SONG OF THE DAY: Maya Von Doll ft Robs & Duke – “Is This Love”

Dance music is all over the radio right now, but of course purists turn up their noses because it is mostly r&b and pop artists co-opting the EDM genre and putting pop melodies or rap verses on top of it. With that in mind, it’s great to see one of our own jump the trend and add a pop vibe to a harsh electro sound. Soho Dolls lead singer Maya Von Doll follows up her summer single “Open Chequebook” with the deceptively melodic “Is This Love.” I say deceptively because it starts off very synth-pop and gradually the electro kick loop builds in intensity. About a minute and a half in, there’s a brief silence and then full-on glitchy electro takes over – as if Steve Aoki and Skrillex teamed up to make a pop song. The transition between the different sounds is jarring at first, but definitely adds impact to the question the song asks. The video, honestly, borders on soft-core porn but is just classy enough so you realize that a woman is in control of the objectification. In its current form, “Is This Love” is a great electro-pop song for radio, I am imagining how great a sick moombahton or glitch mix would sound in club sets.


Image Courtesy of Maya von Doll.

SONG OF THE DAY: The Shapeshifters – “It’s Alright”

British househeads The Shapeshifters go back to their roots and bring some much needed spirituality to the dance floor. Sampling a gospel preacher (“Hallelujah, it’s alright, to get up”) and churchy strings give “It’s Alright” a classic (and classy) feel at its climax. Building up with a saxophone and a soul clap-oriented groove, the house beats have a minor taste of modern electro – not enough to overpower, but just enough to sound current. The effortless blending of these elements make “It’s Alright” sound quite unique and able to fit into sets for a variety of DJs. Ignoring the risk of sounding cheesy (and mixing song titles), it’s more than alright, it’s quite incredible.

Read our interview with The Shapeshifters from WMC 2008.

Image Courtesy of Nocturnal Groove.

INTERVIEW: Wolfgang Gartner (2012)

I have to be honest and say that I am a huge fan of Wolfgang Gartner.??His tracks are always fresh and banging, with unique elements that set them apart from the pool of tracks thrown on Beatport each week (and eight Beatport #1s is a testament to that).??Currently on tour with a full-on spaceship stage setup, he brings the energy to his crowd every night.??When I first interviewed him last year, I was blown away by how grounded, real, and down to earth he was. He is one of those rarities in the EDM world who does his own work, entertains crowds, and appreciates the success he achieves while managing to avoid the elitist attitudes so prevalent among a lot of the other big guys.

DJ Ron Slomowicz: The stage setup looks insane – did you design it?
Wolfgang Gartner:??Nope.??It was designed by Steve Lieberman of SJ Designs and built by AG Light and Sound.??They both do a lot of stuff for all the big dance festivals like EDC and Ultra, and clubs as well.

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