SONG OF THE DAY: Luciana “U B The Bass”

We are a point of transformation for our beloved Luciana. Originally gaining club acclaim for her raspy and raw chants over electro tracks like “Yeah Yeah” (Bodyrox) and “I Like That” (Static Revenger and Richard Vission), she’s recently moved into realm of traditional melodic singing with songs like “Calling All the Lovers” (Manufactured Superstars) and “Something for the Weekend” (Dave Aude). So as she steps out on her own with her first major solo single, what does she have next up her sleeve? Nothing less than a brilliant combination of both personalities produced by herself and partner Nick Clow. Starting of with a contrasting beats, like the theme from the original Beverly Hills 90210 fighting with a horror move instrumental, the robotic voice wins and ushers into an energetic stadium house track. Luciana talks the verse and sings the chorus, bringing her two distinct styles together as a T-Pau-like autoduet. The idea of her being the beat and you being the bass stretches the musical analogy in a fresh unique way. Also fresh, unique, and more than a bit ironic is the use of fully dressed models wearing baggy sweatsuits as backup dancers. With the majority of EDM videos featuring scantily clad women in overtly sexual situation, the video is almost subversive. What makes it all the more humorous is the first label releasing the track is Ministry of Sound, home to many of the classic videos that featured said scantily clad women in overtly sexual situations. Regardless, Luciana has another club hit on her hands and DJs will be anxiously awaiting mixes for their club sets.

Image Courtesy of Luciana Facebook.

SONG OF THE DAY: Sander van Doorn & Mark Knight vs Underworld – “Ten”

Ever wonder what Faithless would sound like in 2013? Celebrating their 10-year anniversary, Toolroom Records pulled together three incredible artists to create a vision for the future. Label owner Mark Knight teams with rising producer Sander van Doorn to create this proggy electro track with a strong vocal performance by Karl Hyde of Underworld. Looking forward always means respecting the past, and there is a clear influence of Faithless (Karl sounds remarkable like Maxi Jaxx, while some of the synth stabs are descendant of the classic Rollo/Goetz “Tuff” sound). The track is definitely unique unto itself with a modern electro feel, big shuffling beats, and dramatic fills. The video reinforces the lyrical message of unity with people coming together to dance their emotions out. “Ten” is one of those rare tracks that are accessible and dancefloor-friendly, yet dark and cool at the same time.

Track available at Beatport.

Image Courtesy of Toolroom Records.

SONG OF THE DAY: Tritonal ft Underdown – “Bullet That Saved Me”

That stratification between subgenres seems to be collapsing more and more.? There are no longer pure trance producers or progressive producers – all the different sounds are melding together and, in the right hands, becoming epic creations.? With “Bullet That Saved Me,” the Tritonal duo blend the progressive and trance sounds they are known for with stadium and harder electro while incorporating rock and downtempo elements in the breakdown.? Adding the strong male vocal is a nice touch, having him sing emotionally relevant, if not edgy, lyrics- even more a bonus.? It’s also nice to hear producers who can actually produce vocals on a beat, rather than just throw them all over a 2-minute drop in the middle of a track.? The song definitely has a personal message that we all can relate to and makes for a great first taste of their upcoming ‘Metamorphosis’ EP which is set to drop during the WMC.

Check out our recent interview with Tritonal here.

Image Courtesy of Enhanced Records.