Tag: chris cox

SONG OF THE DAY:? Clara Lofaro “Born to Love You”

I get sent a lot of music to listen to, and sometimes I just put tracks in a folder on random play as background music to see what grabs me.? When I first heard “Born to Love You,” I thought it was cool that Joss Stone had finally gotten a club mix. To my surprise, it wasn’t Joss singing, but rather singer/songwriter Clara Lofaro, with a multilayered soulful delivery that expressed desire with a bit of a pining rasp.? Chris Cox’s remix is one that kind of defies classification – it’s not exactly electro, or tribal, or stadium, or commercial- but more a subtle combination of all of those things.? “Born to Love You” and the remix sound like nothing else out there right now, and as such it might not grab you on first listen.? Put it on as background music and before you know it, you will be singing along…

Image courtesy of Cometrue Records.

SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): Leah Labelle – “Lolita”

Canadian-born American Idol contestant (from Season 3, back in 2003) Leah Labelle has followed an interesting path.? Her cover videos on YouTube led to gigs singing backup for Keri Hilson, Jordin Sparks, and Eric Benet- and eventually attention from industry heavyweights LA Reid, Jermaine Dupri, and Pharrell Williams. The debut single “Sexify” had her lined up to be a male Robin Thicke, offering funky and mature R&B pop songs with an adult theme.? A year later comes the new single “Lolita,” with a sped up disco-vibe backing her sultry seductive vocals.? You can definitely feel a Pharrell vibe as the song is eerily similar to Daft Punk’s current hit “Get Lucky.”? An impressive remix package featuring Chris Cox, Sick Individuals, and Sidney Samson take the song in electro and tribal directions- making the song dancefloor-friendly while keeping ‘the song’ the main focus.? The video makes it perfect for?Sunday?Funday because of the sheer WTF clash of images – think Nelly Furtado doing a Ke$ha video for Logo and you get an idea.

Image Courtesy of?Epic.

SONG OF THE DAY: Chris Cox + DJ Frankie ft Crystal Waters – “Oh Mama Hey”

With the plethora of instrumental club tracks out there, a good chant can make the difference between “filler” and a “floorfiller.”? Constructed by legendary DJ/Producers Chris Cox (of Thunderpuss infamy) and DJ Frankie (nightlife impresario that brought clubland to Vegas with the launch of Studio 54),? “Oh Mama” was originally released in 2010. The “Oh Mama Hey” chant elevated the retrotribal-tinged electro track to secret weapon status and was deployed by those DJs in the know. ? Refreshed, revitalized, and re-produced for 2013, “Oh Mama Hey” now features a fresh vocal topline by diva-in-demand Crystal Waters, who of course is no stranger to a good chant, remember ‘la da dee, la da da?’ ?Her verse has a touch of the swing vibe, which probably rubbed off from her work with Yolanda Be Cool but dang it if the nonsense bits just don’t get caught in your head.? With a remix package featuring Stonebridge, Rosabel, Steven Redant, and Trent Cantrelle, as well as a music video forthcoming, “Oh Mama Hey” could be the floorfiller that heats up dance floors all winter long.

Image Courtesy of Tommy Boy.