Back at WMC 2004, there was a song that kept getting a major reaction every time I heard it played. It wasn’t until a party on the last day that I was able to approach the DJ and ask what it was (this, of course, was pre-Shazam). The song was “Put Em High” by Stonebridge ft Therese, and wouldn’t you know that Stonebridge was the DJ spinning (and he even gave me a promo CD of the song to play). Fast forward to WMC 2013 and I go to a lounge to hear Stonebridge spin. In the middle of his set a gorgeous singer, Krista Richards, comes out and beings to perform. In the middle of her performance, I heard a catchy melodic progressive song which I couldn’t place (and neither could Shazam). The only lyrics I remembered were “can’t quit, can’t exist,” so I went up to Stonebridge later in his set and asked about the song. He said, ‘oh that’s a new single on my label Stoney Boy Music by S69 and Krista Richards called “Can’t Quit.”‘ Rather than handing me a CD, he offered me a thumb drive, which I anxiously walked back home to listen to. It its original version, it feels quite like an ’80s record with a modern feel- not exactly new wave that we are used to, but a sort of somber keyboard track, a dance song with a new wave retro feel. Stonebridge ups the BPM on his mix and adds a modern progressive/electro feel to it. Daniel Beasley’s mix is a unique combination of house and electro, with a bit of a broken beat vibe that gives the song a completely different flavor. Throughout the different remixes, Krista Richards sounds uniquely strong with her seductive, pretty voice that exudes power in a very pleasing yet emotional way. “Can’t Quit” is definitely a major tune to watch out of WMC 2013.
Image Courtesy of Stoney Boy Records