electronica – Page 110 – BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

“Into The Night” is @BrightLightx2’s inspiring, romantic companion piece to “New York Pretty”

BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT, “Into The Night”

“New York Pretty” is already one of Bright Light Bright Light’s very best songs to date, complete with glorious New York City travelogue video too. So a few weeks later, along comes its companion piece, “Into The Night”, also from BLx2’s latest EP Tales Of The City. And it indeed is another one where NYC chews up the scenery with both familiar and remote places. The song, like “New York Pretty”, is as contemporary disco as there is any, similar rhythmically to, say, the earlier “Disco Moment”, but in a much happier place lyrically. And Rod Thomas and his creative partners make it abundantly clear as they add romance and affection into the mix, making it an equally grand video as “New York Pretty”. “Into The Night” is definitely about finding yourself content in that much happier place and with someone you know to whom you can return home and find open arms waiting for you. How can it be, you might ask, to come up with something so simple as one of the best stories of the year in a video? Check it all out at the link above.

Producers @MRBNBelgium lend sparkle to jaunty “Somewhere” by @WildCubmusic

WILD CUB, “Somewhere” (MRBN remix)

Sometimes it’s best not to take the ‘quirky’ out of the mix at all for best results. Belgium’s MRBN have managed to transform the jaunty and eccentric “Somewhere” by L.A. trio Wild Cub into a sparkling crowd-pleaser. In its original form “Somewhere” is a playful 90’s-inspired romp – think Mighty Mighty Bosstones. In its remix, the vocals come off sounding more raw and from the 80’s – reminiscent of say The The’s Matt Johnson or Echo & The Bunnymen’s Ian McCulloch. The horns are replaced by glistening synths and the song retains its jubilant chorus. So MRBN have kept the ‘quirky’ appeal of the original all intact while making significant changes to lend more appeal to dance music fans and clubs. You can hear their remix of Wild Cub’s “Somewhere” at the link above.

“Drive Slow” shows a creative @KidFroopy dancing down an interesting path

KID FROOPY, “Drive Slow”

With every release he’s created over the last year or so, relative newcomer Kid Froopy draws reams of attention because he’s carving his own path, and people like what songs he’s making a whole lot. “Drive Slow” is the US producer’s most interesting and carefully constructed song yet. It has all of the trappings of an electronic pop song, but it swerves and jiggles and shakes until all of the pieces fall into the right places. Not only this, but the Kid lends his own very likeable voice to “Drive Slow”. I would have liked to hear more of it but the lyrics and vocal stop in favour of a lingering melodic coda to the song. Like with other newer artists that I’ve written about such as San Holo, DROELOE, Eau Claire, Reid Speed, and Lemaitre, the world of the musical shape-shifter is an intriguing one, and Kid Froopy’s listeners will keep coming back for more. Give a good solid listen to “Drive Slow” at the link above.

kidfroopy

“Perfect” is deep, dark and dirty house by @thisisMahalo featuring #CatLewis

MAHALO featuring CAT LEWIS, “Perfect”

“Perfect” is another musical page in the evolution of L.A. producer Mahalo. This is a darker, dirtier Mahalo take on deep house. Once again he features the magnetic Cat Lewis on vocal – I swear both Mahalo and the deliberately anonymous Cat will have their own major labels deal in the near future! In the past, Mahalo has pitched Cat’s voice down on some songs, and it also happens here, but unlike other songs, there seems to be a mix of low pitch, regular voice, and high pitch, which truly makes it sound like the song is being sung at times by three different singers. All of this combined with a relentless, resolute rhythm that’s perfect for the deep of night make “Perfect” yet another winner for Mahalo and Cat Lewis. Listen and groove to it at the link above.

Shining Star: @NickiFrenchie brings back happy times with “Teardrops (On The Disco Floor)”

NICKI FRENCH, “Teardrops (On The Disco Floor)”

Disco music can make all the mini-comebacks in various shapes and forms, and if it’s done ever so right the new songs will endure too! Though she had hits in her native UK and other countries outside of North America throughout the 90’s and represented the UK at Eurovision in 2000, Nicki French is still best known for her high energy pop cover of Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” in 1995, which was a Top 5 hit most everywhere. “Teardrops (On The Disco Floor)” is flat out disco with an arrangement plucked right out of 1978 and made contemporary once again, along with a vocal by Nicki that doesn’t hold anything back. It’s a spirited anthem of empowerment that goes hand-in-hand with your favourite songs of that era with the highest pedigree of songwriting courtesy of Charlie Mason and friends. So shine your brightest under the big lights and disco mirror ball and check out the video above. Remixes are coming 🙂

Dance rave-up! “Let The World Be Ours Tonight” brings @Deborah_Cox back to the dance floor

DEBORAH COX, “Let The World Be Ours Tonight” (Stonebridge & Damien Hall radio edit)

Now seems like an appropriate time for uplifting retro-tastic dance music. “Let The World Be Ours Tonight” brings back Canada’s Juno Award-winning Deborah Cox to the dance floor with one of her best vocals in years. With no short of five remixers on board – Stonebridge & Damien Hall, Diamm, Soulshaker, JKGD, and Silver Bluff – “Let The World Be Ours Tonight” seems destined to become La Cox’s 13th #1 on the Billboard Club Play chart, where it is currently zooming up the chart at #23. It’s a real crowd-pleaser with its warm message of unity, so it’s quite easy to get swept off your feet under the bright lights. Let loose and check out “Let The World Be Ours Tonight at the link above. Deborah is currently touring select dates in the US in the play “The Bodyguard”.

2K17 remix: “Male Stripper” by MAN2MAN (@PaulZoneNYC) featuring @LolaDutronic

MAN2MAN featuring Lola Dutronic, “Male Stripper” (Lola Dutronic 2K17 remix)

The 1987 UK Top 5 hit “Male Stripper” by MAN2MAN Meets Man Parrish was everywhere there was dance music that year, it was a positively inescapable guilty pleasure of sorts. 2017 seems like the right time to revive it, and MAN2MAN vocalist Paul Zone has worked with Canadian duo Lola Dutronic to make it shine once again. With added production and vocals by Lola Dutronic’s Stephanie B, the remix really embraces the fun side of the song. And given that it’s pretty well skipped an entire generation of music fans, “Male Stripper” is bound to sound as fresh and outrageous to dance music fans as it did 30 years ago. Don’t be at all surprised if you hear this at a club sometime soon – long-serving DJ’s will embrace it and get the word out. Check it out above and pick it up at your favourite digital store. And for fun, also watch the original “Top Of The Pops” clip below which really teased the hell out of its studio audience 🙂

“Say Goodnight” keeps romance alive and well thanks to @AashMehtamusic featuring #Capelle and @GavinGarris

AASH MEHTA featuring CAPELLE and GAVIN GARRIS, “Say Goodnight”

Chicago-based producer/DJ Aash Mehta follows up his gorgeous EP Stardust with another lushly produced original ode to romance called “Say Goodnight”. Aash continues to select A+ vocalists for his songs, this time one with both male and female vocal parts courtesy of Gavin Garris and Capelle. “Say Goodnight” could be the beautiful start to a two or three song set of slower songs, but as with other songs by Aash he doesn’t let it get too comfortable without interjecting a few bars of melodic big-sounding synths which will reverberate appropriately from large speakers. There aren’t too many dance music producers creating high calibre romantic songs like this, and Aash has created some pretty unconventional remixes in the past, but he kind of has this market all to himself if he wants, which is not a bad thing. Support “Say Goodnight” by checking it out at the link above, and then purchase this independent release at your favourite digital music store.

“I Like Me Better” by @Lauvsongs gets a fitting remix by Halifax’s @Fambamusic

LAUV, “I Like Me Better” (Famba remix)

“I Like Me Better” is an exceedingly pop-friendly dance tune released independently by L.A. singer/songwriter/producer Lauv, and it’s gradually becoming a radio hit. On Billboard’s Canadian Top 100, it debuted this past week at #81. It’s got a great, touching message too that fortunately gets showcased in a fine remix by Halifax’s Famba, who readers of this blog already know from his insanely fun “Right Here Right Now”. He isolates the critical, lyrical parts of the song which lead to more uptempo alternatropical-flavoured segments that will keep your toes tapping. There are also official remixes by Cheat Codes and Ryan Riback available to enjoy as well. Lauv has a genuine, organic winner here which takes him to the next level 🙂

“Eden” is brand new from @ThisIsPlake – “The Voice” Season 12 Top 10 contestant @HunterPlake and his brother @DakotaPlake

PLAKE, “Eden”

It looks like Louisiana’s Hunter Plake and his brother Dakota have zeroed in on what was to me Hunter’s shining moment on the most recent season of “The Voice” – his warm, unique, toned-down rendition of Sia’s “Electric Heart” – and have used it for the basis of their new much-awaited indie single, “Eden”. Given Hunter’s other performances on “The Voice”, “Eden” is not what one might expect – gloriously romantic chilled out pop/dance! But I’ve found the performances on the show often disguise what the performers really want to do. And now with that as a launchpad, “Eden” should serve the brothers Plake very well as a kickstart to their own music and sound. Club DJ’s will want to invest in this one transitioning into or out of a quieter set. For the rest of us, a taste of “Eden” is not enough and we’ll want more very soon from the Plakes!