The Big Pink - "Dominos" - Courtesy of 4AD Records
Hailing from Britain, The Big Pink is an electro-rock duo who's music is fairly laid back while being pretty emotionally charged. "Dominos" brings to mind some minor 90's hits like the Butthole Surfer's "Pepper" and Primitive Radio Gods' "Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand". It is an excellent sound they've created, the chilly video only providing the cold delivery of the singer's words - "These girls fall like dominos". UK-born, LA-based DJ Switch has taken the song and shattered it, using only the pieces that broke appealingly in his glitchy and twisted mix. As a normal dance BPM would make the poignant words of the track sound ridiculous, Switch slows it down just long enough for The Big Pink to chant it out a few times before whipping things back into a mental frenzy. Good stuff.
Original
Version - Youtube
Switch Remix - Youtube
Simian Mobile Disco - "Audacity of Huge" - Courtesy of Wichita Records
Effortlessly blending minimal techno with pop, Simian Mobile Disco's "Audacity of Huge" is the third single from their latest release, Temporary Pleasure. The track is pulsing and grinding musically, boastful and longing lyrically. After spending the verses talking about all the things he has, guest vocalist Chris Keating (Yeasayer) asks the question, "So why don't I get you?" This belongs in a playlist with recent material from Camille Jones, Apparat, Royksopp, and Booka Shade.
Video - Youtube
Blank & Jones with Keane - "Try Again" - Courtesy of AFM Records
As we learned with DJ Shadow's brilliant remix of "We Might As Well Be Strangers" from Keane's debut album, they sound rather good with electronic production. That holds true on this beautiful collaboration for Blank & Jones' fourth installment of their Relax series. The production is hauntingly gorgeous, and Tom Chaplin's vocals soar triumphant. Lounge without purpose is just background music, so Blank & Jones, working with Keane, make sure you're paying attention while you get your Relax on.
Audio - Youtube
Crystal Method featuring Emily Haines - "Come Back Clean" (Kaskade Radio Edit) - Courtesy of Ingrooves
Canadian indie-rock singer Emily Haines (Metric) has been making a decent-sized foray into dance music. Not only did she appear on Tiesto's "Knock You Out" from his new album, Kaleidoscope, she's also featured on this fantastic Crystal Method number. The original is a spastic number featuring a lot of odd instrumentation to support Haines' seedy vocal delivery. It's a funky, slappy track that sounds great on it's own, but Kaskade takes it to a whole different level with his mix. Not only does the mix suit a far clubbier atmosphere, it is also one of the best Kaskade productions lately. There's a reason it just debuted on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.
Kaskade Mix - Youtube
Original - Youtube
Black Eyed Peas - "Meet Me Halfway" - Courtesy of Interscope
After "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feelin", "Meet Me Halfway" may seem weak in comparison. Ultimately time will tell, but there's a good chance this track may stand out as the most memorable of the three singles, with Fergie's vulnerable vocals and the soft but forceful instrumentation giving it a broad and epic, yet oddly nostalgic feel. The video for "Meet Me Halfway" aims for the stars and beyond, with each of the Peas in a different type of environment and searching for...something. With upcoming mixes by Chew Fu and Richard Vission, this could also be another cross-chart topper for the pop quartet.
Video - Youtube
Sander van Doorn - "Ninety" - Courtesy of Doorn Records
Dutch DJ/producer Sander Van Doorn is on the rise. Winning the Best Breakthrough Solo artist in the 2008 IDMA awards and climbing from
15 to 13 in two years on the DJ List. His remixes of The Killers ("Spaceman") and Sia ("Girl You Lost") were both big in the clubs this
past year. Following up his last corker "Bastillon," "Ninety" is a big room trance track which starts subtle and explodes into a mix of breaks and classic rave sounds. A sample
of the music he plays at his 'Dusk Til Doorn" events, its easy to see why Sander van Doorn's productions are championed by DJs like
Tiesto and Judge Jules.
Audio - Soundcloud
Ke$ha - "Tik Tok" - Courtesy of Sony
Ke$ha is still relatively new to most listeners, being mistaken for Katy Perry in Flo Rida's hit, "Right Round". She's fairy-like with
waterfalls of blonde hair and a slight figure, but her music channels a cavalcade of interesting influences. "Tik Tok", her debut single,
boasts a melody like Kylie's "Love At First Sight", with a vocal delivery like Uffie, and lyrics like Fergie and Lady Gaga. After being
featured brilliantly in So You Think You Can Dance (a pure tasty teaser), interest in this track should rise greatly. Can't wait for
mixes.
Audio - Youtube
Bezalel - "Tunisia" - Courtesy of Bezalel Music
In the electronic music world, Israel is known more for trance/progressive (Flash Brother, Analog Pussy), house (Yinon Yahel, Maya), and
transexuals (Dana International, Offer Nissim), but not for electronic pop. Breaking that mold is Bezalel, a full on singer/songwriter
who embraces electronic pop dance music. With middle-eastern flavored grooves and a perky pop beat, "Tunisia" tells the story of a
lost love and how he wants to "ride on camels only with you." While the repeated lyric phrasing might seem pedestrian to Western
listeners, there is a lot here worth exploring and the video is gorgeously filmed, especially considered the independent budget.
Video - Youtube
