Category: Song Of The Day

SONG OF THE DAY: Chris Lake & Michael Woods – “Black Thong”

Spinning a mainstream room, I find myself working overtime to please a divided crowd who want to hear different sounds.? There are those who want aggressive, pounding electro and others who want prettier, progressive house. Along comes this brilliant? “Black Thong” track and my DJ life is so much easier.? Producers Chris Lake & Michael Woods have teamed up to construct this seemingly perfect mashup of the two disparate genres.? Starting off, the track sounds like the apotheosis of stadium house, as if Swedish House Mafia and Avicii morphed together as one.? Along comes a build, and the track jumps seamlessly into a pumping electro track with a touch of glitch, asian instrumentation, and vocal cheers.? As the energy builds, a whoosh comes along and the gorgeously progressive big room sound comes in again.? In less talented hands, this track would simply read as a choppy mashup. Chris and Michael managed to blend the two disparate sounds together into a cohesive track which will no doubt make everyone dance.? Aside from an explanation on where the song title came from, what more could a DJ ask for?

Image Courtesy of Ultra

SONG OF THE DAY: Tegan and Sara – “Closer”

Just like fellow Canadians Dragonette, indie-rock duo Tegan and Sara seem to be going more electronic with each successive release. Working with Tiesto, Morgan Page, and David Guetta & Alesso as well as embracing remixes of their own songs, the identical twins are finding that EDM fans love their catchy, intelligently-written (and sometimes quirky) pop songs as well. “Closer” is a rock-flavored, energetic electropop song with influences of dubstep and stadium house in its original production. The sing-along chorus and “oh-oh-oh” chant are just two of the many catchy elements. Working with Greg Kurstin, a member of the group The Bird & the Bee (who has produced hits for Kylie Minogue and Kelly Clarkson), Tegan and Sara have managed to seamlessly blend indie dance rock and electronic pop into something cool and credible that is also insanely radio-friendly. While there is no doubt that a full slate of remixes will be forthcoming, the one to reach for is the epic-feeling Sultan and Ned Shepard rerub. Keeping the full vocals intact, the dynamic levels shift from a very pretty and euphoric verse which builds to a massively intense chorus. Even with the dropouts, the energy is constant as the emotion of the lyrics come through loud and clear. Like the original production, the remix is cool and edgy while being both club-friendly and commercial at the same time. Also like the original version, their remix is so strong that an edit of it would sound equally amazing on the radio.

Image courtesy of Warner.

SONG OF THE DAY: Gina Star ft Jussie Smollett – “U Don’t Love Me”

Out of madness comes brilliance… It’s rare that I listen to a track over and over again yet am still flummoxed on how to describe it. There are simply so many different elements in “U Don’t Love Me” that pointing them out and isolating them might detract from its charm. Described as progressive house, it seems more like a blend of electro, tech, disco house, and tribal, with a repeated vocal line that feels so familiar that it sounds like a well-known sample from an ’80s R&B record. As the vocal repeats (similar to “So Much Love to Give”) throughout the song, it changes subtly until the music drops down into a full-on verse. As a DJ, I love it when breakdowns keep a beat going so that punters feel the rhythm and continue to move. On first listen, it seemed that the different vocal parts were in conflict with each other in the chorus, but hearing it over and over, it became less dissonant and more consonant with the interplay. The build-up is unique with the disparate elements of the drum fill, eerie keyboard line, effected vocals, and whirring noises increasing in intensity, but rather than coming to an explosion (or drop out), the transition is more subtly woven back into the main groove. It’s just one of the many gotchas that Gina Star has built into this exceptional track, which is the musical opposite of the Chanel ideal. You know, look into the mirror and take off one accessory before you leave the house. The theory behind “U Don’t Love Me” is to keep adding more and more until it there is so much going on that it feels like a perfect balance of brilliant madness.


Courtesy of LOI Records.