Tag: alex clare

SONGS OF THE DAY:?? Don Diablo & Matt Nash – “Starlight (Could You Be Mine)” and Don Diablo ft Alex Clare & Kelis -? “Give It All”

The original dirty dutchman Don Diablo is forever experimenting with his sound (check out the brilliant “M1 Stinger” for his last leftfield track). Teaming with rising UK producer Matt Nash, the result is “Starlight,” a refreshing take on the stadium meme, where the energetic part is more like bouncy electrohouse rather than the overdone three-chord brohouse cliche.? The vibe is reminiscent of the tragically overlooked Kat Krazy “See the Sun” from earlier in the year.? Watch for this one to be big amongst the superstar DJs, with Axwell championing it on his Axtone label.??? Featuring vocalist Alex Clare and Kelis, “Give It All” sounds like it might be the major pop hit that crosses Don over to the mainstream.? With the downbeat dubstep production, it feels slightly similar to Alex’s pop hit “Too Close,” but the lyrics and tone are much darker – questioning what you would do if your life was about to end and even the meaning of life while toasting a drink, celebrating for reason we don’t know.? It’s much more thought-provoking than a typical party record (maybe a testament to the vast unemployment of British/European twentysomethings) and sounds like a political statement that Faithless would be making in these uncertain times.? If you aren’t familiar with Don Diablo’s music, after you check out these two songs – go back and listen to “Hooligans,” “Amimale,” and “Make You Pop.”

Images courtesy of Axtone and Columbia.

Notable Dance Podcast #008

Mooncut – Don’t Leave (Extended)
Martin Solveig & The Cataracs ft Kyle – Hey Now (Original)
Robbie Rivera and Federico Scavo – Jump (Original)
Ivan Mastermix – Shakti (Menini & Viani Remix)
Steve Aoki ft Miss Palmer & Dan Sena – Omega
Burn the Disco – Dreams
Lazy Rich & Hirshee ft Amba Shepherd – Damage Control (Jerry Rekonius Remix)
Sebastian Ingrosso and John Martin – Reload (Main Mix)
Starkillers and Kai ft Richard Beynon – Rampage
Subfocus ft Alex Clare – Endorphins (Tommy Trash)
Above and Beyond – Walter White
Mobin Master vs Tate Strauss ft Polina – Dreams (Safari Mix)

SONG OF THE DAY: Ellie Goulding – “Figure 8”

Chess for girls… Now that Ellie has a pop hit here in the states, the hipsters are already talking smack about her. I overheard one of them referring to “Figure 8” as “dubstep for girls,” a la the infamous Saturday Night Live sketch commercial for “Chess for Girls.” Needless to say, I completely disagree. Yes, the song is quite similar in structure and tone to Alex Clare’s crossover/advertising jingle “Too Close,” but that same critique will be thrown at any artist who utilizes dubstep rhythms with emotional storytelling (though both songs do share the same coproducer, Mike Spencer.) “Figure 8” is quite darker than her current single “Anything Could Happen,” with moodier and sparser verse production and harder dubstep chorus beats acting as a background for Ellie’s story of heartbreak. It’s easy to see why Ellie Goulding was embraced as a true songwriting talent in the UK in the same way that they embraced Adele. The two remixes couldn’t be more different. Drop Lamond’s take is hard to describe – an interesting and odd fusion of breakbeat and brokenbeat, with an electro groove throughout. The stop-and-stutter feel would make for a nice change in vibe for any ballsy DJ willing to take a risk at a WTF moment. If you like their mix, you should also check out their single “Kerosene.” For mainstream dance floors, The Alias continues their streak of hands-in-the-air Hi-NRG mixes (Girls Aloud, Little Mix, Kelly Clarkson) with another galloping floorfiller. I find it quite impressive that the label is commissioning commercial remixes like this (and the Almighty remix of “Anything Could Happen”) in addition to the edgier, “credible” mixes. It just shows that a strong song can translate for any audience.

Image Courtesy of CherryTree/Interscope.