SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): Gala – “Lose Yourself in Me”

With mind and senses pure, I can honestly say that I was a big fan of europop in the ’90s, and Gala was one of my favorites.? “Freed From Desire,” “Let a Boy Cry,” and “Come Into My Life” – in their original versions and the remixes by Da Loops and Motiv8 were mainstays of my radio and club sets for quite a while.? Imagine my sheer delight when I recently stumbled upon “Lose Yourself in Me,” released last June on her own label Matriarchy.? The song has all of the elements of classic Gala – that unique, tough-but-sweet voice, intelligent lyrics written above the level of most dance pop, and a catchy repeated chorus hook.? The sound is definitely current, yet there’s an influence of the melancholy t.A.T.u sound that adds a duality of emotion to the sound.? For club play, remixes are a mixed bag (literally) with a contrasting Veldt/Gangnam style mash (JoeySuki), the old school Hi-NRG hands-in-the-air girl twirl (Clap), and the electrohouse/stadium fusion (Hakimaki). ?I could only imagine how great the vibe on the set of the Tron-style video was, as you see the oft-somber Italian girl smiling and having a lot of fun.? Isn’t that the kind of energy you want from a europop song??? While credible DJs may turn up their noses at such an obvious pop record, lyrics like “Find Yourself in Me, I’ll Set You Free” make it a perfect song to start a set with.???

Image Courtesy of Matriarch Records.

INTERVIEW: Bimbo Jones (2013)

Bimbo Jones, the team of Lee Dagger and Marc JB, are probably best known for their consistent output of top flight vocal remixes for artists like Lady Gaga, Pink, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, and Kylie Minogue.? What you might not know is that the two started as songwriters and producers signed to 19 Management. ? In addition to their remixes, they are launching three record labels with a new artist album set for release.? I caught up with them during Amsterdam Dance Event to catch up with them about all they have going on.
?
?
RS: Congratulations on the Kristine W record, how did that come about?
Lee Dagger: It came about last year when we finally got to meet Kristine in Miami. Marc and I had wanted to meet her for years. We have always been a big fan of ?Feel What You Want? from back in the day, which is an amazing house record. When we met her, she invited us to go stay at her ranch any time. ?I was shocked and when we took a trip to the states, we went and stayed on the ranch. Marc and I took one of our tracks that we were really passionate about that had a real strong backing track and sat down and wrote it with her. It was an amazing experience and we gelled really well together. She is a great girl.
Marc JB: She is very talented; she is not just the dance artist that you see in all the PR. She is an accomplished jazz vocalist and saxophonist, a very technical, clever and creative girl.
Lee Dagger: Yeah, she is great on the sax.
? Continue reading INTERVIEW: Bimbo Jones (2013)

SONG OF THE DAY: Armin van Buuren ft Trevor Guthrie – “This is What It Feels Like”

Everyone’s buzzing about the premiere of “This is What It Feels Like” last night on BCC Radio 1. Armin describes his forthcoming album ‘Intense’ as a mix of house, electro, and trance with a touch of dubstep and rock, so this lead single is a great setup, fusing stadium house and trance with elements of rock. If you are a fan of recent tracks by Daddy’s Groove and Carl Nunes, “This is What It Feels Like” will feel similar- yet instead of experimenting with alternative rock, it embraces more of the classic and progressive rock genres, with Armin adding his signature euphoric and pretty glaze on top if it. The vocals of Trevor Guthrie (formerly of SoulDecision) are heartfelt and emotional with an INTENSity as he sings lines like “don’t even know how I survived” that will bring you in as part of the melody. The piano lines and “ooh” vocal hooks compliment the vocals perfectly and complete the track. “This is What It Feels Like” feels like it can be a crossover pop hit upon release internationally, even strong enough to bring Armin some Top 40 attention in the US. As a first taste of Intense, the song makes us look forward to his explorations into the new world of Trance 2.0.

Image Courtesy of Armada.