INTERVIEW: Krewella (2013)

Krewella is one of the biggest buzzing EDM acts of 2012.? Formed in 2007 with two sisters (Jahan and Yasmine Yousaf) and producer Rain Man, their track “Killin It” became a meme of its own, gaining major attention from DJs and music lovers all around the world.? Their EP “Play Hard” and recently-released remix EP ‘Play Harder” show the depth of their musical tastes, covering the full spectrum of dance genres.? ? Although they are gigging constantly, they are looking forward to taking a break to complete the work for their forthcoming debut artist album. ? I spoke to them when they played in Nashville, right before New Year’s Eve 2012.

Ron Slomowicz: So, where did the name ?Rain Man? come from?
Rain Man: I was doing a hip-hop beat competition in Chicago a couple years ago, and one of the judges asked me my name and when I told him, he said ?no you?re not that, you are rain man because you will have money raining down on you one day.? He was one of my biggest inspirations and mentor for a while and it has stuck.

RS: Speaking of names, where did the name Krewella come from?
Jahan: We came up with it about 4-5 years ago; it was actually before Yasmine was even in the group and while we were trying out other girls. I thought of it when we were writing down lyrics, we were thinking of darker, evil, sexy, feminine lyrics and the name popped in my head and I didn?t even question it. I thought it was the perfect name for a group that would have heavy masculine beats and feminine vocals.

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SONG OF THE DAY: Sander van Doorn – “Joyenergizer”

Here’s a trend that we should have seen coming. Just as electro producers
embraced retro-rave/techno sounds last year, it was only a matter of time
before they started co-opting the NuNRG/hardcore sound of the late
’90s/early ’00s. Leave it to a Dutchman to dust off Joy Kitikonti’s
hardcore classic “Joyenergizer,” and make it massive for 2013. Sander Van
Doorn expands on the bouncy sound of his Kangaroo and adds just enough
modern flavor (this could be a R3hab/Bl3nd chainsaw) to that repeated,
glitchy noise hook that made the original so memorable. The moment the
punters hear the hook, the madness ensues. Don’t be surprised if this
launches a whole trend of hardstyle club classics getting covered/remixed
for 2013. I am betting on Mauro Picotto’s “Lizard” to be quickly
forthcoming.

Image Courtesy of Spinnin/Doorn.

SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): Picco – “Mash!”

You can learn a lot about a producer by listening to their music. Listening to the releases of German producer Picco, it’s quite obvious that he is one of the most happy, joyful, and random people you might ever meet. He takes random elements and combines them together with an upbeat twist – whether it be traditional Mexican music (“Venga”), the Dream Academy’s ’80s classic “Life in A Northern Town” (“Walk on By”), or Mory Kante’s African chants (“Yeke Yeke”), his songs have a mashed-up fun and energetic feel while walking that fine line of becoming cheese. This is what makes his new track “Mash!” seem so perfect. Starting off with a Scooter-esque voice shouting the title, a bassline similar to “Show me Life” comes in behind a vocal topline reminiscent of the Dajae’s classic “Everyday My Life.” The vocals stutter and effect out until the distorted voice becomes the “Mash” line again and the track suddenly changes to bouncy electro quite similar to Steve Angello’s “Knas.” The track then strips down to just the beat and the original bassline and the vocal comes back in for a bit, before another buildup takes the track back to the bouncy electro. This is one of those tracks you listen to and wonder what the heck the producer was thinking as it quickly becomes ingrained in your brain. Here’s hoping that the label releases this track really soon as it is nowhere to be found legally – it’s not at Amazon, iTunes, Beatport, or any other digital download site that I checked.


Image Courtesy of Kontor.