Keeping It Fresh

Today I a bit of a sadder and commemorative post. This past weekend, we lost a music legend. Avicii was one of the most venerable DJ's and artists of our time. Many DJs have cited him as their muse. Many others have expressed their love and awe at his skills and artistry. And as listeners, we have Avicii to thank for spearheading a shift in what we consider EDM. He completely changed what it meant to be and EDM artist. He redefined dance music and paved a pathway for the rise of the DJ. To be honest, it is hard to wrap the mind around what Avicii has done for musicians and artists because he was a trailblazer and innovator. Above all though, Avicii was an artist who did what he loved- making music. Despite the health issues he experienced within the past few years of his life, Avicii never stopped making music. He never gave up his passion, the one thing that made him happiest. For many, Avicii created a transcendent connection which spread love and support to all music liste...

Alright, now that we have officially kicked off the new year, I wanted to talk about a throwback song. I know, I know, the new year should mean new music. But to be fair, we have had exactly one day of 2018. And I also wanted to kick off the new year with a song that had a fun and retro vibe. So here we go! This song first came out in 2002 and is by the British singer, Craig David. It's hard to imagine that 2002 was technically sixteen years ago! Oddly enough, it doesn't seem that far off. But songs like this have really defined the millennial generation. I mean, these are the songs that we grew up with! These are the kinds of songs we jammed out to, the songs we played at parties. These are the song of our not-so-distant-past childhoods.  And this song was an anthem for not only the dance floor but was the iconic song for some of the hottest toys out there. But that is beside the point, isn't it? This song is what we could call a "club banger. The early millennia...

Guess who's back, back again? What's up everyone, I know it has been a while since I last posted any music. I've been doing a bit of traveling and didn't get a chance to write for a few days. But back again and definitely still trying to make sure I get a post in everyday or at least every other day. So today we are kicking it off with some electrifying music. I have some amazing dance music for you by an artist known as Paolo Ortelli. I hadn't heard of him till last year, and honestly it was a happy accident which brought me to his music. But I am so glad that I did because this song is absolutely amazing! This is such a vibrant and lively song, one that definitely belongs in clubs and underground dance scenes. This is definitely one of your normal sounding house and EDM songs. The way the song is put together is pretty standard, I won't lie. But the song itself is pretty freaking great! There is this carefree and light heartedness to the song, a kind of fe...

Today I have some new music for you by a couple of big-name artists. Ever since One Direction disbanded for a hiatus of sorts, all four members have gone off and pursued their own music. Each one of them also decided to take a different track, leading to four new artists in a multitude of genres. Liam Payne's focus has been on the electronic world, from releasing his own music as a DJ, to being a featured vocalist like he is in this song. With Zedd at the helm, the two major label artists have come up with what could possibly be a new summer anthem. This song is a great blend of the more popular styles of electronic music right now. We all know tropical house has become a very popular EDM genre. It is fun and fresh, with a more playful and light-hearted feel to it. On the flip side, more R&B infused electronic music has surfaced a lot, with more artists taking a look at finding the perfect blend of that intimate genre with a dance-oriented sound. Zedd and Liam Payne have give...

Day 3 of new music starts off with Jai Wolf. This song was released less than seven days ago, and it hasn't taken long for this song to hit over 100,000 streams. Now I do have to say, this song is very reminiscent of Jai Wolf's previous works of art. There is a rich consistency in what Jai Wolf does and produces. Now normally, a lack of notable evolution would be interesting and almost a little sad to me. But the music that Jai Wolf creates is so beautiful and so perfect that I don't want anyone to dare touch it. Jai Wolf is so recognizable and has a signature sound which makes his sound unmistakable. There is a carefree and deep sense of freedom and hope. Jai Wolf's music has the ability to touch the soul in a way that is wholesome and moving and liberating and free. This song marks the first time Jai Wolf has written the lyrics to his own music. This song has a stunning vocal delivery provided by Mr. Gabriel, but the lyrical credit has to go to Jai Wolf. And these lyr...

Today I have some music for you that comes from the world of EDM. This song is by the electronic music duo known as Sultan & Shepard. This is such a feel good track! EDM tends to be a style of music that is all about inclusiveness, unity, and feeling really great. We get all of that with this track. Sultan & Shepard have given us a song that is full of euphoric highs and soul filling drops. The song opens up with a really nice acoustic guitar intro which later gets layered into a mix of synths. Sultan & Shepard do an incredible job of incorporating synthetic and organic instruments. The blend of musical mediums is outstanding, and very clear. The two styles come together like gears and give the song the beauty and life that I love so much. The sound we get is so unique and diverse. I especially love it when we hit the chorus melody, the main melody that accompanies the post drop. It has so much energy and vivacity that makes me feel on top of cloud nine. The synths tend to ...

Today I have a fun and energetic song by the artist F4ST. Now I had not heard of these guys till today, and I was totally taken in by this song. It is definitely a catchy one and has so much liveliness to it. One of the things I really like about this song is that it kind of has a darker tropical sound. A lot of times tropical electronic music has a very bubbly and happy and beachy sound. But this song takes some of those tropical sounds and warps them to have a chillstep influence. I thought that was pretty cool! The Columbian electronic duo brings their own cultural flavor to this song. The entire second verse is sung in Spanish. It is not often that we get to hear something like that. I mean it is one thing to have a Spanish artist write a song that is produced as a more upbeat electronic song. But having a song that is specifically meant to be and EDM song meshed with English and Spanish? Well that is definitely something you do not hear everyday. And that is pretty cool! I like th...

Today I have some music for you that comes from a genre I have not posted about in an entirely too long of a time period. This song is by the Polish DJ who goes by the name Xilent. Now he is known for his dubstep and drum & bass production, which pretty much sums up the sound of this song quite nicely. This song is actually really interestingly done because of the way the song has its energy spread around. The song starts out with a slower and heavier dubstep sound, merging with melodic dubstep to become something that is both lyrical and electronic at the same time. The song brings us that intense and concentrated sound that melodic dubstep produces, but it still remains on the slightly slower feeling end of the spectrum. But then out of nowhere, we get this spark of energy where the beat seems to double time and feel more dynamic. But afterwards, we jump right back into that dubstep sound and pick up where we left off. Now normally, that would be a weird segue to have, but someho...

Today I have some music that takes us back to a genre I haven't posted about in a long while. EDM music has grown and changed a lot recently, but I will say, I miss the EDM from earlier. In just these past few years, electronic music has changed quite a bit, focusing more on pop music and taking more of the bass heavy trap route. But the style of EDM we once had, the style of music that first had me falling in love with electronic music, is one that we don't hear much anymore. So today, I wanted to take it back some and write about an artist we haven't heard from in a long while. Nicky Romero is an incredibly popular DJ, especially within the European scene. He has performed at so many huge festivals like Ultra and Tomorrowland. He has been quite under the radar for a while now and seems to have taken a break from original production. While Nicky Romero hasn't really put out any new music, I am just as happy to go through his older music to reminisce and era of electron...

Today I have music for you by a producer who goes by the stage name Dominique. For starters, I am a huge fan of this name. It's a really cool way of spelling the name and it's even a little sexy. But this song is actually the Manotett remix of the original song, and I absolutely love this version. This is a very chilled out song, definitely airing on the side of calm. This kind of electronic music is slowly starting to makes it way out of the underground into more popular streams of media. It is that very calm and controlled kind of sound, with a clear electronic emphasis as well as a focus on vocal dynamism. Songs like this often have a chorus that gets repeated multiple times throughout the song, but it is that specific chorus sound that the rest of the song molds around. The vocals in this chillstep style of music are very important because of how much character and flavor and sensuality it adds to the song. A lot of these kinds of songs feature soft female vocals, and I thi...

Back again with some music for you! I am doing some travelling now, so my posting may be a bit sporadic. But today I am back with some music by one of the queens of the radio and the dancefloor- Rihanna. Now this is an artist that everyone knows. I mean you can't go about listening to music without knowing this name. Which is why you very rarely ever see me posting anything by her. Features are a different story, as are remixes. That is right, today we are going straight to the remix game. And this remix is one that I absolutely love.  R3hab is one of the best remixing DJs out there. He is also a DJ who is pretty huge in the underground scene, though not so much in the bigger spotlight. And that is all good with me because R3hab has some sick work because of those loose reins. Now normally, he likes to stick with super energetic remixes, opting for something that is a little more intense and banging. But seeing as tropical house has become very popular, R3hab has put a topical danc...

Today I have some good, solid electronic house music for you. In particular, I have some Dutch house for you, by the one and only Afrojack. What is Dutch house you ask? In a nutshell, Dirty Dutch is that electronic music style that incorporates a lot of Latin beats and rhythms, with less emphasis on the bass and high pitched synths. Actually when you listen to Dutch house, we don't really hear that high pitched and squeaky synth that we get from other genres. Which I am not complaining about because that gets to be way too much for me sometimes. But this song is actually the remix done by R3hab, another Dutch house artist, and Dyro. This remix is a fast paced, action packed song. I mean this is the kind of song that can keep you pumped up for hours, especially when on the workout grind. This is actually on my workout playlist because if is so full of energy and has that relentless thump that makes it nice and rhythmic. R3hab is an artist who has dabbled in different styles of music...

Today I have another remix for you, a song that is wildly popular which now has an electronic twist to it. Rihanna's music has become extremely popular in both her respected genre of music and mainstream. Now I have to say the first time I heard this song, I was completely annoyed. And the second time I turned it off pretty quickly into the song. I won't lie, the original version of this song doesn't really do it for me. I haven't been able to really get through the song as well as other music, which is totally okay! We can all have our own thoughts on music, and this is just my personal thought on the original. However, this remix by the Lost Kings is pretty darn awesome. Not only did they make this a song that is bearable for me, but they made it a song that I actually enjoy listening to. That is pretty impressive and I really appreciate that! I think what makes their remix something I can stomach, is that they make it sound different. The original song sounds nothing...

Today I have a really fun song by musical trio Cheat Codes. I have recently been listening to a lot of music like this song, but man did this song really stand out. This is just such a fun song to listen to. It is such a great balance of downtempo and tropical sounds, something that I will never say no to. Cheat Codes is a group that is very interestingly popular. In some ways they have really gained some traction in the EDM community, but overall, they still remain as a part of the underground. I absolutely love the music that Cheat Codes comes out with because there is always a sense of progression. There is this general dance ability with their music, but they don't all sound the same which is very appreciated. It is very easy to slip into sounding the same when it comes to EDM. But I don't really find that problem with Cheat Codes. This is a really well produced song, one that combines a lot of different things together to get this fun and vibrant song. This is a nice and s...

Today I have some amazing dance music for you by an artist known as Paolo Ortelli. I hadn't heard of him till recently, and honestly i just stumbled upon him by accident. But I am so glad that I did because this song is absolutely amazing! This is such a vibrant and lively song, one that definitely belongs in clubs and underground dance scenes. This is definitely one of your normal sounding house and EDM songs. The way the song is put together is pretty standard, I won't lie. But the song itself is pretty freaking great! There is this carefree and light heartedness to the song, a kind of feeling that only comes from listening to EDM like this. It is this freeing sense, and this song definitely gives us that sentiment. The production of this song is quite good actually! It isn't super complex or bass heavy, two bonuses. Sometimes you get to hearing songs that have become overrun with bass, or songs that have so many melodies and  harmonies going on that you don't really ...

Today I have some really fun music for you guys. Tonight was the night I finally got to see Morgan Page. After years, I finally got to see one of my DJ idols and house gods. And of course, it was one hell of a show! He played his own music, remixes, and did some improvised work as well, and nailed it every time! He played my favorites, played the songs that have become Morgan Page anthems, and just killed it with everything he played. It was so nice to be able to go to a concert after so long, and Morgan Page was possibly one of the best shows to go to for that rejuvenation. So naturally, I have to have one of his songs as a musical choice. This song is one that is newer, but is also a fantastically good one. One of the great things about Morgan Page is that a lot of his music features vocalists, which is something I really enjoy. I have noticed that the EDM world has some of the best vocalists, and those vocals are so hard to find outside of the genre. This song is a really great one,...