Category: Song Of The Day

SONG OF THE DAY: Walden – “Intropial”?

As a big fan of Australian pop tart Zoe Badwi,? I first discovered Walden when he remixed “Accidents Happen.”? It was an edgy yet commercial mix that highlighted the vocals with a unique flavor.?? Not long after, Walden started popping up on records by Mika, Marina & the Diamonds, and that car commercial song “In My Mind” by Ivan Gough & Feenixpawl (while everyone else was banging Axwell’s mix, I was all about Walden’s take). ?When I heard his Moroder-esque track “Our Metal Heartbeats,” that’s when it really went to a new level.? With the rise of all the young EDM producers (Madeon, Porter Robinson), it came as little surprise that Walden wasn’t even twenty, yet was already creating international buzz tracks from down under.? His current single “Intropial” is a big room stadium house production on the progressive tip complete with effected vocals, spatial breaks, explosions, and breakdowns.? When I first heard the title, I thought the track was a play on the word intropic (or changing the force of muscles) – with the track decreasing and increasing the energy with varying transitions.? It ends up that it’s actually a concept track about rebellion against an evil corporation as illustrated by the sci-fi/geek-friendly animated video.? Walden isn’t a reference to Thoreau’s transcendental wilderness experience but also to Walden Industries, the fictional corporation controlling people’s minds through evil technology.? Then again, considering Thoreau’s treatise on self-reliance maybe the two are related.? Either way, “Intropial” works on many levels – a solid club track and an introduction to a fantasy world. For all the SciFi fans out there, be sure to check out Walden’s mix of “Point Blank (Love is Blind)” by Anakyn ft Fabio Lendrum – a great Star Wars reference for those in the know.

Image Courtesy of Big Beat.

SONG OF THE DAY: Calagna & Cortes ft Ash Ruiz – “Same Tribu”

The allure of pots and pans has been lost on me so I will admit that I have not really followed tribal music for many years.? This aversion has calmed over the past few years, and I’ve found myself playing a few cool tribal tracks from labels like Stereo and Kult.? Up next in my sets will be “Same Tribu,” the new collaboration of Alyson Calagna and Jose “Spinnin'” Cotes featuring the vocals of Ash Ruiz.? The original mix has an almost meditative, spiritual feel which transcends the genre – yes, it’s tribal, but with authentic-feeling chants, sexy grooves, and a beat that invites you onto the floor. Kult mainstay Eddie Cumana adds a cool, old school house vibe with his mix, with a sick bassline and fills that are brilliant in their clarity.? A touch of electro and disco gives Cortes’ own mix a unique flavor that opens the track up for DJs who don’t normally embrace the tribal vibe. All three of these mixes are segued together in the promo YouTube video which showcases Alyson and Jose spinning live and working in the studio.? Gear whores be warned, there will be a lot of cool pieces you will be craving.

Image Courtesy of Kult.

SONG OF THE DAY: Bebe Black – “Deathwish”

Listening to an online radio station, I was instantly drawn to “Deathwish” and thought to myself ‘oh cool, La Roux is going more goth for the next album.’ ?Looking up the song, I realized that it’s not La Roux but Bebe Black, the voice of Benga’s dubstep track “Icon” which buzzed in the underground last summer. Listening closer, “Deathwish” is a darkly pretty fusion of classic Nine Inch Nails (“Down In It”) and Delerium (“Silence”) with elements of vintage 808 State. Yet with all the classic influences, the sound is modern and Bebe’s voice embodies not only La Roux and Florence and the Machine, but also Sarah McLachlan with a touch of raspy jazz. Looking for a remix online, I found Ejeca’s retro two-steppy garage take, which is quite a cool interpretation but makes me salivate for a darker, progressive take by someone like Arcader or tyDi, or even a big room trance/dubstep hybrid to meld the pretty and the dark.???