Producer/DJ @AashMehtamusic creates an exciting remix of @iamtheElephante’s “Closer” (featuring @helloBishop)

ELEPHANTE featuring BISHØP, “Closer” (Aash Mehta remix)

It’s one of my current favourites, approaching the BILLCS Top 30 Top 10 🙂 , but producer/DJ Aash Mehta has found another way to make “Closer” by Elephante featuring Bishøp absolutely sparkle.  The catchy EDM rhythm of the refrain of the original is replaced by chilled out effects that manage to find a happy balance and attentively accentuate the emotional meaning of the song.  In other words, for a set in wind down mode when you want folks to get closer than close on the dance floor, Aash Mehta’s remix will fit in perfectly.  It follow’s up Aash’s recent original “Breathe Into Reality, which I wrote about recently.  This remix is deservedly endorsed by Elephante’s camp.  Find out why – listen and download from the link above.

@JesseMcCartney pairs up with #EDM performer @BuiltByTitan for “Dangerous”

BUILT BY TITAN featuring JESSE McCARTNEY, “Dangerous”

Now there’s two more things that you didn’t necessarily expect to see together besides Jesse McCartney and “The Walking Dead” – how about Jesse McCartney and EDM!  US-based Philippines EDM artist Built By Titan (aka Fred Williams) managed to snag Jesse to co-write and perform “Dangerous” with him.  The result will definitely sneak up to you, as a particularly understated early start to the song gets changed up fast with a percolating futuristic drop which puts Jesse in a place where you’ve never heard him.  It’s that innovative-sounding chorus which totally makes the song and I’d like to see some remixers wrestle with it and keep the song’s original integrity too.  I’ve been waiting for something like this for Jesse since his 2008 album Departure, which brought us his big hits “Leavin'” and “How Do You Sleep”.  Those ones and other songs from it, particularly “Relapse”, remain my favourites by him and to me are his best works to this day.  Built by Titan and Jesse McCartney make a great pair!  Pick up “Dangerous” on iTunes.

Simply classic pop: “Broken For You” by @Harrietsmusic

HARRIET, “Broken For You”

More than any song since the first one I heard by her a few years back now, the still-stunning “Afterglow”, “Broken For You” by UK singer Harriet is simply classic pop that is tailored for every taste.  Her partnership with Mr. Steve Anderson continues to bring us great music.  “Broken For You” is timeless, it can be played at any time, with music from any era, and is brimming with the singer’s rich, effortless, and extremely likable voice.  And hey, in the new video we get to watch the singer for once too!  Lucky Brits though, they’ve already seen her perform in clubs!  You can pre-order “Broken For You” on iTunes in advance of its July 1 release (at least here in Canada).

Touching new soulful ballad from @JessieWare “Till The End”

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JESSIE WARE, “Till The End”

While she’s in-between albums, it’s great to hear a new Jessie Ware song, which comes to you as part of the soundtrack to the film “Me Before You”.  It’s called “Till The End” and it’s a lovely, soulful song for the summer months featuring a really delicate vocal from the singer.  This only makes you want more and 3 minutes of Jessie right now is just not enough but I’ll take it 🙂  The jazzy backdrop combined with the rich voice is definitely swoon-worthy.  You can pick it up now on iTunes.

Gone troppo: “Still Young” by @WilTril & @Aayiomusic (featuring @MatthewJohnKurz :D )

WILTRIL & AAYIO, “Still Young” (featuring Matthew Kurz)

I happened upon “Still Young” by producers WilTril and Aayio, recently released by Ultra music.  It’s a terrific summery retrospective kind of song, perhaps you could call it the “7 Years” of tropical EDM.  The buoyant, winning tone of the song is captured by the uncredited vocal of Miami-based singer/songwriter Matthew Kurz.  I’ve written about Matthew many times, but it’s now been about three years, so I’m glad to see a discreet breakout moment happening for him through this fine dance track for which he deserves much attention.  One of my 13 Performers to Watch in ’13, Matthew has many great songs available on You Tube through his mixtape or covers like “Titanium”.  WilTril and Aayio are gonna go big with this one and having Matthew’s honed vocal is such an amazing bonus.  Listen above and pick it up on iTunes.

@Jenauxmusic puts @3Lau’s “Is It Love” on the funk train

3LAU, “Is It Love” (Jenaux remix)

NYC producer/remixer Jenaux continues on the funk tip after his currently-blowing up original “Get It On” (which just bowed on the BILLCSTop30 at #23) with his alternate take on the always busy Las Vegas-based 3Lau’s “Is It Love”.  He strips away Justin Blau’s lyrical EDM and the original vocal in favour of a hard-hitting 80’s oriented funk ride that blends with futuristic effects quite happily.  It’s one of those short but potent remixes that when dropped in the middle of the set will make you wonder what the hell is going on and you’ll just want more.  Download it for free at the link above.

 

This one’s for the gamerz! @Smiledkmusic returns with “Koko Soko” redux

SMILE.DK, “Koko Soko” (2k16 Radio Mix)

If you know DanceDanceRevolution then you definitely know Smile.dk!  The Swedish group has been producing bouncy, infectious dance music since the 90’s, and really now there’s only one member remaining (singer Veronica Almqvist).  Smile.dk became immensely popular in Japan which culminated with “Koko Soko” back in 2008.  Now the song has received a bigger, sparkling ‘bubblegum house’ redux courtesy of Jamie Thompson and Dave Phaneuf of J-Mi and Midi-D Productions who have literally been living this song since back then, so who better to reignite it?  It’s also available in an extended mix, a “Back to the 90’s” mix, and a frenetic “Panik” mix.  If you loved The Vengaboys and Alice Deejay songs of yesteryear than you will immediately take to this feel good update of “Koko Soko”.  Take a taste above and pick up the entire EP on iTunes.

“All In The Name” is new and uniquely @BrightLightx2 featuring @Eltonofficial

BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT featuring ELTON JOHN, “All In The Name”

After the long-lasting songs from the success that was Bright Light Bright Light’s 2014 album Life Is Easy comes “All In The Name”, from his upcoming third album Choreography.  All you need to do is search these blog pages to find the countless raves about Rod Thomas’ music since I first encountered it in late 2009!  “All In The Name” is no exception to the high quality of songwriting.  It’s a cheery danceable pop song for sunny summer days, featuring another appearance from his friend and mentor Elton John, after 2014’s “I Wish We Were Leaving” (Elton appears on two more songs on Choreography).  So that you remember the title of the album, the video (above) for “All In The Name” is a highly stylized affair, full of eye-catching pastel colours, fine editing, and nifty choreography (my daughter danced for 10 years so I have some insight here!).   “All In The Name” is light and memorable – with a cast featuring Alan Cumming, Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears, Ana Matronic & Del Marquis, and that soulful vocal near the end by Mykal Kilgore (who recently co-sang the Billboard Top 20 Club Chart hit “Wait” with Vinny Vero) – and everything a fine pop song should be (now onto the remixes?).

@BobbyNourmand pays homage to an Idol with “S I S T E R”

BOBBY NOURMAND, “S I S T E R”

Following up his hot original track from earlier this year called “S M O K I N’  J O E”, producer/DJ Bobby Nourmand gives us another taste of his personal catalogue of music with “S I S T E R”.  Starting off with deliberate pacing as he did to draw us into his other-worldly rework of The Beatles’ “B E C A U S E”, everything changes when this powerful, familiar but isolated vocal joins in:  Billy Idol!!  “S I S T E R” refashions Billy Idol’s “White Wedding” in no way that you could have possibly imagined.  The original was meant to be powerful and seductive; with Billy’s vocals so isolated, the tone is aggressive and commanding, perfectly suiting the pulsating, dark deep house rhythm.  It’s a song I would love to see played while a club audience is in complete darkness during the vocals.  DJ’s will have loads of fun with “S I S T E R” – personal best for Bobby Nourmand thus far!  Download it for free above.

La danse va continuer: Le retour de @MonsieurAdi with “All My Life” (featuring Tyson)

MONSIEUR ADI featuring TYSON, “All My Life”

French producer/DJ/performer Monsieur Adi is back, somewhat inauspiciously after his remix of Years & Years’ “Desire” earlier this year, with an original song called “All My Life” featuring powerhouse R&B vocalist Tyson.  Monsieur Adi, about whom I’ve written many times, you will recall, opened for many dates for Beyoncé on her Mrs. Carter tour in the UK in 2014 (he had previously remixed her “Grown Woman” to much acclaim).  And how is it exactly that you beat that?  You don’t – you sequester yourself away for a while and work on your next project, which in this case is his upcoming album After Hours.  “All My Life” is definitely much more of a personal record than Monsieur Adi has recorded before.  It has the same universal effect as K-Ci and JoJo’s 90’s hit of the same name, except with a fierce Tina Turner-esque vocal, but the rhythm is going to get you here.  I hear the music in “All My Life” as the most immediate tribute musically to Prince, and if so, not entirely coincidental since Monsieur Adi bases himself in Minneapolis when stateside and I couldn’t imagine the effect of being nearby after his loss.  “All My Life” is a great introduction to the next phase of Monsieur Adi songs, and you’ll simply want to hear more.