Multi-talents unite: “I Wish I Could” by @TOKIMONSTA and @SelahSue as remixed by @SofiTukker

TOKIMONSTA and SELAH SUE, “I Wish I Could” (Sofi Tukker remix)

“I Wish I Could” is a fiery, edgy deep house track that should easily slay dance club goers through the Spring and into the Summer.  It could the song that takes things to an even greater level for producer TOKIMONSTA, who is back on track and fiercer than ever after she suffered significant health issues.  Belgian singer Selah Sue’s voice has sweet and raspy sides which work fully in tandem with the production.  And Sofi Tukker’s remix gives the song some guitar and synth flourishes that are in keeping with their best records.  So “I Wish I Could” is a win for everyone, especially the listener!  Watch out for this one.

Hardly a Dilemma: Memories rebooted with “No Matter What” by @BougenvillaNL, @AlbertNeve and @DavidPuentez

BOUGENVILLA, ALBERT NEVE & DAVID PUENTEZ, “No Matter What”

The early 2000’s are long ago enough to be fair game for revival by our younger talents.  Dutch duo Bougenvilla pair up with Spain’s Albert Neve and Germany’s David Puentez for a contemporary reboot of huge 2002 international hit “Dilemma” by Nelly and Kelly Rowland which they call “No Matter What”.  The title makes sense given that the rework relies on the main chorus of the original.  The producers actually pitch down Kelly Rowland’s vocal for an interesting, if somewhat trendy, effect.  You can follow “No Matter What” in a set with Maxim Schunk, Raven Kreyn & Bishøp’s retake on Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name” (called “My Name”), which I wrote about a while back.  “No Matter What” provides non-stop if familiar fun for the dance floor.

It’s back to the beach for fun with @itsPapaYamusic and “Explicit”

PAPA YA, “Explicit”

L.A. duo Papa Ya continue to create inviting pop flavours which I would like to call electroBeach, such as with their latest, “Explicit”.  It’s well done electronic pop, deliberately made sunny side up, with infectious rhythms carried by a nice bass track and genuine, feel-good vocals.  Invariably, the melody will scream out to you “Ignition” (the R. Kelly hit from 2003), while the mood is rooted in say Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” (as the lyrics reflect).  So yeah there’s a lot that is borrowed here but it’s all assembled in a nice package that’s guaranteed to make you dance and have a great time.  What more can you ask for?  Check it out at the link above.

“Be Like You” dazzles with the pairing of Chicago’s @Whethanmusic and New Zealand duo @Broodsmusic

WHETHAN featuring BROODS, “Be Like You”

What “Be Like You” is only going to do is… make you want more!  At 2:41 it’s way too brief a taste of what kind of a pairing can blossom like rising 18 year old Chicago producer Whethan adding alt.charmers Broods into the mix.  The melody is actually pretty dark and gritty for the dance floor, while Georgia’s versatile vocal adds a melancholy fascination that hints at obsession.  And then, that’s that.  Really.  I think this will be a Spring mid-evening favourite for Club DJ’s but some top drawer remixes could really expand on the song and give us more – longer versions! – of this radiant teamwork.

The dynamic duo of @SanHolobeats and @TaskaBlack makes dreamy electropop with “Right Here, Right Now”

SAN HOLO featuring TASKA BLACK, “Right Here, Right Now”

It was inevitable that festival fave San Holo and Belgian producer Taska Black would pair up, but would you have ever expected it to be in dreamy electropop like “Right Here, Right Now”?  It’s the Dutchman’s EDM ballad-anthem for remembering to be always in the moment with your special someone.  But it’s not all synth wonderfulness – there’s also some fine guitar work within.  Cap it off with spry and convincing San vocals, and while it may not have intended to be a dance radio-ready tune, “Right Here, Right Now” could easily find itself there as a lead-in to the brighter, fun part of the year.  Another brilliant Bitbird pairing of San Holo and Taska Black would be more than welcome!  Watch the lyric video above.

Promising L.A. production trio @Giiantsmusic offers second pop gem “Looking Up”

GIIANTS, “Looking Up”

It’s nothing but clear blue skies or bright shiny stars when you find yourself “Looking Up”.  L.A. mystery producers Giiants release their Tipsy Records follow up to the insanely catchy “Small Talk” with a lot of synth-driven melodic cheer and resilience.  The world needs more of and can’t get enough of positive pop songs right now and “Looking Up” is definitely worth cheering about.  The trio have a flair for picking great (and albeit deliberately uncredited) vocalists to bring the ocean waves crashing on to the beach.  I am more than curious where the Giiants’ next project will take us.  In the meantime, “Looking Up” is a delight in the delicious slices of life.

French producer Martin Vallée gets crafty with redux of “Uptight” featuring Victor Perry @perksofbeingvic

MARTIN VALLÉE featuring VICTOR PERRY, “Uptight”

One song that will catch you in that danceable bounce of a moment is “Uptight”, a redux of the (Little) Stevie Wonder classic, brought to us this time by French producer Martin Vallée with vocals by NYC singer/songwriter Victor Perry.  Don’t think Motown – this version of “Uptight” is deliberately far away from that style and Stevie’s younger days.  Think buoyant synths and vocal effects, all bridged nicely by Victor’s top notch phrasing of the main chorus that we all know from the original.  Victor’s vivid voice is just sweet enough to work as a convincing substitute for Stevie, without even trying to be like Stevie.  Having just spent a week in Miami immersed in dance music, “Uptight” is well-suited for club DJ’s looking to connect with their audiences through classic songs.  Check it out at the link above.

Lost in the moment: UK singer Ben Davidson @BDavidsonmusic returns with “Fallin’ In”

BEN DAVIDSON, “Fallin’ In”

You never know who was once in a boy band, and British pop music fans know Ben Davidson from his time in Most Wanted years ago.  But one thing is for sure – having that experience often generates fine singers, even if not necessarily in the style of that band.  Ben is a true pop/rock balladeer with “Fallin’ In”, another Daniel Volpe production for Energise that captures the essence of being lost in the moment where you really don’t know where you’ll be heading next.  Ben’s crisp voice leads a sublime undercurrent of classic guitar, piano and drum work.  “Fallin’ In” has many tender moments as well as a bright, anthemic quality that pervaded his previous single “The Chain”.  Watch for the remixes of “Fallin’ In” later in the week.  In the meantime add “Fallin’ In” to your favourite rock-flavoured love songs playlist on Spotify using the link above.

#BILLCSTop30 #531 – March 19/18

A changing chart makes it anyone’s guess as to what will be #1 in two weeks – even I don’t know 🙂  While there are a lot of songs on the rise, my focus in this post is on a selected few of note as well as four debuts which charge in to make their presence known!

The Top 10

  • Troye Sivan’s “My My My!” is glued to the top for a third appearance (sixth week), so we’ll see in two weeks if it can stay atop.  Two weeks ago I brought you the Cash Cash remix.  Finally, the much awaited remix by fellow Australian Throttle is on deck below.

  • Mako’s “Breathe” is also benefiting from some remixes as it glides up the chart from 5 to 2 to challenge “My My My!” in two weeks.
  • A number of new peak positions occur for some fabulous songs in the Top 10.  Dave Edwards & Mark Asari’s “What We’re Made Of” (above) slides to #3; Miguel’s “Told You So” is up a notch to #5 (below, and ohhhh what a concert that was last week!); Mika’s “It’s My House” also rises to #9; and Reigen’s beautiful cover of “Dreams” by The Cranberries becomes his second Top 10 song following 2014’s “Come Back To Me” (#2).

  • The Chainsmokers packaged a trio of singles into a new EP:  the outstanding “Sick Boy” (above, up 9 to 6) plus “You Owe Me” and now “Everybody Hates Me”, which some ‘Smokers fans are either saying it’s the best or worst song they’ve ever done.  I really like it – give it a spin below.

  • The fastest riser on the chart becomes the third entry in the Top 10 for Tipsy Records.  It’s the mysterious and progressive “Smile” by Norway’s Dyrisk featuring British producer Nik Ernst.  It makes short work of the chart, climbing 22-8!!

Movin’ On Up

  • UK singer/songwriter James Poole closes in on the Top 10 as his song about simply being you, “Perfectly Me”, rises 16-11.
  • Right behind me is the collaboration of Quebec’s Robotaki and Washington DC’s Manila Killa featuring Floridian vocalist Matthew John Kurz in the heart-wrenching “I Want You”, moving 17-12.  It’s set afire by the remix by L.A.’s Spirix, still available for free download.  But Robotaki released a fantastic new song at the end of last week called “Butterscotch” which is totally unlike anything he’s put out before, and Drake, Rihanna and Bryson Tiller fans will be swooning – check it out below.
  • L.A.’s Bobby Nourmand is playing The Magician’s Potion showcase in Miami Music Week on Friday March 23, and no doubt will be spinning his latest soul-drenched effort “Prisoner” featuring UK vocalist Laurent John, up 20-14.
  • Toronto’s Francesco Yates was kind of a last minute addition to Justin Timberlake’s Toronto and Montreal shows last week, but an amazing opportunity nonetheless.  His new single, the seductive “Come Over”, climbs 27-20.

Four Debuts

  • It was just a little over 25 years ago that Marc Kinchen reached #1 on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart with “Always”.  He was also responsible for the key remix for The Nightcrawlers’ classic 90’s hit “Push The Feeling On”.  The much-respected producer and DJ known as MK got his first UK Top 10 hit with the soulful banger “17” earlier this year, and now it’s setting out to do the same in North America, first tackling the club charts.  “17” bows at #19.

  • UK trio Years & Years return to the chart with their fifth entry, their first since late 2015, the tantalizing “Sanctify” at #25.  This bodes incredibly well for their upcoming second album!  Y&Y are an absolute joy in concert thanks to tight performances and Olly Alexander’s down-to-earth presence on stage.  Check out the conceptual video above.
  • Following their surprise Top 40 pop hit “Best Friend” along with The Knocks, NERVO and Alisa Ueno, NYC duo Sofi Tukker are back on this chart for the first time since their Grammy-nominated hit “Drinkee” in 2016 with “Baby I’m A Queen”, from the upcoming album Treehouse.  Like with “Drinkee”, it’s the guitar hook in “Queen” that seals the deal.  So glad to see these nice folks with all of their success.  “Baby I’m A Queen” arrives at #26.
  • Just as the enduring and inspiring “Everybody Hurts” tumbles off the chart, Dutch duo The Him lose no momentum with their latest single “White Lies”, bowing at #27 with new remixes also on deck!  If you’re at Miami Music Week, The Him are performing about a half dozen shows, including at Ultra, so you don’t want to miss them!

View the full BILLCS Top 30 right here!  Click on the hyperlink on the song titles to hear the songs or watch the videos!

Listen to the BILLCS Top 30 Songs on Spotify! Click on this link to take you there, and follow me on Spotify: BILLCS Top 30 Songs

Check out and ‘like’ the new BILLCS Music Projects Facebook page 🙂

Kyiv’s @DJTeriMiko collaborates with Italy’s @Gojamusic for D’n’B infused “All I Want”

TERI MIKO & GOJA, “All I Want”

Two promising new acts in dance music collaborate for something a little different in “All I Want”.  Kyiv, Ukraine brings us Teri Miko, who is already getting rave reviews for energetic live shows and opening for the likes of Marshmello and DJ Snake at some festivals.  Italian producers Goja have been one of the more talked about new names in dance music with support already from Diplo and Dillon Francis.  “All I Want” dabbles nicely in pop territory, with attractive uncredited female vocals providing a worthy introduction.  But then the song segues smoothly, albeit sneakily, into engaging trap and drum ‘n bass synth antics which will seal the deal for clubs.  Add “All I Want” to your Electric Eclectic playlist using the Spotify link above.