Their friendly and hook-filled style has had me listening for more than a year now, and L.A.’s Two Friends production duo (Matt and Eli) brings us their first all-original three song EP, Out Of Love. It’s at this stage when musicianship takes over and we have before us three quite different songs which show that Two Friends are not at all stuck to the frenetic EDM of many of their fine remixes.
And what would Two Friends do of course but to bring along more friends! I’ve already written abouttheir collaboration with Brandyn Burnette and Molly Moore, aka Cosmos N Creature, on the title song. A second collaboration with the immensely talented MAX (aka Max Schneider) on “Pacific Coast Highway” follows their sparkling redux of MAX’s “Lights Down Low”. It’s a wistful EDM remembrance meant for a late night drive down that long highway or one similar. But the best of the lot is the harmonica-laden “Mona Lisa Eyes”, which sort of celebrates what Avicii brought to the EDM fold five years ago with country flavour and takes it a number of steps further. It also happens to be a gorgeous song with an amazing vocal by an uncredited singer.
Pick up Two Friends’ Out Of Love EP at your favourite digital store.
There’s always interesting dance music coming from Down Under as history will frequently present itself, and transplanted Brit Latchmere has a banger with “Red Light” featuring fellow Brit singer Amy Pearson. “Red Light” indeed is all about being played under the shiny disco ball and accompanying light show, with Amy’s vocal reminding me a lot of Rita Ora. Latchmere’s releases in the past year have been switching it up a fair bit, but seem to be at their best when they’re crunchy with bubbling synths and propulsive drum rhythms. “Red Light” will slide handily into any house mix wanting to shake it up for a solid three minute ride. Latchmere has another one deserving your attention here, so check it out at the link above.
The duo of Cosmos & Creature, aka Molly Moore and Brandyn Burnette, are so insanely prolific with their own recent and upcoming solo releases, being featured on other artists’ songs, and having side project Cosmos & Creature also release its own songs and be featured as well! How they stay on top of all of this, I don’t quite know. But everything Molly and Brandyn create has high quality rubber-stamped on it!
TWO FRIENDS featuring COSMOS & CREATURE, “Out Of Love”
Their pairing with L.A.’s Two Friends is on a new original by the in-demand and frequently touring production/remix duo called “Out Of Love” for Spinnin’. It may be at the same time Two Friends’ most chilled out and anthemic song yet that’s also enhanced by some saxophone riffing. Brandyn’s self-reflective leads the way on this one while the crowd-pleasing chorus will have you swaying away.
PLS&TY featuring COSMOS & CREATURE, “Good Vibes”
Also chilled out but with a more hip hop flavour running through it is “Good Vibes” by another L.A. producer, PLS&TY (that’s ‘please and thank you’), for the PMRD label. PLS&TY has had his own share of steady remixes with a few originals under his belt. In “Good Vibes”, Molly and Brandyn trade off vocals in a song that will set a positive stage for whatever you want to do, whether it’s a lazy Sunday or the start of an evening at a club. They’re countered with a slick dubsteppy break that totally suits the song to give it some bounce.
Listen to both at the Spotify links above, and watch for Cosmos & Creature’s follow up to their debut single “Young” very soon! Cosmos & Creature are also touring with Call Me Karizma on dates throughout select U.S. cities in March and April.
You can never knock a Parralox album for being anything less than a high quality venture from Australian producer/vocalist/synthmaster and all round nice guy John von Ahlen. It’s a journey through almost every possible synth sound created between the late 70’s and now, with songs that are shaped to give you major feels for parts of all of those eras – a couple of the songs sound like they were teleported in from the late 1979 disco/new wave melting pot in particular! Subculture, Parralox’s 10th long-player and also the title of one of my very favourite New Order songs 🙂 is the sum of all of its parts and more featuring vocals by John and several friends/guests.
Out of 14 generous tracks, the opener “Paradise” features the acclaimed Marcella Detroit, most noted as one half of Shakespear’s Sister but with a storied career before that as songwriter and session singer. John’s rich production is the perfect match for a crisp and savvy vocal by Marcella which brings out the heartache in the song. Equally ear-catching but on a totally different bent is “Last Man Standing” featuring fellow Aussie Peter Wilson, which has a 70’s pop radio flavour to contrast its driving beat. “A Question Of Love” makes an unofficial trilogy from the Depeche Mode songs “A Question Of Lust” and “A Question Of Time”, one of the darker more brooding songs in Subculture featuring a lovely vocal by Louise Love.
Elsewhere on the album you’ll hear Human League bassist Ian Burden (especially on “Overdrive”), and vocals by Johanna Gervin and Lillia, plus two redone Parralox songs, “Rocket Science II” and “Voyager II”. One of the best songs also is all John on “Change Of Heart”. Subculture is as much disco as it is mid-80’s post-new wave electronicas as it is contemporary house music.
Always bold and adventurous and as contemporary as retro, John von Ahlen and Parralox’s Subculture is a feast for the ears, the heart and your dancing shoes. Hear it all at the link above and buy it at your favourite online music store.
Riding high with songs on their own Liftoff label like Eric Sharp’s “The Thirst” and following up pulsating songs for the nightlife like “Born Ready” and “Day By Day” are NYC duo Nick and Danny aka The Disco Fries with another original, “My World”. And like the latter, “My World” is another fierce banger, this time featuring a stunning male vocalist, Atlanta’s Dee Roze, whose voice has a lot of similarities at times to Ne-Yo. Great production highlights that vocal when the music stops and a catchy drop immediately follows, allowing the song to percolate along and keep you grooving until the guys bring it down… just for a smattering… and the song wraps on a high. “My World” is a contagious and soulful deep house track that’s bound to keep you busy in clubland. Give it a listen at the link above.
AUTOGRAF, “Heartbeat” (Cloudchord x Francis Preve remix) (free DL)
You never quite know what to expect when a new Cloudchord remix arrives, and this time he’s paired up with fellow Austin denizen Francis Preve, the noted wizard of synths and sounds as well as remixer of songs by Dragonette and Sander Kleinenberg, for a retooling of “Heartbeat” by Chicago trio Autograf. In the best of worlds, all sub-sub-genres of dance music fuse and merge to become new sounds, and Cloudchord and Francis take us on a time trip where disco was evolving and a new wave of punk-inspired rock music and dance music was gelling. Thus the remix of “Heartbeat” has numerous classic disco flourishes with late 70’s, early 80’s progressive, electronic synth sounds, which when combined with today’s technology and retro early 2000 house rhythms, vocals, and melodies doesn’t quite sound like anything else out there. This remix of “Heartbeat” will definitely give club DJ’s pause for thought – how to make it stand out in a set with its engaging six minute length as it rightly should. You can check out all the fuss I’m trying to say in so many words by clicking on the link above and downloading it for free 🙂
You never know what a solid set of songs on a shining EP might start! Southern Georgia-based R&B/pop singer Victor Perry’s 4 A.M. Nostalgia begat the simply lovely “Rainbows” and a slew of intriguing remix interpretations. Zewmob’s Ryan Lee has got the goods with “Nostalgia”, which gleams colourful 1990’s dance party but is also spiked with 80’s synth drum sounds and lots of high end to compliment Victor’s shining vocal (and wait for a glorious few moments before the 4 minute mark). You can’t go wrong with this joyous, happy song 🙂 but be sure to pick up your copy using the “BUY” button at the link above (you may just be able to get it for free, too).
It may seem an unlikely move, but in a classic teaming of Major Lazer and Dutch EDM veterans Showtek, the artists have made their new song “Believer” into an affecting video (above) that sympathizes with the plight of refugees, in particular those from Syria. The song itself has a great synth hook, trading off a progressive techno vibe against some Caribbean flavours, totally fitting the story line that has been crafted to show that there is still hope amid tragedy. You’ll be wanting to watch this one multiple times, and “Believer” is definitely a must for dance clubs and radio. Another score for Diplo’s Mad Decent label with almost 2 million views for the video in four days. 🙂
It’s unlike anything else he’s offered thus far, but L.A.-based producer Niko The Kid gives us some truly elegant, effervescent classic house with “Wasting My Time”. His production shines a lot of light on the coy, confident, and theatrical vocal by fellow Californian BRAVE. I enjoy house music the most when it percolates along to a classic beat with a fine percussive and synth backdrop. “Wasting My Time” is an instant dance floor draw and should not be missed. Give it some love at the link above and you can also download an extended version for free.
Trying to find time to write everything I want is always an issue. I present to you my Top 86 Songs of 2016, with this blog post based on the radio program which aired on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day onhttp://www.planetradio.ca 🙂 Here’s my commentary on my Top 30 Songs with the complete list following. Links to my Top 10 Songs are featured further down…
#30: Brandyn Burnette’s “Made Of Dreams”, the title song from his first EP, and the first of four songs by or featuring him on this year end list. The song was greatly enhanced by a feel-good tropical mix from Chicago remix duo Win & Woo collaborating with Kiso Armic, also from Chicago.
#29 – L.A.-based singer/songwriter Simon Curtis with “Super Psycho Love” from his album Super 8bit Heart, first of two songs from that album in this list. That album was a 2016 reimagining of Simon’s 2010 free online mixtape still available from his website called 8bit Heart, which to me is one of the most endearing recordings of the decade. “Super Psycho Love” benefited most from an update and appeared on my chart for the first time.
#28 – courtesy of Canadian duo Young Bombs, who also have two remixes in my list. They brought the bounce to a fine record out of Norway from a young newcomer named Jesper Jenset called “High”.
#27 – belonging to Canadian brothers Chris and Alex from Orangeville Ontario – DVBBS! They’ve been on this list before (in 2015 and 2014), but this year they included Toronto’s Dante Leon on vocal for the toe-tapper “Angel”.
#26 – a taste of 80’s flavoured funk courtesy of NYC producer/remixer Jenaux with the rollicking original “Get It On”. Jenaux also partnered with Texas duo Tritonal for the song “Broken” (#45), and has another remix in this list.
#25 – more Canadians 🙂 with a creative and funky remix by Chicago’s Snøwmass of a song by Montreal production duo Sterling Grove who are paired with Toronto pop/jazz vocalist Ellyn Woods for the mysterious “Sound Of Home”.
#24 – one of the most provocative and surprising albums of 2016 was Blue Neighbourhood by South Africa-born, Australia-based singer Troye Sivan, who had a world-wide following on You Tube before making records. It consists of beautifully crafted, poignant songs which meant a lot particularly to many teens, and scored the Top 20 hit “Youth”. I dove deeper into the album for the evocative “Talk Me Down”. My bigger list also includes “Wild” (#35) and “Fools” (#40), all BILLCS Top 30 Top 10 songs.
#23 – belongs to California duo Mako with their dance radio hit “Smoke Filled Room”. As remixed by Elephante, who appears two more times in this list, “Smoke Filled Room” set the stage for a crush of a now-grown up woman.
#22 – on the rise in 2016 was L.A. producer and singer Mi Disguise (aka Louie Garcia), and with his pal Rouse created a wonderful dance mix EP called NGHT LFE for summer clubbing. Their song “Her And Him” is an inspiring song for late night romance.
#21 – the song I liked best on Adele’s album 25 next to last year’s “Hello”, “All I Ask” is another knockout performance and stood out from the rest of the songs on the album.
#20 – if there was any song in 2016 that would instantly make you feel good it’s one by veteran producer Tony Moran and singer Jason Walker and his amazing range. “So Happy” was a deserved #1 Billboard club hit.
#19 – I was wowed by MAX when I saw him perform in October 2015, and since then he has been a steady presence on the BILLCS Top 30. Singer and actor Max Schneider brought us a full album called Hell’s Kitchen Angel. The album contained a sweet ballad called “Lights Down Low”, but it was the smashing uptempo remix by L.A. duo Two Friends that took it to new heights. It’s the first of two in this list by MAX.
#18 – producer/remixer Tim Wu calls himself Elephante and from his EP I Am The Elephante recorded “Plans” featuring BILLCS favourite Brandyn Burnette on vocals, and I hope the pair will repeat this collaboration soon.
#17 – back and as grand as ever in 2016 was the classic dance duo Pet Shop Boys from their album Super with the lead off single “The Pop Kids”, which got club goers out onto the dance floor in the Spring.
#16 – a very distinct song that found its way out of its native Norway to become a worldwide pop and dance club hit. Featuring a unique vocal by a singer named Iselin Solheim, it’s “Faded” by newcomer Alan Walker.
#15 – Dutch duo The Him released an irresistible deep house club hit “Balance”, which features L.A. based Dutch singer/songwriter Oktavian. Watch for more great music from The Him in 2017 as they wrapped up the year opening for The Chainsmokers on their European tour.
#14 – one of the most poignant songs of 2016 is based on a coincidence of real-life events of loss, by Brandyn Burnette called “Lost” from his EP Made Of Dreams. Brandyn auditioned for American Idol at the top of the year and took a risk by performing this original, which the judges loved, though Brandyn chose not to continue on the show. “Lost” is the third of four songs in the Top 30 by or featuring Brandyn.
#13 – preceding Hell’s Kitchen Angel in 2016 was MAX’s EP Wrong. The title song is a hip hop flavoured rave up featuring rapper Lil Uzi Vert who scored with his own album and songs in 2016 as well. A BILLCS Top 30 #1.
#12 – featuring an incredible gritty vocal by American singer Brayton Bowman is “Shy” by Belgian producer The Magician, who released “Shy” and songs by others in 2016 on his own label Potion Records. Watch for more of this incredible music from The Magician and his stable of artists in 2017. A BILLCS Top 30 #1.
#11 – “Kiss The Sky” by NYC duo The Knocks featuring none other than The Fugees’ Wyclef Jean on vocals. The Knocks created a grand party when I saw their show in January, proving themselves to be slick entertainers as well as producers. Their album 55 continued the dance party, and they found themselves opening for Justin Bieber on his European tour in the latter part of 2016. “Kiss The Sky” is sheer dance music escapism at its best. A BILLCS Top 30 #1.
#10 – the third entry on the list by Elephante is “Closer”, which became his signature song after being heard in many remixes which included worthy ones by the likes of producers Aash Mehta and Speaker Of The House. The vocalist on “Closer” is Portland, Oregon’s Bishøp and it’s one of the best of 2016.
#9 – “Dreamin’” by British producer/remixer Embody featuring fellow Brit vocalist Camden Cox. It’s somewhat hard to believe that the song that could transport you most to a hot beach party in 2016 was brought to us from two talented Brits. “Dreamin’” is 2016’s best tropical mix.
Songs 8 through 1 all were BILLCS Top 30 #1’s 🙂
#8 – belonging to my fellow Canadian The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, and Abel grew up not far from where I grew up, but in a community of 90’s Ethiopean immigrants, which makes his success all the more formidable. The Weeknd collaborated with the award-winning French duo Daft Punk for “Starboy”, from the diverse album of the same name, which also gave him his first Billboard #1 hit.
#7 – Brandyn Burnette has his final song of 4 in the Top 30 (and 8 on the full list, plus one by his duo Cosmos & Creature with his gal Molly Moore) from his special EP Made Of Dreams with “Nothing At All”. It’s a sparse production that brings out the progressive soul vibe of the song, which made the Made Of Dreams EP all the more listenable. Brandyn’s putting finishing touches on his third release due in January.
#6 – one of the most emotional songs of the year, the second one on the list called “Lost”, this one by British Columbia native Connor Phillips. In its original version, the song is a short acoustic ballad, but Canadian remix duo Young Bombs once again gave their redux an extra wow factor by washing it in enough synths to make your eyes wet. If you find yourself wanting to hug someone, blame it on the power of music.
free download:
#5 – the second song from Super 8bit Heart on this list is “8bit Heart”, a personal favourite of mine from 2010 that was redone for 2016. “8bit Heart” is a song like none other to me, it’s a song full of love and heart that totally captivated me 6 years ago in its original version, and was my #4 song of that year. Simon kept it real in 2016 and made the redux of “8bit Heart” the lead companion song for his book Boy Robot.
#4 – released in late July, it was hard to believe that “Closer” by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey would become one of the biggest hits of the decade, with 12 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Chainsmokers, who are the NYC duo of Alex Pall and Drew Taggart, appeared on my list last year but more than any act in 2016 outdid themselves with their relentless performing and recording schedules. But the best of it all, is that they remained truly down-to-earth and supportive of other breaking acts in the dance community. “Closer” resonated with me too.
#3 – this song really kicked a funky butt into the proceedings in 2016, being the song that followed The Chainsmokers’ “Closer” at #1 on my regular chart of the BILLCS Top 30. It’s “Native Son Prequel” by producer/remixer Gramatik featuring London-born American vocalist Leo Napier. It’s a song told from the perspective of a pimp, and aside from that odd story angle, NYC remixer Jenaux gave it a spirited 70’s funk flavour that could only make you think of the character Huggy Bear from TV’s Starsky & Hutch 😛
#2 – Toronto duo Dzeko & Torres collaborated with Sweden’s Hellberg for their free download release of “Care For Me”, which is my #2 song of 2016. While the performers may have considered “Care For Me” to be a great free promotional vehicle for their music in 2016, it was in fact a fabulous arrangement featuring an uncredited vocal, whose lyrics also struck an emotional nerve with me. Dzeko & Torres have since decided to pursue other efforts, with Julian Dzeko continuing to record while Luis Torres ventures into the production side of things, and I’m glad I caught their show in Toronto in April. Jon Hellberg on the other hand featured prominently on the BILLCS Top 30 in 2016 with both “Synchronize” and “All The Way”.
#1 – my favourite song of 2016 was brought to my attention courtesy of an excellent innovative remix, one of the best of the year, by relative newcomers EDWYNN x TIKAL (also known as Swedes Thor Lundberg and Leonard Palmberg) and Spirix (who is American producer/remixer Devain Doolaramini). The song is “So Bad” by L.A. singer/songwriter Brandon Skeie, who didn’t release more than a handful of songs in 2016 but is set out to conquer 2017. A protege of Semi-Precious Weapons frontman and noted songwriter Justin Tranter, who co-wrote Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” and Fall Out Boy’s “Centuries” among others, Brandon has an amazing high register, which helped send “So Bad” into the history books for me. It’s one of the best songs ever about longing for someone who you may or may not get to have in your life.
BILLCSMUSIC BLOG 