I snagged this joyously beautiful remix over a year ago from the now-defunct Klepshimi. At the time I hadn’t heard the original, and I think that’s still why I prefer this version to Zero 7’s. Vocals by Doom and awesomeness by Danger Mouse.

MP3: Zero 7 - Somersault (Danger Mouse featuring Doom)
This song is what began a long process for me of breaking down my misconceptions of hip hop. As a young teenager, I thought of hip hop as overtly masculine and even a bit harsh. But this song contains Doom, one of the most powerful vocalists in the genre, covering the meeting of two prospective lovebirds. While Doom has the cadence of poetic hip hop artists like Mos Def, he combines that with the sheer strength of his voice to produce something that’s beautiful and powerful at the same time. Add Sia Furler’s original “Somersault” vocals, and it’s easy to see why this has been one of my favorite songs for a couple years.

It’d be a dereliction of duty if I didn’t also point out that Danger Mouse’s production is what makes this remix a classic. For starters, just the drumming and bass addition is a slap in the face to all the half-hearted remixers out there. I tell ya, we really should have seen that Danger Doom album coming from a mile away. They’re magic on this track (and on the Gorillaz’ “November Has Come”).