You know that old phrase that “too many cooks spoil the broth,” well that’s definitely not the case with “Somebody To Love.” Since their production of “Send Me Your Love” with Taryn Manning and a remix of Tegan & Sara’s “Closer,” I’ve been going back through the catalog of duo Sultan & Ned Shepard to find gems that I might have missed. Teaming up with Norwegian electro producer Thomas Sagstad, they constructed the soulful “Somebody to Love” blending both pretty (imagine the somber anthemic feel of Alesso “Years”) and the noisy big room energy (a touch of Fedde Le Grand). The middle part with the piano breakdown is quite moving as it is elevated by the emotionally raw performance of Dirty Vegas vocalist Steve Smith. While the original mix is perfect for a set closer, DJs will want to dig up the more aggressive and electro mixes by Pari & Simo, dBerrie, and Third Party. Originally released on Harem a few months ago, Kontor has picked up the track and put together a visually pleasing lyric video which is definitely worth a view (or three).
Category: Featured
SONG OF THE DAY: Aly & Fila vs John O’Callaghan – “Vapourize”
Someone recently asked me why so many dance records have artists fighting each other. My surprised look led him to ask about the “vs” label that is often used. The best collaboration (or vs) records arise when artists with different sounds come together to create something unique which is a blend reflecting their individual tastes. A great example is “Vapourize,” in which the pretty, uplifting sound of Egyptian producers Aly & Fila melds perfectly with the more banging, aggressive sound of Irishman John O’Callaghan. Listening closely, you can probably dissect who did what in the 8-minute trance track, but it doesn’t really matter because on a dance floor (or in a podcast) it blends together effortlessly- like a journey that gets bumpy and bouncy at some points (aggressive almost to the point of being dirty) and smoothes into hands-in-the-air euphoria (channeling classic Perfecto) at others. The peaks and valleys are exactly what you want from a trance track. If you embrace this track as much as I do, you should check out their last collaboration “Megalithic” from a few years back.
Image Courtesy of Future Sound of Egypt/Armada Music.
SONG OF THE DAY: Freemasons ft Katherine Ellis – “Tears”
The boys are back, with the fantastic Katherine Ellis performing some of the deepest, soulful singing she’s ever done on a track. “Tears,” while not clearly a cover of anything specific, does seem slightly reminiscent of “Purple Rain” by Prince. The Freemasons’ production is lush and gorgeous as usual, but their sound has taken more of a stadium feel, like they took an infusion of Avicii before recording. The end result, at least as much as can be heard in a preview, is captivating and euphoric. It’s a great start to 2013 and one we look forward to hearing in the clubs really soon.
Image Courtesy of Freemasons Music.