SONG OF THE DAY: Cazwell & Manila Luzon ft Roxy and Richie Beretta – “Helen Keller”

Brilliant on so many levels – that is the easiest way to describe this incredible collaboration of uniquely-talented individuals. Following up his energetic electro collaboration with Luciana, “Guess What,” rapper Cazwell comes harder with his modern version of a bitch track. It takes a lot of balls to reference Helen Keller as a verb for reading someone, and with his talent for comical and biting flows, he proves he can handle it. Working with a variety of artists (Peaches, Colton Ford, Avenue D), Cazwell harnesses a range and depth comparable to Eminem. Teaming with both Roxy and Manila Luzon, he channels both the history and future of transgressive drag. If you haven’t heard the classic tracks “Accident” and “Love to Do It” by Roxy, do yourself a favor and discover some herstory. Roxy’s well-chosen hooks add the biting camp voice that’s essential for a successful bitch track. When I first heard Manila on the track, I was shocked, in a good way. Who knew she had this much edge and aggressive bitchiness in her character? Her cleverly-written parts are perfectly delivered with a flow that reflects Cazwell, while showing her own unique style. The original midtempo house production by Richie Beretta is perfectly in sync with the currently-in-vogue NuHouse meme. Check out the mixes by Jodie Harsh and Fierce Tease for a more aggressive take for the big room clubs. Be sure to watch the video by Leonardo Herrera (HomoChic), which is lush, vibrant, and just as entertaining visually as the song is lyrically.

Image courtesy of Peace Bisquit.

SONG OF THE DAY: Cazwell & Manila Luzon ft Roxy and Richie Beretta – “Helen Keller”

SONG OF THE DAY: GotSome ft The Get Along Gang – “Bassline”

As this season of NuHouse (’90s-inspired house) continues to develop, the Brits are leading the charge by mutating and crosspollinating multiple genres to keep it fresh – usually on a monthly basis. Bristol duo Alex Homes and Adam Gorsky, last heard as part of Forget Me Not, blend acid house, a bit of electro, hip-house, dark vibes, and a touch of progressive for the brilliant “Bassline.” It feels simple and stripped-down, yet is masterfully-produced with an insanely full sound, not to mention the sick bassline (hence the title). The vocalist, credited as Get Along Gang, fits the track perfectly with a chilled flow that is catchy and will get you to “move, move your waistline.” DJs afraid of lower tempo records (this one is about 124) should know that not only can you pitch this up while keeping its vibe, but also the acappella is included on the Bassline EP (along with two more hot vocal tracks, “Don’t Want You Back” and “On Point”), so that they can create their own remix or mash-up. Or they can get the surprisingly dark house mix by Kenny Dope- which is cleverly titled “O’Gutta” – one of the wittiest double entendres of recent memory.

Image Courtesy of Defected.

GotSome ft The Get Along Gang – “Bassline”

SONG OF THE DAY: H2SO4 – “She Weirds Me Out”?

I am having flashbacks and I’ve never done LSD.? Not only is ’90s house music back as NuHouse, every subgenre is being brought back.? H2SO4 is the chemical formula of Sulfuric Acid- a fitting name for this corrosive mix of early ’90s techno with a lo-fi and industrial edge.? It feels like they were inspired by Billy Idol’s underrated CyberPunk album, Traci Lords’ underappreciated 1000 Fires album, and early Nine Inch Nails.? The song even sounds like it was made on a vintage Atari ST with MusicMaker.? If you are looking for something completely different and unlike anything being played by the superstar DJs, here’s some “acid”-ic techno to weird you out.

H2SO4 – “She Weirds Me Out”