Tag: anakyn

SONG OF THE DAY: Walden – “Intropial”?

As a big fan of Australian pop tart Zoe Badwi,? I first discovered Walden when he remixed “Accidents Happen.”? It was an edgy yet commercial mix that highlighted the vocals with a unique flavor.?? Not long after, Walden started popping up on records by Mika, Marina & the Diamonds, and that car commercial song “In My Mind” by Ivan Gough & Feenixpawl (while everyone else was banging Axwell’s mix, I was all about Walden’s take). ?When I heard his Moroder-esque track “Our Metal Heartbeats,” that’s when it really went to a new level.? With the rise of all the young EDM producers (Madeon, Porter Robinson), it came as little surprise that Walden wasn’t even twenty, yet was already creating international buzz tracks from down under.? His current single “Intropial” is a big room stadium house production on the progressive tip complete with effected vocals, spatial breaks, explosions, and breakdowns.? When I first heard the title, I thought the track was a play on the word intropic (or changing the force of muscles) – with the track decreasing and increasing the energy with varying transitions.? It ends up that it’s actually a concept track about rebellion against an evil corporation as illustrated by the sci-fi/geek-friendly animated video.? Walden isn’t a reference to Thoreau’s transcendental wilderness experience but also to Walden Industries, the fictional corporation controlling people’s minds through evil technology.? Then again, considering Thoreau’s treatise on self-reliance maybe the two are related.? Either way, “Intropial” works on many levels – a solid club track and an introduction to a fantasy world. For all the SciFi fans out there, be sure to check out Walden’s mix of “Point Blank (Love is Blind)” by Anakyn ft Fabio Lendrum – a great Star Wars reference for those in the know.

Image Courtesy of Big Beat.

SONG OF THE DAY: Anakyn ft Fabio Lendrum – “Point Blank (Love is Blind)”

When I first heard (and wrote up) Anakyn’s “Point Blank,” the “episodic feel of the tempo changes” was something I commented about.? The track tells a story through different waves as the intensity of the tempo and moods transform – this set the track apart from many others out there.? Not dissimilar to Lazy Jay’s “Float My Boat” in this respect, these kind of tracks often inspire the most interesting vocals. Just as “Float My Boat” inspired Azealia Banks to create “212,” Anakyn enlisted the help of rising singer/writer/DJ Fabio Lendrum to create “Love is Blind,”? the vocal version of “Point Blank.”? Rather than a full-on traditional pop song, the focus is on a chorus which is repeated a few times during peaks and valleys of the track.? Fabio’s blue-eyed soulful delivery adds a new level of emotion, elevating the track to a higher peak. Whereas the original track was strong in its own right, the new vocal version can cross it over to a new level by making it more emotional and accessible without feeling cheesy in any way. Walden’s remix is a bit harder on the electro tip yet manages to keep the original elements of the track and the vocal as the main focus.? With “Love is Blind” and his work as cowriter/producer of Example’s “Won’t Go Quietly,” Fabio Lendrum is definitely one to watch for 2013.

Image Courtesy of FFRR White/Big Beat.