“Give It Up” is a sexy new crooner for @NathanSykes featuring @realGEazy

NATHAN SYKES, “Give It Up” featuring G-EAZY

As readers of this blog know, “Kiss Me Quick” by Nathan Sykes was one of my favourites of last year.  I enjoyed how this best-kept-secret from The Wanted stepped into a slick crooner role.  He took a step away from that style with his ballad “Over and Over Again”, which was transformed into a duet with Ariana Grande.  But what both songs have in common is that they became huge worldwide club hits.  So Nathan slides back as a crooner with a sexy video for “Give It Up”, featuring rising star G-Eazy, and the song I expect will also become a club floor filler – remixers get ready!  Nathan makes this a light, breezy affair and it’s no wonder that he is achieving incredible success outside of The Wanted.  “Give It Up” is a solid prelude to Nathan Sykes’ upcoming album and hits all platforms on Friday May 13.

@Saxity puts a crowd-pleasing spin on @Kygomusic’s “Fragile” featuring @MiaVerdoorn

SAXITY featuring MIA V., “Fragile”

German duo Saxity are back with another clever cover after their rollicking take on X Ambassadors’ “Renegades” featuring Canadian vocalist and violinist Gabriella.  The guys in Saxity are not just producers and remixers, they are performers, and if you think you’re hearing real instruments in the mix you are absolutely correct!  That definitely helps this pleasing cover of Kygo’s “Fragile”, which builds up so nicely until it becomes a crowd-swaying anthem.  Lebanon-based singer Mia V has a beautiful range and hits all the right notes when soft or loud.  You might find yourself remembering “Fragile” more so for a wicked sax break which is bound to have people cheering in clubs.  Download “Fragile” for free above.

@TwoFriendsmusic show their flair for melody in their remix of “Something Better” by @Audien and @LadyAntebellum

AUDIEN & LADY ANTEBELLUM, “Something Better” (Two Friends remix)

It’s hard to follow up a #1 club smasheroo like Audien and Lady Antebellum’s “Something Better”, and hardly the first time a country music song or performer found its way into clubs – anyone recall the disco mix of Dolly Parton’s 1978 hit “Baby I’m Burnin'”? 😛  And the clue for us was when Lady A performed with Zedd at last year’s CMT Awards.  Well Matt and Eli, aka Two Friends, have this amazing flair for melody, so they picked up the essence of “Something Better” and ran with it to make a remix definitively their own.  Hence, immediate reaction that followed even despite the song already being quite well-known.  Kudos to Two Friends who can show off this unique collaboration with their own stylish effects and instrumentation.  It’s no wonder Las Vegas already loves them.  Get the Two Friends remix of “Something Better” above for free.

Two Friends perform at the LINQ Hotel in Las Vegas on Saturday May 14.

Finland’s @Hannismusic returns with a melodic trap mix of “In Another World” by @HAZEturntup

HANNIS, “In Another World” (HAZE remix)

Finnish singer Hannis caught me by surprise in 2014 with a powerful and instantly memorable song called “Time Has Come” (below), which quickly found its way to #3 on the BILLCS Top 30 and became one of my favourites of its year, thanks to a terrific vocal, great lyrics, and a dubsteppy mix that still sounds like no other song I know.  This time Hannis has opted for a softer song and held a remix contest recently – which elicited 392 responses!! – with the new age-sounding winner being a rendition that might easily be considered as an ear-filling theme song for a movie.  Out of the three top and diverse remixes, I prefer the crunchy and lush trap remix above from 21 year old Dutch producer HAZE (aka Joey van den Wildenberg) which lends an edge to the song much in the same way that dubstep enhanced “Time Has Come”, while retaining the silky qualities of the original.  Be sure to listen to “In Another World” – Hannis is a deserving, hard-working talent with a beautiful voice with a songwriting partner (Vadim Petrov) who knows how to write lyrics that suit it so well.

 

New music from @JamesBlake!!! Check out “Radio Silence”

JAMES BLAKE, “Radio Silence”

Surprise!  Grammy-nominated UK alternative EDM performer James Blake drops his new album The Colour In Anything tomorrow, and has already scheduled gigs within the next two weeks in lucky New York City and Los Angeles.  Of the four songs that he’s already previewed, I think you might find “Radio Silence” to be the most likely you’ll hear on an alternative rock station.  Undeniably influenced by old school folk and blues but wrapped in the sheen of careful but typically sparse EDM layers, “Radio Silence” also recalls the recent music of both John Grant and Icelandic singer Ásgeir (whose lyrics were translated by John).  It’s not for everyone and never has been, but the music of James Blake is undeniably hypnotic and his fans will eat this one up.

Soul and Body: “Worship” by @BrandynBurnette

BRANDYN BURNETTE, “Worship”

Following the recent “Underneath”, Brandyn Burnette releases another single in advance of his EP State I’m In.  This one’s a rather understated and different EDM ballad called “Worship”, a little moodier than usual for Brandyn but definitely with beautiful intentions.  It’s a pledge to the one you adore and worship, soul and body.  Brandyn mixes the EDM backdrop with hip hop and R&B and an honest vocal that seems totally, lovingly lost in the song itself.  Brandyn’s music world has definitely shifted for the better since he released “Thanks For Nothing” almost two years ago, which makes his songs so interesting to write about and enjoy.  Pick it up on iTunes.

Let’s start a revival with ebullient @youareYouAndMe remix of “Dancing On My Own” by @Robynkonichiwa

https://soundcloud.com/youandmebootlegs/dancingonmyownaside

ROBYN, “Dancing On My Own” (You&Me remix – A-side)

Can you believe Robyn’s  Grammy-nominated “Dancing On My Own” was released in 2010?  It hardly seems that long ago because the song has been summoned to the forefront again thanks to many online recent viral covers as well as renditions on TV’s “The Voice” by both Top 4 Season 9 finalist Jeffery Austin and current Season 10 Top 10 contestant Paxton Ingram.  So the timing is absolutely perfect for a revival and new production duo You&Me have taken the reins to bring you their feel good, jam-packed, effortlessly sounding remix.  Fans of the original song will bounce gleefully while others who are new to it may just find another favourite song.  I encourage dance club DJ’s to add this to their playlist to guarantee a packed dance floor at evening peak time.  And there’s still more news:  I didn’t just label it as “You&Me remix – A-side” for nothing.  This is the first of You&Me’s two remixes of the song.  A ‘darker’ version “B-side” will be released on May 19 and I’ll have details for you at that time!  For now you can download You&Me’s “A-side” remix of “Dancing On My Own” at the above link.

Wild and funky! “Get It On” by @Jenauxmusic

JENAUX, “Get It On”

Not long ago, I brought to your attention a savvy remix of The Chainsmokers & Daya’s “Don’t Let Me Down” by rising NYC-based producer/DJ Jenaux.  He’s dropped a new original called “Get It On” and it’s one wild and funky ride.  I often have trouble getting past wacky vocal effects but there is so much going on in “Get It On” in terms of gritty groove and deep house flavour.  It all somehow mixes in with all of the wild goings on including 70’s funk (think Parliament-Funkadelic), disco (Chic for sure), and 80’s new wave (Rio-era Duran Duran?) to provide a festive feast for your ears and feet.  “Get It On” is what the BOOM in your speakers is all about and Jenaux pulls out all of the stops.

“So Happy” by @Moranmusic & @divaJasonWalker is joyous club music at its best

TONY MORAN featuring JASON WALKER, “So Happy”

Sometimes there’s a club song that draws you in just because its main duty is to make you feel great.  “So Happy” by club veterans Tony Moran and Jason Walker is just that, and it’s deservedly already a Billboard Dance Club Play Chart Top 10 song.  While Jason went full throttle with his range in notable covers of Taylor Dayne’s “Tell It To My Heart” and The Temptations’ “Ball of Confusion” (also with Tony) two years ago, his voice in this original reminds me of a mix of Boy George and Andy Bell emphasizing a lower tone which is out to win you over instead of dazzling you with his vocal acrobatics.  The melody is carefree, suitable to big open spaces (like in the video above) as well as your home stereo 🙂

An effortless vocal by Lydia Kelly (@lfruits21) leads “Breathe Into Reality” by @AashMehtamusic

AASH MEHTA featuring LYDIA KELLY, “Breathe Into Reality”

Producer/DJ Aash Mehta and vocalist Lydia Kelly are two talents from Ann Arbor, Michigan to watch out for and “Breathe Into Reality” is an affecting alternative EDM track that can bridge a mix when some quiet moments are required.  The song’s first minute and a half can create beautiful transitions between sets when Lydia’s seamless vocal is unleashed and simply soars.  Aash definitely goes his own way with his mix, which is divided between that introductory vocal showcase and a moodier, thoughtful second half.  “Breathe Into Reality” is one of those songs that manages to stand well on its own and grows with repeated listens.  Download it for free at the link above.