It’s like, 80 degrees out in SF, but I’m stuck in a windowless office room where it’s ALWAYS freezing. My space heater is roaring, and I have a puffy jacket on. But you know what? I feel like I could be out in the sun, with a huge smile on my face, spinning around with my arms outstretched in euphoria, thanks to this fresh remix of Austin alt band The Vantage’s Place In The Water by Mark Chill! The Los Angeles based producer transformed the stomping, energetic Young The Giant rock meets Walk The Moon pop anthem into a gleaming indie dance gem interwoven with hints of delicious disco and resplendent tropical. Mark Chill says that “the lyrics and story were a perfect fit for my chill/summer style of production”, and he does an excellent job fusing his sublimely sparkling and effervescent style to the indie rock vibes on the original. Snag it on May 5th when it’s out on iTunes, and add it to your sweet summer dance playlist!
I’ve got one more killer remix that I must share before I call it a night. There have been bountiful remixes of Calvin Harris’ Ellie Goulding featuring hit, Outside. Southern California’s Bad Vision offers up the newest edit, and it’s a raging banger that blends future bass and electro in a glorified amalgamation of sublime, suspenseful sound. They alternate between heavy hitting darkness and airy, radiant liveliness on the spectacular dance track. I’ll summarize with one word: SICK.
Dutch production duo The Him send warm shivers of joy through my soul with a beautiful remix of German producer Robin Schulz’s Headlights, featuring Ilsey. Buoyant piano and uplifting chords give the cascading song a bright and magical effect. Suddenly, the world seems that much more of a fabulous place, despite all the ugly things happening in the news of late. We shall persevere!
Let’s pick things up a bit and raise our spirits with a nu-disco jam from Australia’s Tyler Touché. The 19 year old producer made his musical debut on the saxophone when younger, but quickly began a devoted love affair with dance music soon after. Act Of God, which features slick vocals by Jason Gaffner, is a polished and crisp dance jam with plenty of smooth retro funk and an irresistible French house vibe.
Philadelphia based alt pop band Bel Heir’s indie gem Throw Me In The River gets a haunting, murky remix by mysterious Ouros. The enigmatic producer’s river is one dark, heaving, roiling waterfall of intoxicating sound. Future bass shimmers give the track plentiful luminous glimmers to light the path for its pitched, droopy vocals. Despite the ominous undertones, I find the remix spectacularly beautiful and sublime.
Emerging New York based crooner Jordan Bratton immediately captured my heart with his aptly named, swooning R&B pop song Prisoner, which even features Chance The Rapper. It’s a laid back, playful gem and sure hit off Bratton’s debut EP, Youth, out May 12th. The release will probably propel this guy to huge levels of buzz.
If you haven’t yet heard of ALESSIA, you’re going to be part of a diminishing minority in the music appreciation world. It’s okay, I’m here to help you out with this shar of her Def Jam debut single, Here. The 18 year old talent samples Isaac Hayes on the snappy, soulful song. Mary J Blige meets Lauryn Hill with a hefty dosage of Alicia Keys on the fiery, bold song.
I’m not sure why, but my heart tends to skip a beat when I see a new remix of Lana Del Rey’s music floating around. Perhaps it’s the fact that I’ve been such a Lana fan since her early Video Games and Blue Jeans days, but I’d like to think it’s because I’m always curious to hear what various producer’s do to her unique sound, which seems to lend itself so well to all sorts of remixes, from dark to luminous, mellow to aggressive. Today, we can thank Toronto’s Tep No for crafting a chilled out, saxified tropical rendition of Ultraviolence track Florida Kilos. While dreamy and intoxicating, there’s also a nostalgic bittersweetness to the treat.
British producer A-Minor has been rather quiet for some time, but he splashes back onto the scene with new original Be Mine, a luscious piano house song with endless melodic vibes and soulful emotion. The track is an uplifting yet sentimental treat, infectious beyond words. I wouldn’t be surprised if this became one of this summer’s massive dance jams, in the way Duke Dumont, Robin Schulz, and other producers’ balmy tunes were last year.
Chicago’s Eryn Allen Kane is going to floor you with her sensationally soulful and emotive vocals on her first original song, Have Mercy. Having collaborated with Chance The Rapper and Tokwio in the past, her honeyed voice should be no stranger to your ears. Smooth yet fierce, Have Mercy is a stunning debut, taken from her debut EP, Aviary. Its sparse and stripped down production really serve to highlight her incredible chops. Watch the video for the song, below.
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