Seamless house: “Temptation” by @Christofimusic featuring @AYERofficial

https://soundcloud.com/lesolmusique/christofi-feat-ayer-temptation

CHRISTOFI featuring AYER, “Temptation”

L.A. producer/musician Michael Christofi returns with a proper bookend to his fine Spring house track “Don’t Need You” (featuring J-VEN), which is wrapping up a run on the BILLCS Top 30 after peaking at #9.  Christofi is such a natural at creating new-meets-old house music, he slips into this comfortable, recognizable deep groove and switches it up each time to capture your interest.  This time he opts for a soft but genuine vocal by AYER that adds to the sly but simple intrigue of the song, and it all makes for very happy feet.  “Temptation” is another winner and you can download it for free using the link on the Soundcloud page above.

All that glitters: “Fame” by Canadian producer @DeBoermusic featuring @itsJoelmusic (free DL)

https://soundcloud.com/deboer/fame-feat-joel

DEBOER featuring JOËL, “Fame”

Rising Toronto area producer DeBoer carves out his own path with the funky and melodic “Fame”.  That kind of groove is a perfect match for the versatile voice of his buddy Joël LeMay.  You’ll recall a certain blog post from this past Spring about Joël’s hypnotic storytelling in his song “You Fucked Up” – which became my most-read post in four years! While Joel’s vocal forms the core of the song and gets much richer as the song moves along, DeBoer offers a swift pace that changes it up between softer bluesy moments and some nice drops that are sure to make you bounce along.  “Fame” is a touch different for your dance music mix and well worth hearing.  And if you enjoy it enough, download it for free at the above link. 

Here’s @ColePlante’s winning take on classic “Teardrops” featuring @Bobimusic

COLE PLANTE featuring BOBI, “Teardrops”

I trod in potentially muddy waters when I decided to play this song and this low, expressive voice started singing what are some of my favourite lyrics of the last 30 years.  So what did I get myself into?  I would never have associated 19 year old California producer/DJ Cole Plante with the 1988 Womack & Womack classic which was such a huge hit in the UK and Europe but not in North America.  It’s been covered many times over, but “Teardrops” is a massive, soulful win for Cole, who broke out DJing with Skrillex at age 16, and has already had a Billboard Dance Club Chart #1.  The skillful vocal by Bobi has major punch, charm and emotion rolled all into one.  Cole’s mix slams hard when it needs to and has a lush and percussive backdrop.  While it’s a solo vocal outing rather than a duet, look for “Teardrops” to garner favour in clubland fast.  Radio stations looking for a song that’s somewhat familiar yet never a hit over here may wish to invest some time with this rendition.  Two big thumbs up!!  Listen above on Spotify.

@akaSIROJ and @BrandynBurnette are a perfect pair for R&B/jazz-tinged “Stars”

SIROJ featuring BRANDYN BURNETTE, “Stars”

“Stars” is an unexpectedly R&B/jazz-tinged initial collaboration between Dutch producer/DJ SIROJ and our very own Brandyn Burnette.  Off-the-beaten-path dance pairings don’t get better than this.  Both bring their A-game, with SIROJ creating a lilting, islands-influenced lighter house melody and rhythm, immensely complimented by Brandyn’s dreamy and committed vocal.  While I will always listen to anything that Brandyn sings, “Stars” still caught me off guard for its daring diversity but also its immediate appeal.  Listen above and pick it up on iTunes.

@ElectricBodega shake it up Spanish style with @AngelicaRahe’s “Pa’lante”

ANGELICA RAHE, “Pa’lante” (Electric Bodega remix)

Spanish (but L.A.-based) singer Angélica Rahe’s “Pa’lante” has more than enough festive spice to share on its own, but NYC producers Electric Bodega (currently on fire with “Rest Of My Life”) have given it some next-level energy to shake up a dance floor.  The song title is the colloquial abbreviation for “para adelante” (or “go ahead” in English), which in dance music terms means strut your stuff and win over your partner 🙂  Angélica’s highly engaging vocal – take that Shakira – is the core of the song but Electric Bodega keep it busy making for both great listening and then reacting on the dance floor.  “Pa’lante” is fiery but goes down easy, and Spanish is not required (though it helps).  Check it out at the link above.

@officialMAXR adds progressive flavour to “Can’t Let Go” by @TheJaneslife

https://soundcloud.com/maxrmusic/cant-let-go-maxr-remix/s-BzoH4

THE JANES, “Can’t Let Go” (MAXR remix)

NYC vocal quintet The Janes – aka Jaime, Kelly, Llyra, Tayla, & Bella – have already acquired a growing You Tube following with a variety of cover versions.  The original of this original tune is much more rooted in a playful tropical pop beach vibe, and remixer MAXR turns it a tad sideways with some progressive flavours that make it stand out, which gives it a nice balance between the song’s softer moments.  There never seem to be enough gal groups around long enough to make an impression.  “Can’t Let Go” in the MAXR remix could be the ticket for The Janes for some club play.  Listen above and download it for free.

Surprise!! A diverse @AdamLambert vocal showcases on the potent @Tritonal and @Jenauxmusic’s collab “Broken”

TRITONAL & JENAUX featuring ADAM LAMBERT, “Broken”

“Broken” is this week’s surprise WOW track and I’m expecting great things to happen with it over the next while.  Not only does it unleash something new from Tritonal (from the upcoming album Painting With Dreams due September 9), but in collaboration with my man Jenaux (gracing the BILLCS Top 30 with both funky original “Get It On” and remix of “Native Son Prequel” by Gramatik), we have Adam Lambert on vocals!  I’m not sure how this all came together but the results are pretty stunning, from both pop and dance perspectives.  Adam has such a great, immense voice, and the production on his recent album The Original High offered a lot of restraint in favour of lyrics and melody.  In “Broken” there’s a lot of harmony to blend with Adam’s vocal, which provides for a perfect match against the upbeat tone of the song, which is all about putting on your best face going forward after a breakup.  “Broken” is one of those classy, diverse radio-radio pop/dance songs that should not be put aside.  Adam’s vocal is instantly recognizable and Tritonal and Jenaux have crafted some powerful magic together.  Listen above and pick it up on iTunes.

As good as the original: @officialKoni does it again with rework of @DJSnake’s “Let Me Love You” (featuring @EmmaHeesters)

DJ SNAKE, “Let Me Love You” (Koni remix featuring Emma Heesters)

Fresh off of the immediate viral success of his remix/cover of “Cold Water” by Major Lazer, Koni follows it up with his take on “Let Me Love You” by DJ Snake.  Here he substitutes Justin Bieber’s vocal for Dutch YouTuber Emma Heesters, and quite honestly (coming from me, as covers do need to dazzle me), it’s as good as the original and therefore requires your attention.  Putting the wrong voice in a cover of a brand new tune will sink a song, and Koni always carefully curates his tracks to ensure positive results.  The melody gracefully lilts along, making it a great choice as an end-of-summer-romance track.  Lend your ears and download it for free above.

Koni also brought us a recent favourite remix of mine, which reached #15 on the BILLCS Top 30.  Check out my original post about “Burn Fast” by Bryce Fox 🙂 right here.

Check out @TomDempseymusic’s progressive house take on “Escape From Love” by @EvaSimons & @SidneySamson

https://soundcloud.com/tomdempsey/escape-from-love-tom-dempsey-remix

EVA SIMONS & SIDNEY SAMSON, “Escape From Love” (Tom Dempsey remix)

Eva Simons and Sidney Samson have worked together regularly over the past few years, both highly recognizable in both vocal and music style, particularly to UK dance music fans.  UK remixer Tom Dempsey transforms the original mid-tempo song into more of a futuristic progressive house track that builds nicely into a slick club banger.  There’s high quality at work here, making it easy to blend seamlessly into a set while still being dynamic enough to stand out.  Download it for free at the above link.

@Hellbergmusic’s VIP mix of “Synchronize” featuring @_AaronRichards nails it again, future bass-style

HELLBERG featuring AARON RICHARDS, “Synchronize” (VIP mix)

Could there be anything better in the EDM/dance music world when a track is remixed by the performer and matches the original?  “Synchronize” is one of my favourites of 2016, reaching #8 on the BILLCS Top 30 this past Spring, with a unique, soaring vocal by NYC singer Aaron Richards.  Sweden’s Jon Hellberg has refreshed “Synchronize” with a future bass VIP mix that relies as much on its quieter moments (like the original) before its melody explodes with a drop that will simply have you cheering.  Club DJ’s will be wise to revisit “Synchronize” in your sets due to its previous success and audiences will resonate with it immediately.  Download it for free at the link above.