Category: Featured

SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): Paul Rudd ft Amanda Wilson – “Trust In Me”

It is often said that a great song transcends genre.? This is the reason why you often seen country songs become pop or dance records.? “Trust in Me,” by Paul Rudd and Amanda Wilson, is another great example – the emotionally scorching lyrics work perfectly as a ballad with sparse piano accompaniment and with a gorgeous eurodance pop confection. Amanda Wilson, known for her work with Freemasons and Samuele Sartinin (which became the Tim Berg/Avicii “Seek Bromance”) sounds incredible with her powerful, multiple-octave voice expressing the emotional desire of the song.? Much kudos to producer Paul Rudd who was able to work with such an powerful instrument (Amanda’s voice) and create two incredibly strong, unique versions – a ballad and a dance pop version.? Read the entry on “Something About You” for more about the importance of vocal production, of course, that is after you enjoy these two great versions of “Trust In Me.”

Late Sessions Mix (Ballad)

UK Radio Edit (Dance Pop Mix)

Image Courtesy of Globotracks.

SONG OF THE DAY: Steve Forest & Nicola Fasano – “Apocalypse”

DJ/Producers often get boxed into one sound.? Italian producers/Jolly Rogers label heads Steve Forest and Nicola Fasano have become known for their festive sound of modern tribal beats and energetic electro fused into club-rocking party anthems. Collaborations with Pitbull (their track “75 Brasil Street” became the infamous “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)”) and Kat Deluna launched them onto international dance floors.? A recent track with Crystal Waters, “Love I Call My Own,” signaled a transition to a darker, more progressive vibe.? As a full-on dark electro progressive stomper, their new track “Apocalypse” continues this direction.? Starting off with an eerily dark keyboard, it sounds more like a deadmau5 composition than something you would expect from the Italian party boys. The crescendo heading into intense rave-like electro is unexpected and introduces the effected-robot voice which seems to be repeating “Wait.” The track has a cold feeling, like really dark techno, yet is energetic enough that when programmed in the right set would be deeply effective on a big room floor. It’s always great to see musicians explore new directions so it will be interesting to what this new darker vibe of Forest and Fasano develops into.

Image Courtesy of Jolly Roger.

SONG OF THE DAY: Tyler Hampton – “The Knight”

EDM is all about change, that’s just academic.? Actually, Academik, the diverse progressive house label, is further expanding their range with this unparalleled release. I’ve written before about records that combine disparate elements for a composition that is greater than the sum of the parts.? “The Knight” takes it to the next level – rather than something different every 30 seconds – every 4 measures there seems to be a radical change in construction.? It’s as if someone forgot their dose of ADD medication, yet it works so well. What starts as a pretty, pumping old school-flavored house track, goes tribal, then raw, then noisy, then jittery, then proggy, then retro-Orb-ish, then big room electro, then spacey house before gradually grooving back into the original old school-flavored house track.? Peppered throughout are vocal samples ranging from eerie computerized voices to ones that sounds like they are sampled from a ’70s Doobie Brothers record.? If this track was spread out into an hour-long DJ set, it would no doubt win acclaim as one of the best journey mixed CDs ever. Compressed into under seven minutes, the kinetic randomness verges on manic madness, yet is so well-blended that it’s a must-listen for any lover of EDM looking to be schooled.? Arcader’s funky techno remix is a little less manic, yet keeps many of the original elements in place.? To put it in fashion terms, the original mix is like haute couture, absolutely gorgeous in its detail but probably inaccessible to the average person.? Arcader’s remix is the ready-to-wear version with the same vibe, but much easier for punters to grasp onto.

The track is available exclusively available on Beatport.

Image Courtesy of Academik.