Tag Archives: electronica

NYC’s @AYERofficial finds the beauty in friendship with “My Hands”

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AYER, “My Hands”

“My Hands” is a song full of positive, soulful vibes that surround you like a warm blanket when you need a snuggle.  You’ll recall NYC singer AYER as featured vocalist on Michael Christofi’s “Temptation” which I wrote about a while back.  He has a rich but gentle voice that suits the relaxed tone of “My Hands”.  I would be more inclined to send this song in the direction of listeners who enjoy 80’s soul-pop like Daryl Hall & John Oates as well as lighter electronic pop from about 10 years ago, it has a diverse retrospective feel to it.  There’s some great sax playing that enhances that appeal, though I suppose its swaying/anthemic quality could also work in clubs.  Nonetheless “My Hands” is a lovely and uplifting song, and we simply need more of these 🙂  Check it out at the link below.

#BILLCSTop30 #492 – September 19/16

There’s a new #1, five debuts, and plenty of movement, so lots to write about in this 492nd edition of the BILLCS Top 30 🙂

The Top 10

  • It should be no surprise that “Closer” by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey is the new #1 after I’ve been singing its praises since its release on July 29.  No mean feat either knocking “Shy” by The Magician and Brayton Bowman out of the top spot.  I’m not sure how long “Closer” will endure at #1 given the fantastic mix of songs heading upward but it’s the first topper for the duo of Alex and Drew who have had triumphs unlike any other EDM performers in 2016 while staying true to their roots.
  • One of the songs challenging “Closer” moves up 5-2 and that’s the Jenaux remix of “Native Son Prequel” by Gramatik featuring Leo Napier.  This song has an amazing ‘wow, cool!’ factor about it like no other song on the chart, and it may yet get to #1.
  • It became his first American Top 10 song as a lead performer and deservedly so for Charlie Puth, who with Selena Gomez, have “We Don’t Talk Anymore” riding the Top 10 wave here too, moving 10-7.
  • Atlanta’s sweet-voiced Victor Perry climbs 13-8 with his independent release “Rainbows”, very deserving of your attention from his EP 4 A.M. Nostalgia.  An official remix surfaced this past week by L.A.’s The Wookie…. and I had a little something to do with it 🙂  Download it for free above.
  • The second new entry to the Top 10 is also the Fastest Riser on the chart.  MAX (Schneider) gets his third Top 10 entry this year as the Two Friends remix of “Lights Down Low” soars 19-9.

Movin’ On Up

  • Jenaux is back this time with co-billing as lead artist with Tritonal for “Broken” featuring none other than Adam Lambert, which leaps 18-12.

  • Right behind is Norway’s Matoma with UK singer Becky Hill for “False Alarm”, now a UK Top 40 hit, which moves 20-13.
  • Toronto’s Chet Porter has a winning EDM ballad with “Stay” featuring Chelsea Cutler, and it rises 24-16.

  • It’s taken a while on North American shores, but Martin Garrix finally has his follow up radio hit to 2013’s “Animals” with the powerful “In The Name Of Love” featuring Bebe Rexha on vocals.  It jumps 25-18.
  •  Sean Turk’s funky remix interpretation of Brandyn Burnette’s fine “Closer” from the EP State I’m In is in the mix rising 26-19.
  • RKCB’s in fine form not only on their own “Elevated” at #14, but as featured vocalists in Steve James’ great dance track “In My Head”, which climbs 28-20.

Those Five Debuts!

  • Rihanna doesn’t need help from my blog but she gets her 10th chart entry and first since 2010’s “S&M” with the amazing “Love On The Brain”.  And what convinced me was her outstanding performance of it on the MTV awards, which despite weaker performances that night was the real deal.  It arrives at #21.
  • New to the chart at #22 is the second entry from Norway.  I think 19 year old Jesper Jenset has a potential international hit on his hands with “High”, and in the remix hands of Canadian duo Young Bombs (who got to #1 here a few months ago with their take on Connor Phillips’ “Lost”) then clubs will come-a-calling. 

  • I glowed about the debut album Double Life by NYC trio Liquid Diet recently, and before that about their intriguing video (above) for “Luminary”.  The retro Europop-influenced dance track arrives at #24. 
  • I’ve been thoroughly enjoying Bright Light Bright Light’s third album Choreography since its release in July but have been holding off adding any of its songs to the chart till now.  One of the most engaging and memorable songs within is his collaboration with Scissor Sisters’ Ana Matronic on “I Only Want To Please You”, which premieres at #26.  It’s Rod Thomas’ 15th appearance on my chart as a lead act, plus one as a featured vocalist 🙂
  • The final debut on the chart is the intense alternative EDM belonging to Molly Moore with “Just A Dream” from her upcoming EP Now U See Me at #27.  It’s an amazing vocal collaboration with her beau Brandyn Burnette, whose low octave here is in perfect contrast and support of Molly’s exquisite lead.  

View the full BILLCS Top 30 right 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 my Pick of the Week at 2:20/6:20/10:20 AM/PM EST on http://www.planetradio.ca most days Monday through Sunday, and my flashbacks to a Toronto Top 10 of yesteryear Tuesday evenings at 9pm EST:)

PREMIERE: The Minimalist sounds of #FrankOcean’s “White Ferrari” lead @Vastamusic’s inspired and careful remix

https://soundcloud.com/vastamusic/frank-ocean-white-ferrari-vasta-remix

FRANK OCEAN, “White Ferrari” (Vasta remix)

I wouldn’t be writing about a remix of a song by Frank Ocean – especially one from his smash Blonde album – whose music now courts emotional debates and undying loyalty, unless I thought fans would dig it.  A few weeks after we got to know Miami-based producer/remixer Vasta through a slick reinterpretation of T-Pain’s “I’m Sprung” comes this valiant, careful retooling of “White Ferrari”.  What was important to retain was the minimalist ambiance of the original, while of course adding to it.  Like too much salt will ruin an entire pot of broth, too much bass or overburdening this deep house remix with more synths could have played havoc here.  But instead this mix is both chilled out and taut, with slight clever synths and bass that knows when it needs to stand up and be counted.  Frank Ocean fans will love hearing this in a club setting as his music would otherwise be disconnected from that scene.  Vasta is in a reinvention process, and has much more to come in the next few months including collaborations with – wait for it – Todd Terry and Armand van Helden 😀 Download “White Ferrari” for free at the link above.

San Diego’s @Zumadotwav and @Nsolomusic tantalize with progressive, chilled out “Haste”

https://soundcloud.com/zumadotwav/haste-ft-nsolo/s-Dl71I

ZUMA featuring NSOLO, “Haste” (free DL)

Call it the beauty behind the sadness 🙂 San Diego producer Zuma was a DJ in Tokyo for a few years, and that may have contributed to his refined look at the past through his new song “Haste” which features fellow SD denizen Nsolo on vocals.  It’s a chilled out but progressive slice of EDM with an added touch of rich soul in the vocal that a number of performers are finding appealing these days.  The result is a complex, lush song that tells an intricate story but is also meant to tantalize your senses and emotions while giving you a grooving rhythm backdrop.  “Haste” is one of those records that may not appeal to everyone, but the percussion flourishes in the melody and strong vocal make it memorable.  Listen to “Haste” and then download it for free above.

With a fierce story and powerful melodies, UK duo @Kovenuk break through the “Silence”

KOVEN, “Silence”

Look elsewhere if you want a quiet song about silence.  UK duo Koven – Katie Boyle and Max Rowat – are out to make you remember those moments of silence when you feel absolutely shattered, and have concocted a fierce story and powerful melodies with a heavy but emotional production.  The lead up for the first minute draws you in, and then Katie’s 80’s-styled vocal – recalling Pat Benatar-meets-Sam Brown to me – seals the deal and by the time of the drop about 30 seconds later you are committed.  The song doesn’t let up and sustains its length with another well placed drop.  “Silence” by Koven will be especially appealing to you if you like Florence & The Machine.  Give it a listen at the link above.

“Rivers” by UK singer @AllmanBrown in a low-key but memorable mix by #ConKi and @offRAMI

ALLMAN BROWN, “Rivers” (ConKi x RAMI remix) (free DL)

The world is sometimes an awfully close place together when remixers from as disparate places as Poland and Beirut can join forces as ConKi and RAMI have done for their remix of Allman Brown’s “Rivers”.  It’s a beautiful, languid folk songs with memorable verses that in turn is shown through a different lens as the remixers maintain the folk elements and highlight them with a chilled out deep house mix.  It may seem a bit too subdued for even an early evening deep house track, but Allman’s gentle performance is the key.  Think of this as Jamie Woon meets James Bay.  Download it for free at the link above.

Way more than just big beats and drops,@iamtheElephante’s debut EP is a #Dance and #EDM jewel

elephante3

ELEPHANTE, I Am The Elephante (EP)

As of yesterday, if there’s any record that the Dance and EDM worlds should be paying attention to in 2016, it’s I Am The Elephante by of course L.A.-based Elephante (aka Tim Wu).  It’s the culmination of a huge amount of growth during the last year from a talented guy on the rise with a fine mix of original songs that just might send him over the top.  

The 9 songs are full of rich and layered synths (and probably more instrumentation) and production, and it rarely lets up (i.e. no downtempo!).  What I’ve discovered more about EDM over the last year is that there’s lots of room for heartfelt emotion to pour out, and Elephante embraces this, so in some ways the songs play out like theatrical pieces.  We’ve already been predisposed to “Black Ivory” (the instrumental I call his theme song), the powerful “Hold” (featuring Jessica Jarrell), “Catching On” (featuring Nevve), and of course the beautiful song which seems to be transcending 2016, “Closer” (featuring Bishøp).  And the new songs are equally diverse, alternately progressive and futuristic.

Both “Shake The Earth” (featuring Lyon Hart) and “Goliath” (featuring Jody Drake) are riveting, where big things happen and melodies win out over the aggressive backdrop.  I could picture Florence Welch singing “Shake The Earth”!  I’ve got a really soft spot for the new single “Plans” (below) which features the ever-amazing Brandyn Burnette in a romantic story that is the core of this EP, and I expect “Plans” to blow up similarly to “Closer” so watch out!  The record is rounded out with “Dynasty” (with Mila) and another track with Nevve that crushes it called “Sirens”.  There is not a mediocre song within I Am The Elephante!  When does that ever happen?

So I’m very enthused, happy, and inspired for Elephante and this debut EP, as well as for Dance and EDM.  When you need to make a huge calling card, you make a record like this.  BRAVO!  

Listen to “Plans” featuring Brandyn Burnette below.

L.A.’s @Mahalo_music puts an unexpectedly splendid spin on “La La Land” by @DVBBS @Shaun_Frank and @iamDelaneyJane

DVBBS & SHAUN FRANK featuring DELANEY JANE, “La La Land” (Mahalo remix) (free DL)

The song has been out for many months, but what could prompt me NOW to listen to and write about “La La Land” by my fellow Canucks DVBBS, Shaun Frank and Delaney Jane?  Why an inventive remix like no other, that’s what!  I can’t say I was keen on the laid back original mix of “La La Land”, but L.A.’s Mahalo’s rich deep house remix is quite impressive.  It brings out the darker nighttime side of L.A. to replace the sunny days and beaches that you have in your head.  The chugging rhythm plays on the relentlessness of a big city, and Delaney Jane’s vocal so suits the mix in a more forlorn, distant way than in the original.  It may not have been what the performers have in mind but my overall reaction by the end of it all is for dance clubs to dive deep into it.  Folks who know the original will appreciate this alternate version, and it will plug into sets where the original previously did not fit.  Congrats to Mahalo for deservedly creating another side of “La La Land” that is getting great reaction.  And you can download it for free at the above link.

More new music from @Tritonal brings us @officialR5’s talented Ross Lynch (@RossR5) on “I Feel The Love”

TRITONAL featuring ROSS LYNCH, “I Feel The Love”

So if you thought it was a surprise for EDM duo Tritonal – who are Austin’s Chad Cisneros and David Reed – to get Adam Lambert to sing on “Broken”, the first single from their new album Painting With Dreams, then finding R5’s Ross Lynch on “I Feel The Love” may seem even more curious.  But I’ve written about Ross and have seen R5 in concert, and of course he is the real performing and vocalist deal beyond being in TV’s “Austin and Ally”.  Versatility is the name of the game here, and while “I Feel The Love” is fairly heavily produced and doesn’t have a lot of rough edges, Tritonal lets Ross’ boy-next-door appeal shine through.  “I Feel The Love” is more dance/pop oriented than what many clubs will look for, which makes it as perfect for radio as “Broken”.  Hearing all of Tritonal’s music like “I Feel The Love” will be such a treat on their tour, now in progress!  Check out this song for the win at the link above.

Tritonal brings their tour to Toronto at Uniun on Friday, October 14.

The gorgeous R&B/pop ballad “Rainbows” by Atlanta’s Victor Perry (@perksofbeingvic) becomes a dance floor raveup in the hands of L.A.’s @Wookie_official

VICTOR PERRY, “Rainbows” (The Wookie’s  remix – Radio edit)

It started in the 90’s with ballads that were transformed into dance anthems such as Toni Braxton’s “Un-break My Heart” and Whitney Houston’s “My Love Is Your Love”, so the tradition continues with Victor Perry’s totally gorgeous “Rainbows”.  The song is riding high on the BILLCS Top 30 at #13, and while the song stands well enough on its own, The Wookie’s remix is incredibly complimentary and can bring it to the attention of an entirely different audience.  Victor’s voice is perfectly suited to the dance genre and can keep his own favourite singers great company there as a result.  This remix is so inspiring and people will ask about it, and club DJ’s will have no problem fitting it into any uptempo set.  I had a bit of a hand in this one – I merely introduced the two artists, who then ran off and did something better than I could ever have imagined and it makes me love the song even more!  Bravo and three thumbs up 🙂  Download it for free at the link above.