Tag Archives: electronica

Unassuming “Chase You Down” by @Runagroundmusic will make you a fan

RUNAGROUND, “Chase You Down”

Runaground is a one-man band named Andy Kirk from L.A., and “Chase You Down” is one of those easy-going songs that you want to play while you’re driving into a pretty sunset.  Andy’s voice compares to singers like Ryan Cabrera or Howie Day, guys who can write a song and make it a shared personal experience.  “Chase You Down” is also a great companion piece to the similarly titled 90’s hit “Follow You Down” by Gin Blossoms, but of course mixed in with Andy’s pop setting with a rhythm perfectly suited for the dance floor.  Remixers will want to see what they can do with such a diverse and unassuming song.  It’s another pop/dance music hybrid score for Robbins Entertainment after last year’s “Over” by Goldhouse.  Watch the video for “Chase You Down” above and pick up the EP on iTunes.

@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.

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.

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. 

@JaneBadler goes tribal EDM in a @djTracyYoung remix of “Black Silk Stockings”

JANE BADLER, “Black Silk Stockings” (Tracy Young remix)

Jane Badler, the actress and singer, is so adept at jazz and pop stylings that it’s always a riveting treat to hear her in a crazy dance music setting.  “Black Silk Stockings” is perhaps her wildest EDM dance venture yet, just when you think that remixes of her previous theatrical foray “Yesterday’s Tomorrows” were just shy of over the top.  Let it be said that “Black Silk Stockings” is way over the top, with an instantly memorable video full of costumes, effects, a weird mad doctor, drag queens, and even her son Harry Hains in DJ form  (you may have seen him in “American Horror Story: Hotel” briefly) – but still all eyes on Jane and her commanding presence over the proceedings.  It’s great to hear yet another fine remix by Tracy Young – I still revel in her 11 minute remix of Stevie Nicks’ “Planets Of The Universe”.  Could “Black Silk Stockings” send Jane Badler into international clubs at last?  Crank it up to 11 and see why it should!  I look forward to its official release.

EDWYNN x TIKAL (@Thorisen) & @Spirixmusic put a future bass spin on the beautiful “So Bad” by @BrandonSkeie

BRANDON SKEIE, “So Bad” ( EDWYNN △ TIKAL & Spirix remix)

Often I get introduced to songs that are great with or without remixes and “So Bad” by 22 year old Washington native Brandon Skeie is just that.  What a voice!  So crisp, clear, and easily recognizable!

brandonskeie

His stellar original gets two helping hands into the dance remix world courtesy of a couple of talented teens,  EDWYNN △ TIKAL from Sweden, and Spirix from L.A.  It’s kind of a wild future bass sound for what is essentially a pretty straight forward song.  But these remixers do not overtake the original with effects, they simply enhance it.  Brandon’s soaring high octave is the star and the bass drop that immediately follows sticks like glue till you get to hear it again later in the song.  You cannot go wrong with either version but this remix will get the ears of club goers and new fans for Brandon as well.