SONG OF THE DAY: Martin Solveig and Laidback Luke – “Blow”

Teaming up the French and Dutch pranksters Martin Solveig and Laidback Luke is a match made in heaven. Both bring a sense of humor to the their performances, tracks, videos, and personae. The resulting track “Blow” is an electro jam complete with big chants, big beats, and a few familiar elements. It starts eerily, with a ’90s techno intro (is that Human Resource’s “Dominator” I hear) behind a sexy female chant while we wonder whether it’s about the mythical body spray or a penis getting erect. The signature Solveig drumbeat build-up leads to what could be described as a “Rattle”-era Bingo Players remix of Depeche Mode’s “Strangelove.” Bring on the cheers, screams, and fist pumps every time you hear “Blow,” and you’ve got a massive festival anthem. While the official video hasn’t been released, the first teaser shows Laidback Luke playing action movie star Bruce Luke (a spoof of Bruce Lee) endorsing “Blow” as a fragrant body spray. It’s a perfectly-timed and brilliant satire of all the commercial placements that are ending up in music videos. Think about how many times you’ve seen that Sony waterproof mobile phone or those Beats headphones and speakers deployed lately.


Image Courtesy of Mixmash.

SONG OF THE DAY: Example – “All The Wrong Places”

On my first listen to “Hooligans,” his sickeningly aggressive raver track with Don Diablo, Example’s personality and flow instantly made me a fan. Through a succession of both energetic and somber singles, as well as collaborations with producers as varied as Skream, Laidback Luke, Calvin Harris, and Flux Pavillion, and his recent appearance as a featured rapper on a Pet Shop Boys album, he has morphed from a party boy MC to an intelligent and emotionally succinct singer with the ability to play both roles and everything in between.? With his new single “All the Wrong Places,” he uses the contrast of old school rave and hardstyle to showcase his rather strong vocal performance.? It’s an interesting way to stage a political statement, especially since a large portion of the listeners might not get the message.? Forthcoming remixes by Starkillers, Quinitino, and Jack Beats are sure to be massive, as will be his new album which is said to be inspired The Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, and Faithless.? Now, that’s a ’90s-inspired project I cannot wait to hear.

Image courtesy of Ministry of Sound.