Justin Bieber's U Smile sounds awesome - at 1/8th the speed

Justin Bieber has been a media fixation for the better part of 2010 - and we at CBC Arts Online admit that we have contributed to that. And while the singing sprite from Stratford, Ont. is one of the top trending topics on Twitter most days, we try to be selective about which Bieber items we write.

Today's installment actually involves some artistic merit. Thanks to a Gawker post this morning, we learned that someone named Shamantis has created a rather unusual remix of Bieber's chirpy tune U Smile. Bieber remixes are plentiful these days, but what distinguishes this one is that it does more than simply retrofit the beat or add some club-friendly whooshes. Shamantis slowed the song down, and not just a little - it's 800% slower than the original.

Check it out:

J. BIEBZ - U SMILE 800% SLOWER by Shamantis

At this glacial pace, U Smile ceases to be a pop song - partly because it's now 35 minutes long. Sounding more like the music of Iceland's Sigur Ros or Montreal electronic producer Tim Hecker, Shamantis's U Smile remix is radiant and refreshing -- and the best part is, Biebs' fans will hate it!

Correction: Thanks to commenter jaybird42 for pointing out that the song is not 800 times slower, as I originally suggested, but 800% slower. Big difference. Sorry about the gross overstatement.