Tag: black box

SONG OF THE DAY: Leonardo GloVibes ft Juiceppe – Electrica Salsa

Those crazy Italians… ? Between the rise of Moska, Felguk, and HiiO, and the massive Fatboy Slim ‘Bem Brasil’ album,? there’s definitely a South American trend going on in EDM right now. When I first saw the title “Electrica Salsa,” I was expecting either an update of the Sven Vath “Baba Baba” track, or a reworking of salsa in the same vibe that the Royal Gigolos did in their heyday.? This track is neither of those.? Yes, there is a salsa sample in the track, but somehow Italian DJ/Producer Leonardo GloVibes was inspired to sample Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock’s classic “It Takes Two” (in a similar way to how he used Black Box’s “Strike It Up” on his “Move On” track)? and add singer Juiceppe, affecting his best drag queen reading voice.? This track is really something random and crazy that just comes out of nowhere, but it is definitely memorable and gets a reaction when an adventurous DJ works it into his set. Trust me, I remember when I heard Leonardo play it poolside during the Winter Music Conference and kept wondering what it was and when it would finally get released (the answer being June 23rd).

Image Courtesy of Go Deeva.

SONG OF THE DAY: Armand Van Helden and Herve – Power of Bass

With the ’90s flashback taking the UK by storm,?classic house tracks are being revisited as well.? Armand Van Helden, who was behind many of the biggest speed garage tracks of the ’90s (“Sugar is Sweeter,” “Professional Widow,” “Spin Spin Sugar”) contributes an “updated” version of Raze’s “Bass Power.”? I say “updated” in quotes, because the track sounds like something he could have done in his early days as an X-Mix producer if he was asked to combine hooks from Maurice Joshua’s “This is Acid” and Black Box “Strike It Up” with Pamela Frazer’s classic lines “Get into the music, Let the rhythm move your soul, It’s time to get busy baby, So I can Lose control, I wanna get loose, When sounds are pumping in the place, It’s time to let go and feel the power of bass.”?? “Bass Power” is one of those classic songs (like “Show Me Love,” “Finally,” and “I Will Survive”) that gets updated every year or so and you’ve no doubt heard the various interpretations by Rude Dog, Porno/Hannah Jones, etc.? It’s amazing how this new production can sound so classic and of the moment at the same time.? Fans of the Gotsome “Bassline” track will go nuts for this as well any of you old school househeads.?? All that’s missing in the Sly & Robbie “Boops (Here We Go)” sample…

Image Courtesy of Ministry of Sound.

Armand Van Helden and Herve – Power of Bass

SONGS OF THE DAY: Botnek – “Through the Night” and My Digital Enemy & Jason Chance “Feel It In the Air”

These are probably two tracks that you wouldn’t place together, unless of course you were a lover of ’90s italohouse and clocked both vocal samples as coming from diva Ann Marie Smith. Coming off the heels of a massive mix of “Easy” by Matt Zo and Porter Robinson, Canadian duo Botnek has been ceremoniously anointed the next big thing by Dim Mak founder Steve Aoki. Tracks like “Panama Bass” and “Rass” laid the ground work of the electroglitch sound that they’ve developed succinctly over the past few years. For “Through the Night,” they nicked the vocal line which sounds like a sample of Sharada House Gang featuring Ann Marie Smith “Dancing Through the Night.” Starting off like just about any other stadium house track, the magic comes as the vocal is deployed throughout the intro, leading to a drum fill that crescendoes into glitchy electro madness. Whether that vocal effect becomes the “Botnek” trademark or just another sound in their wheelhouse is yet to be seen, but for now they’ve got a massive record that is set to be a massive festival anthem this season. The collaboration of My Digital Enemy and Jason Chance led to the recently unleashed, frolicking “Feel It In the Air.” The energetic mix of tribal and piano house has a definite feel of a big nineties club track with a bit of electro to keep it sounding current. Playing it in my club sets since it was released, the vocal sample has been driving me nuts because I kept thinking it was Motiv8 “Rockin for Myself.” It wasn’t until I heard the Botnek track that it hit me, the sample is from “Move Your Feet” by 49ers featuring Ann Marie Smith (the song which Motiv8 sampled). When combined with “Move On” by Leonardo GloVibes, these tracks point out that the current ’90s house revival movement is also paying its due respect to Italohouse.

Images courtesy of Dim Mak and Zulu Recordings.