Tag: skrillex

SONG OF THE DAY: Monsta – “Messiah”

Gospel vocalists singing soulful house records is a perfect fit, but did you ever wonder if it would work with dubstep?? Listening to MONSTA’s new track “Messiah,” the answer is a solid yes.? Listening to the intro, you would think you were in a Southern church listening to choir leader starting an uplifting spiritual hymn.? The surprise comes a minute in when instead of the choir, a massive dubstep beat kick in, produced by Rocky and Rufio.? It isn’t grating or harsh, yet the contrast to the vocals elevates the song (and the genre) to a new level. In every subgenre, there comes a time when artists need to take the rudimentary sounds and use them in new ways.? “Messiah” is a continuation of the sonic journey of their buzz hit “Holdin On” that featured a remix by Skrillex and Nero.? Upon first listen to the track, the voice of singer Skaar (no doubt named for the powerful offspring of superhero Hulk), I knew that I recognized the singer as his voice was so unique. As an obsessed Wideboys fan, I was singing a song in my head and realized that I was referencing their mix of “Smilin” by Bryn Christopher.?? A quick wiki search confirmed my thoughts, and it makes perfect sense.? EDM and dubstep tracks benefit from strong and unique vocalists.? The powerful gospel-infused timbre of Bryn’s voice is a perfect contrast to the aggressive dubstep beats.?? Here’s hoping the success of MONSTA inspires more of our genre’s finest producers to collaborate with equally strong singers.??

Image Courtesy of Interscope / OWSLA.

INTERVIEW: Hardwell (2013)

The big Dutch EDM producers pretty much fall into two categories ? trance or dirty.? Hardwell stands out as one who blurs the lines, combining the aggressive electro of the Dirty Dutch with the pretty, melodic feel of the trancers.??We spoke during Amsterdam Dance Event on the day of his massive Revealed label party – which ended up being one of the highlights on the entire week.

RS: Are you excited about your big event tonight?
Hardwell: I am really excited, it is the biggest Revealed night that we have had so far. 1,600 tickets sold out in 1 week, the hype has been buzzing on Twitter and Facebook for a month now. I expect a really good party tonight.

Continue reading INTERVIEW: Hardwell (2013)

SONG OF THE DAY: Diplo ft Billy the Gent and Long Jawns – “Butters Theme”

Taken on its own as a track, “Butter’s Theme” is a quite strong mix of moombahton with Indian and hip-hop elements strung throughout. While not totally in your face, it does get quickly ingrained in your memory. The minimal vocal chants about watching booty are syncopated perfectly, and this track would work equally as well in a gentleman’s or hipster/electro club. Most of the buzz on this song, though, is coming from the video being featured on the Potato (a collaboration of Diplo, A-Trak, and Skrillex) YouTube channel. A kaleidoscopic (if not hallucinogenic) masturbatory fantasy for teenage boys, the clip features multiple girls clad in diverse fetish gear synced to each beat and phrase of the song. Imagine Terry Richardson doing a promo clip for an American Apparel or Frederick’s of Hollywood or Nylon collaboration to get the idea. The video is truly worth watching, as it’s a visual masterpiece with so very much going on at once. While I find myself drawn to heavenly hula hoop girl, there’s been much speculation as to whether the pretty blonde is really Ellie Goulding. Seeing as she used to date Skrillex, it could be a possibility, but I just can’t imagine the British songstress agreeing to be part of something like this. While an Azealia Banks version is probably forthcoming, Stella Mwangi’s flow fits the track quite well.

Image Courtesy of Mad Decent.