SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY):? Starz Angels – “Take A Risk Tonight”

Listening to new music, I try to not allow press releases or buzz to influence my opinion, so I click to listen before reading the hype.? “Take A Risk Tonight” starts off quite pretty and melancholy, with male vocals similar in vibe to one of the Bob Sinclar classics “World Hold On” or “Love Generation.”? As the verse ends, there’s that drum fill, which of course signals something electro is coming and then the song transforms into a big room festival track – with “those” effects and noises – yet it maintains a very pop feel, kind of like a new format we might call AAC (Afrojack adult contemporary).? The up and down continues as the next verse comes in with a beatless drop, but it surprisingly works.? I think it was Rollo who first perfected this style of hardcore dance beat with no vocals leading to the drop which contained the full song (look up his mix of Simply Red’s “Fairground” for an example).? Remixes take the track house (Grand Vue), aggressive electro (Franck Dona), and broken beat disco (T. Colau). The “Take a Risk Tonight” line seems very YOLO, and the comedic video featuring a tricycle race to the death is both remarkably fresh and hilarious on many levels.? This is pure pop music and very fitting for Sunday Funday.? If anyone knows where to get those t-shirts with valentine candy hearts that say “I am your *unt” – please drop me an eMail and let me know.

Image Courtesy of Made 2 Dance.

Starz Angels – “Take A Risk Tonight”

SONG OF THE DAY: Felix Cartal ft Ofelia “New Scene”

It’s often strange to hear the original version of a song after you are so used to the remix.? Over the past few weeks, I’ve been playing the Lazy Rich mix of “New Scene” in my club and mixshow sets, and it grows bigger with every play.? The contrast of the harsh electro and the pretty chorus make it dance floor dynamite – basically something for the boy to jump to and the girls to sing to.? Listening to the original version, it feels more like (and this is meant as a compliment) an indie version of a Zedd record – a pretty vocal over a track with widely dynamic moodswings throughout.? This could easily work as well on radio as it does in the club.? Additional banging mixes by Lucky Date and Deorro keep the big room appeal, while the leftfield mix by TOKiMONSTA makes the perfect high school prom love ballad for a disney TV show.? The video is meant to show contrasts of things that don’t go together (playing Twister in a dance club) but the thing that is most glaringly out of place is the obnoxious product placement of the Beats Pill speaker.? Everyone knows that Dim Mak label owner Steve Aoki is a Sol Republic guy.
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Image Courtesy of Dim Mak.

SONG OF THE DAY: GotSome ft The Get Along Gang – “Bassline”

As this season of NuHouse (’90s-inspired house) continues to develop, the Brits are leading the charge by mutating and crosspollinating multiple genres to keep it fresh – usually on a monthly basis. Bristol duo Alex Homes and Adam Gorsky, last heard as part of Forget Me Not, blend acid house, a bit of electro, hip-house, dark vibes, and a touch of progressive for the brilliant “Bassline.” It feels simple and stripped-down, yet is masterfully-produced with an insanely full sound, not to mention the sick bassline (hence the title). The vocalist, credited as Get Along Gang, fits the track perfectly with a chilled flow that is catchy and will get you to “move, move your waistline.” DJs afraid of lower tempo records (this one is about 124) should know that not only can you pitch this up while keeping its vibe, but also the acappella is included on the Bassline EP (along with two more hot vocal tracks, “Don’t Want You Back” and “On Point”), so that they can create their own remix or mash-up. Or they can get the surprisingly dark house mix by Kenny Dope- which is cleverly titled “O’Gutta” – one of the wittiest double entendres of recent memory.

Image Courtesy of Defected.

GotSome ft The Get Along Gang – “Bassline”