But the Girl’s formerly mellow “Missing”; think Brian Transeau’s electrifying mid-’90s work with Billie Ray Martin and others), but those trademark tribal beats with which he dabbled (and dazzled) so brilliantly were instantly identifiable, no matter the artist. He was probably best known for his work with Madonna and Cher (the classic remix of whose 1999 international smash “Believe” landed him a Grammy in 2000), but this morning, we here at the Buzz choose to pay our respects by blasting a pair of our favorites from among Rauhofer’s lesser-known mixes: “Man,” a rare highlight from the regrettably dreadful “crack-is-wack” period of Miss Whitney’s recording career; and the spankin’-new “Flavor” (released just last December), as glorious a career-capper as one could envision. (As I tweeted yesterday upon learning of Peter’s passing: The Goddess has been remixed by the best over the years — including the aforementioned BT, whose mad 1996 masterpiece “Blue Skies” made all of us burgeoning house fans rejoice, scream “Tori Tori hallelujah,” and be glad in it — but never once did she sound more bold, more bangin’, more badass than when in Rauhofer’s crisp, capable hands. You were a magicmaker at twirling the knobs and spinning the beats, Pete; may you now rest — and remix — in peace, ever.