SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): Picco – “Mash!”

You can learn a lot about a producer by listening to their music. Listening to the releases of German producer Picco, it’s quite obvious that he is one of the most happy, joyful, and random people you might ever meet. He takes random elements and combines them together with an upbeat twist – whether it be traditional Mexican music (“Venga”), the Dream Academy’s ’80s classic “Life in A Northern Town” (“Walk on By”), or Mory Kante’s African chants (“Yeke Yeke”), his songs have a mashed-up fun and energetic feel while walking that fine line of becoming cheese. This is what makes his new track “Mash!” seem so perfect. Starting off with a Scooter-esque voice shouting the title, a bassline similar to “Show me Life” comes in behind a vocal topline reminiscent of the Dajae’s classic “Everyday My Life.” The vocals stutter and effect out until the distorted voice becomes the “Mash” line again and the track suddenly changes to bouncy electro quite similar to Steve Angello’s “Knas.” The track then strips down to just the beat and the original bassline and the vocal comes back in for a bit, before another buildup takes the track back to the bouncy electro. This is one of those tracks you listen to and wonder what the heck the producer was thinking as it quickly becomes ingrained in your brain. Here’s hoping that the label releases this track really soon as it is nowhere to be found legally – it’s not at Amazon, iTunes, Beatport, or any other digital download site that I checked.


Image Courtesy of Kontor.

SONG OF THE DAY: Sultan + Ned Shepard ft Max’C – “Ordinary People”

Just as I was posting the song of the day yesterday, Sultan and Ned Shepard’s collaboration with Thomas Sagstad, I saw the link for “Ordinary People” on their twitter feed. Starting with a kicking, big room electro beat, the track instantly grabs your attention. It’s aggressive and energetic- but not overbearing. The vocal hook “living our life” starts to come in as a loop, and then when the title “Ordinary People” is heard, the track transforms gradually into a prettier house track. Max C’s resonant gospel vocals are uplifting as he sings the populist message about ignoring delusions of grandeur and just following our own paths. The middle breakdown almost creates a new subgenre – gospel stadium house. Even as the beats drop out, the energy is kept going by not only the vocals but flowing synth pads that elevate the track and lead to the explosive and climactic buildup. DJs looking for a big room track featuring male vocals and a great message, you’ve found your prime time showcase with “Ordinary People.”


Image Courtesy of Spinnin.

MASHUP: Zedd ft Foxes vs Starkillers – “Clarity (Starkillers Believe Bootleg)”

Fresh from an appearance on David Letterman last night, Zedd’s current single “Clarity” gets mashed by the Starkillers. Nick originally dropped this mix at his NYE show and is setting it out as thanks to all his supporters.

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