For as long as I can remember, music has been an expression; a way for an artist to evoke an emotion and put it in a way so that others may relate to it. Often times, these creative minds discuss their relationships en route to the most relatable human emotion of all: love. One of the things I admire most about EDM, or any genre that majoritarily shies away from lyrics, is the ability to conceal a specific meaning while opening a vast array of alternate interpretations, like this post’s title. It’s this inherent ambiguity that makes it possible for a track to feel deeply personal to many different people. Take for example this week’s first tune, the brilliant “Found” by Brazilian producer André Sobota.
If you have trouble finding any information about this South American, it’s because he’s relatively new to the EDM scene, his earliest release coming in 2009. Sobota is a versatile producer. His Beatport page looks more like the genre filter than an artist’s resume. His songs range from minimalistic techno to the most progressive of house styles, with an odd drum & bass track occasionally following him out of the studio. “Found,” Sobota’s first progressive house release on Eric Prydz’s Pryda Friends label, has the soothing vibes and simple melody to back up it’s categorization. It’s hard to point out any clips as the hero of this track, because they all go so well together. At first listen, the always present wind sound and sharply echoing complimentary synth seems to overshadow the smaller elements. However, once the melody joins in with the bassline, both loops contradicting each other in pitch and direction, the tune really starts to take off. As for the percussion, the large kicks from the beginning are replaced by a loud clap with a delay on the 2nd bar and a more active cymbal than the first as the intro fades out. The song hits it’s climax at around 3:35, once it winds down and revamps all the previously mentioned loops. All the sounds come together, louder than before, every one trying to speak over the other. It’s this part of the song that feels insanely personal to me, as if the communion of elements were trying to tell me something. I sense nostalgia, guilt, redemption and a hint of forgiveness. Take a listen and let us know what you think the song is referring to by leaving a comment.
André Sobota – Found (Original Mix)
Released on July 9th on Pryda Friends
Beatport
Podcasts are an important part of any dance music fan’s routine. Choosing which ones you listen to is somewhat like choosing which genres you want to stay most up to date with. Although it’s not where I found out about this next track, the Toolroom Knights podcast chose it as it’s killer cut (essentially the record of the week) on last week’s show, earning itself a new subscription in the process. The song in question is a bootleg of Stevie Wonder’s “Ma Cherie Amour” by Italian producing group CamelPhat. Like Andre Sobota, I can’t find any information on this collective, except that they are based in Milan. The song starts with a fantastic mix of percussion, with cymbals, hi-hats, bongos and a snair drum perfectly interweaving over a faint piano loop and a simplistic bassline. The piano disappears for a few lengths as some vocal bits are introduced, then resurfaces. The piano vanishes for a second time during the breakdown as whole vocals from the original song are played and the remix finally ‘drops,’ if you can call it a drop. The piano returns with a violin loop, a hard clap and a barely audible kick as Stevie’s voice emerges in all it’s glory. There’s no denying the power of the icon’s voice and although the track seems to be a vocal showcase, CamelPhat does an excellent job of putting a modern spin on this classic. Many thanks to my Italian brethren for this gem and please let us know if you have any information about this group.
Stevie Wonder – Ma Cherie Amour (CamelPhat’s Closing Party Mix)Stevie Wonder - Cherie Amour - CamelPhat's Closing Party Mix (Full Vox) by CamelPhat
Tommy Trash is on fire at the moment. The Australian-born DJ/producer has had tracks signed to the most prestigious of house labels, such as Musical Freedom (Tiësto), Axtone (Axwell), Refune (Sebastian Ingrosso) and Mau5trap (Deadmau5). His ungroomed, free-flowing locks are quite representative of his wild, bizarre and erratic style of music; he used a bagpipe sample in one of hits from last year. With his remixing duties being commissioned by talents such as the Swedish House Mafia and Steve Aoki, Tommy Trash is well on his way to surpassing his immensely successful 2011.
This next remix is possibly my favorite from his so far. Set for release on Axtone later this year, it’s a reworking of The Aston Shuffle’s new one, “Won’t Get Lost.” It was premiered on Pete Tong’s weekly show which, that week, was broadcast live from Ushuaia in Ibiza. The man on the decks at that point was Axwell, playing lots of tracks from his own label’s catalogue. Following his own wildly overplayed remix of “In My Mind” was the Tommy Trash remix in question, which, by the faint sound of the crowd erupting, seems to have been very well received. The sample begins mid-song, with the vocals, strong hi-hats and feeble kick slowly being joined by a slightly modified reverberating synth reminiscent of the one used in Trash’s remix of Steve Aoki and Wynter Gordon’s “Ladi Dadi.” As the vocals fade and that synth is given more volume, the breakdown introduces a simple 3-note melody. The track then drops, eliminating the hi-hats and the kick and introducing a new, more powerful kick that goes perfect with the dark bassline. As is the case with the rest of his tracks, his remix of “Won’t Get Lost” is made for the dancefloor and I can predict a serious rush if I ever hear this one live.
The Aston Shuffle – Won’t Get Lost (Tommy Trash Remix)
Released on Axtone
Apart from Blond:ish at Piknic Electronik on Sunday, there’s not much that appeals to us this weekend. Next week, however, is a big one. Piknic brings in Josh Wink and Azari & III on Saturday the 25th while the legendary Danny Tenaglia makes an appearance at Stereo on the same day.
Finally, make sure you check out One Beat’s new series called “You Should Know Me By Now,” a online show that introduces talented producers to the more casual EDMers who might not know them. Their latest episode features LA Riots, check it out here.
