electronica – Page 45 – BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

Swedish production duo @NOTD return to deep house beats with “Nobody” with @officialCatello

NOTD and CATELLO, “Nobody”

After the great success of last year’s “So Close” – with over 400 million streams worldwide and being the #1 played song at Dance Radio – as well as “I Wanna Know”, Tobi and Sam, aka Sweden’s NOTD return to their dance roots with “Nobody”, and bring along mysterious newcomer Catello for the fun. This is darker deep house than usual for the boys and it’s led by a smouldering and rich male vocal which distinguishes it from NOTD’s more recent pop flavoured releases. Club DJ’s would be wise to add this one to any deep house playlists they are curating. “Nobody” will resonate best in dance clubs once they resume business. That’s not to say that Dance Radio won’t warm up to “Nobody”, which would go over best in late evening programming.

Loaded with hooks: “Tell Me” by UK producer @iamBobbyHarvey and singer @DannyDeardenuk

BOBBY HARVEY x DANNY DEARDEN, “Tell Me”

“Tell Me” in its original version may only be 2:30, but it’s completely loaded with hooks, courtesy of UK producer Bobby Harvey and singer Danny Dearden. Bobby makes the 90’s-tinged deep house bass flavours friendly enough for radio – which remind me of Gusto’s “Disco’s Revenge” – and they are stretched out in the Extended Mix in the EP. Danny is on a bit of a streak after the rollicking recent “Can’t Stop Me Now” (which I wrote about in the Spring) and especially his work with Michael Calfan on “It’s Wrong” and the more recent “Could Be You”, which I even heard in a local department store! His urgent vocal distinguishes itself from the bassy grooves and “Tell Me” melds together beautifully.

“Let You Down” by SoCal dance/electronic producer @JayB1rdmusic and @DanniCarra gets a re-release!

https://open.spotify.com/track/3AdN6RPk2NmnMRjsV3JbMp?si=Noijw5swSkS6e7FJr3Jclg

JAY BIRD and DANNI CARRA, “Let You Down”

This is a rare occasion when I can post about a song that I previously wrote about, to inform you all of its re-release! I’m particularly pleased for SoCal producer Jay Bird, about whom I’ve written several times, whose “Let You Down” is now available again through Adept Records. As you’ll see from my original blog post below, the song was released initially as a free download about a year and a half ago. This is one of my favourites by Jay, and I’m pleased that others have had the vision to provide it with a more official release. Give it a listen at the Spotify link above.

“Wicked Games” is a strong, club-worthy collaboration between Swedish producer B3NTE @benteby and NYC-based singer/songwriter Victor Perry @wallflowerPerry

B3NTE & VICTOR PERRY, “Wicked Games”

Their work together on the recent faithful cover of Modern Talking’s “You’re My Heart, You’re My Soul” went so smoothly that Sweden’s B3NTE and New York-based singer/songwriter Victor Perry are back with an original follow up this time, called “Wicked Games” (not to be confused with The Weeknd track of the same name). It’s a buoyant progressive electronic dance track this time too carried by Victor’s convincingly-sung story of betrayal. Its catchy, big synth work stands out but does not overpower the prolific Victor’s effortless vocal. “Wicked Games” is another winner – keep ’em coming, guys!

L.A.-based singer/songwriter @HVNNIBVL returns with the happy vibes of “Something Special” from his new EP “Reasonably, Relative”

HVNNIBVL, “Something Special”

After writing about his recent singles “Who’s Gotcha” and “Worth It”, and indicating that I wanted to hear more from Buffalo NY native HVNNIBVL, I didn’t realize there was an EP on its way. Now on release, Reasonably, Relative is the title, and among its six songs you will find those two previous singles. Digging into the EP, another highlight is “Something Special”, and it’s for different reasons than the others. While the main focus is on spreading happy vibes, I found “Something Special” reminding me at times of Bruno Mars’ “Treasure”. It’s probably because the song has HVNNIBVL’s best vocal thus far, and the story about wanting to do “Something Special” with your lover or friend is one that’s needed in the world today. And based on what I heard in Reasonably, Relative, if you sat down HVNNIBVL in a room with some established producers, he would have the great songs ready for them, and all they would have to do is add the spit and polish.

Join the journey with R&B singer/songwriter Niki Darling @NikiDarlin with new single “Take You There”, also in a 90’s favoured @_blacksilence house remix

NIKI DARLING, “Take You There” (original and Black Silence remix)

The last four years have created nothing but once in a lifetime opportunities for American R&B singer Niki Darling. Although you’re likely to hear Tina Turner-meets-Lady Gaga with a dash of Prince (obviously, that name…) in her voice and style, I would also add the diversity of Chaka Khan, Sia, and Kelly Rowland into the mix. Her talents have taken her from leading NYC hip hop group Pants Velour to numerous destinations around the world, including Morocco, Beijing, and Ibiza, working in a full-time career in music. In fact, she was in London when the pandemic struck, and, as was documented by the BBC at the time, she was unable to return to the US for several weeks.

Her new single and video (up top) for “Take You There” document her journey as a message that shows you can overcome struggle and achieve your passion through commitment and lots of hard work – an old ethic, but it works. Her powerful tones resonate throughout “Take You There” and are totally suited for the percolating 90’s flavours that British remixer Black Silence adds to the song to make it highly club-worthy (link below). The well-edited video gives you a sense of something I firmly believe in – when one door closes, another opens. And another door for Niki Darling is set to open when a full album arrives in 2021.

Life-changing things can happen on “Tuesdays In July” according to Canadian singer/songwriter @Jeymon_me

JEYMON, “Tuesdays In July”

Waiting to put some spunk into your Autumn playlists is British Columbian singer/songwriter Jeymon with his debut single “Tuesdays In July”. It’s got a playful, sometimes linear-sounding melody that will resonate with you with subsequent listens. Not only that, but the song evokes a special time for the singer (previously known as JMON) when he encountered someone special on a Tuesday in July after a club event. So all of a sudden, Tuesdays in July became equally special, and he shares that happiness he found in this song. Fans of the lighter sides of The Weeknd and Miguel will enjoy the crossover pop-R&B-hip hop music of Jeymon, and you can also appreciate some melodic influences from his Punjabi heritage in the mix. Trading in his accounting education for music, you’ve got to appreciate a guy who offers this quote: “All I want to do in life is cheer people up with my music, literally just vibe and eat unlimited amounts of dried mangoes.”

“Never Knew” is a 90’s flavoured dance hit in-the-making by UK singer/songwriter @SamDickinson from his 2nd album “Off Script”

SAM DICKINSON, “Never Knew”

I’ve been enjoying Sam Dickinson’s songs for the last 7 years, since the release of his debut album The Stories That Occurred. After a few singles and EP’s in the intervening years, Sam’s much-awaited second album has surfaced, called Off Script. It’s a smashing mix of pop, dance and soul music with a particular connection to the early 90’s. One of the best tracks is “Never Knew”, a dance hit in-the-making which will have you hooked from its first bar, and impresses with its well-layered production. In particular, it will please listeners who enjoyed past songs like “Wild Sun”, as well as the album’s lead off single, “Diamond Skin”, which peaked at #5 and #6 on my personal chart respectively. Those looking for more personal and complex stories can dive deeper into the album’s generous and often affecting 14 songs, which also include his previously released take on Everything But The Girl’s “Missing” as well as his rendition of a lovely track by UK soul singer Mica Paris called “Carefree”. Listen to “Never Knew” up top.

Check out the breezy and danceable “Forever Free” by South Africa’s @GoldFishlive

GOLDFISH, “Forever Free”

The venerable and Award-winning South African production duo GoldFish are due to release an album sometime soon, since their last one was now three years ago, Late Night People (followed more recently by a remix album of it). Dominic and David continue to tease us with a new single every now and then, and their latest, “Forever Free”, is a timeless and positive ode to something that’s important to everyone. Co-written with and sung by L.A.-based vocalist Nate Highfield, “Forever Free” soars to similar happy places that songs like Tritonal & Henry Dark’s “Shivohum” and Porter Robinson’s “Get Your Wish” have transported us this year. GoldFish’s production is effortless and Nate’s voice just lets “Forever Free” soar. Watch the entertaining animated video above, directed by Matt Torode – and yes, Dominic and David get the cartoon treatment!

Denmark’s @Boye_Sigvardt continue to mix up those dance grooves with “The Feelings” featuring Canada’s own @Kiesza

BOYE & SIGVARDT and KIESZA, “The Feelings”

Continuing to show off their diversity within the electronic dance music genre, Denmark’s Boye & Sigvardt return with their latest, “The Feelings”. This one sways away from the wacky but fun antics of this past summer’s “Party Sucks” for an accessible, radio-friendly deep house song that showcases the robust tones of Canada’s own Kiesza. The producers neatly balance the heavier bass rhythms and far-reaching synths with Kiesza’s fierce vocal, with the results being that “The Feelings” is one tidy and convincing three minute earworm. I’d definitely suggest a repeat collaboration!