You’ve got to love a track that has multiple personality disorder.? Like the trend of franken-dresses in fashion, the full-on mash-up fusion of disparate genres is making current releases a lot more interesting.? For Wakanda, Belgian team Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike lure you in with a modern take on big room tribal (complete with aboriginal-sounding chants) before seamlessly jumping into banging, glitchy electro buildups.? Going back and forth between the tribal and electro gives “Wakanda” a frantic energy and unique sound which you might expect to come from a tag team set of Chus & Ceballos and Nicky Romero, just condensed into a 5-minute track.? As for the name, the reference could be geeky to tech people (a javascript platform), comic book fans (an imaginary country in Marvel comics), or sociologist (the great spirit of Native Americans). ?It’s fascinating when a single word can reference so many interpretations, just like when a track can be so much greater than the sum of its seemingly discordant elements.
Image Courtesy of Axtone.
SONG OF THE DAY: Joachim Garraud ft A Girl & A Gun – “Maximus”
You may not know the name Joachim Garraud, but you definitely know his work.? The French DJ/producer collaborated with David Guetta on many of his landmark early productions.? He’s also collaborated with synth mastermind Jean-Michel Jarre.? For the debut release on his new label Space Invaders, he’s created an instantly lovable commercial electro track which blends electro and stadium with a playful cheekiness that is uniquely French (think about the goofy smirks of Martin Solveig in his videos for an idea). The production is quite complex, with sudden transitions between grooves in the phrasing.? It recalls classic techno songs by artists like Digital Boy and The Creator, with three measures of one loop and then a surprise contrasting fourth measure that changes groove.? Throw in a “Jump” chant and the feisty Luciana-esque vocals of Girl & a Gun and you got a standout club track that will command the dance floor.? Let’s hope the forthcoming remixes are able to maintain the cheeky playfulness of the original.
Image Courtesy of Space Invader Music.
SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): The Good Natured – “5-HT (Kat Krazy Remix)”
When the energy is right, the crowd will follow. ?Even if the energy is attached to a song or group your crowd doesn’t even know. ?The Good Natured, responsible for 2011’s “Skeleton,” quietly dropped “5-HT” with a clever video and modest level of oomph. ?But that all changed when remixers Kat Krazy got their conniving little hands on the track. ?Of course, the lyrics are still mostly hard to understand and a little… less poppy than a big room remix like this likes to have, but there is no doubting that the bass and beats of this mix will get your body moving.
Image Courtesy of Regal.