Category: Featured

SONG OF THE DAY: Freemasons ft Joel Edwards – U Drive Me Crazy

One of the many reasons why I love the Freemasons is that they remind me of the M People (my all time favorite house group) with the way they produce original dance music that sounds and feels instantly familiar. Both are known for their disco and happy house based productions and remixes with part of the fun being trying to play trainspotter. Recent tracks by the FM duo have delved into harder electro and stadium while the new “U Drive Me Crazy” comes with two distinct flavors – an original version reimagining 80s dance pop and the Francais version which inspired by vintage Daft Punk yet filtered through their clean and uplifting lens. The main vocal lines are repeated, incessantly a la “So Much Love To Give,” to the point that Joel Edwards vocal performance becomes another essential sample/instrument in the production. After just one listen, it becomes a powerful ear worm that I am looking forward to subjecting my dance floor to. I rarely mention lyric videos because well there usually isn’t much to say but this one is visually delightful with its repetition to the point of becoming hypnotic. If you find yourself going crazy for Joel’s voice, do yourself a favor and track down the eponymous track by Deepest Blue.

freemasons joel edwards

SONG OF THE DAY: Gareth Emery ft Krewella – Lights and Thunder

Gareth Emery’s upcoming album ‘Drive’ is shaping up to be the album of the year.? Coming from the mastermind behind “Concrete Angels,” this may not be much of a surprise, but with the two incredible strong lead-off singles “U” with Bo Bruce and “Lights & Thunder” with Krewella, it is already seemingly a must buy for anyone who like trance/progressive/house hybrids.? The original version of “Lights and Thunder” blends pretty trance and progressive melodies with a few pounding beats, but nothing that is too aggressive or grinding.? That balance of being energetic without being cliche big room is difficult to reach, yet Gareth succeeds again. The Yousaf sisters from Krewella contribute a strong lyric relating weather and anticipation to unity and achievement. If there is such a thing as a 2014 remix of PLUR (Peace Love Unity Respect), this is basically the theme song.? Another impressive element of “Lights & Thunder” is how well the lyrics and melodies translate to the different genres of remixes – the hardstyle of Darren Styles, the big room banging of R3hab, the bouncy electro of Deorro, and the progressive trance of Omnio.? Each remix is solid on its own, yet contains enough flavor of the original to make the package cohesive.?? You can count me as one of the many who plan to purchase Gareth’s album when it is released on?April 1st.

Image courtesy of Garuda.

gareth emery krewella lights and thunder

SONG OF THE DAY: LA Riots & Polina – Kamikaze

As a DJ/blogger who usually filters through 300 tracks a week, it is sometimes easy to miss a gem during a quick preview. Unfortunately, that was the case when I first heard “Kamikaze” a few weeks ago. Released on Tiesto’s Musical Freedom label, the collaboration between Daniel LeDisko (LA Riots) and chanteuse Polina starts off a bit restrained before the dropdown to vocals and the build to big room electro. When you quickly scan through the track, it doesn’t scream for attention. However, at the suggestion of a fellow DJ, I went back and listened to it from start to finish and it really blew me away. Polina is a singer/songwriter (or what industry people call a topline writer), but with her recent releases she is becoming more and more of an artist, or how I described her- a chanteuse, in the vein of a Sia, Lana del Rey, or Sian (of Kosheen). The strength of her lyrics and performance transcend what you hear on a normal club track. La Riot also steps up his game with a surprise bit of trap after the second break which is raw and a bit disturbing, yet perfectly suited to the vocal themes and yes, the title. DJs who might have missed this when it was released earlier this month should go to Beatport and buy the download. If you are a fan of dance records with darker themes and dramatic vocal performances, like say “Summertime Sadness” or “Titanium,” this “Kamizake” would be a great addition to your mp3 player.

Image Courtesy of Musical Freedom.

LA Riots & Polina – Kamikaze