Category: Song Of The Day

SONG OF THE DAY:? Zedd ft Foxes – “Clarity”

When Zedd’s album came out a few months ago, one of the bartenders at the club I spin at started requesting this track and I started playing it.? The original version starts with Foxes singing acappella, for a long time, which while absolutely gorgeous doesn’t work on the dance floor.? Mixing the intro over the long outro Yiannis mix of Zedd’s last single “Spectrum” worked quite well, and then I realized that the outro beats of Zedd’s track with Ellie Goulding & Lucky Date “Fall Into the Sky” worked even better.? Yes, my dance floor hears a lot of Zedd – and for good reason, the German producer is making some of the best electro tracks right now.? After the intro, the beat kicks in and there is a bit of a bro-sounding “yeah” chant in the background which marks an increase in energy.? Being able to merge full-on vocals with strong beats shows a real development in sounds for Zedd as he advances from big room club tracks with samples (like “Shave It” and “Slam the Door”). Recently Zedd and Foxes performed “Clarity” beautifully on the David Letterman show, which showed the world that the song that bangs on a dance floor works just as well as a gorgeous ballad with piano and violin accompaniment and that both are real musicians – Zedd can really play piano and Foxes can really sing – such a welcome reprise from the rumors that many of the big EDM superstars pay engineers to do their production for them.? DJs looking for more aggressive mixes should check out the remixes from Amtrac, Shreddie Mercury (great name), Swanky Tunes, and Torro Torro.? The expansive video reminds us all how great it is when artists and producers are featured in their own videos so the fans can put a name with a face – rather than random twentysomethings partying in a club. ?

Read our interview with Zedd here.

Image Courtesy of Interscope.

SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): Nikki Williams – “Glowing”

There was a period of two months in the late ’90s when it seemed like every club record was about “Joy” – “Let the Joy Rise,” “This Joy,” “Unspeakable Joy, ” etc. The meme now seems to be “glowing,” first with Karishma’s infomercial-promoted “Glow in the Dark,” then tyDi and Kerli “Glow in the Dark” and Patrick Hagenaar and Mark Harley “You Got Me (Glowing in the Dark)”. Now Nikki Williams with “Glowing.” Her name might be familiar to you, as the South African-born singer/songwriter created a lot of buzz with her graphic and edgy debut single “Kill, Fuck, Marry” which has racked up over 700,000 views on Youtube. “Glowing” is Europop with an edge starting off quite pretty and ballad-like, building with a beat in the verse leading to the dirty electro sound of the chorus. It’s one of those rare songs that would sound right at home on the radio but is cool and edgy enough that the hipsters won’t be embarrassed to sing along to it.

Granted, it would be hard to sing it as well as Nikki does. Her enchanting, effortless voice increases in strength and power as the beats increase in intensity. As a DJ, I am of course looking for a club remix and the best I could find is one by DJ Steve Watt & Jukebox which sounds like a bootleg, a very well-done bootleg, but a white label nonetheless. Here’s hoping that the crew at Island give the record the official remix treatment. And since I’m asking for late holiday presents, let me request a solid remix of “Kill Fuck Marry” because it would slay dance floors as well. Then again, Nikki Williams has such a great voice that if she sang my grocery list over a catchy electronic beat, clubbers would go crazy for protein bars, eggs and milk.

Image Courtesy of Island/Def Jam.

SONG OF THE DAY: Chris Cox + DJ Frankie ft Crystal Waters – “Oh Mama Hey”

With the plethora of instrumental club tracks out there, a good chant can make the difference between “filler” and a “floorfiller.”? Constructed by legendary DJ/Producers Chris Cox (of Thunderpuss infamy) and DJ Frankie (nightlife impresario that brought clubland to Vegas with the launch of Studio 54),? “Oh Mama” was originally released in 2010. The “Oh Mama Hey” chant elevated the retrotribal-tinged electro track to secret weapon status and was deployed by those DJs in the know. ? Refreshed, revitalized, and re-produced for 2013, “Oh Mama Hey” now features a fresh vocal topline by diva-in-demand Crystal Waters, who of course is no stranger to a good chant, remember ‘la da dee, la da da?’ ?Her verse has a touch of the swing vibe, which probably rubbed off from her work with Yolanda Be Cool but dang it if the nonsense bits just don’t get caught in your head.? With a remix package featuring Stonebridge, Rosabel, Steven Redant, and Trent Cantrelle, as well as a music video forthcoming, “Oh Mama Hey” could be the floorfiller that heats up dance floors all winter long.

Image Courtesy of Tommy Boy.