Tag Archives: electronica

Rising producer @Trivectamusic dishes out welcome trance flavours in potent dubstep of “Axis”

TRIVECTA, “Axis”

Florida-based producer Trivecta has been garnering attention this year for his varied exploration of dubstep outside of its now-conventional boundaries.  His latest single “Axis” is a prime example of this, incorporating very welcome trance flavours while keeping the breakdowns creative and the beats huge.  I could picture “Axis” in the soundtrack to a video game, as well as the heads bobbing to it at festivals.  “Axis” is made to be big and aggressive and loud and proud, and will continue to afford Trivecta the growing attention in club and festival circles.

The Netherlands’ #Ronko returns to embrace his inner warrior with fiery variety in his EP “Ronin”

RONKO, Ronin (EP)

The Netherlands-based producer Ronko is a veteran returning in a new guise and with fiery warrior intent with the songs in his new EP Ronin.  Of course, the title is a reference to his Japanese roots – a ronin is a warrior without a lord or master.  So dance clubs need to be on guard for the variety within from the man who was one of Martin Garrix’s teachers and early remixers previously known as Haverklap.  The best of the four seriously short songs within are “Round House Kick” (above), which channels some 70’s Giorgio Moroder influence into contemporary house.  “Sakura” is a top notch, dramatic instrumental to round out the EP, which also features the even-briefer “Bun It Up” and the dancehall inspired “Riddim Kick”.   Overall it’s a diverse return for Ronko which is already getting attention worldwide from tastemaker DJ’s.

Smooth electronic rhythms enhance the inviting stories of “Discover Infinity” by @AashMehtamusic

Aash Mehta

AASH MEHTA, Discover Infinity

What does ‘infinity’ mean to you?  Chicago-based producer Aash Mehta may help you out with that question with the songs in his new album Discover Infinity, which is a follow up full release to last year’s EP Stardust. 

Like its predecessor, Discover Infinity focuses on the softer side of electronica that is full of bigger, special moments.  The stories of love, romance and friendship are earnest and appealing to anyone.  There is a fine in-house repertory company of male and female vocals within that offer different perspectives in their songs. 

To me if you like the stories offered by folks like Above & Beyond and the Alan Parsons Project but enjoy the ear-catching quieter melodies of others like Chet Porter and San Holo, then the music of Aash Mehta is for you.  Aash anchors the album with a couple of preceding singles that I wrote about, “Infinite Summers” featuring Lydia Kelly, and “Say Goodnight” featuring the duo of Capelle and Gavin Garris.  Lydia and Capelle appear again in other strong songs “Silver Linings” and “Edge Of What We Know” respectively, and the album is punctuated, like a good, progressive electronica album should be, by a few interesting instrumental interludes. 

With each release, Aash’s songs and music grow stronger, and I think the adventurous choice on the album is “The Call”, featuring singer Andy Sandrick, which has an ages-old, folky flavour to it which meshes well into the electronic genre.  “Running With The Bulls” is a dramatic, eventful instrumental that provides the album’s climax, so to speak.  The album finishes with its most thoughtful song, “Equal”, featuring male vocalist Rence, which is your impetus to do something about discovering your own ‘infinity’.

Head over to Aash’s Facebook page where he fills you in on the backstory of each song in Discover Infinity.  The album is terrific food for thought with silky melodies that you can dance and sway to, and stories that everyone can embrace.  Give a solid listen at the Spotify link below.

Aash Mehta opens up for Elephante on his Glass Mansion tour in Chicago on October 20 at The Bottom Lounge.

 

#BILLCSTop30 #545 – October 1/18

And the new music keeps on coming, making for what’s turning out to be a faster moving chart in years.  Very few songs this year have attained the maximum chart run of 10 appearances (20 weeks) – only 14, including this chart’s “Pink Lemonade” by James Bay, but they will be joined next chart by The Him and Parson James’ “Broken Love”.

The Top 10

  • “Everybody Needs A Kiss” by the dynamic team of Benny Benassi and Sofi Tukker is snug at #1 for a second appearance, but it’s being challenged by several songs below vying to take its place in two weeks.  I’m honestly surprised this one hasn’t been much bigger at dance clubs!

  • Tony Moran and Jason Walker have their best chart showing yet as the Victor Dinaire/Bissen remix of “I’m In Love With You” climbs to #2.

  • The gorgeous melody and riveting beats of “Tim” by Arty allow the lovely tribute to Avicii to rise 7-3.

  • The prolific Philadelphia duo N i G H T S move up 9-6 with “Eyes” (above), but have released yet another single, their 4th since “Eyes”, called “Paradise” (below).

  • The one to watch on the chart is the fastest riser, perfectly timed for Hallowe’en, “Phantom Of The Dance Floor” by Kiesza featuring Quebec opera singer Philippe Sly.  Everyone in the video above is having a blast.  We so needed this campy injection of fun right now 🙂
  • Another one to watch is “Verona”, featuring compelling vocals, both solo and together, by Australia’s Peter Wilson and England’s Sean Smith.  It climbs 15-9, becoming Sean’s second trip to the Top 10 after last year’s “Magic” (#7).
  • And it’s a first time visit to the Top 10 for L.A. producer Caden Jester with “Vacant Love”, up 11-10, and featuring the voice of Blake Rose.

Movin’ On Up

  • These past few weeks have seen the arrival of the video for “All For You”, the third single from Palo Santo by Years & Years, and the song climbs 14-12.  I look forward to seeing Olly, Mikey, and Emre for the third time on Friday October 5 in Toronto at The Phoenix!!
  • The Netherlands-based Emerati production duo Revelries moves up 18-14 with their original “Infinitum”, featuring Australia’s Beamish Boys on vocals.  

  • It recently got to #1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Play chart – “Rise” by Jonas Blue featuring You Tube stars Jack & Jack, rises 19-15.

  • Florida’s PLS&TY has his first original on the chart, and in its Morgan Page remix, “Down For Me” is definitely tailored for clubs, climbing 28-21.

https://soundcloud.com/kookysmusic/voice-mails

  • The delightful short story of “Voice Mails” by L.A.-based producer Kooky, is no flash in the pan, moving up 30-23.

Three Debuts

  • The Highest Debut of the week belongs to acclaimed, Grammy-nominated Seattle duo Odesza with their first appearance with the huge sounds of “Loyal” at #24.  It’s a fan favourite that Odesza has had in their set for some time now.  However they’ve replaced a Marvin Gaye sample with a soulful, vibrant female vocal – not sure if it’s a sample or an original recording.  After a lot of thinking, I thought it might have been an excerpt from Cheryl Lynn’s 1979 disco smash “Star Love” but alas it’s not!  Guesses, anyone?
  • Next up is established Nova Scotia production duo Botnek with “Days Of Disco” at #25, which also sounds like it uses a sample of the telephone ringing right out of disco days’ “Doctor’s Orders” by Carol Douglas, but that doesn’t appear to be so.  In any case the song is insanely catchy and will liven up any dance club set!

  • The third and final debut belongs to The Knocks, who released their second full album this past week, New York Narcotic.  Equally as entertaining as their 2016 debut 55, the song from Narcotic that bows on the chart is “Goodbyes” featuring none other than Method Man – he’s the second rap voice, the first is of course The Knocks’ own Mr. JPatt!  “Goodbyes” is The Knocks’ 6th chart appearance. They’ve been to #1 before with 2015’s “Kiss The Sky” featuring Wyclef Jean.

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

Check out and ‘like’ the BILLCS Music Projects Facebook page 🙂

 

France’s @Mercer_music drops his fresh tribute to @JamiroquaiHQ “Alright”

MERCER, “Alright” (free DL)

French producer Mercer keeps the creative disco juices flowing with “Alright”.  This is Mercer’s take on the UK Top 10 mid 90’s hit for Jamiroquai, and in a way, it’s a much overdue tribute to Jay Kay and his band and their influence on modern dance music.  In the early 90’s, Jamiroquai took Jay’s Stevie Wonder-ish voice and wrapped it gleefully around classic soul and disco grooves, and music fans everywhere embraced it through more than a decade of hits.  Mercer brings “Alright” full circle to 2018 with lots of percussion-shaking rhythms that are as fun as his neo disco beats.  Best of all, for now you can get the radio mix and extended mix absolutely free!  Mercer has delivered the goods this year and “Alright” is deserving of the ongoing dance music love from fans.

Las Vegas legend @Borgeousmusic has a winner with “Famous” spotlighting an engaging vocal by @MorganStJean

BORGEOUS and MORGAN ST. JEAN, “Famous”

Although its subject matter brings to mind immediately another recent song with the same title by ROZES, “Famous” by dance/EDM fave Borgeous hits home with a radio friendly song structure and an engaging, convincing vocal by L.A. singer Morgan St. Jean.  Borgeous has never looked back after soaring to #1 in the UK five years ago with my fellow Canadians DVBBS with the classic “Tsunami”, becoming one of the most in-demand DJ’s and remixers in the world.  “Famous” should easily return him to dance radio in the US especially after the acclaim awarded to him for his recent remix of Marshmello and Anne Marie’s “Friends”.  “Famous” has as many on-point pop elements as it does for dance music fans and is not to be underestimated!

UK producer @officialAevion offers up some tribal house for clubs with “Wild Safari”

AEVION, “Wild Safari”

At only 21, British producer Aevion arrived on the dance music scene around the same time as Martin Garrix but with a somewhat different dance music bent, which has been championed by many of the best DJ’s around the world.  His latest, the melodic “Wild Safari”, does indeed want to treat you to the mystique of a safari, including various animal sounds, and it’s a lot of fun for the dance floor.  While it might mix well with tropical dance tracks, “Wild Safari” has chanting tribal effects which will make club goers participate even when the music’s off.  But it’s also about big, solid rhythms which will keep your feet happy right till the end.

“Plastic Dreams” is a cheery slice of indie electronica from France’s @Khamsinmusic and @Kidswaste

KHAMSIN and KIDSWASTE, “Plastic Dreams”

One of the most vibrant and cheery songs you’ll hear heading into Autumn is “Plastic Dreams” by French producers Khamsin and Kidswaste.  The pair are also two of a bigger collective called Slow Hours that is (ahem) overdue for new music.  Until then, most of the members have recorded recent solo material.  The production here is deliberately pretty sparse and raw at times, with gentle, charming vocals, giving it live-off-the-floor qualities.  But both gents know how to make really big, dramatic productions when they need to, so some hefty rhythms and anthemic qualities make “Plastic Dreams” flow with the dance floor in mind.  Just one last thing – more, please 🙂

“Blackout” is a big techno-house speaker-shaker from @ChocolatePuma and @Firebeatz

CHOCOLATE PUMA and FIREBEATZ, “Blackout”

Dutch legends Chocolate Puma and Firebeatz are huge festival and club draws unto themselves, so it makes total sense for them to pair up again on “Blackout”, even if it’s for a brief 2:18 (which can only mean that remixes are much needed!).  If there’s any style that’s made strides in dance music in 2018 it’s the influence of 90’s techno.  “Blackout” is a helluva speaker-shaker meant for big crowd moments in dance clubs, and it only takes two minutes for a song to create defining moments for club goers.  Hence the need for multiple remixes here.  “Blackout” is powerful stuff and sometimes ya just gotta let the masters do it at their best!

“So Real” reworks “Warriors” by @TooManyZooz and @KDAbeats with lyrics and dynamic @JessGlynne appeal!

TOO MANY ZOOZ vs KDA featuring JESS GLYNNE, “So Real (Warriors)”

Sometimes the life of one song can unfold in many different and exciting ways.  “So Real (Warriors)” started off as “Warriors”, a rollicking, in-your-face R&B/jazz instrumental by NYC trio Too Many Zooz.  It then took on new life for the dance floor in a rework with British producer KDA.  A few remixes later (including by Armand Van Helden) and five months after I first wrote about it, “So Real (Warriors)” arrives with not only lyrics but a dynamic vocal by UK sensation Jess Glynne!  With Jess’ amazing popularity in the UK – which includes 7 number ones! – “So Real (Warriors)” should find its way quickly into the public ear, bringing what is a fine song in the first place some deserved success in a rather roundabout way.  Although Jess has yet to have North American hits under her own name – known best for singing on Clean Bandit’s massive “Rather Be” – “So Real (Warriors)” should help keep that audience attuned for her upcoming album.