NYC’s @Reigenmusic sings ear-catching soulful pop with “Rollin”

REIGEN, “Rollin”

NYC’s Reigen Miller has such a big vocal range that it’s always a pleasure to hear such warm restraint in softer songs like “Rollin”.  It’s the recently-blond singer’s first new music since the sexy “Weekend” earlier this year.  “Rollin” is wrapped up in a soulful vocal that shows off Reigen’s higher register and incorporates a repeated bar of falsetto notes which form the hook of the song.  It’s an ideal song for those carefree moments or lazy Sundays when you can just groove along or put your head back and soak them all in.  Reigen continues to offer consistently high quality music like “Rollin” which deserves your attention.  Add it to one of your playlists using the Spotify link above.

New mystery producer @whatisHumxn releases reflective “Summer Fling” featuring vocals by @crazyKhalil

HUMXN featuring KHALIL, “Summer Fling”

While Humxn may follow the same pattern of mystery as Meatport, Marshmello and Deadmau5, his music goes down a different path with “Summer Fling”.  With a sincere, nuanced and soulful vocal by Justin Bieber’s buddy Khalil, “Summer Fling” doesn’t just longingly remember a recent romance, it becomes a full throttle release as the song breaks out into a powerful and haunting cathartic drop around the three minute mark which makes the last minute of the song as interesting as the first three.  Whoever he is, Humxn has his pulse on what’s current and upcoming with added R&B/hip hop flavour. “Summer Fling” is off to a blazing start in its release through Sony’s Orchard distribution no less.  Add “Summer Fling” to your Spotify playlist at the link above.

.@Madnapmusic’s new original “Disappear” with @Duumu, and remix of @Astresound’s “Shades” with @metsamusic featuring @KevinBlumusic

https://soundcloud.com/madnap/disappear

MADNAP & DUUMU featuring BIEN, “Disappear” (free DL)

ASTRE featuring KEVIN BLU, “Shades” (Madnap & Metsä remix)

Following up the quiet and romantic “Honey”, L.A.’s Madnap has a two-for all ready for you!

First up is his collaboration with Charlie Duumu, who divides his time between the UK and France, with “Disappear” featuring Chicago-based K-Pop vocalist Bien.  Madnap and Duumu have concocted an unconventional EDM ballad/breakup song “Disappear”.  The emotional vocal meshes well with the ever-changing surroundings created by Madnap and Duumu, which will go places that you wouldn’t expect for this kind of record.  At the end, more shaken than stirred, “Disappear” gives you pause for thought and resonates because of the beautiful underlying melody.  Download it for free at the link above.

Madnap in partnership with Washington’s Metsä remixes an equally pretty song by France’s Astre called “Shades” from Astre’s recent EP For So Long.  They take some liberties with US singer Kevin Blu’s fresh-sounding voice and add a dancehall-influenced rhythm to give “Shades” a much more different vibe from the original.  It works like a charm and club DJ’s wanting to segue into a full-blown dancehall-flavoured set might want to set it up with Madnap & Metsä’s remix of “Shades”.  Have a listen at the link below.

Slow burn: @SeanSmithsolo’s “Fire” tantalizes

SEAN SMITH, “Fire”

UK singer (and former member of Same Difference) Sean Smith follows up the bold and sexy “Magic” (which recently got to #7 on my chart in its Andy Sikorski remix) with something more taut called “Fire”.  Co-written by that amazing twosome of Charlie Mason and Daniel Volpe and set to a snappy house rhythm, “Fire” takes the slow burn approach.  It starts off quiet and mysterious and lingers a bit before making its point.  Sean’s diverse vocal makes a fine song even that much better.  Keep “Fire” on that music burner long enough and you’ll feel it in your bones 🙂  Enough plays on words – check out the lyrics video at the link up top.

Australia’s @Dimes_yo and #LOQI pull out all stops with “Back On”

DIMES & LOQI, “Back On” (free DL)

It’s hard to say whether any trick in the dubstep book has been left unturned in “Back On”, brought to you by Aussie duo Dimes as well as fellow Aussie on-the-rise, 17 year old LOQI via MMXVAC.  “Back On” is just so much fun, pulling you in many different directions and tantalizing your ears with a gamut of effects and sounds, yet somehow not managing to overflow the kitchen sink, if you will.  What of course is most important is that there is a steady flow of melody, and through all of its ups and downs there are some constant, dreamy synths that connect all of the dots.  I think Dimes and LOQI are a head of their game with “Back On” and clubs will love it.  Download it for free at the link above.

Welcome to Your Insanity: Nashville duo @SayLessmusic brings you “Asylum”

https://soundcloud.com/saylessmusic/asylum

SAYLESS, “Asylum” (free DL)

To cap off your Hallowe’en, how about some heavy, club-shaking dubstep for some late evening scares?  You may not expect it to come from a Nashville duo, but SayLess likes their art dark and dirty with “Asylum”, available to you as a free download above.  The song takes many surprising turns through a maze of effects and quirky vocal samples while firmly remaining in a grimy dubstep melody.  It may have got a bit caught up in itself as it has a non-ending of sorts when it just sort of stops.  But fans of the sub-genre will appreciate all of the efforts by SayLess to keep dubstep sick and fresh with “Asylum”.

“Aarti” by @therealShishi is a gentle fusion of Bollywood, House and Disco

SHISHI, “Aarti”

ShiShi is an American singer of Indian heritage who aims to fuse dance music styles for a universal appeal.  “Aarti” is an auspicious introduction, perhaps using A.R. Rahman’s music inspiration from “Slumdog Millionaire” as a familiar jumping off point to draw you into its sultry and persuasive melody.  The song fuses Bollywood, house and disco in a gentle but memorable way and you’ll be humming it long after it’s over.  “Aarti” is something a little different for you but it will fit easily into a mid-tempo house set, and will appeal to fans of Mura Masa and Klingande among others.  As a side campaign, after introducing “Aarti” on Diwali, ShiShi is pledging $1 for every share of this Facebook post: bit.ly/diwalishishi to the literacy and learning programs of Pratham, a successful educational organization in India.  Share away and check out “Aarti” at the link above.

#BILLCSTop30 #521, October 30/17

In edition #521 of the chart, you’ll be seeing double in some cases as a couple of performers already on the chart get debuts, plus there’s a new #1 that’s been winding its way patiently up the chart 🙂

The Top 10

  • L.A.’s Mahalo along with his go-to singer Cat Lewis get their first collective #1 with the gritty deep house of “Perfect”.  It’s a real producing feat as Mahalo manipulates Cat’s voice to sound like there are multiple vocalists, and I particularly enjoy the segue at the beginning from high register to distorted low vocal.

  • Lauv’s “I Like Me Better” has generated a full blown tour with stops in most major cities through the start of the new year, with dates already selling out.  Damn. I guess a lot of other folks like this guy.  “I Like Me Better” holds at #3.

https://soundcloud.com/latchmeresound/need-your-heart

  • It looks like Latchmere’s “Need Your Heart” (above) has its eye on the top spot as it zips into the Top 5 at #4.  It’s from his diverse mainly house-oriented EP Lovedrunk.  The Australia-based producer also has the highest debut on the chart as the Hallowe’en appropriate “Monster” (below) arrives at #22 featuring a fabulous vocal by a female Aussie singer named Dylan.

https://soundcloud.com/latchmeresound/monster-featuring-dylan

 

  • Continuing with double-duty carried over from the last chart, Carlos Nóbrega’s “You (It’s All About You)” (above) surges 10-7, while another song from The Art Of Making Love, “Free” (below), a duet more-or-less with Spanish vocalist JVEL, climbs 27-21.

 

  • The audio equivalent of a great big warm hug, “We Won’t Leave You” by Steve Void partnering with Syence, moves up 11-9.
  • While I’m glad it’s still available as a free download, “No Hands” by the incredible collaboration of producers it’s different and Forever MC with fantastic vocals by blackbear and MAX really deserves an official release on iTunes and Spotify.  It bounds to #10 from #18.  MAX is featured on one of the three debuts too!

Movin’ On Up

https://soundcloud.com/shoffymusic/flags-feat-yuna

  • The fastest riser on the chart is flying high at #11.  Moving up from #20 is “Flags” by L.A.’s Shoffy featuring singer Yuna, a beautiful pairing with a solid message perfect for our time.  It’s from Shoffy’s excellent self-titled debut album.
  • A Remixes EP – featuring Tom & Collins, Parx, and Limits – is now out for Bobby Nourmand’s “MIND” featuring DOC & Goodmorning, which moves up a notch 13-12.  
  • It looks like a hit, and sounds like a hit.  Maybe there’s some 70’s AM radio influences buried deep inside of “Hit Rewind” but regardless Axel Mansoor and Louis Vivet take it 26-19 on the chart.

Two remaining debuts

  • Did you say MAX again?  The recent release of “Survive” by yet another L.A. based producer, SAINT WKND also features such potent vocals by our MAX that it bows at #24 in its PLS&TY remix.  I’m definitely excited to see MAX in concert again this coming Wednesday 😀
  • The remaining debut has been around for a few months but I can’t get its riveting bassline out of my head when played loud on my stereo.  It’s “Murder” by Dutch producer/DJ Lady Bee featuring Tropkillaz and the fabulous vocal of Oktavian, who got to #2 on the chart last year featured in The Him’s “Balance”.  “Murder” premieres at #26.

View the full BILLCS Top 30 right here, and be sure to click on the photos to hear all of the songs.

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 🙂

Planet Radio Canada is on hiatus and will return http://www.planetradio.ca 🙂

Jaunty synth-pop rhythms flow through “Rain” by Dutch brothers @Teisonmusic featuring #TheEarlybird

TEISON featuring THE EARLYBIRD, “Rain”

Wanna have fun in the rain?  Well that’s the basis of the new single by 17 and 28 year old Dutch brothers Thies and Stijn von Zon aka Teison.  It’s their first release in about a year after a strong kickstart with “Floating Away” and “Your Loving”, which received all kinds of glowing international support out of the gate including from folks like Sam Feldt.  The lads have returned with an appealing synth-pop sound that continues to straddle pop and dance music, and “Rain” features an incredibly distinct and jaunty guitar break by Stijn that will be its calling card.  “Rain” is sweet like honey but mixed in with all kinds of savory bits to enjoy including its engaging lead vocal by mysterious new singer The Earlybird. “Rain” by Teison is available on all digital platforms and well worth your attention.  It’s available for listening at the Spotify link above.

Find the beauty under the “Bones” by @SteLouse featuring @TilianPearson in a @Flapomusic remix

https://soundcloud.com/flapo/bones-flapo-remix

STéLOUSE featuring TILIAN, “Bones” (Flapo remix)

It will definitely take a few listens, but “Bones” by Colorado’s StéLouse (aka Ross Ryan) featuring L.A. singer/songwriter Tilian (of the project Dance Gavin Dance) is a real grower, thanks to a low-key but delightful remix by Colombian producer Flapo.  It’s a song about staying in a magic moment for as long as possible, definitely a positive change of pace for rising dance producer StéLouse who is already signed to the renown Casablanca label.  Tilian’s vocal is suitably caught up in the moment, while Flapo adds all kinds of delicate instrumentation.  Maybe the song could have gone a little bigger with its beats but somehow it might detract from the rest of the production.  Anyway, you can get this remix of “Bones” as a free download at the link above.