Keeping It Fresh

Continuing with more ACL artists, today I am focusing on one of the electronic acts to hit the stage. What is interesting is that initially, this artist was not supposed to be listed. Due to some complications though, they were slotted and many of us got to experience Justice for the first time. And let me tell you, the show was absolutely mesmerizing.  A little background about the group, Justice is a French electronic duo who has been a strong and powerful underbelly of music. The duo has been nominated for multiple Grammy's and has even won for some of their remixes. Justice has a really great repertoire of sound and production. At times during their performance, I would get some serious Daft Punk vibes. There is something very meticulous about their work and in the intricacies of their music. There are definitely disco and funk electronic vibes, thrown in with a little bit of house as well. But what makes Justice stand out, even more, is that there are lots of influenc...

It has been a long while since I have posted anything remotely close to old school electronic music. So I thought, why not today? Today's song brings back memories of driving in a car late at night, cruising with the windows down and enjoying the moment. This song transports us back to a different time in electronic music. It takes us back over 10 years ago, to the beginnings of progressive house. This song has been remixed by Adam K & Soha and takes on a completely different genre compared to the original. The original version is by Ercoa and Heikki, and the roots of the track can be found in drum & bass and a bit of house. However, today's remixed version takes on progressive house vibe. The remix is more subdued, softening up some of the more intense parts of the original and amplifying the melody. A lot of times with progressive house, the song is more about the melody and the atmosphere rather than bass and beats. We definitely hear that in this track, with the ...

Today I have some new music for you by DJ that has consistently been tearing up the charts. Now I'm not talking within the past year two but over the past seven or eight years. Alesso has made a name for himself, with not only remixes but also incredible original tracks featuring incredible vocalists and producer is across all genres and music types. The song, in particular, is one of his newer tracks and it is one that I was hooked on from the first listen. So let's talk briefly about Alesso as an artist. He has done so much and his music style has progressed and changed over time. Obviously, this is to be expected from an artist, and Alesso's growth has been in a direction that is very different and interesting for the ears. But there's something to be said about a kind of consistency which can be heard in his music. He never really strays too far from Progressive house sounds or just house in general. And what is nice about Alesso is that it never feels like he...

Today I have some music for you by the artist known as Armand Van Helden. Now this is a guy who has been around in the music industry for a very long time. His name isn't one that is easily recognizable or recognized at all for that matter. But he is one of the biggest influences in the New York electronic music scene. He works with all kinds of genres, from funk to R&B to hardcore EDM. What I find really cool about Armand Van Helden is that despite the fact that he has been such an influential presence in the music scene of the Northeast, his music still sounds underground. He hasn't lost any sense of what his soundscape is supposed to sound like, and is very comfortable with creating sounds which eventually become the popular norm. There are still so many elements of his music that sound really nice and underground, very unique and quirky. Armand Van Helden tends to sample older songs, generally from the 80s or 90s. And he does so because of how rooted in funk and groo...

Today we're heading towards the EDM and electronic side of music. I recently went to a show where Mat Zo was the headlining artists, and my goodness was I blown away. As an artist, Mat Zo has been known to dabble in genres that are kind of all over the place. Specifically though, he started out with trance music, and that is exactly the kind of show we got. Electronic music has taken on this interesting evolution, growing and shaping into different styles all the time. And there are definitely some things I love about the electronic music scene now, and there are definitely some things I am not a huge fan of as well. Now Mat Zo takes us back more old school. His set list was full of the progressive house and trance style we had around 2008. The pronounced beats, runway style sounds, and smooth synths to polish it off. I mean this show had everything! And I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed jamming out to the kind of electronic music which made me fall in love with the genre in...

It has been quite some time since I posted anything electronic or EDM related, so I thought that would be a fun way to start up today's post. So today, I have some music for you by one of my favorite electronic artists, Flight Facilities. As we all know, EDM tends to be a wide but really fun genre of music. There are so many subgenres and sounds that are under the umbrella of EDM, and today we are going down the path of house and disco. I think the first thing I have to address when talking about this song, is Flight Facilities as a music duo. This is one of the most risk-averse artists to listen to because you will always find something to like. You may not like every song, but there will be a few that you can definitely jam to. This is all because of the musical style with which the duo has defined for themselves. I think many producers easily give this duo a nod of approval because of how dynamic the music is. Everything is so well polished, even when Flight Facilities aim in ...

Today I have some new music for you by an EDM artist who likes to create music under the radar while still being at the forefront of some of the biggest EDM events around the world. Madeon is simply put, a master of electronic music. He is only 20 years old, yet has released albums, EP's and a plethora of singles and remixes. I have to say, he has quite the dossier and the extent to which he experiments with music is quite extensive. The thing about Madeon is that he has such a distinctive style that is completely his own. If I heard a song, I could tell you whether or not it is a Madeon song or not simply by his signature sound. This is where things can be a bit difficult though - his sound is something that is hard to put into words. There is this groove that surfs throughout the sound waves and a softer sound to the overall electronic work. Many electronic artists today have sharper, blunter electronic sounds and programming. But Madeon is a different story. Each note is someh...

Today I have some music for you that is an absolute earworm. This song is by an electronic producer by the name No Way Back, a producer that isn't very well known despite his wickedly good music. First time I heard this song, I could not stop jamming out, and even now I still have the dancing bug. Now the best thing about this song is how completely raw it is and how this is straight up house. As in pure house music, sounds that we forget exist since music gets muddled up. Don't get me wrong, I love it when EDM genres collide and create wicked songs. But every once in a while it is nice to go back to the basics and get that sweet sound of true house. This song is actually a twist taken on a Mariah Carey song, which I had no idea about. But I won't lie, I think this rework sounds pretty darn awesome and is definitely not shy of being groovy. The song begins with a steady percussion loop, which then gives way to more structured and subtle piano beats. This all builds up i...

Today I have some new music for you by the artist known as Vaski. I am going to be totally honest, I have no idea how to even begin classifying his music because there are elements from a lot of different styles in this song. What I can tell you is that Vaski has really pushed his sound barriers far out to carry and express those subtle complexities and nuances. That is something I can definitely appreciate in a producer because it most certainly is not an easy feat. This is a super laid back approach to EDM production, and that is pretty darn okay with me. Vaski is an artist who has drifted a lot towards crazy dubstep and heavy electronic songs, but this was a nice change. The song is a great step away from that stylistic sound, towards something completely different and very laid back. This song has a lot of R&B influences in it, something that has recently become a trend we see. It works really well in this song though because the beats themselves follow the R&B style, w...

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...

For some reason, today I couldn't get enough of electronic music. And so I figured, why not make today's post all about electronic music. But here's the plot twist. Today's electronic music isn't necessarily EDM. In fact, it borders more along the lines of funky house, with a lot of soul and groove thrown in. Chris Malinchak is the star of the day, with today's song also featuring the stunning vocals of one of my favorites, Mikky Ekko. Chris Malinchak got some acclaim with his first big song and I can see why. This guy has really great talent in instrumentation and song production. The style of this song is so funky smooth and has a great energy to it. This song sounds like what Michael Jackson hitting the electronic scene would sound like. Everything about this song captures the groovy disco and hip hop feel that Michael Jackson mastered and made his own. I could not stop dancing to this song no matter how many times I put it on repeat, and the song is so rem...

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...

Today I've got some more new music for you by a DJ who became a worldwide sensation in such a short time. Martin Garrix has been an absolute monster in the music world. His music has been tearing up the charts, from his initial releases to now. And this new song by Martin Garrix definitely falls into that chart-busting category.  Martin Garrix changes his sound up in this song and takes a future bass approach, which I think is a great direction to go in. We get something that is softer and warmer from the music, instead of your typical louder and bass heavy electronic songs. This one airs on the side of being atmospheric and full of sound. It isn't about filling empty air with sound, rather, Martin Garrix tries to purposefully fill the air he has with carefully constructed sounds. He crafts the song very consciously in order to tell the story that the lyricists come up with. The structure of this song is centered on emotive storylines and moody synths to accompany.Mart...

Today I have some really cool music for you by the English DJ who goes by the stage name Shift K3Y. This is the first song I heard by him, and I loved it! Shift K3Y has a very different kind of vibe and sound to him. In particular, this style of house and electronic music is one that got very recently within the UK and Europe. Shift K3y Seems to have taken a page out of that playbook because it tends to be kind of sound we get. Incredibly catchy, nice and synth filled and bumping. This is a song that has such a groovy vibe, but a really tasteful one. It is a nice bubbly, and lively, lush, and vibrant song, one that can get everyone on the dance floor. There is this really nice dash of pop music in the song as well, something that is so perfectly balanced and smooth to listen to. I have to say, this song has a very UK garage feel to it, a sound that is deeply unheard of here in the US. A travesty for sure, but this is the kind of song that everyone wishes got played at t...

Today I have some new music for you out of the world of EDM and electronic music. Today's first song is by Pierce Fulton. Honestly, I think he is an underrated artist. Pierce Fulton knows how to produce music that will rile up the crowd. There is always this insane amount of energy and sound that you can't help but jump and move and at least headbang some. This song is an explosion of sound and color. Now I know it is strange to think of a song as having a color, but when you hear a song and imagine, there is always a color that comes to mind. And with this song, there is this beautiful display of color from all ends of the spectrum. This song is just so lively and energetic and wild! I like that wildness because it is that of the world that is truly alive and truly living. Pierce Fulton does an amazing job of keeping the energy level at one that can be sustained and toned down when necessary. This song features vocals by the artist Polina. I didn't think she really ...

Today I have some awesome music for you from the electronic duo known as Vicetone. One of the characteristics of Vicetone that I love is that they are masters at producing and remixing. Not to say other DJ's cannot. But Vicetone has this incredible creativity woven into their music that I cannot shake. This song is probably my absolute favorite example of their creativity.Vicetone decides to feature an incredibly important man, one who will go down in history because of the amazing things he accomplished. Ladies and gentleman, today I am bringing you a song that has taken a President speech and made it musical verses. As odd as that may seem, Vicetone makes it work really well. To open the song, they have inserted the beginning of one of Obama's speeches. The intro is a little bit longer, but this particular part of Obama's speech sets the song up and the title incredibly well. Vicetone then softly brings in the main rhythmic melody of the song. It flanks Obama's speech...

Today I have some music for you that is inspired by some new EDM music. We have seen a lot of new EDM releases, and that is super exciting. But today I wanted to bring a song that didn't fit into that mold of EDM music which we have today. And yes, this is an older song, but I wanted to throw it in here because I wanted to bring a bit of resurgence of music to the post. We hear a lot more house and electro based pop songs. But this song is different. This song brings us back to what EDM used to sound like a few years ago. So to kickstart this nice little homage to the past, is some music by a pretty underground artist known as 3Lau. This act consists of one guy doing some incredible things with music. I guess you could call him a Las Vegas prodigy, especially considering he picked up DJ-ing after traveling around for a bit. But 3Lau has a really interesting style, blending dubstep and different versions of house. Some of 3Lau's claim to fame comes from the fact that he is one o...

Today I have some electronic music for you because it has been quite some time since we have had a nice dose of that. This first song is by Ferry Corsten. Now this song is a pretty sick mix between EDM trance and house. This song is absolutely wicked and extremely well produced. For starters, this song features an incredible vocalist, Nat Dunn. If there is one thing everyone can appreciate about electronic music, the DJ's and artists always pick vocalists who are not only low key, but are also talented beyond belief. I have yet to hear an electronic song that features a vocalist I have not been impressed by. Nat Dunn is a powerhouse, with a voice that is both rich and even a little bit sultry. Where you can really get blown away though is in the chorus when she belts out the two words that really make the song. It is just waves of power from her voice and there is this underlying rasp and rawness to the way she sings the chorus that really gives the song dynamism and character. The...

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 music for you by an artist who kind of faded out of the spotlight after a big hit. Edward Maya is an incredibly talented artist and producer, and I really love the style he is associated with. Every one of his songs has some sort of exotic feel to it. This song in particular is actually a new take on a Romanian folk song, but the way he has done this mix, you can recognize the original tune and still feel that modern twist. Even though this is a Romanian folk song, there are elements to this song that sound very Middle Eastern and gypsy-like. This is actually one of my favorite things about Edward Maya's music. There is a definite Eastern feel and sound to his song which is completely different from the electronic songs we hear today. I haven't heard any other artist come out with a song that combines the mysterious and traditional sounds of the East with the modern interpretation of the West with the same level of success that Edward Maya does. The instrumental c...