Category: Song Of The Day

SONG OF THE DAY: Sultan + Ned Shepard ft Max’C – “Ordinary People”

Just as I was posting the song of the day yesterday, Sultan and Ned Shepard’s collaboration with Thomas Sagstad, I saw the link for “Ordinary People” on their twitter feed. Starting with a kicking, big room electro beat, the track instantly grabs your attention. It’s aggressive and energetic- but not overbearing. The vocal hook “living our life” starts to come in as a loop, and then when the title “Ordinary People” is heard, the track transforms gradually into a prettier house track. Max C’s resonant gospel vocals are uplifting as he sings the populist message about ignoring delusions of grandeur and just following our own paths. The middle breakdown almost creates a new subgenre – gospel stadium house. Even as the beats drop out, the energy is kept going by not only the vocals but flowing synth pads that elevate the track and lead to the explosive and climactic buildup. DJs looking for a big room track featuring male vocals and a great message, you’ve found your prime time showcase with “Ordinary People.”


Image Courtesy of Spinnin.

SONG OF THE DAY: Sultan + Ned Shepard vs Thomas Sagstad ft Dirty Vegas – “Somebody to Love”

You know that old phrase that “too many cooks spoil the broth,” well that’s definitely not the case with “Somebody To Love.” Since their production of “Send Me Your Love” with Taryn Manning and a remix of Tegan & Sara’s “Closer,” I’ve been going back through the catalog of duo Sultan & Ned Shepard to find gems that I might have missed. Teaming up with Norwegian electro producer Thomas Sagstad, they constructed the soulful “Somebody to Love” blending both pretty (imagine the somber anthemic feel of Alesso “Years”) and the noisy big room energy (a touch of Fedde Le Grand). The middle part with the piano breakdown is quite moving as it is elevated by the emotionally raw performance of Dirty Vegas vocalist Steve Smith. While the original mix is perfect for a set closer, DJs will want to dig up the more aggressive and electro mixes by Pari & Simo, dBerrie, and Third Party. Originally released on Harem a few months ago, Kontor has picked up the track and put together a visually pleasing lyric video which is definitely worth a view (or three).

Continue reading SONG OF THE DAY: Sultan + Ned Shepard vs Thomas Sagstad ft Dirty Vegas – “Somebody to Love”

SONG OF THE DAY: Aly & Fila vs John O’Callaghan – “Vapourize”

Someone recently asked me why so many dance records have artists fighting each other. My surprised look led him to ask about the “vs” label that is often used. The best collaboration (or vs) records arise when artists with different sounds come together to create something unique which is a blend reflecting their individual tastes. A great example is “Vapourize,” in which the pretty, uplifting sound of Egyptian producers Aly & Fila melds perfectly with the more banging, aggressive sound of Irishman John O’Callaghan. Listening closely, you can probably dissect who did what in the 8-minute trance track, but it doesn’t really matter because on a dance floor (or in a podcast) it blends together effortlessly- like a journey that gets bumpy and bouncy at some points (aggressive almost to the point of being dirty) and smoothes into hands-in-the-air euphoria (channeling classic Perfecto) at others. The peaks and valleys are exactly what you want from a trance track. If you embrace this track as much as I do, you should check out their last collaboration “Megalithic” from a few years back.


Image Courtesy of Future Sound of Egypt/Armada Music.