Toronto producers made more of a name for themselves this year as remixers than they did producing their own tracks. There are a couple remixes on this list that are not aimed at the dance floor, but are definitely worth mentioning. Check out the list while I take a nap and get ready for New Years Eve!

"Umbrella" by Rihanna (VNDLSM Remix)

Everyone's heard this song by now, right? I've only heard one official remix so far and didn't like it. VNDLSM's bootleg remix did crazy things to all the vocals hooks and turned it into one of the best electro house tracks of the year. Anything that catches Diplo's attention is definitely worth checking out.

"We Should Be Believing" by These Electric Lives (Vitaminsforyou French Kidney Remix)

Vitaminsforyou took this major key indie rock tune and turned into an uneasy, minor key electro house anthem. There are loads of interesting layers in this mix and it makes me hope Vitaminsforyou gets way more remix work in 2008.

"My Sword Hand's Anger" by Apostle of Hustle (Circle Research Remix)

AoH's label (Arts & Crafts) made the raw tracks for this song available for download and held a remix contest. Toronto's Circle Research submitted this hip hop jam and it took first place. It was officially released on the song's single. Pretty cool stuff. Can I point out that the original version is also mentioned in our Top 5 Pop/Rock Tunes section?

"He Lied About Death" by Stars (METRIC Remix)

This is not a dance remix, and you could argue that this is more a reinterpretation of the original. Metric guitarist/producer Jimmy Shaw's contribution to the Stars' Do You Trust Your Friends remix record borrows just one vocal line from the original. Jimmy takes the "don't fuck with our lives" lyric, adds his own vocal tracks to it (and maybe a little Emily as well?) and builds an entirely new song around it. Those "ooh" harmony lines are magic.

"Tenderoni" by Chromeo (MSTRKRFT RMX)

The original song is pretty good (some would say great), but this remix totally rocks. Hard. MSTRKRFT's ALP is responsible for this one (both JFK and ALP have been working on solo remixes this year while working together on their second full-length). The distorted keyboard riffs take the song to a new level of cool...and then the bridge kicks in and ALP raises the bar even higher. This remix is one of my favourite songs of the year in any category.

Make sure you also check out the top Pop/Rock, Hip Hop, and Dance Editions. Photo: MSTRKRFT by Geoff McLean.