Jack De Keyzer and Brian Asha go back decades to a rockabilly radio show Asha hosted on CIUT, where he interviewed De Keyzer’s band, The Bopcats. They crossed paths at gigs for years, and last year Asha asked the two-time Juno winner to play on “Mighty Man.” De Keyzer sent back six tracks of guitar, which pulled the song toward grittier blues rock, and the single landed on September 11th alongside a five-track EP.
This remix is built on that guitar work. Asha and longtime collaborator Karl Mohr chopped up De Keyzer’s live playing with DJ cut-up techniques, then added AC/DC-style hits and a bassline inspired by 1970s funk band Hot Chocolate. Toronto vocalists Aria Zenua and Erin Reece handle the backing vocals, and Grammy-winning producer Philip Larsen, who cold-contacted Asha after finding his earlier remix on YouTube, reworked other tracks on the EP.
This song obviously has its roots in such classics as Muddy Waters’ “Mannish Boy,” albeit with a more modern sound in the way it’s produced, with claps and breakbeats fusing almost house music elements with the classic blues and rock hits, which is a one-way ticket to a banger in my opinion. It’s addictive to listen to because it takes what is so familiar and makes it sound fresh again.
“Mighty Man” has been with Asha for a while. He first recorded it back in 2013 with a hard electro sound, and the 2022 remix that caught Larsen’s attention was another stop along the way. Hearing it now with a blues guitarist at the centre feels like the direction the song was always heading.
It also doubles as the anthem for Mighty IRL, the movement Asha started to get young men off their screens and into real-world experience. By his own description, the track is gritty and joyful, and that’s a sensible way to carry a message like that. Nobody wants to be lectured over a blues riff, so a song that sounds like it’s having a good time makes sense. With five versions on the EP, there’s room to find the take that suits you best.
