Chuckie - "Aftershock (Can't Fight The Feeling)" - Courtesy of New State Music
Chuckie's "Let the Bass Kick" is pretty much this year's "Put Your Hands Up for Detroit," the electro record that every DJ rocked
throughout the summer. Another dirty Dutch Dj in the tradition of Mason, Don Diablo and Fedde Le Grand, Chuckie follows up "Bass Kick"
with "Aftershock." A little more pop with a singalong vocal sample, "Aftershock" might be the track that crosses Chuckie into the
mainstream. With Chuckie's recent victory over Armin van Buuren and Tiësto at the Dutch TMF Awards in the Best Dance Artist category,
this seems even more likely.
Video - Youtube
The Prodigy - "Take Me To The Hospital" - Courtesy of Cooking Vinyl
Here is The Prodigy sounding like the Prodigy - and that's a good thing. With big, noisy, in-your-face breakbeat and rock madness with a
little bit of glitch and samples to fill in behind the vocal, this could be "Omen" (or even "Firestarter") part two. If you are into
this kind of madness, check out the cd this track is taken from 'Invaders Must Die.'
Video - Youtube
Jamie Jones featuring Egytian Lover - "Galactic Space Bar" - Courtesy of Genesis Entertainment
Old school teams with new school really well. Modern electro beats meld with freestyle elements to create a modern version of
hiphouse. Rapper Egyptian Love is best known for his West Coast favorite party rap hit "Egypt, Egypt" and he sounds just as fresh now as
he did 25 years ago. The video animates the song as the ultimate catchy beat that you have to dance to. "Galactic Space Bar" is the
second single from Jamie Jones retrofuturistic concept album 'Don't You Remember the Future.'
Video - Youtube
Ultra Nate featuring DJ King Tutt - "Faster, Faster Pussycat" - Courtesy of BluFire/Unruly
Veteran club diva Ultra Nate returns with her most aggressive beats to date. The voice of classics "Free" and "Rejoicing" has totally flipped the script, singing over beats that are a cross between the Baltimore house sound and Black Eyed Peas styled electro-hop production. The results are surprisingly good as Ultra has a voice that works over any kind of beat. While we can do without the rap from King Tutt, the party song and accompanying futuristic video will definitely pump up the energy of any dance floor. The song is part of the up coming 'Things Happen at Night' EP which will be released in mid November.
Video - Youtube
Gatekeeper - "Optimus Maximus" - Courtesy of Slasher Disco/Fright
With all of the sampling and modernizing of new wave and synthpop, I knew it would be only a matter of time before someone took a shot at industrial music from the later 80s/early 90s. If you liked Front 242 and Nitzer Ebb, whip out your Doc Martens and listen to "Optimusi Maximus" by Gatekeeper. There is a sense of a soundtrack feel but I am feeling a modern interpretation of what made me fall in love with electronic dance music the first time around (and the video directed Tommy Boy helps). The Transformers reference is just a bonus.
Video - Vimeo
Little Dragon - "Swimming" - Courtesy of Peacefrog
Staccato beats form the backdrop for this catchy electro pop gem from Swedish band Little Dragon. Fronted by Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano (who also recorded with Koop,) the band's first CD was championed by radio station KCRW which led to them touring with TV On The Radio. The Shel Silverstein-esque video for "Swimming" was made by Yukimi's father, quite a wonderful way to show support for this retromod track reminiscent of Supreme Beings of Leisure.
Video - Youtube
Amanda Blank - "Might Like You Better" - Courtesy of Downtown
Channeling both Romeo Void ("Never Say Never", the track that originally featured the lyrics "Might like you better if we slept together") and Garbage in some of the vocal delivery, Amanda Blank coos inbetween decent raps for a white girl in electronica. The production of "Might Like You Better" might be aptly called "urban electronica". It is undeniably electronica but the flow and how it is used with Blank's voice definitely feels urban. Strangely, everything ties together well for an entertaining and relatively fresh sounding addition to your hipster playlist.
Video - Youtube
Pantyraid - "Beba" - Courtesy of Marine Parade
"Beba" is unlike anything else out there, you've got to listen to it because its just too hard to describe accurately. It start off with downtempo soundtracky electronica beats that build to some hip hop grooves before slamming into full on glitchy electro. Three different vocals come in and out - a dubbed out chanting of "beba," a female rasta toaster and a few quick male rap lines. The full length Pantyraid cd "The Sauce," and interesting journey of world, electronic and hiphop beats, was recently released on Adam Freeland's Marine Parade label.
Audio - Vimeo
Salme Dahlstrom - "Hello California" (Quadrat Beat Mix) - Courtesy of Real Hype
You might not know who Salme Dahlstrom is but you've no doubt her music. The female version of Moby, she has managed to license every track off her album 'The Acid Cowgirl Audiot Trade" to commercials, tv shows, and movies. "Hello California" is the third official single from the album and showcases her punkypop-tinged vocals over an agressive electro/rock mix. Imagine Pink embracing dance music and working with LMFAO and you've got the basic idea.
Audio - Youtube
