Gripping, cinematic “Warrior” comes from Grammy-nominee @SteveJames with vocal by @Lights

STEVE JAMES featuring LIGHTS, “Warrior”

While it has a somewhat common Asian theme to its melody, the latest from Grammy nominee Steve James (for co-writing Justin Bieber’s song “Purpose”) comes with a huge win of an assist from another Canadian, the award-winning Lights!  Her vocal is suitably ferocious, actually recalling fellow countrymate Alanis Morissette at her fiercest.  It’s a big cinematic story – maybe an accompanying video will surface – with a lot of rock flavour mixed into Steve’s complex production.  Steve James and Lights are definitely a winning force together with “Warrior” 🙂

“Stay Up Late” is the latest potent R&B/Dance original from @MonsieurAdi” featuring #Red

MONSIEUR ADI featuring RED, “Stay Up Late”

I’m hoping that with “Stay Up Late” we will hear much more from the ever-talented French (but often U.S.-based) producer Monsieur Adi, about whom I’ve written so many times since 2010.  After 2013’s amazing “What’s Going On” with A*M*E, Monsieur Adi’s releases and even remixes were very select (albeit Katy Perry’s “Rise”though…), but when they did arrive we continued to be blessed with top notch original productions with fine vocalists.  “Stay Up Late” though has managed to get the attention of long-time dance label Robbins Entertainment.  It’s almost like Adi picked up where “What’s Going On” started, with “Stay Up Late” featuring another potent but controlled and soulful vocal by Red, and his production being suitably recognizable with its percolating rhythm and synths building with such a distinguished orchestrated effect.  Listen up top and also check out the extended mix.

As love and mind connect: “Brainheart” by @LucienDante

LUCIEN DANTE, “Brainheart”

In 2015, one of the most unique and refreshing albums I heard was Lucien Dante’s Our Of We, an independent release which yielded one of my favourite songs of that year, the completely enchanting “Black Water”, which featured an easy going, expressive vocal.  That was followed up by an animated video of the song as well as another video for “Love Me Lessons”, which celebrated young people having a joyous blast together without attention to gender, clothing, etc., just being who they are.  It definitely set the stage for where Lucien, now based in L.A. after relocating from Chicago, is heading with “Brainheart”.  The song is about how love and the mind connect, when emotions and thoughts are synchronized to a point and you revel in being with your partner.  Lucien is extremely ambitious – producing, writing and mixing this song, as well as being a painter, sculptor and clothing designer.  “Brainheart”, in addition to its loving lyrics, is completed with a bright, feel-good melody and a more assured vocal.  Watch for more about Lucien Dante as the year goes on, including the possibility of a tour.

Insanely prolific @CosmosnCreature return on #EDM songs by @TwoFriendsmusic and @PLSandTYbased

The duo of Cosmos & Creature, aka Molly Moore and Brandyn Burnette, are so insanely prolific with their own recent and upcoming solo releases, being featured on other artists’ songs, and having side project Cosmos & Creature also release its own songs and be featured as well!  How they stay on top of all of this, I don’t quite know.  But everything Molly and Brandyn create has high quality rubber-stamped on it!

TWO FRIENDS featuring COSMOS & CREATURE, “Out Of Love”

Their pairing with L.A.’s Two Friends is on a new original by the in-demand and frequently touring production/remix duo called “Out Of Love” for Spinnin’.  It may be at the same time Two Friends’ most chilled out and anthemic song yet that’s also enhanced by some saxophone riffing.  Brandyn’s self-reflective leads the way on this one while the crowd-pleasing chorus will have you swaying away.

PLS&TY featuring COSMOS & CREATURE, “Good Vibes”

Also chilled out but with a more hip hop flavour running through it is “Good Vibes” by another L.A. producer, PLS&TY (that’s ‘please and thank you’), for the PMRD label.  PLS&TY has had his own share of steady remixes with a few originals under his belt.  In “Good Vibes”, Molly and Brandyn trade off vocals in a song that will set a positive stage for whatever you want to do, whether it’s a lazy Sunday or the start of an evening at a club.  They’re countered with a slick dubsteppy break that totally suits the song to give it some bounce.

Listen to both at the Spotify links above, and watch for Cosmos & Creature’s follow up to their debut single “Young” very soon!  Cosmos & Creature are also touring with Call Me Karizma on dates throughout select U.S. cities in March and April.

Lovestealer: “Thief” by @AnselElgort

ANSEL ELGORT, “Thief”

After charming everyone in “The Fault In Our Stars” and the “Divergent” film series, actor Ansel Elgort reveals his talents as a vocalist on his second single “Thief”, which has been released by Island Records.  A first single “Home Alone” wasn’t near as infectious, and “Thief” has a simple, classy synth riff that carries the baseline while Ansel’s expressive voice takes charge.  He’s got a great song to sing too with an urgent flow that doesn’t let up.  Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Ansel Elgort is your thief of hearts for 2017, and don’t be surprised if pop radio makes room for this one, and, if some remixes are in the works, then dance clubs too.

“Sinner” is a winner from The Netherlands’ @Lulleauxmusic featuring #SVM

LULLEAUX featuring SVM, “Sinner”

Hot off the presses as Tipsy Records’ first release of 2017 is “Sinner” by Dutch producer Lulleaux.  You may have already heard Lulleaux gracing a Sam Feldt EP and also being supported by the likes of Kygo and Bakerman, while recently offering some of his own songs via the Epic label.  “Sinner” is a great companion song to “Closer” or “Paris” by The Chainsmokers, with a wistful, relateable vocal by SVM.  But it’s the use of trumpet throughout and starting just before the minute mark that seals the deal with “Sinner”.  The trumpet is much underutilized in pop music in favour of saxophone, and the recent hit that you’ll associate it with is Capital Cities’ “Safe And Sound”, another one you’ll want to play back-to-back with it.  “Sinner” is a very promising, effortless, and diverse deep house song that clubs won’t want to miss out.

Livin’ Large: “This Is Bounce” by Italy’s @WhiteLowreal

https://soundcloud.com/balmungdigitalrecords/whitelow-this-is-bounce

WHITELOW, “This Is Bounce”

“This Is Bounce” is the kind of song that will dominate a DJ set and take no prisoners.  Wait what was that we just heard?  Forgot about it already? All you remember is “This Is Bounce”? 😛  Bologna, Italy production duo WhiteLow (Enrico and Stefano) take their cues perhaps from songs like DVBBS and MOTi’s’ “This Is Dirty” or Dimitri Vegas/Martin Garrix/Like Mike’s “Tremor” as well as the Melbourne Bounce style and effortlessly create a song that will sweep under your feet and make you ride a fast, crazy wave till it’s over.  I recently wrote about Garmiani’s intense remix of Axwell /\ Ingrosso’s “Dream Bigger” and “This Is Bounce” is a great companion to that remix.  It’s the first release for new label Balmung Digital Recordings, off to a fantastic start with a real zinger!  Just Bounce 🙂  

ContempoRetro: New @Parralox in generous “Subculture”

PARRALOX, Subculture

You can never knock a Parralox album for being anything less than a high quality venture from Australian producer/vocalist/synthmaster and all round nice guy John von Ahlen.  It’s a journey through almost every possible synth sound created between the late 70’s and now, with songs that are shaped to give you major feels for parts of all of those eras – a couple of the songs sound like they were teleported in from the late 1979 disco/new wave melting pot in particular!  Subculture, Parralox’s 10th long-player and also the title of one of my very favourite New Order songs 🙂 is the sum of all of its parts and more featuring vocals by John and several friends/guests.  

Out of 14 generous tracks, the opener “Paradise” features the acclaimed Marcella Detroit, most noted as one half of Shakespear’s Sister but with a storied career before that as songwriter and session singer.  John’s rich production is the perfect match for a crisp and savvy vocal by Marcella which brings out the heartache in the song.  Equally ear-catching but on a totally different bent is “Last Man Standing” featuring fellow Aussie Peter Wilson, which has a 70’s pop radio flavour to contrast its driving beat.  “A Question Of Love” makes an unofficial trilogy from the Depeche Mode songs “A Question Of Lust” and “A Question Of Time”, one of the darker more brooding songs in Subculture featuring a lovely vocal by Louise Love.  

Elsewhere on the album you’ll hear Human League bassist Ian Burden (especially on “Overdrive”), and vocals by Johanna Gervin and Lillia, plus two redone Parralox songs, “Rocket Science II” and “Voyager II”.  One of the best songs also is all John on “Change Of Heart”.  Subculture is as much disco as it is mid-80’s post-new wave electronicas as it is contemporary house music.

Always bold and adventurous and as contemporary as retro, John von Ahlen and Parralox’s Subculture is a feast for the ears, the heart and your dancing shoes.  Hear it all at the link above and buy it at your favourite online music store.

Dutch producer/DJ @SteveVoidmusic is on fire with pop-tastic “Never Been Better”

STEVE VOID, “Never Been Better”

Following up his collaboration with No Mondays and Clara Mae on the futuristic-tinged “Chemistry” (#10 on the BILLCS Top 30!) is Dutch producer/DJ Steve Void with “Never Been Better”, which like “Chemistry” has been picked up by Sony for worldwide release.  “Never Been Better” isn’t anywhere near as busy as “Chemistry” but it shows how slick Steve can get when he has his hands on a strong pop song with a commanding vocal (by an uncredited singer).  “Never Been Better” really stands out in a crowd and is one of those songs that you can incorporate into a set that will set the tone for a brisk pace.  After supporting Matoma throughout most of 2016 on his North American tour, Steve is about to take his show on the road in Europe, with more great new music to come.  Steve Void is one of the brightest new talents in the EDM world to watch right now and “Never Been Better” spells out most of the reasons why 🙂  Check it out at the link above.

Producer/vocalist @Memoryy returns with inspired electropop of “I Thought You Needed My Love” featuring @OddYearmusic

MEMORYY featuring ODD YEAR, “I Thought You Needed My Love”

Albuquerque-based (after relocating from Brooklyn) producer and vocalist Memoryy (Shaun Hettinger) first found his way into these blog pages last summer with “Turning The Page”, a mysterious taste of electropop that had a resounding emotional chorus to carry it.  Memoryy has since been working on his upcoming album Skeletons, and the new arrival from it is “I Thought You Needed My Love”, featuring additional production by California-based Odd Year.  “I Thought” again rides Memoryy’s talent for creating an engaging chorus that anchors the song, helping to ease the misunderstood breakup revealed in the story of the song.  While highly danceable and with a great bounce, “I Thought” is more of an electronic pop song thanks to standout lyrics and a resilient vocal.  Be sure to give it a listen at the link above.