SONG OF THE DAY: DJ Rap – “Satisfied”

First gaining success in the jungle/drum & bass scene, DJ Rap has evolved into one of the few DJ/producers who can cross effortlessly between many EDM genres – house, trance, progressive, drum & bass, dubstep…? It’s only fitting that she maintains two labels – Propa Talent for drum and bass/dubstep, and Impropa Talent for house and electro.? For her new single “Satisfied,” she embraces her inner Kate Bush and effortlessly coos lyrics about her personal journey. What makes the track unique is the dynamic soundclash between her soft pretty vocals and hard aggressive beats.? True to her multigenre appeal, a variety of mixes- from AudioBender, Ridone, Neurologix, SupaDeckStars, YeahILikeThat, and DJ Rap herself cover all the bases nicely, whether you like old school house, aggressive dubstep, modern electro, or drum and bass – there is a mix that will work for you.

The video, which is the first of a trilogy, features her playing piano, proving that she actually does make her own music. As a fan and a critic, I am conflicted by the hypersexualized and violent S&M imagery.? Yes, EDM videos often contain edgy content because it fits the nature of the music as something tied to the id, the night, and the space in which people relax their inhibitions and let their reptilian brains do the thinking. However, the violently-stuttered action in dubstep videos has quickly become so cliched that the meme has been satirized widely, even crossing over as the minor internet hit by Ylvis “Someone Like Me.”? On the other hand, the difference here is that as the artist and the label owner, DJ Rap chooses to present herself in this sexualized manner as her own artistic statement rather than being forced to do so by a profit-focused corporation. So hats off for exploring experimental and alternative sexual issues in the music video format, and we’ll see what this trilogy brings us.

Image Courtesy of Propa/Impropa Recordings.

SONG OF THE DAY: Lange – “Hold That Sucker Down”

If any producer could be considered the grandfather of stadium house, it would be Rollo Armstrong. Known for epic big room production as part of the remix/production team Rollo and Sister Bliss as well as a founding member of electronic supergroup Faithless, his experimentation with religious keyboards and epic sounds are the clear precursor to the current stadium house sound. As with the recent update of hard house classic “Joy Energizer,” it seems the right time to start reworking the Rollo classics. British DJ/producer dusts off the club/UK QAF classic “Hold That Sucker Down” by OT Quartet (the production team of Rollo and Rob Dougan) and wisely stays true to the original instrumentation, adding some modern electro sounds. Close your eyes and it’s 1994 again with those classic Rollo keyboards lifting you to euphoric heights. While it is quite straightforward, when the original is so masterful – moving away or distorting it would ruin the impact. The only minor quibble is the decision to not include the original version or at least do a separate vocal version, yet the “Hold That Sucker Down” track is so iconic and recognizable maybe the vocals aren’t so necessary (something the original’s vocal versions proved as well). This is one of those WTF tracks that instantly catches a dancer’s attention – they will either recognize it or hold up their phone to shazam it.

Image Courtesy of Lange Records.

SONG OF THE DAY: Vato Gonzalez – “Cats Are Evil”

Electronic dance music has become a major Dutch export and most of it can be easily categorized as dirty dutch, trance, or progressive. Vato Gonzalez stands out with his unique DIrty House sound which mashes glitch, electro, hip-hop influences, techno, ragga, and just about everything else so that every release sounds different, yet has his unique feel. His latest release “Cats Are Evil” has an eerie movie score vibe- going between background soundtrack sparseness, banging electro beats, twisted glitchy noises, whistling effects, and retro video game techno noises. The sole vocal sample- “Cats are Evil” may not please feline lovers but makes the perfect random context to tie the various sounds together. Here’s a track for DJs to throw on when they want to mess with heads of the crowds by playing something unexpected and unlike anything else out there. It will definitely work as a call to arms for his “army of bastards.”

Image Courtesy of Mad Decent Records.