We’ll be doing a small case study about the state of big room with the massive collaboration between Steve Aoki, MAKJ, and Showtek and exploring some other noteworthy tracks this week. As always, we’ll be partnering with The QR Network to compile a short recap of notable tracks that we didn’t have time to cover during the previous week. We hope you enjoy our selection and if you have any tracks you’d like to see here, please feel free to post your suggestions in the comments
Steve Aoki, MAKJ, Showtek, Kris Kiss – Rave
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/635812779″ params=”color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true” width=”100%” height=”130″ iframe=”true” /]
Just for starters, seeing all of these names together got my hopes up real high for a new big room anthem. Similar to Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Steve Aoki’s track just have that X-Factor where you can clearly visualize a party from the music alone. They usually contain all the right notes to put the “Rave” right into your head. The synth of choice for the drop is a pretty decent combination between Showtek and MAKJ’s signature sound plus a bit of Steve Aoki from songs like “Mayhem.” I felt that introducing the melody for a full sixteen measures in the first breakdown lessened the impact of the drop, especially since they had a light kick in there to begin with. The second breakdown did a much better job with pacing and building the energy up to a cathartic drop. I was disappointed to see that three talented producers couldn’t come together to change the second drop in any significant way. We also have to mention the vocals from Kris Kiss. In my opinion, they’re perfect for live shows since the spacing is easy to follow and sing along to. Something about the way he said “We’re here to fucking rave” struck me the wrong way because it feels like he held back on cursing like a priest was in the room. I wish it was more impactful. If you’re going to put expletives in such an important part of the song, make them count. There’s nothing more cathartic than cursing at the top of your lungs when singing along. Take “Everybody fucking jump!” for example.)
The question that should be asked is will “Rave” join the ranks of “Bounce Generation” and “The Hum” as a true big room anthem. Only time can answer that, but for me, I think the track falls a bit flat similarly to “Big Room Never Dies.” If you look at the YouTube play counts, “The Hum” has amassed over 100 million plays over the past four years on the main Spinnin’ account and “Big Room Never Dies” has barely 12 million over two accounts in the past year. It’s great to see these big room legends coming together to make something new, but it doesn’t seem to be enough to capture the hearts like it did a few years ago.
84/100
Lowdown & Kage – Breakout
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/641292459″ params=”color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true” width=”100%” height=”130″ iframe=”true” /]
If you’re a bass house fan and haven’t come across the amazing signature sound of Kage, here’s your chance. Seeing him paired up with Lowdown is like a match made in house heaven. Their sounds go fantastically together with a bit of swing and a whole lot of bass. More importantly for me, it evolves his sound in a meaningful way, unlike another producer that comes to mind. This track lies more on the house side than bass house, and these two producers have made a short, groovy track which injects both of their signatures into a familiar format in an enjoyable way.
82/100
Dirty Palm & Conor Ross – Flowers (ft. Chandler Blasé)
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/641389473″ params=”color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true” width=”100%” height=”130″ iframe=”true” /]
This is another collaboration that has been teased, ripped, and hyped up for the past few months. Whenever you see someone with such a dominant signature sound like Dirty Palm, you worry that their collaborators’ touch might get lost in the mix. Upon first listen, this does seem to be the case. Dig a bit deeper and you’ll notice that the drop seems a bit cleaner than Palm’s other future house tracks like “No Stopping Love.” It’s very subtle though. Going in, I figured it would be tough for Conor Ross to inject his sound since his best work is the unique synth choice and soft touch on the track, so it does seem like his work mellowed out the track in a very good way. The new vocals from Chandler Blasé have gotten some fans divided who preferred the male vocals from the previously premiered versions. For me, neither of them are particularly memorable the way Micah Martin’s were in “Oblivion.” Original vocals are always a step up from ones from a sample pack and will undoubtedly open the doors for remixes to “Flowers,” but in the original, they were just average. To summarize, “Flowers,” is an interesting collaboration and a meaningful step for both artists involved but the melodies from the vocals and the drop won’t be sticking around in my head for the long term.
79/100
Jonth & Veronica Bravo – Sun Comes Up
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/640052130″ params=”color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true” width=”100%” height=”130″ iframe=”true” /]
We’ve got another fresh one from Enter Records and incredible melody-maker, Jonth. There’s a few notable things about this track including the slower tempo and original vocals from Veronica Bravo. When I first heard the track, the vocals reminded me of some of the originals from Joel Fletcher like “Embers” probably due to the fact they’re both in the key of F minor. Both Joel and Jonth handled the vocals in a similar manner to fantastic effect. “Embers” has been in my favorites for a while but hasn’t performed well on streaming services since its release, hardly breaking a quarter million over two years. So my connection to the song won’t be shared by many I imagine. So let’s move on the drop – at first listen, I thought that the song should have been sped up to normal house range at around 126-128. When I put it into Audacity and made a high quality render of what that sounded like, I liked what I heard. Then I reached out to Jonth to ask him if he had any plans to release a truly house VIP of the track and he assured me that the song was at the tempo it was meant to be. After putting it on my Spotify playlist and listening it for the past two days, he was right. The sound has so much groove to it and makes you move in a different sort of way than if it were at a higher tempo.
My initial reservations about the track were due to my close-minded approach. “This is different than what I’m used to and I want it to conform to what I want it to be.” I’m happy that I took the time to open my mind and embrace what makes this track so different and special. However, I still believe that Jonth’s melodic lead ornament in the drop feels slightly out of place in this tempo. With a decent dubstep and fresh future pop house track under his belt, Jonth’s been anything but complacent and his willingness to break the mold and make what he feels is right gives me hope for the future.
85/100
Laidback Luke & Mark Bale – Party Starter
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/643311618″ params=”color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true” width=”100%” height=”130″ iframe=”true” /]
I came across Mark Bale from his last release on Laidback Luke’s label, Mixmash. I thought it was a fresh take on bounce but it a bit too quirky to make its way into any of my sets. When I saw this new release, I was disappointed to see that Laidback Luke didn’t add much of his own spin on the sound like he did with Jewelz & Sparks on “We Are One.” “Party Starter” follows the same structure and reuses a lot of the same motifs as its predecessor. It’s a bit more accessible and overall an improvement but I wish that Luke had injected a bit new life from his other projects into this one to freshen it up.
67/100
Marc Benjamin – Show You
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/641248035″ params=”color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true” width=”100%” height=”130″ iframe=”true” /]
When I first heard Marc Benjamin’s new sound in “Blaster,” I was excited to see him go back to his groove roots and reinvigorate the sound that was hinted at in his old Mixmash release, “Phantom.” This latest track reminds me a bit of Tiesto & Mesto’s track, “Can’t Get Enough.” However, “Show You” is a far superior track with better overall production value. It’s sharper, cleaner, and groovier. The syncopated percussion paired with the pitched down vocal in the break is enjoyable albeit a bit generic. I especially like how the second breakdown amps up the energy in subtle ways over the first. I wish the same attention had been paid to making the second drop different as well. There are a lot of interesting elements in this track and it’s a shame that Marc Benjamin didn’t do anything more with them, although what he has made is good enough.
81/100
Krimsonn – Wings
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/631793307″ params=”color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true” width=”100%” height=”130″ iframe=”true” /]
Before our upcoming review of the full Dharma Sounds of summer, I wanted to talk about one of my favorite tracks from the compilation. Krimsonn’s last release on Dharma was a stunner, a short one, but still exceptional. Here with “Wings,” he’s gone back to his electro house roots for a wonderfully dynamic track. There’s some of the brasswork from “Lullaby” and what a lot of people are calling “Avicii-vibes” from the positive melodies included in the track. I loved the vocals he included in the track but reckon it’s from a vocal pack since no vocalist is credited. The best part of the track is that it has two unique drops! This is truly a journey from start to finish with an excellent arrangement. I felt the second drop was a bit amateurish for the first for measures of the second break’s climax. But other than that, it’s my favorite track from the compilation! Krimsonn is truly a talent to watch.
87/100
HI-LO, Chocolate Puma – LazersX999
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/643287417″ params=”color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true” width=”100%” height=”130″ iframe=”true” /]
I usually don’t review a lot of pure house music because of its subjective nature, but this one is a remarkable collaboration between two of the genre’s greatest. On the one hand, we have Chocolate Puma providing the remnants of the underground elements which started the EDM movement, and then we have Oliver Helden’s (HI-LO) melodic touch to provide a release and euphoria in the breakdown. I read the most interesting article recently that talks about how music resonates different with everyone based on their mentality and experiences. While I don’t think “LazersX999” will become a timeless classic, it’ll elevate any house set for the next few weeks.
74/100
Benny Benassi – Lonely Nights (Feat. Lil Yachty)
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/632199753″ params=”color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true” width=”100%” height=”130″ iframe=”true” /]
Here we go again. After last week’s horrible cash grab from Marshmello, this week we have an awful, wasted collaboration between the mind behind the classic, “Satisfaction” and one of the more relevant rappers in the mainstream scene right now. What did we get out of it? Garbage. I’m especially let down because Benny’s last track with Chris Nasty was quite the throwback! It was fresh, had hypnotic, catchy vocals, and an overall excellent vibe. “Lonely Nights” sounds like a song you’d hear in a 2005 off-brand racing game. The lyrical content has nothing new to say, the elements sound like they could have been from a producer starter pack, and an overused chord progression. This was an opportunity for both of these artists to showcase their talent to an audience that otherwise wouldn’t have heard their music, and I don’t think either one of them did themselves any favors by doing so. Imagine for a minute what it would have sounded like to hear Lil Yachty put bars over a unique dark house track from Benny. Instead we got a track that could have been produced by anyone and sung by anyone with autotune.
22/100
We hope you enjoyed our recap of selected songs from last week. If there is a song that you felt should have been on here, be sure to leave it in the comments below and we’ll do our best to give our take on it. Certain songs were not included because they will be covered in more detail in the following days so make sure you’re following our social media pages to see all of our latest posts!
Florian Picasso – But Us (feat. Echosmith)
GRAVEDGR – RAWSIDE Feat. Lit Lords
Has Steff Da Campo Become the New VINAI?
Jack O’Kings & Sam Helix – Beautiful
This recap was provided by The QR Network which is a site for interviews with producers and DJs. Check out their interviews with Folded Dragons, Kage, Urbanstep, Triple M, and Black Caviar.
What do you think?
Show comments / Leave a comment