Back in December, when I wrote up “Alive” by Krewella, I had no idea that the song would become so big. The track crossed from the clubs to the radio and continues to be a massive request record every time I play out. But what’s a DJ to do when you get so burned out on a song that you want to jam pencils through your eardrums rather than hear it again? Well, you find a fresh new mix. Granted, there was the Hardwell remix which topped the Beatport chart recently, but that doesn’t quite move me, so I found two bootlegs that take “Alive” in completely different directions. When you first hear TJR’s Booty Bass version, it sounds just like the original with a little more of a drumbeat. Then two minutes in, the buildup goes hyper, massively speeds up and drops into old school Miami booty music. The surprised looks on the dancers’ faces the first time I played this was insane- people were literally screaming. The more you think about it, the mix is completely inappropriate with the tone of the song but screw it, if you are at the club you are are supposed to be dancing and having fun, and not thinking. Chicago electro mistress Dani Deahl reimagined “Alive” as a mashup with pretty elements of “I Could Be the One” (Avicii & Nicky Romero) and glitchy bits of “Skull Kid” (Must Die!) Calling this a mashup borders on disrespectful as it sounds more like a fully-realized production that could have been one of the official remixes from the label. A commercial release is doubtful due to all the copyrights, but since Nicky Romero just teamed with Krewella for that hot new “Legacy” track, I guess it could theoretically get cleared. Realistically, if you haven’t already bought the original mp3 of “Alive” by Krewella, get it from Amazon, iTunes, or Beatport and then snag both of these sickening/awesome/tits bootlegs from their respective Soundcloud pages.
Category: Song Of The Day
SONG OF THE DAY: Antillas & Vitodito ft Fiora – “Disconnected”
The problem with politicians is that they often try to be all things to all people and they end up being useless. However with dance tracks, the effect is often the exact opposite. The new track “Disconnected” is a mashup of different styles structured so that every 45 seconds it changes (basically a less ADHD take of Arcader’s “Pillowtalk”). Antillas and up-and-comer Vitodito seamlessly blend big beat, electro, progressive, and trance elements in a structure that tells a story as it develops. While the male vocal bit seems generic- bordering on cheesy, the equilibrium shifts when Fiora’s angelic vocals come in on the breakdown. Kudos to Antillas & Vitodito for being able to place vocals in a breakdown over a beat (yeah, that’s a strange compliment to have to give but it seems like most of the other producers just don’t have this skill or care to learn it). Lyrically, “Disconnected” fits the track perfectly as the disparate elements come together masterfully. DJ’s looking for a track that does a full sonic journey in under six minutes should unleash “Disconnected” on their floors. Hopefully, there will be a full-length Fiora album in the near future, as this and her recent collaborations with Armin Van Buuren and Erick Morillo show that she has the range and personality to carry such a project.
Image courtesy of Armada.
SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY?FUNDAY)? Zendaya – “Replay”
The stream of former Disney stars into the pop music world seems to be hitting a new peak with consecutive hits by Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Bridgit Mendler, and Miley Cyrus all getting massive radio play and club play (thanks to exceptional remixes). Next up is Zendaya.? Fresh from her runner-up spot on Dancing with the Stars, the honey-voiced pop diva on the rise unleashes “Replay,”? a surprisingly edgy pop song with grime-inflected beats and a sickeningly catchy chorus that will play over “again and again” in your head after you hear it the first time.??? For club consumption, stadium house-styled mixes by Riddler and DJ Kue stand as the strongest contenders, though Ralphi Rosario’s tribal take will keep the circuit boys happy. My attention is on producer Bit Error who has risen from the world of white label/bootlegs to construct an incredibly strong electro mix (minus the cliched buildup/drops) which will dominate commercial dance floors when it’s released with the second round of remixes. If you are looking for remixers on the rise, Bit Error is definitely one to watch (and be sure to check out his mix of Bridgit Mendler’s “Hurricane,” which didn’t seem to get the DJ love it deserved).
Image courtesy of Hollywood Records.