SONG OF THE DAY: Fedde Le Grand – Twisted

No stranger to big festival anthems (“Don’t Give Up,” “No Good,” “Raw“), Dutchman Fedde Le Grand is about to unleash a new one called “Twisted.” What makes the big room electro track live up to its title? The intro is completely unexpected, starting with a funky guitar hook that sounds like it was lifted from an old Doobie Brothers track (maybe “Long Train Running”) which gets more aggressive and electro as it builds. Then come the male vocals which sound like Green Velvet (channelling Stewart Who) repeating an irresistible verse. The drop and buildup are everything you would expect from a track like this, but it’s the effects and the increasing power in the vocals that elevate the track to a higher level. While some may compare the lyrical content to “Wasted” (Tiesto’s paean to alcoholism), “Twisted” is simultaneously more playful and darker. It isn’t clear whether “Twisted” is referring to a crazy person, someone uninhibited by the music, or the darker side of drug culture. When a track isn’t overly explicit, it allows the listener to make their own interpretation. Though in reality, most ragers will just be jumping up and down to the beat for the entire track, which of course is “Twisted” enough in itself. As usual, Danny Howard of BBC Radio gets the coolest new tracks first.

Image Courtesy of Flamingo.

Notable Dance Podcast #065

Notable Dance Podcast #065 by Notable Dance on Mixcloud

Chris Malinchak ft Mikky Ekko – Stranger
Route 94 ft Jess Glynne – My Love (Bender Remix)
Oliver $, Jimi Jules – Pushing On
Zinc – Show Me (KiNK Beat Remix)
Leonardo GloVibes ft Juiceppe – Electrica Salsa
Alex Metric – Hope
Nile Rodgers – Do What You Wanna Do (Chocolate Puma Remix)
Harry Romero – Tania (Riva Starr Remix)
Eric Prydz – Liberate
Lush & Simon – Hunter
Dash Berlin & Jay Cosmic ft Collin McLoughlin – Here Tonight
TS7 ft Yaz Nikks – Give Me a Sign (Garage Mix)
Harold van Lennep – Liberation

(Picture of Leonardo Glovibes taken at Winter Music Conference 2014.)

SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): DJ Samuel Kimko vs Adassa – Ole Ola

Azealia Banks and Nicki Minaj get a lot of props for how they harness multiple personalities and characters in their music. To be able to both sing and rap is quite a unique combination of talents, so when you listen to “Ole Ola” by reggaeton princess Adassa and DJ Samuel Kimko, pay close attention. On the surface, it is a happy, singalong dance song that sounds like a surefire radio hit. The second verse slows down slightly when she starts to rap, but it is the third verse where it goes down to hip-hop tempo that you can really her exceptional lyrical flow. Then, when you add in the “sing and dance” and “ole ola” hooks, you realize that this is a brilliant summer pop song unlike anything else out there right now. Remixes by Andry J, D@niel Tek, Geo Da Silva e Jack Mazzoni, and Gil Sander, all add a bit of electro to the song and dub out the rap, keeping the sung vocals as the focus. This makes sense for clubs where everything needs to stay uptempo, but it also makes the original extended mix stand out as something really special (and great for a surprise reaction from dancers when the song unexpectedly changes tempo). Maybe one more mix is in the works with the downtempo part over a trap or dubstep break? Who knows. Either way, with the World Cup FIFA action in the air, “Ole Ola” makes a great dance-pop confection for the summer heatwave.

Image Courtesy of Kult Records.