Putting these two songs together might have you scratching your head, but they share a very similar concept – taking sounds from outside the traditional dance genre and incorporating them in a unique way while completely changing their sound. Duck Sauce’s previous singles “Barbra Streisand” and “aNYway” were built around disco samples to create playful and energetic house records. For “It’s You,” the duo of A-Trak and Armand van Helden reconstructed Bruce Patch’s doo-wop record with bouncy beats, electro glitches, and just a hint of the disco vibe which makes it a Duck Sauce track (and the hairy video is reminiscent of their “Big Bad Wolf” clip). With “Levels” and “Bromance,” Avicii didn’t exactly create the stadium house sound but can be seen as one the people who elevated it to mainstream acceptance. “Wake Me Up” brings country and bluegrass to the dance floor with modern electronic production. While you can definitely hear elements of Avicii’s sound in the track, the overall results are completely different, unexpected, and lifted to a higher plane thanks to the soulful, raw, and emotional vocals of Aloe Blacc (the soulful singer of “I Need a Dollar”). While it’s a difficult record to play on a commercial dance floor (trust me, I’ve tried), the sound is so fresh and unique that it will be an instant reaction record for any radio station that adds it.
Images courtesy of Casablanca and Island.