DJ EQ is new to my ears but brings the full disco package with ‘Time’: funky beats & vocal treats. This may just be a preview of his nu disco charm, but it’s damn addicting & I couldn’t sit on it. But like too many other nu disco tracks, this keeps me wondering what vocals EQ used – credit your peoples, people. [Note: WAIT for the vocals to KICK in]
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I’m finally getting out of my anglocentric ways and gettin into some good ol’ international voices. First with Hindi music via Ghetto Funk and now some French via Meridian’s ‘Paris La Nuit’ remix.
Killtronik’s gets an electro pop makeover from Meridian and it sure rides well with those French female vocals. The one irritating thing, which my roommate pointed out is the male backup vocals – they sound so euro-sleazy. Do love those lady vocals though (just to let you know, again).
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No one loves Chris Brown or when vocals are sped up to Chipmunk status, but they’re on this today and don’t you goddamn complain about it. Whether or not he’s been one of the biggest fuck ups in celebritism, Chris Brown’s voice sounds soulful even when sped up to near Chipmunk levels. Cleindl takes Brown’s vocals from ‘Yo’ & transforms them with hypnotic soul into depths Brown’s pop persona could never reach.
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Easy Star All-Stars hit it big with their reggae reinterpretation of Dark Side of the Moon, aptly named Dub Side of the Moon. They’ve done a few other cover albums, but nothing has compared to Dub Side — a must listen for all you Floyd fans… or if you smoke weed. And as much as they could really never top that, they’ve done one hell of a job reggaifying Michael Jackson’s legendary album, Thriller.
Thrillah should be played fully through! And I don’t say this lightly. Most albums today (and in the past) really aren’t worth the full run through, but like Jackson’s Thriller, Thrillah is meant to be played sequentially. How Easy Star spun some of MJ’s tracks is truly impressive. However, some didn’t quite capture the mood that Thriller puts on, though I do realize the limitations when you’re covering reggae style.
Check out a few of the highlights below and pick up Easy Star’s Thrillah
The more I listen to Electric Guest, the more Asa’s vocals remind me of Prince, especially when watching the recording of ‘Ritual Union’ in studio. It’s not just his falsetto or his similar vocal style, it’s his demeanor and how he pushes out his sound. The production, however, is quite the opposite. I guess it’s just a taste of what Prince would sound like if he went indie electro … not too shabbay.
As far as the actual cover of Little Dragon goes, Electric Guest tops it. I’m in love with both vocals, probably Yukimi’s of Little Dragon more, but how Asa’s vocals ride along with the beat and switches it up for the falsetto, puts this on heavy rotation. Now I gotta wait for someone to mash these two up… anyone
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I love disco!! (no surprise) This blog has gone from hip-hop to electronica to mashups to dubstep to edm with some stops in ghetto funk & hypnotic soul, but I’ve finally arrived. (nu)Disco is my jam. See you in a couple months within another.
And of all the nu disco souls out there, Moon Boots may not be my #1 choice in disco right now, but he’s in the top two.atmosphere His latest remix of Alison Valentine’s ‘Peanut Butter’ pulls out all the MoonBoots bells & whistles that make his music so much goddamn fun to dance to. As far as Valentine, her vocals rides well with a soft touch. And although I usually like stronger lead vocals, I’ll trust Moon Boots on this one.
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Whats up with electro producers throwin in so many sax solos nowadays… cause I looove it. Like I’ve said time & again (it’s even getting old to me), there’s nothing that sounds better with electro music than that saxy sex (or however you say it). But unlike most electro/sax combos, this one’s fatty as f**k, in bass that is.
‘Smash the Funk’ is bass typical of that Pretty Lights sound – hip-hop sampled, electro-bass music – and it’s still mighty fresh to me… especially when you get sax involved.
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It’s not that I don’t like ‘The City’ (I do), but I almost expect too much from this barely legal producer, Madeon. I had some issues with his last release, ‘Finale,’ not because it wasn’t a brand of EDM that’s sure to make it mainstream or isn’t good in its own right, but because of what the ‘Finale’ original preview hinted at, much more progression. And as much as these last two, especially ‘The City,’ haven’t progressed to where I know his potential’s at, I’m well aware of his strategy.
‘The City,’ as bad of an intro as I gave it, is quality work once again by Madeon. The track taps into vocals by Zak Waters & Cass Lowe, which ride well with his beat breaks, but I have a feeling Madeon could spin any vocals around his beats right. This is sure to be another step that pushes Madeon into mainstream music and I couldn’t be happier about it – we need more pop stars who know their way around a beat like Madeon.
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I first got ahold of Love in the Circus with Rook’s remix of their song, ‘Clouds‘. And like ‘Clouds’, ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ sports some forward thinking production and the most b.e.a.utiful vocals provided by Leanna Rachel.
If you didn’t know by now, ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ is a cover (can you not read subtitles), which was originally done by INXS (it was pretty popular). But instead of just flat out covering the song with maybe a little twist, Love in the Circus brings in so many other goodies. From dubstep undertones (can’t oversell the dubstep anymore) to some fine brass solos, this cover is a treat I’m sure glad I dug up.
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Polica is a group from my area back in the day, the Twin Cities. But of course I forgot about all that and more importantly who they’re tied with when I moved to the Bay Area around the beginning of 2012. See, I kind of have a man-crush on their producer, Ryan Olson, because of his involvement in not just one, but two of my favorite Minnesota-based bands, Mel Gibson & the Pants and GAYNGS. Seeing that this is a remix though, I guess this won’t justify my love for Olson, but Alluxe does reinterpret him right.
Alluxe’s remix of “Lay Your Cards Out” takes on Channy Leaneagh’s original vocals, whom is also apart of GAYNGS, and speeds up the pace for a more danceable tune. What Alluxe especially does best is build on Leaneagh’s vocals and flushes ’em out just right for one sedating drop (done far better than the original). Leaneagh’s vocals, however, are a bit hard to interpret, as always, but I’m one for making up my own lyrics while listening anyways.
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