Author: Jax Spike

REVIEW: Will Holland – ‘Digitally Enhanced Volume 5’

As a huge fan of trance and progressive house music, I have to admit that it is a joy when I come across a new source of music that had somehow escaped my notice before. Of course with that joy also comes a bit of shame knowing that somehow the?Digitally Enhanced?compilation series had somehow escaped my radar over the years. Don?t get me wrong, I have heard of Enhanced Recordings and the progress that Will Holland has made in providing some of the most consistent trance around, but for some reason his compilation series had been an enigma to me. Holland’s endeavors have not gone unnoticed, though, by many and over the past few years, fans of trance have been delighted with each release in the?Digitally Enhanced?compilations series. Fortunately for trance fans, the fifth volume of this series is now being released containing two discs of exclusive, unreleased material filled with progressive-minded and high-energy trance.

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REVIEW: Ladyhawke – ‘Anxiety’

By: Ben Norman

When you make the sort of splash a popular debut artist like Ladyhawke did, the obvious question is “can they back it up?” Is the artist’s talent sufficient to allow for future hits, whatever direction they decide to go with their music? You’ve seen it all over the place; the artist’s second album is a huge deal in establishing their longevity in the music scene. Adele, Katy Perry, Florence + The Machine, all wildly successful artists whose sophomore albums solidified them in the mainstream consciousness. Meanwhile, those like LCD Soundsystem and Cut Copy find their groove and maintain their effect on the scene rather than wildly changing things in either direction. More still are those who have a negative effect with their sophomore albums, stunting what could have been a sparkling career. In cases like Scissor Sisters and Basement Jaxx, the “sophomore slump” didn’t seem to be too lasting a curse though, as both groups have continued to release awesome music despite. And so we look at Ladyhawke, the New Zealander who’s debut album was a nugget of pure 80s influences. Her sound was easily compared to her male contemporaries Pnau and Empire of the Sun, yet her music spoke a little more universally, tracks like “Paris is Burning” and “My Delirium” achieving top 40 status in her home. And for the indie fanatics across the world (you know the ones), Ladyhawke was another shining beacon to dance along to while avoiding pop radio.
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SONG OF THE DAY: Sam Sparro – “Happiness”

Heralding his return to releasing his own music, Sparro releases “Happiness”, the lead single to his upcoming 2012 album Return to Paradise. This is pure disco funk in the way we’ve come to know from Sparro. The groove is hot, Sparro’s voice is as seductive as ever, and the bass guitar is electrifying. As a marker of new material, “Happiness” is what it suggests it is, in it’s purest form. And with mixes leaking from Sparro’s second single, “I Wish I Never Met You” (without the actual song leaking), it’s just a matter of time before we can’t stop salivating for new material from this talented artist. “Happiness” is here for now and more than worth drooling over.

Image Courtesy of Positiva/Virgin.