BOOMBOX CARTEL & QUIX featuring ANJULIE, “Supernatural” (Wait What remix)
Berkeley, California producer remixer Wait What (aka Troy Skinner) has refashioned “Supernatural” by Boombox Cartel and Quix featuring Anjulie, and the results not only make the song his own but are highly complimentary to the original. “Supernatural” as released contains a beautiful, other-worldly vocal by Anjulie which is most present in the first minute, before the song takes a wild dive into heavy futuristic trap, and glides into an enjoyable progressive EDM track. Wait What takes advantage of the excellent vocal and uses it throughout the song, creating his own future bass trap/dub step arrangement in the process that completely works. He adds some anthemic vocal effects which gives the song a hip hop spirit. The result is a confident mix that doesn’t get too wild and focuses on a lot of strengths of the original song. If you like it by listening at the link above, you can vote for it as a part of a contest at this link by clicking the “Like” button.
“Hard” is a recent release from the New Zealand singer Madeline North, who calls herself So Below. There are lots of singers who are following the same path as her fellow Kiwi Lorde or Banks or Verité, but So Below has both the songwriting chops and the voice to get your attention. “Hard” has a darker sound to be sure – not quite what I would say the singer is marketing as ‘goth pop’ – but it has the same emotional quality to a song like Linkin Park’s “In The End” but with a different approach. “Hard” has an assured and accessible sound that alternative pop and EDM fans should enjoy. Check it out at the link above.
Some favourites remain at the top while others tumble this week to make room for songs that have been waiting patiently in line…
The Top 10
“Native Son Prequel” by Gramatik and Leo Napier (Jenaux remix) (above) and “Balance” by The Him (below) have been my one-two punch now for three charts (six weeks), and it looks like they will yield to other songs in two weeks – but exactly which ones I do not even know yet!!
“Plans” by Elephante and Brandyn Burnette is definitely a contender for the top as it climbs 7 to 4. Check out the new Acoustic version below 🙂
The fastest riser on the chart belongs somewhat surprisingly to The Weeknd and Daft Punk, whose “Starboy” rockets 12-5, to become the highest ranking song by The Weeknd on my chart to date. And… he has one of four debuts too!
L.A.-based producer Steve James pairs up with fellow L.A. duo RKCB for a fine blend of EDM and soul on “In My Head”, which rises 9-6.
And you’ll see Brandyn Burnette two more times in the Top 10 as his duet with his gal Molly Moore on “Just A Dream” (above, from her brand new EP Now You See Me, which he produced) leaps 13-8, while the Sean Turk remix of his own “Closer” (below) moves up 11-9. Brandyn has achieved this feat before and most of his songs just make a bee-line for the Top 10 anyway 😛 It’s also the third song called “Closer” to reach my Top 10 this year, following songs by Elephante and The Chainsmokers.
Movin’ On Up
NYC trio Liquid Diet close in on the Top 10 with their Eurotastic “Luminary” and its provocative video, up 14-11 from their album Double Life.
That unassuming instrumental “Vague” by Fabian Luttenberger in its playful Stan Sax remix continues to gain momentum, climbing 17-14.
Cole Plante’s reworking of Womack & Womack’s classic “Teardrops” from 1988, featuring a powerful vocal by Bobi, rises 21-16 and is currently a Top 5 Billboard Club Play hit 🙂
My fun, fun, fun trio of debuts from two weeks ago are on the move: “Right Here Right Now” by Halifax’s Famba (above) jumps 26-20, while Bobby Nourmand’s rework of his instrumental “Deep”, now called “D E E P In NY” featuring rappers DOC and Goodmorning (below), rises 25-22, and Convex & Titus get naaasty in a Snøwmass remix of “Bad Kids” (27-23, also below).
Released by The Disco Fries’ new label Liftoff, producer Eric Sharp and vocalist Zhao have a powerhouse deep house tune called “The Thirst”, which is the highest debut at #25.
Pet Shop Boys put on an amazing show last week mixing in old with new and even a bit obscure, and one of the best songs from their latest album Super came out sounding quite grand. “Burn” isn’t a single – but it should be – and arrives on the chart at #26.
If you’re used to the slick and soulful side of The Weeknd then you may be taken a bit aback as he lets loose with the rock-flavoured “False Alarm” at #27, from the upcoming Starboy album. Not of course to be confused with the Matoma/Becky Hill song which hangs in at #21.
One of the nicest and most uplifting songs around right now is the EDM pop ballad “My Hands” by NYC vocalist Ayer, and it lands on the chart at #28.
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 this Wednesday (Nov 16) and next Tuesday (Nov 22) at 9pm EST!
Australia-based producer Latchmere is back with a new original called “Take Me”, following his infectious deep house collaboration with Andreas Liberos this past summer, “Limits”. Featuring a sultry vocal by Reina Winters, “Take Me” is a high quality, bass-driven song that will have no problem winning you over midway with with an ominous-sounding backdrop and some expressive synths, creating another ear-catching melody. It’s a bit low-key and different on the surface but “Take Me” ultimately will wrap you up in its variety of sounds. You can download it for free at the link above (Soundcloud now hides other buttons like this under “More”).
“Imaginary Friends” is one of three songs previewed in advance of the release last week of Molly Moore’s second EP Now You See Me, and I’ve written about them all 🙂 The song now gets a remix courtesy of German producer Pluto. And what in its original version is about the pain of loneliness when relocating to a big city receives a change in perspective from the remixer. Its new futuristic trap surroundings bring out a more hallucinogenic, almost nightmarish side of the song – more of a companion piece to Molly’s “Just A Dream” – wherein you realize that the friends are indeed all in one’s head. As much as I enjoy the focused production of the original of “Imaginary Friends”, Pluto’s remix takes you on a different journey and will sit well with dance club patrons. Give it a listen above – it’s available as a free download.
“Hitchhike” has a distinct and powerfully uplifting sound that’s becoming a trademark for L.A. duo KOLAJ (Teesa Houston and Mike McGarity) after a series of releases, most notably their pairing with K-Pop star Eric Nam for the equally appealing “Into You”. “Hitchhike” will sweep you off your feet and onto the dance floor with Teesa’s soaring voice that will pour right through you. It owes as much musically to dance and electronica as it does pop and alternative rock, and is the kind of song people like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry should be writing or looking for to sustain themselves over the next few years. Fortunately, Gaga’s parent label Interscope has had the good taste to sign KOLAJ so this is a terrific start for that sweet deal, so maybe an opening gig is in their future, who knows?
Dutch production duo Droeloe are definitely out to let you hear the many reasons why they might be considered one of the most diverse and adventurous EDM acts on the bubble. From a futuristic remix of Charlie Puth & Selena Gomez’s “We Don’t Talk Anymore” through to the sonic delight of a strange instrumental that is “Shibuya”, we arrive at “Bon Voyage”, essentially another instrumental that at first doesn’t really seem to know where it begins. However it more than makes up for a humble start by adding in some memorable voice clips and showing off the same sense for varied melody that we heard in “Shibuya”, with many similar percussive rhythms and Asian influences. So we’ll be happy to take that trip around the world in an air balloon – with key stops at EDM venues 😛 – with Droeloe playing the soundtrack 🙂
“Yerba” is one wild and crazy ride courtesy of Austin duo Far & Few as paired up with Warsaw’s LOA. Trap and dubstep can often get really messy and then it becomes this unappealing blurry amalgam of sounds and voices. The artists here rely on a frenetic start, and bring it up and down a few times along with some interesting melodic shifts. Cue creepy vocal and you have a song that’s meant as much for clubs as it is for inclusion in a video game full of monstrous creatures 😛 My only complaint is that it could have lost the linear last minute but club DJ’s will enjoy the rest. Download “Yerba” for free at the link above.
“Home” is the stuff that dreams are made of for rock guitar fans and guitarists alike, courtesy of The Netherlands-based veteran indie performer Ugochill (aka Alex Radojcic). Reminiscent perhaps of Genesis transitioning from Peter Gabriel to Phil Collins years with guitar work that instantly brings to mind some of the most renown – Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck or Stevie Ray Vaughan – “Home” also features a deep haunting almost spoken-word vocal and a prominent bass that will plow right through you. Its melody is so familiar yet distant at the same time, and the sound overall is crisp and contemporary. But Ugochill’s distinctly brilliant guitar work is the star here. Listen to “Home” on Spotify at the link above.
“Quantum Immortality” is the kind of song title that belongs as part of a sci-fi movie, and actually this new single by L.A.-based performer Crywolf would totally suit that artistic environment. Drawing from influences like Crystal Castles and Flume while stylistically falling into similar musical trappings as M83, James Blake, and Porter Robinson, Crywolf (aka Justin Phillips) packs a lot of content and flair into his songs that sustain them till they finish. “Quantum Immortality” may not be for everyone, but its theme is universal and the melody moves along a lot like classical pieces at times. But it wouldn’t be convincing without his far-reaching vocal, which I first heard earlier this year through Bronze Whale’s remix of the heartfelt “Slow Burn” (from his recent album Cataclasm). Crywolf has been gaining more momentum over the past few years, currently wrapping up a recent multi-city tour, and I think his profile will continue to gleam with songs like this. “Quantum Immortality” is for late nights when you want to ponder life sitting under the stars. Check it out at the above link.
BILLCSMUSIC BLOG 