Tag: greg kurstin

SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): Dido – “End of Night (Remixes)”

I will be the first to admit that Dido is not the first artist I think of when I am reaching for a floorfilling club anthem.? Her songs tend to be more downbeat, introspective, and dare I say depressing- not really the ultimate source material for hands-in-the-air fun.? Maybe this is why her new single “End of Night” blew me away so much.? Produced and co-written by Greg Kurstin, the pop mastermind behind two of the year’s best dance pop records, Tegan and Sara’s “Closer” and Rita Ora’s “Radioactive,” the song spins Dido’s telling off of an ex-boyfriend as an ’80s-vibed nu-romantic La Roux-inspired electro track.?? What makes it even more special is that both remixes feel like modern takes of ’90s dance styles – Vince Clarke’s mix sounds like an updated DNA-ish hip-house track, while Bimbo Jones go hands-in-the-air Hi-NRG europop (imagine Motiv8 reworking Yaz’s “Don’t Go” for an idea). ?Whoever A&Red these remixes deserves kudos for one of the more interesting remix packages of the year.

Image Courtesy of RCA.

SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): Rita Ora – “Radioactive”

Here’s a simple formula: great producer + great songwriter + great pop artist = great pop song. British singer/songwriter Rita Ora exploded on the scene in the UK first as a featured singer on DJ Fresh’s dubstep pop hit “Hot Right Now.” She then scored solo with the chart topping singles “How We Do (Party)” and “Shine Ya Light.” While she hasn’t conquered the US with such success, her new single “Radioactive” just might do the trick. Written and produced by Sia Furler (who we all know from her solo work along with massive David Guetta/Flo Rida collaborations) and Greg Kurstin (from hits by Kylie and Kelly Clarkson and Tegan and Sara?s recent “Closer”), this stadium house-grooved europop record is love at first listen. With lines like “hand to the sky” and “I feel it” and incredibly strong remixes by Dutch producers Baggi Begovic, Flexican and Lucien Foort, “Radioactive” will definitely generate a lot of DJ love.


Image Courtesy of Roc Nation.

SONG OF THE DAY: Tegan and Sara – “Closer”

Just like fellow Canadians Dragonette, indie-rock duo Tegan and Sara seem to be going more electronic with each successive release. Working with Tiesto, Morgan Page, and David Guetta & Alesso as well as embracing remixes of their own songs, the identical twins are finding that EDM fans love their catchy, intelligently-written (and sometimes quirky) pop songs as well. “Closer” is a rock-flavored, energetic electropop song with influences of dubstep and stadium house in its original production. The sing-along chorus and “oh-oh-oh” chant are just two of the many catchy elements. Working with Greg Kurstin, a member of the group The Bird & the Bee (who has produced hits for Kylie Minogue and Kelly Clarkson), Tegan and Sara have managed to seamlessly blend indie dance rock and electronic pop into something cool and credible that is also insanely radio-friendly. While there is no doubt that a full slate of remixes will be forthcoming, the one to reach for is the epic-feeling Sultan and Ned Shepard rerub. Keeping the full vocals intact, the dynamic levels shift from a very pretty and euphoric verse which builds to a massively intense chorus. Even with the dropouts, the energy is constant as the emotion of the lyrics come through loud and clear. Like the original production, the remix is cool and edgy while being both club-friendly and commercial at the same time. Also like the original version, their remix is so strong that an edit of it would sound equally amazing on the radio.

Image courtesy of Warner.