Category: Song Of The Day

SONG OF THE DAY: Yolanda Be Cool? – Cause I Like It

You never really know what to expect from those crazy Aussies in Yolanda Be Cool.? Best known for “We No Speak Americano,” they’ve released a string of creative singles, with the most recent being the metallic reggae/downtempo chill hybrid cover of “All That She Wants.”? For “Cause I Like It,” they catch inspiration from Le Youth, taking a vocal sample and distorting and mutating it until it is completely unrecognizable and laying it over a retro ’90s house beat.? On first listen, I kept thinking the vocal sample was from Jinny “Keep Warm” until I remembered that “that” sample was actually from Voices in the Dark “Keep It Warm.”? The tempo and mood changes in “Cause I Like It” are just as random and fun as you would expect from a Yolanda Be Cool jam, with something different happening every thirty seconds.? If their DJ Sets are half as fun as their tracks, they must give Steve Aoki a run for best cartoon characters on stage.

Image courtesy of Dim Mak.

SONG OF THE DAY: Fedde Le Grand – Twisted

No stranger to big festival anthems (“Don’t Give Up,” “No Good,” “Raw“), Dutchman Fedde Le Grand is about to unleash a new one called “Twisted.” What makes the big room electro track live up to its title? The intro is completely unexpected, starting with a funky guitar hook that sounds like it was lifted from an old Doobie Brothers track (maybe “Long Train Running”) which gets more aggressive and electro as it builds. Then come the male vocals which sound like Green Velvet (channelling Stewart Who) repeating an irresistible verse. The drop and buildup are everything you would expect from a track like this, but it’s the effects and the increasing power in the vocals that elevate the track to a higher level. While some may compare the lyrical content to “Wasted” (Tiesto’s paean to alcoholism), “Twisted” is simultaneously more playful and darker. It isn’t clear whether “Twisted” is referring to a crazy person, someone uninhibited by the music, or the darker side of drug culture. When a track isn’t overly explicit, it allows the listener to make their own interpretation. Though in reality, most ragers will just be jumping up and down to the beat for the entire track, which of course is “Twisted” enough in itself. As usual, Danny Howard of BBC Radio gets the coolest new tracks first.

Image Courtesy of Flamingo.

SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): DJ Samuel Kimko vs Adassa – Ole Ola

Azealia Banks and Nicki Minaj get a lot of props for how they harness multiple personalities and characters in their music. To be able to both sing and rap is quite a unique combination of talents, so when you listen to “Ole Ola” by reggaeton princess Adassa and DJ Samuel Kimko, pay close attention. On the surface, it is a happy, singalong dance song that sounds like a surefire radio hit. The second verse slows down slightly when she starts to rap, but it is the third verse where it goes down to hip-hop tempo that you can really her exceptional lyrical flow. Then, when you add in the “sing and dance” and “ole ola” hooks, you realize that this is a brilliant summer pop song unlike anything else out there right now. Remixes by Andry J, D@niel Tek, Geo Da Silva e Jack Mazzoni, and Gil Sander, all add a bit of electro to the song and dub out the rap, keeping the sung vocals as the focus. This makes sense for clubs where everything needs to stay uptempo, but it also makes the original extended mix stand out as something really special (and great for a surprise reaction from dancers when the song unexpectedly changes tempo). Maybe one more mix is in the works with the downtempo part over a trap or dubstep break? Who knows. Either way, with the World Cup FIFA action in the air, “Ole Ola” makes a great dance-pop confection for the summer heatwave.

Image Courtesy of Kult Records.