It’s unlike anything else he’s offered thus far, but L.A.-based producer Niko The Kid gives us some truly elegant, effervescent classic house with “Wasting My Time”. His production shines a lot of light on the coy, confident, and theatrical vocal by fellow Californian BRAVE. I enjoy house music the most when it percolates along to a classic beat with a fine percussive and synth backdrop. “Wasting My Time” is an instant dance floor draw and should not be missed. Give it some love at the link above and you can also download an extended version for free.
“Lorde Flumesworth” is young Pennsylvanian producer Pluto’s tribute to three faves – Grammy Award-winning Kiwi Lorde, new Grammy nominated Aussie Flume, and my fellow Canadian progressive EDM artist Ryan Hemsworth. Their distinct styles all seem to mesh together well in the adventurous music world of Pluto, and included are an expressive vocal, bouncing rhythms, softer breaks, and synth flourishes, which do not at all make this a novelty. It’s an intriguing prospective early evening song in a club, where patrons may ask “hey, isn’t that a song by…?” You’ve already heard Pluto’s creative remix with his own perspective on Molly Moore’s “Imaginary Friends” (currently charting on the BILLCS Top 30) – definitely some major upps here for vision and individuality. Check out “Lorde Flumesworth” (already at almost 500K plays) at the link above.
It’s not exactly the kind of song that I thought I’d be writing about, but Fergie is back with her strongest one in quite some time – I liked “A Little Party (Never Killed Nobody)” from 2013’s “The Great Gatsby” remake – with “Life Goes On”, which many of you saw her perform on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Eve special. The brassy singer seems to channel the style of Pink here with a solid and affecting vocal, while Sweden’s NOTD diversify the song by washing it in some helpful synths, full bass rhythms, and some friendly drops to make it a solid draw for clubs and dance music radio. If “Life Goes On” is any indication, listeners may be in for some cool surprises from Fergie in 2017! Check out the official NOTD remix at the link above.
SHOWTEK, “Swipe” (Dropwizz and Savagez ‘Festival Trap’ remix)
Dutch duo Showtek are always noted for releasing something fun that stands out, and “Swipe” certainly does that, perhaps in a more novel way than usual, if you happen to be wondering what that song you hear about a private Tinder party might be. My fellow Torontonian Dropwizz and US duo Savagez temper the novelty and slow the pace down to an appropriately sexy grind, and as the remix title says, give it an entertaining hybrid of both Festival and Trap styles. To me this works better than the original. Club DJ’s can focus a set around “Swipe” to make the gals and guys get a little crazy. EDM fans will definitely enjoy and can download it for free at the link above.
Trying to find time to write everything I want is always an issue. I present to you my Top 86 Songs of 2016, with this blog post based on the radio program which aired on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day onhttp://www.planetradio.ca 🙂 Here’s my commentary on my Top 30 Songs with the complete list following. Links to my Top 10 Songs are featured further down…
#30: Brandyn Burnette’s “Made Of Dreams”, the title song from his first EP, and the first of four songs by or featuring him on this year end list. The song was greatly enhanced by a feel-good tropical mix from Chicago remix duo Win & Woo collaborating with Kiso Armic, also from Chicago.
#29 – L.A.-based singer/songwriter Simon Curtis with “Super Psycho Love” from his album Super 8bit Heart, first of two songs from that album in this list. That album was a 2016 reimagining of Simon’s 2010 free online mixtape still available from his website called 8bit Heart, which to me is one of the most endearing recordings of the decade. “Super Psycho Love” benefited most from an update and appeared on my chart for the first time.
#28 – courtesy of Canadian duo Young Bombs, who also have two remixes in my list. They brought the bounce to a fine record out of Norway from a young newcomer named Jesper Jenset called “High”.
#27 – belonging to Canadian brothers Chris and Alex from Orangeville Ontario – DVBBS! They’ve been on this list before (in 2015 and 2014), but this year they included Toronto’s Dante Leon on vocal for the toe-tapper “Angel”.
#26 – a taste of 80’s flavoured funk courtesy of NYC producer/remixer Jenaux with the rollicking original “Get It On”. Jenaux also partnered with Texas duo Tritonal for the song “Broken” (#45), and has another remix in this list.
#25 – more Canadians 🙂 with a creative and funky remix by Chicago’s Snøwmass of a song by Montreal production duo Sterling Grove who are paired with Toronto pop/jazz vocalist Ellyn Woods for the mysterious “Sound Of Home”.
#24 – one of the most provocative and surprising albums of 2016 was Blue Neighbourhood by South Africa-born, Australia-based singer Troye Sivan, who had a world-wide following on You Tube before making records. It consists of beautifully crafted, poignant songs which meant a lot particularly to many teens, and scored the Top 20 hit “Youth”. I dove deeper into the album for the evocative “Talk Me Down”. My bigger list also includes “Wild” (#35) and “Fools” (#40), all BILLCS Top 30 Top 10 songs.
#23 – belongs to California duo Mako with their dance radio hit “Smoke Filled Room”. As remixed by Elephante, who appears two more times in this list, “Smoke Filled Room” set the stage for a crush of a now-grown up woman.
#22 – on the rise in 2016 was L.A. producer and singer Mi Disguise (aka Louie Garcia), and with his pal Rouse created a wonderful dance mix EP called NGHT LFE for summer clubbing. Their song “Her And Him” is an inspiring song for late night romance.
#21 – the song I liked best on Adele’s album 25 next to last year’s “Hello”, “All I Ask” is another knockout performance and stood out from the rest of the songs on the album.
#20 – if there was any song in 2016 that would instantly make you feel good it’s one by veteran producer Tony Moran and singer Jason Walker and his amazing range. “So Happy” was a deserved #1 Billboard club hit.
#19 – I was wowed by MAX when I saw him perform in October 2015, and since then he has been a steady presence on the BILLCS Top 30. Singer and actor Max Schneider brought us a full album called Hell’s Kitchen Angel. The album contained a sweet ballad called “Lights Down Low”, but it was the smashing uptempo remix by L.A. duo Two Friends that took it to new heights. It’s the first of two in this list by MAX.
#18 – producer/remixer Tim Wu calls himself Elephante and from his EP I Am The Elephante recorded “Plans” featuring BILLCS favourite Brandyn Burnette on vocals, and I hope the pair will repeat this collaboration soon.
#17 – back and as grand as ever in 2016 was the classic dance duo Pet Shop Boys from their album Super with the lead off single “The Pop Kids”, which got club goers out onto the dance floor in the Spring.
#16 – a very distinct song that found its way out of its native Norway to become a worldwide pop and dance club hit. Featuring a unique vocal by a singer named Iselin Solheim, it’s “Faded” by newcomer Alan Walker.
#15 – Dutch duo The Him released an irresistible deep house club hit “Balance”, which features L.A. based Dutch singer/songwriter Oktavian. Watch for more great music from The Him in 2017 as they wrapped up the year opening for The Chainsmokers on their European tour.
#14 – one of the most poignant songs of 2016 is based on a coincidence of real-life events of loss, by Brandyn Burnette called “Lost” from his EP Made Of Dreams. Brandyn auditioned for American Idol at the top of the year and took a risk by performing this original, which the judges loved, though Brandyn chose not to continue on the show. “Lost” is the third of four songs in the Top 30 by or featuring Brandyn.
#13 – preceding Hell’s Kitchen Angel in 2016 was MAX’s EP Wrong. The title song is a hip hop flavoured rave up featuring rapper Lil Uzi Vert who scored with his own album and songs in 2016 as well. A BILLCS Top 30 #1.
#12 – featuring an incredible gritty vocal by American singer Brayton Bowman is “Shy” by Belgian producer The Magician, who released “Shy” and songs by others in 2016 on his own label Potion Records. Watch for more of this incredible music from The Magician and his stable of artists in 2017. A BILLCS Top 30 #1.
#11 – “Kiss The Sky” by NYC duo The Knocks featuring none other than The Fugees’ Wyclef Jean on vocals. The Knocks created a grand party when I saw their show in January, proving themselves to be slick entertainers as well as producers. Their album 55 continued the dance party, and they found themselves opening for Justin Bieber on his European tour in the latter part of 2016. “Kiss The Sky” is sheer dance music escapism at its best. A BILLCS Top 30 #1.
#10 – the third entry on the list by Elephante is “Closer”, which became his signature song after being heard in many remixes which included worthy ones by the likes of producers Aash Mehta and Speaker Of The House. The vocalist on “Closer” is Portland, Oregon’s Bishøp and it’s one of the best of 2016.
#9 – “Dreamin’” by British producer/remixer Embody featuring fellow Brit vocalist Camden Cox. It’s somewhat hard to believe that the song that could transport you most to a hot beach party in 2016 was brought to us from two talented Brits. “Dreamin’” is 2016’s best tropical mix.
Songs 8 through 1 all were BILLCS Top 30 #1’s 🙂
#8 – belonging to my fellow Canadian The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, and Abel grew up not far from where I grew up, but in a community of 90’s Ethiopean immigrants, which makes his success all the more formidable. The Weeknd collaborated with the award-winning French duo Daft Punk for “Starboy”, from the diverse album of the same name, which also gave him his first Billboard #1 hit.
#7 – Brandyn Burnette has his final song of 4 in the Top 30 (and 8 on the full list, plus one by his duo Cosmos & Creature with his gal Molly Moore) from his special EP Made Of Dreams with “Nothing At All”. It’s a sparse production that brings out the progressive soul vibe of the song, which made the Made Of Dreams EP all the more listenable. Brandyn’s putting finishing touches on his third release due in January.
#6 – one of the most emotional songs of the year, the second one on the list called “Lost”, this one by British Columbia native Connor Phillips. In its original version, the song is a short acoustic ballad, but Canadian remix duo Young Bombs once again gave their redux an extra wow factor by washing it in enough synths to make your eyes wet. If you find yourself wanting to hug someone, blame it on the power of music.
free download:
#5 – the second song from Super 8bit Heart on this list is “8bit Heart”, a personal favourite of mine from 2010 that was redone for 2016. “8bit Heart” is a song like none other to me, it’s a song full of love and heart that totally captivated me 6 years ago in its original version, and was my #4 song of that year. Simon kept it real in 2016 and made the redux of “8bit Heart” the lead companion song for his book Boy Robot.
#4 – released in late July, it was hard to believe that “Closer” by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey would become one of the biggest hits of the decade, with 12 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Chainsmokers, who are the NYC duo of Alex Pall and Drew Taggart, appeared on my list last year but more than any act in 2016 outdid themselves with their relentless performing and recording schedules. But the best of it all, is that they remained truly down-to-earth and supportive of other breaking acts in the dance community. “Closer” resonated with me too.
#3 – this song really kicked a funky butt into the proceedings in 2016, being the song that followed The Chainsmokers’ “Closer” at #1 on my regular chart of the BILLCS Top 30. It’s “Native Son Prequel” by producer/remixer Gramatik featuring London-born American vocalist Leo Napier. It’s a song told from the perspective of a pimp, and aside from that odd story angle, NYC remixer Jenaux gave it a spirited 70’s funk flavour that could only make you think of the character Huggy Bear from TV’s Starsky & Hutch 😛
#2 – Toronto duo Dzeko & Torres collaborated with Sweden’s Hellberg for their free download release of “Care For Me”, which is my #2 song of 2016. While the performers may have considered “Care For Me” to be a great free promotional vehicle for their music in 2016, it was in fact a fabulous arrangement featuring an uncredited vocal, whose lyrics also struck an emotional nerve with me. Dzeko & Torres have since decided to pursue other efforts, with Julian Dzeko continuing to record while Luis Torres ventures into the production side of things, and I’m glad I caught their show in Toronto in April. Jon Hellberg on the other hand featured prominently on the BILLCS Top 30 in 2016 with both “Synchronize” and “All The Way”.
#1 – my favourite song of 2016 was brought to my attention courtesy of an excellent innovative remix, one of the best of the year, by relative newcomers EDWYNN x TIKAL (also known as Swedes Thor Lundberg and Leonard Palmberg) and Spirix (who is American producer/remixer Devain Doolaramini). The song is “So Bad” by L.A. singer/songwriter Brandon Skeie, who didn’t release more than a handful of songs in 2016 but is set out to conquer 2017. A protege of Semi-Precious Weapons frontman and noted songwriter Justin Tranter, who co-wrote Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” and Fall Out Boy’s “Centuries” among others, Brandon has an amazing high register, which helped send “So Bad” into the history books for me. It’s one of the best songs ever about longing for someone who you may or may not get to have in your life.
Young Australian producer/remixer Throttle is showing why he is becoming increasingly in demand and performing at concerts like Tomorrowland, with his reshaping of Michael Bublé’s lovely “My Kind Of Girl” for clubland. What’s great about this remix is that it retains the jazzy flavour of the original, and actually works it up against the playful drops and torrent of synths that are added – Throttle calls it Dirty Disco. Think of “We No Speak Americano” or “Mambo #9” without the novelty; Throttle’s remix of “My Kind Of Girl” is an immediate dance floor filler. It will draw out the romantics for the jazzy side of the song, and if they have some moves, they can bust them right along those who do not. Club DJ’s would be wise to incorporate Throttle’s remix of “My Kind Of Girl” at the height of a busy evening. You may recall Michael Bublé’s songs were in dance clubs from the getgo, through 2004’s Ralphi Rosario mix of the classic “Sway” 🙂 If you have a Bit Torrent client, you can download it for free from the link above.
“Holding You” in its original version is a chilled out but jazzy and soulful instrumental with some 90’s flavour by France’s Slowz. To enhance it for clubs, remixer/producer Stan Sax (one half of Germany’s Saxity) weaves his magic following up his edit of Fabian Luttenberger’s “Vague” by adding his insightful saxophone work to the proceedings, retaining its loungey/laid back approach but adding a romantic side to enhance its appeal. Clubs looking for the right song for early evening as the lights begin to dim will want to add this edit of “Holding You” into their mix. Download it for free at the link above.
MICKEY VALEN featuring NOÉ, “Meet Me” (Wait What remix)
After dazzling us with a riveting remix of “Supernatural” by Boombox Cartel & QUIX, Californian Troy Skinner aka Wait What returns, this time reshaping “Meet Me” by New York producer Mickey Valen featuring French singer Noé. I wrote about this song in the Fall, and in this remix, the sexy coyness is substituted with a variety of different EDM flavours to make it pop on the dancefloor. Some nifty trap/dubstep breaks surround a slower paced rhythm augmented with some fresh synths and instrumentation to alternately isolate the verses and then crank up the beat. It’s a pretty creative remix, and taking risks to make the changes standout are what it’s all about. Check it out at the link above.
As my bi-weekly chart heads towards its 500th edition in two weeks, it looks like the top of the chart will be shaken ‘n stirred a bit. I keep the chart to a Top 30 but my new music iPod playlist is around 80 current songs 🙂 Two Canadians lead the new list!
The Top 10
The Weeknd and Daft Punk score the top spot again with “Starboy”, which will cause it to rank highly in my upcoming Top 86 of ’16 list 🙂
The big question is, which song will follow “Starboy” at #1 in two weeks? Songs 2, 3 and 4 all make big cases to succeed it. Another Canadian, Halifax’s Famba, rises 3-2 with his funky and fun “Right Here Right Now”. L.A.’s Bobby Nourmand climbs 5-3 with his EDM and hip hop mix “D E E P In NY”, featuring rappers D.O.C. and Goodmorning. Both are above. And the venerable Pet Shop Boys score their second Top 5er this year with “Burn” (below), moving 6-4.
NYC’s Stefan Alexander’s “Skeleton” busts upward 9-6 – check out the intriguing new video below.
I had a little hand in connecting lyricist to performers/producers with the song “Brothers” which evolved out of the collaboration. Germany’s Saxity brought in Norway’s Strøm for the vocal, and the rest is history as the passionately performed song climbs 16-8.
The fastest riser on the chart is a vibrant and happy instrumental by Sweden’s Hellberg called “All The Way”, and it vaults 19-9.
The last of three new entries to the Top 10 is the infectious, 90’s influenced song “The Thirst” by Eric Sharp featuring vocalist Zhao, rising 14-10.
Movin’ On Up
Victor Perry is headed for his second Top 10 song on this chart with his brilliant soft piano-led cover of Everything But The Girl’s “Missing”, which moves up 23-14. Get it for free on his Soundcloud page!
It recently went to #1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Play chart, but Tony Moran & Jason Walker’s “Say Yes” is so bright and bubbly it deserves to stick around for longer. It climbs 24-16.
Kid Cudi’s new album Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’ should be an interesting listen if its lead single “Surfin'” (featuring Pharrell Williams) is any indication, and it jumps 25-17.
Canadian Felix Cartal is one of the most prolific dance producers/performers around in 2016. His uplifting single “Drifting Away”, featuring Ofelia K., rises 28-22.
Premieres
The Netherlands’ San Holo has offered up some often infuriatingly experimental progressive EDM of 2016, so it was intriguing to see him land near year’s end with a gorgeous chilled out pop record called “Light”, which arrives at #23. It’s also on its way up the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart, where it resides in its Top 20 🙂 You can still get it for free, for now, via his Soundcloud page above. It’s also a feather-in-the-cap for new label Bitbird!
Molly Moore’s songs have a way of sticking in your head. So with recent outstanding remixes by teenager Pluto and duo-on-the-rise Telykast (both above and free downloads), “Imaginary Friends” (initially from her Now You See Me EP) began to resonate with me more. The song in all of its versions bows at #26.
Another teen debuting on the chart is Germany’s JPB, who has released a debut three song EP called For You, and the title song, featuring increasingly in-demand British vocalist Luke Cusato, debuts at #27 from the Heroic label. The song is also available for free download at the Soundcloud link above.
View the full BILLCS Top 30right 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
Listen for me with my Pick of the Week at 2:20/6:20/10:20 AM/PM EST onhttp://www.planetradio.ca most days Monday through Sunday, and my flashbacks to a Toronto Top 10 of yesteryear Tuesdays at 9pm EST!
I’m glad to see EDM performers and remixers involved with more philanthropy and supporting great causes, and a great example comes via Chicago’s Aryay and British remixer DMNO. A new high powered trap-fused future bass mix of “Never Gonna Leave” has arrived with a classic Chicago house sound at its roots. It’s not too relentless though as DMNO makes some sweet adjustments in the mix to tantalize your senses before you bust loose again. If you support the song then be sure to donate to Kids Off The Block, which will help at-risk youth get the support they need to keep them off the streets and out of harms way. Donate right here and download the song for free at the link above.
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