Category: Song Of The Day

SONG OF THE DAY: Patrick Hagenaar – Come Closer

Yeah, I’ve been on the Hagenaar train for a while – going back to his work with Albrecht up through his solo tracks like “You Got Me Glowing (In The Dark).” 2014 is shaping up to be his big year with two brilliant releases on his own Colour Code label (“Tears of Gold” and “Stars”) and remixes for Kylie Minogue, Route 94, Kiesza, and Second City that appeal to both underground and commercial DJs. “Come Closer (Not Too Close)” might be the one that crosses him over. The progressive house track has a euphoric pop feel and effected rave-like vocals repeating “Come Closer” and “Feel For You.” It’s easy to sing along to and perfectly appropriate for making a first move on someone you are dancing near in a big room. All of the big guys are behind this track and with the anthemic keyboard line it could work its way onto commercial radio. If Patrick Hagenaar isn’t already on your “ones to watch” list, here is the exploding beacon to finally get your attention.

Image courtesy of Flashover.

SONG OF THE DAY: SILAS ft Dia Frampton – Braver

In the current ADHD club world of open format DJing and quickmix sets, songs like “Braver” fit perfectly. In the same way that a Zedd track is known for changing genres seamlessly throughout its length, “Braver” accomplishes the same thing but with even more opposite song textures. Created by producer Mark Maxwell, now known as SILAS, the track alternates between pretty keyboards, stadium progressive, retro 2009-era dirty dutch noises, backbeat builds, and aggressive “Tsunami”-style triplet beats. Tying the track together are the pretty yet powerful vocals of The Voice runner-up Dia Frampton, last heard on Tydi’s gorgeous “Stay” track. SILAS definitely has some great production chops, if “Braver” somehow doesn’t convince you of that, go back and listed to the Afroajck’s tragically underappreciated “The Spark” that he cowrote, produced the vocals for, and played guitar on.

Image courtesy of Icus Records.

SONG OF THE DAY: Bebe Rexha – I Can’t Stop Drinking About You

By: DJ Ricky Sixx

This is the dubstep pop song that will go all the way. Bebe Rexha is best known as the vocalist with Cash Cash “Take Me Home,” as well as for writing the darkly personal lyrics of “Monster” which became a hit for Eminem and Rihanna. She brings that same intensely personal and confessional tone to “I Can’t Stop Drinking About You” when she sings about using alcohol to mentally escape a failing relationship. No, it’s not healthy, but the sheer rawness of her lyrics over the lush intro suck you in until you are slammed in the face with the agressive dubstep beats of the chorus. Her husky yet fragile voice also stands out with a mix of power supported by the pretty tones of the verse. For club consumption, the Jump Smokers mix electro with a bit of trap for an energetic take that matches the duality of the original. Additional mixes go stadium (Chachi), big room (Quintino), rocking electro (Mikael Willis), and dirty trap (Grabbitz). A side note, as great as she sounds on the record, Bebe sounds even more incredible live. Follow her on Twitter and check her out when she performs in your town.

Image courtesy of Warner Bros Music.