Egyptian trance producers Aly & Fila celebrate the 250th broadcast of their Future Sound of Egypt radio show with the aptly titled “Sand Theme.” The original mix, a collaboration with Swedish producer Bjorn Akesson, melds classic soothing trance elements (is that a reference to Chicane “Saltwater”) with sitar-like strings and glitchy noises for a sparse yet uplifting feel. Fully embracing the “trance 2.0” vibe, Argentinian producer Chris Schweizer intensifies the energy with aggressive synths and harder beats that propel with the build up to a pounding, erm, sandstorm. All puns aside, lovers of harder electro trance should definitely check out this international flavored track.
In a world where uncredited engineers do the work of others who buy the credit, it’s great to see a real musician/producer stay true to himself. Lenny B has produced remixes for everyone from Rihanna and Britney Spears to Faithless and Armand van Helden, always managing to engage the sounds of big room club music with a commercial feel. His recent remix of One Direction “What Makes Your Beautiful” gained massive club play by taking the boy band into the electro realm while keeping the hooks and melodies perfectly in line. “Catch My Breath” is not the first song of Kelly Clarkson that Lenny has remixed, he also did “The Trouble With Love” a few years back which she then chose as her tour version. It’s always a challenge for a producer to rework a song with a powerful vocal – the vibrato and tone don’t always fit when the tempo changes for club play. In Lenny’s masterful hands, the mid tempo pop ballad transforms into a powerful club anthem as electro/stadium house hybrid. The vocals are so perfect, it sounds like she sang this version as the original take. Lenny’s mix would perfectly in a credible club set by someone like Swedish House Mafia or David Guetta just as easily as it would in a commercial club by your local resident dj. That kind of universal sound is what Lenny B is really known for – taking pop records and giving them a modern club feel. Now, let’s just see if the label is smart enough to realize that this is the perfect mix for radio and gives it the push it deserves.
Wow, this one is a headscratcher. In my mind, when I saw Ester Dean on this record, my frame of reference was that she sang the urban booty record “Drop It Low,” and “Super Bass” with Nicki Minaj. Come to find out she cowrote big hits for Rihanna (“S&M” / “Rude Boy”) and Katy Perry (“Firework,” “Peacock”) and starred in ‘Pitch Perfect’ as the lesbian with swag. On first listen, “We’ve Only Just Begun” would be a strong instrumental track with catchy electro riffs and subtle energy builds that capture you in the beat. Ester’s aggressively seductive lyrics (which lead her partner to take her home and instruct them on how to properly perform cunnilingus) are surprisingly subtle unless you pay really close attention (reminding me of the perverted “Too Close,” originally done by Next). Her vocal delivery morphs with the intensity of the track – increasing and decreasing in power and control. The original mix is incredibly strong on its own and the remixes by Gorgon City, Westfunk & Steve Smart, and R3hab & Zroq expand its reach with flavors of two step-garage/bass, house, and harder electro. Major props to Ministry of Sound for creating the first video in recent memory where all the female dancers are completely covered. With this song Ester has “only just begun” her journey into the EDM club world. Watch out for her forthcoming cover of Bonnie Raitt’s classic “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” easily the best version of the song since Nashville Star’s Angela Hacker redefined it for the 21st century.
