Category: Featured

SONG OF THE DAY: Koishii & Hush ft John Taylor – “C’est Tout Est Noir”

Modern retro. The ’80s synthpop movement cycles through dance music
regularly, most recently with the NuDisco trend from a few years ago (think
Empire of the Sun). With a fresh take blending the classic sound with
modern electro, Canadian/British duo unleash “C’est Tout Est Noir,” a dark,
moody track that fits just as well on a club dancefloor as it does a
hipster hangout. Enlisting Duran Duran bassist John Taylor was a genius
move as he is a solid link to the ’80s, and his vocal alludes to indie noir
cinema/French films with spoken and sung parts (remember he also sang the
love song ‘I Do What I Do’ for 9 1/2 Weeks). The original version veers a
bit towards a mellow lounge vibe with mixes taking the track electro
(Vettenetter), stadium (Noel Sanger), and big room (Nat Monday). As a
preview to their forthcoming Odyssey album, it looks like Koishii & Hush
have some creative tricks up their dark sleeves.

Image Courtesy of Grammaton.

INTERVIEW: Krewella (2013)

Krewella is one of the biggest buzzing EDM acts of 2012.? Formed in 2007 with two sisters (Jahan and Yasmine Yousaf) and producer Rain Man, their track “Killin It” became a meme of its own, gaining major attention from DJs and music lovers all around the world.? Their EP “Play Hard” and recently-released remix EP ‘Play Harder” show the depth of their musical tastes, covering the full spectrum of dance genres.? ? Although they are gigging constantly, they are looking forward to taking a break to complete the work for their forthcoming debut artist album. ? I spoke to them when they played in Nashville, right before New Year’s Eve 2012.

Ron Slomowicz: So, where did the name ?Rain Man? come from?
Rain Man: I was doing a hip-hop beat competition in Chicago a couple years ago, and one of the judges asked me my name and when I told him, he said ?no you?re not that, you are rain man because you will have money raining down on you one day.? He was one of my biggest inspirations and mentor for a while and it has stuck.

RS: Speaking of names, where did the name Krewella come from?
Jahan: We came up with it about 4-5 years ago; it was actually before Yasmine was even in the group and while we were trying out other girls. I thought of it when we were writing down lyrics, we were thinking of darker, evil, sexy, feminine lyrics and the name popped in my head and I didn?t even question it. I thought it was the perfect name for a group that would have heavy masculine beats and feminine vocals.

Continue reading INTERVIEW: Krewella (2013)

SONG OF THE DAY: Sander van Doorn – “Joyenergizer”

Here’s a trend that we should have seen coming. Just as electro producers
embraced retro-rave/techno sounds last year, it was only a matter of time
before they started co-opting the NuNRG/hardcore sound of the late
’90s/early ’00s. Leave it to a Dutchman to dust off Joy Kitikonti’s
hardcore classic “Joyenergizer,” and make it massive for 2013. Sander Van
Doorn expands on the bouncy sound of his Kangaroo and adds just enough
modern flavor (this could be a R3hab/Bl3nd chainsaw) to that repeated,
glitchy noise hook that made the original so memorable. The moment the
punters hear the hook, the madness ensues. Don’t be surprised if this
launches a whole trend of hardstyle club classics getting covered/remixed
for 2013. I am betting on Mauro Picotto’s “Lizard” to be quickly
forthcoming.

Image Courtesy of Spinnin/Doorn.