With festival and club fireworks to come, @Dzekomusic and @RiggiandPiros give us a definitive summer “Anthem”

DZEKO vs RIGGI & PIROS, “Anthem”

In one short week since its release, “Anthem” from Toronto’s Dzeko and one of New Jersey’s finest dance production duos Riggi & Piros has garnered the support of just about every major DJ in the world, so you can expect EDM domination during the balance of the summer.  All it takes is the 10 deliberate notes in “Anthem” that comprise the unassuming hook and will absolutely slay dance music lovers.  There’s a real throwback melody to late 90’s Eurodisco too within the future house core of the song  that’s highly appealing and causes utter glee with fans of this genre.  With Dzeko now everywhere on the charts with Tiësto and “Jackie Chan”, “Anthem” will follow by conquering festivals and clubs everywhere.  You have been warned!!

Netherlands-based producers @Revelriesmusic score with dreamy mid-summer song “Infinitum” with Australia’s #BeamishBoys

REVELRIES and THE BEAMISH BOYS, “Infinitum”

You can tell the guys behind Dubai-bred, Netherlands-based Revelries (they would be Nik and Abhi) are not only producers but musicians as they follow up their successful take on Portugal. The Man’s “Feel It Still” (featuring Henri Purnell) with the glorious escapism of “Infinitum”.  Not only does “Infinitum” have great melody, instrumentation and song structure, but Revelries have partnered with young Australian duo The Beamish Boys (Ben and Jeremy) for some compelling, diverse vocal work that makes the song soar even more.  “Infinitum” is a dreamy mid-summer alt.dance.pop song for those clear starry evenings when nothing else matters, with sparks of love and affection in the air, and anything is possible.  There are lots of folk/pop elements that creep in with some effective acoustic guitar work that helps guide the song along and make it quite accessible for radio play.  “Infinitum” is highly deserving of your attention and placement on your favourite Spotify playlist using the link above.

“Give Me Love” has a direct groove for the win by Dutch producer @Mestomusic

MESTO, “Give Me Love”

There’s a lot familiar about “Give Me Love”, the latest from Dutch producer Mesto, but there’s also a lot that’s new and on point that will keep you listening and bouncing.  The pitched up vocal and repeated chorus – yeah, been there done that.  But Mesto’s got a great groove and complex synth work happening to make you stick with it.  So when club DJ’s wanna see some love on that dance floor mid-evening, then “Give Me Love” is part of the solution!  Add “Give Me Love” to your Pump It Higher playlist using the Spotify link above.

UK-based producer @iamEmbody revives a classic 90’s hit as “Be Cool” with vocalists @MarcoFoster_ and #Bailey

EMBODY, MARCO FOSTER and BAILEY, “Be Cool”

It’s been a while since Lithuania-born, UK-based producer Embody has graced us with original music, after creating one of my favourite songs of Summer ’16 with “Dreamin'”.  He continues on a light tropical house vibe with “Be Cool”, which is actually a surprise cover of Des’ree’s huge 1994 hit “You Gotta Be”.  Great songs will often translate well to any setting, and “Be Cool” keeps a lot of the same familiar flavour of the original.  It’s aided immensely by the male/female duo talents of US singer Marco Foster (about whom I’ve written several times), no stranger to contributing to dance tracks himself, as well new singer Bailey.  Their voices have similar qualities that are fused together well in the production.  “Be Cool” should be a no-brainer for dance radio and clubs (remixes will help) as the original will attest to its timeless popularity.

Being strong is hard in the face of “Tough Love” as recounted by @BrightLightx2

BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT, “Tough Love”

If someone so very badly hurts another person in a relationship, then the price is to face “Tough Love”, the second taste of Wales-born singer/songwriter Bright Light Bright Light’s upcoming release following the recent “How I Feel”.  While BLx2 (Rod Thomas) had a stellar year in 2017 with gorgeously happy songs, such as my favourite “New York Pretty”, 2018 brings us to a return of more downbeat stories that make you think and inspire as with many songs in Rod’s extensive repertoire.  “Tough Love” gets right to the point, enabling you to be strong enough to call out someone who is mistreating you.  And the line you belong as far way from me as you can get is indeed the rusty nail in that relationship’s coffin, if you have ever experienced such a thing.  So get to know “Tough Love” and “How I Feel” in anticipation of BLx2’s upcoming Fall tour, which will take him to my city (Toronto) and many others for the first time!

“Rocket Girl” brings together the many talents of @Lemaitremusic and @BettyWho

LEMAITRE and BETTY WHO, “Rocket Girl”

It’s been out for a while, but don’t let “Rocket Girl” fall outside of your radar.  It’s a solid mix of dance, pop and rock flavours courtesy of the unexpected collaboration of Norwegian producers Lemaitre and NYC-based Australia-bred singer Betty Who, following up Lemaitre’s 2017 album Chapter One.  “Rocket Girl” is a dance anthem that is scored with rock guitars and heavy bass synths, a good companion to Pink’s latest releases if you ask me.  Anyone who has seen Lemaitre in performance knows that while their genre focus is electronic dance, that does not limit what elements they will bring into their songs.  There’s a lot of graceful keyboard work in “Rocket Girl” too, which creates a beautiful bridge with an outro of relentless drums and percussion, barnstorming right back to the chorus.  Betty Who’s vocal is engaging and proud to lead the way as our “Rocket Girl”, so check it out at the link above.

A welcome return for UK singer @Haywoodemusic with bubbly reduxes of her biggest hit as “Roses 2018”

HAYWOODE, “Roses (2018)”

Sid Haywoode had steady popularity in the UK throughout the mid-80’s on the pop and dance charts, which had its apex with “Roses”.  It became a #11 hit in a UK reissue in 1986, and could be frequently heard side-by-side hits of the day by Sheila E. and Jody Watley.  Although she only released one album in the 80’s, Haywoode’s loyal fan base allowed her a return to the music scene at the top of this decade, and 2018 is the perfect time for a redo of “Roses” courtesy of Energise Records.  And when you have invested producers like Matt Pop and Andy Sikorski on the scene to make it work, well you know that the results are going to be even better than expected.  “Roses 2018”, particularly in its Matt Pop edit and extended versions, simply sparkles and highlights those important old school touches in a relationship that might be weathered by social media these days.  Not being a hit outside of Europe in the 80’s, “Roses 2018” has the benefit of sounding slick and contemporary to blend without issue but more importantly to stand out on its own all over again.

“Down For Me” is a slick new original from @PLSandTYbased

PLS&TY, “Down For Me”

It’s been a few minutes since we had new original music from Florida-based producer PLS&TY, though he’s kept us busy with remixes for songs by Jocelyn Alice and SAINT WKND & MAX among others.  “Down For Me” shows him in slick form with rhythmic future bass that has both impressive beats and a chill factor to keep it quite interesting.  Add an uncredited sultry and memorable female vocal, and there’s very little to quibble about.  “Down For Me” is club and radio friendly, a stylish no-brainer that gives you an impressive taste of what PLS&TY will be bringing this year.

Going down easy: “The Pain I Feel” by @mr_MarlonPercy and @LOFRAMES

MARLON PERCY and LOFRAMES, “The Pain I Feel”

“The Pain I Feel” is a lovely European house-flavoured alt.dance song that’s as much for your heart as it is for your feet, and is guaranteed to stop you in your tracks on your first few listens.  The singer/songwriter is London-based Marlon Percy, and his vocal here rings true without question.  It has a raw, almost live-off-the-floor bluesy feel at times that is contrasted by more produced sections where it sounds quite pristine.  Anglo-French production duo LOFRAMES knows how to bridge the emotional parts of the song while still very much making you want to unleash on the dance floor.  I’ve mentioned before in these blog posts that someone’s pain in a dance song brings out the need to empathize through the rhythms and beats.  “The Pain I Feel” is a fabulous, unassuming, fresh-sounding collaboration that awaits your  undivided attention!

Australia’s @JYYE_official offers another sparkling earworm with “Look At You”

JYYE, “Look At You”

JYYE is on a roll with his follow up to the shimmering “Somewhere Else”, which currently resides at #14 on my personal chart.  And you can hear a similar sound to make you want to play ‘air xylophone’ amid guitar and synths in a smaller dose in parts of “Look At You”.  It’s a short song that is really all about its soulful singalong chorus as much as it is guaranteed to make you dance and clap along.  Its closest comparison would be to Kungs vs Cookin on 3 Burners’ 2017 smash “This Girl”.  And that’s great company to keep in a mix!