Category: Dance

Alesso feat. Nico & Vinz – I Wanna Know

“Why have we got a firefight in a standard love song?”

Tim: New one of Alesso, who’s recruited a multiple person act for vocal duties, which I’m not sure I can remember happening previously. Anyway, have a listen.

Tim: And I think the phrase du jour there is “Boy, that escalated quickly,” because I was sat calmly watching that and then BAM what on earth is going on why have we got a firefight in a standard love song?

Tom: I’d pretty much fallen asleep by then, to be honest. The fight scene at least woke me back up a bit.

Tim: Is this a metaphor for the actor and his feelings towards the other people she’s flirting with? Or is this meant to be a song that would fit as the soundtrack to this film? WHO KNOWS, but in any case it’s generally the music that matters, and here that’s a pleasant surprise.

Tom: Really? Because I waited 90 seconds for something to kick in, and then got something that sounds a bit like a GarageBand loop.

Tim: Oh, you want a GarageBand loop? Compare and contrast Umbrella with the vastly superior Symphonies. But in any case, at least it’s a good loop – Alesso more often produces dance music that’s a bit harsh and intense for my liking, but this is lovely to listen to. There is that pronunciation of “here”, though, which I think is the weirdest I’ve ever heard, but that aside, it’s all great.

Saturday Reject: SMILO – Weight Of The World

“Standing behind a mixing desk that probably isn’t even plugged into anything”

Tim: Sweden, well known for its EDM output, so what will we get when we put a newish act on stage at the country’s largest music competition?

Tim: Well, for starters, we get two thirds of the act standing behind a mixing desk that probably isn’t even plugged into anything, with a TV on front that for some reason is displaying what appears to be the old Doctor Who opening title sequence.

Tom: See, I went with “old-school Winamp visualisation”, so you know, there are our different reference points.

Tim: On the other hand, we get a great dance track with two good choruses, vocal and instrumental, sparks flying all over the place, and the heart in the bottom left going somewhat mental.

Tom: Mm. It is a bit Aviici-lite, though, isn’t it? I know Eurovision isn’t always the most up-to-date affair, but if you’re trying to do EDM, then sounding even a year or two old might push the young crowd against you — and the older folks won’t vote for it either way.

Tim: Oh, hell no, standard EDM like this is never a good shout for Eurovision – the most recent similar acts that spring to mind are Cascada and Ryan Dolan, coming almost last and dead last respectively. Still very enjoyable, though – a lovely diversion, great way of picking up pace and keeping everyone going, and probably one for my “getting ready to go out” playlist.

Tom: I’m just not sold: the vocals are a bit rough — I know, they’re live, but even so — and the melody feels like it’s been knocked out in an afternoon. Not bad, sure, but this was never a winner.

Tim: They’ve previously been known for tropical house, so have a listen here if you fancy it, but otherwise I’d say they acquitted themselves fairly well.

Stacey Jackson – Pour Some Sugar On Me

“Oh that’s entirely and wonderfully brilliant and awful.”

Tom: If you’re thinking “who?” then you might want to consult this suspiciously-promotional Wikipedia article, complete with obsessive tracking of low chart positions in little-known charts. And a warning: this video is pretty much as NSFW as you can get without actual nudity.

Tim: Hahahahahaaa, oh that’s entirely and wonderfully brilliant and awful.

Tom: So let’s get it out of the way first: this is UTTERLY UNNECESSARY. But that’s true of nearly everything Almighty Records have ever put out, so I can’t grumble about a suitably high-energy pop cover of a classic. It’s competently arranged, competently sung, and actually has enough production value that it doesn’t sound as bad as a low-budget crank-’em-out track off a cash-in “fitness covers” album.

Tim: True, I suppose I can’t disagree with any of that.

Tom: And given that the original is pretty much the number-one song for stripping to, I can’t argue with the video either. At least it’s objectifying literally everyone that’s in it, no matter the gender.

Tim: And I dread to think how long it would have taken to get all that syrup off them.

Tom: It’s not going to replace the original, but it does what it’s meant to do, and it does it well.

Tim: Hmm. “Well” is an interesting word, but my mind mainly keeps coming back to a line in that Wikipedia article: “In July 2015 Stacey released an other single titled ‘How Much Is That Hottie In The Window.'” which probably sums up the whole endeavour nicely.

Kygo – Raging

“It’s a bit of a change in synth pad, I’ll give him that.”

Tom: First track from the new album. Given that everyone’s copied his old trick, he needs a new one.

Tom: That is… hmm. Well, it’s a bit of a change in synth pad, I’ll give him that, although it now sounds like… hmm. A slightly downbeat version of something Robert Miles would have put out in the mid-90s? Or maybe Robert Miles meets Aviici, with way too much compression on the track? I’m not sure.

Tim: I don’t know, I really like it. Tropical house arguably had a limited shelf-life, coming as it did from Kygo’s computer rather than any gradual dance club movement like basically every other dance genre has done. Harsh as it may sound, it’s almost the Internet meme of music genres – came from nowhere, a few other people mixed it around a bit, but after a while it’s time to move on. Kyo knows that, and he’s moving on, to this.

Tom: I sound like I’m being massively negative about it: it’s a decent track, and a good direction to go in after there was nothing left in that old pineapple-scented synth. It’s not as much of an immediate attention-grabber, but it’s not bad.

Tim: No – I think it’s a fine way to close off his debut album.

Sigala feat. Imani and DJ Fresh – Say You Do

“A pretty damn good followup.”

Tom: Sigala. Not to be confused with Sigma. Previously produced an absolutely brilliant cover of the Jackson 5. This time: paired up with a singer called Imani and the needs-no-introduction DJ Fresh.

Tom: Well, it’s not quite the instant-recognition floor-filler that we’ve had before, but it’s a pretty damn good followup.

Tim: Yeah – it’s certainly got a lovely swaying side to side at my desk chorus to it, which I’m very keen on.

Tom: Same tropical-house style with percussion that’s clearly in DJ Fresh’s style over the top of it. It feels almost routine: but it’s a very, very good routine.

Tim: It is indeed – very enjoyable, and while it might not be quite as good as the debut, it’s more than enough to keep the brand going. BRING ON THE SUMMER, I say, just as snow begins to descend on most of the nation.

Tom: Put this in the middle of a DJ set, and no-one’s going to be unhappy.

John Dahlbäck feat. Stockholm Syndrome – Untouched Hearts

“Shall we have a Friday BANGER?”

Tim: Not sure how we’ve not featured Stockholm Syndrome before, or at least not in their current form – they’re basically a rebranded, restyled and slightly trimmed Love Generation. HOWEVER, they’re here now, so shall we have a Friday BANGER?

Tom: Naming a band after a horrible psychological condition. Normal for a death metal band, a bold move in the world of pop.

Tom: Oh! For once, we’ve got a song introduced as a BANGER here, and it actually is. That’s really good.

Tim: Isn’t it? Although, I know it’s not the most important thing to focus on, but I’m really rather disappointed by how little effort was put into that YouTube ‘video’ – perfect opportunity, given the flickering, to have it be like a visual version of those word puzzles where you change one letter at a time and at the end it’s a completely different word.

Tom: The thing is: as someone who does graphics, I know there’s actually quite a bit of effort gone in there: all sorts of subtle movement and flicker effects. It’s just the result is so underwhelming.

Tim: Right – and even if you’re not doing that you could at least have it flickering in time with the BEAT, because that is quite the BEAT we have there. In fact, it’s quite the track all round, really. Big tune, big production, easy imaginable alongside a stunning laser/fire visual in a club, and big competent vocals.

Tom: Agreed. This is a floor-filler.

Tim: In short, LET’S HAVE A WEEKEND.

Star Pilots – Only For Tonight

“Kicks in early, doesn’t stop.”

Tim: Well, here’s a name we’ve not heard in FREAKIN’ AGES or about five years to be more precise, when they showed us Heaven Can Wait.

Tim: And what a fantastic track!

Tom: Kicks in early, doesn’t stop.

Tim: I think we can safely say they’ve done what every comeback track needs to do: keep pretty much the same identifying sound, while also bringing it up to date with a contemporary style. Their identifying sound was pretty much “Start going, don’t stop”, and that’s so very true – even the traditional; dip for the second verse pretty much just doesn’t happen, and the song’s all the better for it.

Tom: Agreed: early on, I thought “it’s not really big enough”, before remembering that, no, this is the first verse, not the final chorus. Heck of a start.

Tim: Nice video as well: a showing of the gang gradually getting back together, with only the slight disappointment of them not actually climbing onto a space shuttle at the end, instead of the comparatively dull idea of them walking onto stage.

Tom: It is an endearing video, although, my word, the director needs to be a bit more perfectionist with his shots. How ridiculous does the Star Pilot running at 0:43 look? It’s like he’s gambled on a fart and lost. And well done to the Star Pilot at 0:57 who keeps failing to swipe right to unlock his iPhone. The Subway banner at 1:47. The weird transitions and harsh speed-ramps. Sorry, I’m being pedantic, but the rest of it looks so gorgeous that the minor clunks seem really strange.

Tim: No, the pedantry’s okay, although I think the first issue is maybe that he just doesn’t know how to run properly – his reappearance at 1:20 shows it off again.

Tom: And, um, if you’re going to have them walking into an arena, you’d better make sure you’ve actually got shots of them performing for that crowd, on that stage. Otherwise it just looks like they’re arriving in time to sweep up.

Tim: Oh actually that is a good point. But let’s finish on a final fun fact: in case you were worried we’ve only been hearing from one of Ingrosso’s (out of Axwell Λ Ingrosso) cousins, one of these guys is also his cousin. Brilliant.

Tom: I hadn’t worried about that, but thanks for the update.

Alex Newell – This Ain’t Over

“Inspired by Kygo a couple of months too late”

Tom: Our reader, Lily, sends this in, with just enough enthusiasm that I suspect they’re actually from Alex Newell’s record label. Still, expect a “90s vibe” here.

Tom: 90s, certainly, but with enough of tropical-house sound to place it firmly in the “inspired by Kygo a couple of months too late” group of early 2016 releases.

Tim: Oh yes – there’s instrumentation in the back that’s very much a “ooh, yes, let’s have some of that please”.

Tom: Can’t fault the vocal performance: that’s a heck of a voice right there. Is that autotune I hear in the middle eight, at about 2:33? I’m not sure, but there’s still a lot of power behind it even so.

Tim: Not sure – I’ve never been great at picking it up, though, but you’re right, it does sound good.

Tom: But I’m not sure the rest of the track backs it up: those synths in the background are all over the place, and the melody’s just, well, okay. It’s a good album track, it’s a good middle-of-the-set track to keep folks on the dance floor, but I don’t see it being a floorfiller.

Tim: See, much as I dislike (for the most part) being just plain negative about a song, I can’t agree with you on even that second item – for me, this is a golden opportunity to head to the bar to get a drink.

Sandra Lyng – Night After Night

“Just as you thought farmhouse music had backed away”

Tim: Nice country number? Track came out last year, but now we have a video, hooray!

Tim: Well, country that fairly swiftly veers into full on pumping dance territory, just as you thought farmhouse music had backed away a little bit. And it’s GOOD, isn’t it?

Tom: It is! Backed up with a video that took an obvious but nevertheless welcome twist. It is, however, the “good” of about two years ago — and that pre-chorus with its “blah blah blah” just doesn’t work for me.

Tim: See I like that – it’s the first indication you get that things are about to ramp up, and gets me nice and excited. It’s always nice when I can get fully on board with both aspects of a mixed-genre track (though admittedly it’s not as if the country bits are ever particularly gentle and mild), and here I am very much Zane Lowe-style ON BOARD. Great dance track, MORE LIKE IT PLEASE.

Saturday Flashback: Tiësto – Elements of Life

“Producers?”

Tim: The other day, I found a Swedish House Mafia playlist and Axwell’s Heart Is King came on, and it got me thinking: do we do DJs a disservice by calling them ‘producers’?

Tim: Because, let’s face it, with tracks like that, and the 12 minute wonder that is Forever Today, surely ‘composer’ is a better description? A music producer is just someone who sits at a desk and pushes a few buttons; tracks of this calibre, though, are so much, much more that – they give a proper ‘wow’ sensation that’s almost better described as a work of art.

Tom: And that’d also avoid the complaint that “DJ” nowadays is often just someone who pushes buttons to fire off pre-recorded tracks before a crowd, however much skill there is in the pre-production.

Tim: Tiësto’s not alone, obviously: I’ve already mentioned Heart Is King; you’ve also got tracks off Daft Punk’s TRON soundtrack that would fit. All in all, lumping the people responsible for these in the same category as, say, the people at Almighty Records (talented as they are) just seems wrong, really. Am I right?

Tom: Words change over time, switching and altering their meanings. Maybe this is just one of those times that we have to accept it.