SONG OF THE DAY: Helen Corry – Time

Looking down under, we’ve found a new singer worth following. “Like a Lie” was our first introduction to New Zealand-born, Australian-based singer Helen Corry- who collaborated with Jetski Safari on that playfully ironic yet meaningful song. Her soulful emotive voice is both deep and youthful at the same time; imagine a cross between Joss Stone and Miriam Bryant for the contrast. Her new single “Time” goes a different direction – similar to her debut single “Divide” – melding modern indie rock and classic synth-pop for a fresh sound that highlights her engaging vocal presence. It’s a bit subtle at first, but if you listen to it a few times, the chorus is going to ingrain itself into your head and you will find yourself singing along to the “we’re running out of time” line as it repeats. As this song starts to grow, there is probably going to be a lot of comparisons to fellow Kiwi singer Lorde because of similar tonal vocal qualities and the darkly analytical perspective of her lyrics, but they are clearly two distinct artists who both deserve a spot in your digital music player. Watch out for Helen’s forth coming collaborations with Music Allstars, Feenixpawl, and an uplifting pop dance song with Jetski Safari/Jupiter Project (“With You”).

Image Courtesy of Independent Records.

Notable Dance Podcast #056

Chocolate Puma ft Kris Kiss – Step Back
Tony Romera – Go Nuts (Original)
Feenixpawl & Trevor Simpson – I Won’t Break (Original)
Andreas Rodlund, Matt Hewie & B3TA ft Jonny Rose – Ultimatum (Original Mix)
Thomas Newson ft Angelika Vee – Don’t Hold Us (Original Mix)
Tommy Trash & Killagraham – The Little Death (Original Mix)
Duck Sauce – NRG (Skrillex, Kill The Noise, and Milo & Otis Remix)
FTampa, Goldfish & Blink – Kismet (Original)
DANK – Renegade (Extended Mix)
Revolvr ft Nina Sung – Electrify (Original)
Bingo Players – Knock You Out (Original)
Tiesto ft Matthew Koma – Wasted (Ummet Ozcan Remix)

(Picture of Ummet Ozcan taken at Spinnin Sessions during WMC 2014.)

SONG OF THE DAY: Walden – “First Day”

Aussie youngster Walden has been building a name for himself with strong original productions (“Intropial,” “Machine Gun”) and remixes (“In My Mind” by Ivan Gough & Feenixpawl, “We Are Tonight” by Paul van Dyk and Christan Burns). With the apt title “First Day,” Walden releases his first vocal track, building on his progressive stadium sound by adding a topline that comes close to pop but keeps the big room feel. The lyrics (sung by Danish co-writer Grace Tither, who has also worked with Michael Zilk and Christian Amby) contrast the changes of the first day and last day of a relationship and what comes after. While the vocals all appear over a beatless dropout, they feel strong enough to keep the energy- or at least something to singalong and emote to. Fellow Aussies Ivan Gough (of TV Rock) and Jebu bang out a harder, more electro mix, dubbing the vocals down to just say “first day, all changed” and keeping a beat going the whole time. While the remix is strong and more dancefloor-friendly, including the full vocals would have really bean a nice touch. The two different versions give the track a strong appeal to different club audiences. As Walden’s production skills develop, it will be interesting to see if he moves towards more traditional pop songwriting while keeping his club vibe going.

Image Courtesy of Big Beat.