If you’re not entirely familiar with Nashville vocalist Mokita, the name may be ringing a recent bell or two thanks to his stellar tones on R3HAB’s latest and very memorable “All Into Nothing”, which I wrote about last month. Mokita’s latest solo work, “London” is a straight-forward travelogue about missing the one you love. BUT it suddenly leaves you tongue-tied and kinda sorta breathless with a *deep sigh* that should say it all by the 35 second point when Mokita sings acapella “you would die if you knew I was here”. And after that, there’s no turning back, you’re swept up and transported to London and engaged in a delightful love story that maybe ends a bit too soon. “London” is delicious but lighter electronic dance pop than usual (and kudos to Armada for going with it), and strangely enough it uses a lot of the same tricks of more hardcore tracks – like pauses that could be otherwise be drops – that make you want more. “London” could be a dark horse radio-hit-in-waiting to watch.
Despite the headline, “Tea Time”, the latest from Chicago’s Win & Woo, has absolutely nothing to do with anything to do with England unless you want to have tea. But unlike the alternately fanciful or emotional dance pop they’ve released over the last year or so, “Tea Time” is most certainly a Banger (capitalized)!! It’s a brisk, fun song that’s probably going to be sampled by others to incorporate into festival or radio mixes, but it gets on quite well on its own, thank you. For the last number of years, Win and Woo have been go-to remixers for many and have grown in their craft. You can hear the finesse and sophistication in the mix of “Tea Time”, despite the lack of lyrics this time. So it’s definitely a trade off with its memorable “it’s time for tea” drop, but “Tea Time” serves as a kick off to what looks like a super fun 2019 for Win & Woo! Get it for free while it lasts at the link above.
Indeed, the 80’s #1 by Bryan Adams that originally started life as a ballad in a film called “A Night In Heaven” with Christopher Atkins and Lesley-Ann Warren has been reinvented and transformed many times, but none more successfully than DJ Sammy’s Europop version that became a worldwide smash in 2003. As readers know, I’m particularly selective about what cover versions I enjoy. And while some may think that 15 years may not have been long enough to welcome a new version to clubland, Toronto’s Dzeko and New Jersey’s Riggi & Piros fire it up and set it ablaze, aided by a winning vocal by another Torontonian, Veronica, who did well in Europe (and particularly Belgium with a #1) last year with “In The Mood”. So this new version is definitely less pre-fab and more anthemic than the DJ Sammy version, from which it still draws inspiration. And does it work? Yep it sure does, for both clubs and radio. I’ll put money on radio stations – particularly in Canada, to support homegrown talent of Dzeko and Veronica – playing it to follow up Dzeko’s collaboration with Tiësto on “Jackie Chan”. And I’d love to hear some remixers share their new takes on this pop classic to help broaden its appeal to receptive club DJ’s.
MATOMA and JOSIE DUNNE, “Sunday Morning” (Alyx Ander remix)
An acclaimed debut album of 2018 that still seemed to fall somewhat under the radar was Matoma’s One In A Million. With four stellar singles recorded with Becky Hill (“False Alarm”, #6 on my personal chart), MAX (“Lonely”, #10), Enrique Iglesias, (“I Don’t Dance (Without You), #20), and The Vamps (“All Night”), the multi-talented Norwegian musician and producer proved beyond a shadow of the doubt that he could flourish in dance, electronic, and pop genres. Single #5 from the album is “Sunday Morning”, featuring Nashville-based vocalist Josie Dunne. It gets a sparkling remix by Miami’s Alyx Ander that will make you want to put on your dancing shoes instead of stumbling out of bed for your coffee on a Sunday. When the song isn’t full throttle in pick-you-up mode, it beautifully focuses on the soulful edges in Josie’s voice, making there plenty of reasons to enjoy the song. It also happens to make a perfect companion to mix into Avicii’s “Wake Me Up!”, so your Sundays really may never be the same again!
JAYDEN with CELINE FARACH and MATLUCK, “This Time”
In pop music, there are no rules. Joining Deadmau5, Marshmello, and a host of other masked dance music musicians and producers, we welcome Jayden into the electronic dance music genre. The mystery man dresses in a panda outfit with an oversized head, which is equally goofy as the rest. But where the difference here is the branding – a magical panda DJ/producer who can turn you into a kid for a few moments and then back again, making anything seem possible. So is the basis of the story behind the video for “This Time”, Jayden’s first single, which has already amassed 1.6 views on You Tube in two weeks of release. He’s already got a huge following of over 250K on Instagram too. So establishing the visual presence was important, but so of course is the song. “This Time” is cheerful and empowering, with a solid, memorable melody, and thank goodness for the infectious presence of two US singers, Céline Farach and Matluck (who you already know from some dance releases with Nicky Romero, Mike Williams, and Dzeko). These two, with their voices, smiles, and attitude, all help bring the song to the next level. Like with Marshmello, there will be an upward battle to break through, but don’t be surprised to see Jayden make some magical waves by mid-year.
This is the 21st year of the BILLCS Top 30!! The new year kicks off with its first chart and a shorter chart blog format.
The Top 5 was excessively played over the holidays and stays exactly the same, with A-Trak and Todd Terry’s house music truth of “DJ’s Gotta Dance More” staying on top. There’s nothing to challenge it immediately so it will likely be up top two weeks from now as well.
Jessie Ware’s “Overtime” and Hellberg & Leona Lewis’ “Headlights” each reach new peaks of #6 and #7 respectively. L.A.’s Mahalo gets his 4th Top 10 entry paired with producer Le:Blanc for “In My Arms” (13-8). The other new entry is the fastest riser on the chart, “God Damnit” by Illenium featuring the song’s writer, Call Me Karizma on vocals. It climbs 15-9. The song gives Illenium concurrent songs in the Top 10 (at #4 with the PatrickReza remix of “Crawl Outta Love”), and it matches the peak of Karizma’s previous Top 10 entry “u suck” from 2016.
A lot of songs get caught with small moves in a tight area of the chart that will likely loosen up in two weeks. “Play”, the infectious new song by Jax Jones and Years & Years, moves up 20-15. As “This Feeling” peaks at #8, “Siren” by The Chainsmokers and Aazar climbs 23-18. Steve Void’s “Closure”, featuring a winning vocal by Andy Marsh, rises 24-19. The rest of last week’s debuts make smaller moves: “Flying Away” by NYC-based singer/songwriter Ryan Gibeau moves 25-22, and right behind it is the rollicking new song by The Him called “Look At Us Now”, up 26-23. Check out the duo’s even more recent release, “Unstoppable”, below. Molly Moore’s heartfelt “Be Here Now” rises 29-25.
Two debuts grace the chart by new performers. Australia’s Sam Bluer has a catchy and danceable winner with “Bite My Tongue” at #27, which has a Troye Sivan “My My My!” vibe about it (they just happen to be label mates too) and is an even better follow up to last year’s fine “Body High”. And there’s another Puth about to find his way onto your playlists. Younger brother Stephen has a grittier, sparse sound with, guitar-spiced 60’s flavoured production on “Sexual Vibe” at #28.
View the full BILLCS Top 30 right here! Click on the hyperlink on the song titles to hear the songs or watch the videos!
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
Maff Boothroyd is known in the UK as a club and event promoter, as well as a producer and DJ. And while his previous music has also found enough traction from some Asian audiences, it’s a diverse song like “Take Me Away” that could open doors in other major markets. It’s a riveting bass thumper that is set in motion from its first note, and doesn’t let up. No hidden agendas here, “Take Me Away” is a bona fide club jam that will add sizzle in the momentum of a deep house set. You can hear many familiar classic house influences particularly from the 90’s which give the arrangement a lot of welcome warmth. Don’t be surprised to hear “Take Me Away” creep into sets throughout festival season.
If you like your deep house luscious and romantic at a percolating 126 bpm, then “Remember” is for you. It’s brought to us by rising British production duo DFUX (George and Joss) and features the rich and powerful tones of Georgia-based singer Pershard Owens. According to DFUX, the song started out as something totally different and more jazzy, and once they had Pershard’s voice for the record, almost everything changed and the song was essentially rewritten. Indeed, like commanding voices such as Gregory Foster on Disclosure’s “Holding On” or Mike Yung’s recent vocal for Martin Garrix on “Dreamer”, Pershard’s tones are what make the song most memorable, against a solid, swinging rhythm that will get you up out of your seat. DFUX have more projects in the work this year, so watch out for regular music from them!
With every release from talented Southern Californian producer Jay Bird, I hear measured growth in quality and production, which is helping to complete the framework more than with his releases from early last year. “The Reason” is a lovely, reflective and enlightening song which inspires you to act on those inexplicable moments in life that compel you to make change, even if just to find out to which things that change might lead. Jay enlisted the fine vocals of Danni Carra, whose tones alternately represent the gentle, thoughtful side of the story, as well as the exhilarating and exciting part. “The Reason” is a delightful package as a whole – sway to it on the dance floor, or find a secluded space outdoors somewhere just to stare at the stars or city lights (like the artwork above) and dream away.
Last year Nicki French sang about how she would toss a guy out of a dance club and leave her “Teardrops On The Disco Floor”. This year it’s ready – steady – go away! The singer best known for her high energy 90’s cover smash of “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” takes matters into her own hands and empowers all of us to do the same in “On Your Marks, Get Set, Go Away”. Like “Teardrops”, “On Your Marks” is a dance floor delight, taking a huge lot of 80’s inspiration and translating it for today’s dance clubs. 30 years ago, a song like “On Your Marks” would be sung by Kylie Minogue and fit snugly into the Stock-Aitken-Waterman music factory of the day. While the song is fluid enough and does not let up, it is an homage to that era, and just for fun, a remixer or two (I’m humbly suggesting Matt Pop 😉 ) perhaps could take that idea and run with it even more… Otherwise, listeners and club goers, face those relationship demons and just make ’em go away!!
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