With the countdown to Cloud Nine's release at 43 days, Kygo decided to drop a brand new gem on us today. Raging gets back to the piano driven, Tropical House ballad style made us all smitten for Kygo in the first place. The chord progression on the track is downright mesmerizing. Add to that Kodaline's vocals that mix with the mellow acoustic guitar to give the track a hint of Bluegrass and you've got the recipe for a hit. It's got the sing-along appeal to dominate top 40 radio, yet the instrumental still finds a way to be the guiding light for the track. Now six singles deep on a fifteen track album, it's becoming abundantly clear that Cloud Nine is going to be one of those albums we look back at as a genre defining classic...#Raging
There's no better hump day pick me up than a dose of melodic dubstep from Seven Lions. His ability to make ethereal, cooled-out-to-the-max beats is unmatched in my eyes. Their steady thumping drum and bass ensembles can transport you to another place mentally, which has always been a big reason why I've been in their corner. Their latest creation is more of a re-imagination, taking Ferry Corsten's well-known Beautiful down a different path. Check the original first for reference...
Where the original offers a steady progressive house feel, Seven Lions' remix is much more measured and heavy. The dramatic drops on his remix of Beautiful is much more my style, featuring just enough high pitched samples to offset the massive amount of chill. In summary, energetic chill is hard to do well, but Seven Lions has the secret sauce...#Beautiful
There's a plethora of white rappers (Mike Stud, Lil Dicky, etc.) who are lighting it up right now, but G-Eazy might be the most household of the lot. It's not his most recent single, but Me, Myself and I definitely set the tone for his latest album, When It's Dark Out. The original version of the track is extremely palatable for a Hip Hop track with Bebe Rexha's stellar vocals leading the way.
The original is great and all, but if there's one thing I enjoy, it's when hype Hip Hop tracks get funky EDM remixes. Lucky for us, Viceroy came through with a bubbly bassline that carried the original to new heights. The beat tells a bit more a story on the remix with a fun, bouncy post-drop progression. It's a bit more carefree, cutting the sharp lyrical bars that G-Eazy brought to the table. It's exactly the type of easy-going remix you'd look for from one of the more funky EDM artists in the game...#MeMyselfAndI
There's always a place for meaningful, emotional music in this hood of the internet. No matter if you're a household name or an up and comer, if you pour your soul into your music, I'll leave the light on for you. It's their first time being featured on this blog, but you might remember Moosh & Twist from previous favorites like How We Do or All That I Know with Hoodie Allen. Reppin' Philly to the fullest, they remind me a lot of Chiddy Bang on the mic. Just two really talented lyricists that have a lot of chemistry together.
Speaking of chemistry, their new single Champion is about all you need to hear to understand what I mean. In the words of my former strength coach, "if this doesn't get your pee hot, you've got something wrong." Leaning on a sample from T.I. and Justin Timberlake's Dead and Gone, there's a steady mainline of inspiration that flows throughout the entire track. It has that "can't be stopped" type of vibe, which would fit nicely on an intense cardio playlist if you're looking for a new addition. If you liked their Living Out Loud debut a few years back, this should conjure up plenty excitement for a 2016 follow up...#Champion
First and foremost, Happy Easter to you and yours from the GWDJ crew! Seeing that Spring has now sprung and today is a holiday for some folks, it seems only fitting Slushii blessed us with a bouncy new beat to indulge in. In many ways, Slushii and marshmello are cornering the market in boisterous, upbeat electronic music. Everything from the high pitched samples, to the energetic synths, to the bubbly, cartoony cover art. It's rainbows and butterflys on speed when they get behind the decks.
Make Me Feel is every bit as energetic as you'd hope for a track released on Easter. There's a mellow ebb and flow between drops, but don't get it twisted, there's plenty of getting after it post-drop. It's happiness manifested into a full four minutes of smiling and wildin' out. Feel free and grab a free copy of this over here while you break bread with friends and family over Easter eggs this evening...#MakeMeFeel
Over the past year or two, Kid Cudi has continued to make increasingly experimental music. There's always been some dabbling into alternative music, but he's ventured pretty far from the moody, yet strangely inspirational music that help solidify his fan base on Man on the Moon. Anybody who is a fan of Scotty knows that his penchant for pushing his own boundaries is part of what makes him such a unique artist. That being said, the amount of experimentation has largely pushed his music out of my life.
Then, today, a new track surfaced out of the blue that provided a huge sigh of relief. The thoughts of "he's back" came back to the forefront with the Plain Pat and Mike Dean assisted Frequency. The production sets the tone from the start, perfectly matching that moody, somber Cudi we all fell in love with. It provides the perfect setting for the gentle ebb and flow of emotions emanating from the choppy and emotional vocals. It's not anything like what we heard on Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven, which is a good thing. Join me in collectively hoping there will be a lot more like this in the future as Man on the Moon III draws nearer...#Frequency
Kid Cudi - Frequency (prod by Plain Pat & Mike Dean)
The divide in this week's top five videos couldn't be clearer. There's funny and then there's a large dose of music. When I say large dose, it doesn't get any bigger than watching The Chainsmokers' entire Ultra 2016 set. Buckle your seatbelt and bring some popcorn for that one. Sticking with new music, both BJ the Chicago Kid and Majid Jordan released visuals for their new singles. On one hand you've got some Kendrick Lamar in studio with Hannibal Burress playing a drunken cupid. On the other you've got some cool augmented reality from Majid Jordan. Both entertaining in much different ways.
On the funny tip, it all starts with Snoop's narration of an epic battle between a squirrel and a snake. We can only hope that his Planet Snoop YouTube channel will actually become a real thing. Closing out the week is another glaring reminder of why you should be familiar with Lil Dicky. Not only is he a professional rapper, he also wears professional wrappers (<--- see what I did there?). Tip of the cap for using humor to hammer home a very real message...#TrojanMan
BJ the Chicago Kid feat Kendrick Lamar - Cupid (Video)
Majid Jordan - Every Step Every Way (Video)
The Chainsmokers Ultra 2016 Full Live Set
Snoop: Squirrel vs Snake
Lil Dicky Tells Everyone Why They Should Wear Condoms
I've only posted a few tracks by Datsik, but it feels like I've posted the majority of his latest Darkstar EP. If that's not a clear indication that his new EP is worth checking out, then you've probably already formulated an opinion on it. The dubstep aspect of his music is what sucked me in, but if you're a fan of either Travis Barker or Liinks, I can understand why Darkstar would a favorite of yours. As a side note, I appreciate the fact that Travis Barker can collaborate with literally any genre and make it work. There aren't too many writers or producers that can do that, let alone someone who is a drummer.
Collaborators aside, Datsik's six track Darkstar EP will be legally landing on the internet tomorrow. I'm going to give the slight edge to Make You Feel Good as my favorite track so far on the EP, but the fact that 1/3 of the album has been posted in this hood of the internet should be telling enough...#Darkstar
Remixing a Tiesto track has to be one of the most nerve wracking experiences. And not just remixing any song, remixing on of his new singles that everyone loves. Today, The Right Song, aka Wombass, was blessed with some Dillon Francis love today. Despite the monumental task of re-imagining an already awesome track, Dillon stood up to the challenge by putting his own Moombassss all over it. It bounces, it reverberates and doesn't wait for you to catch up for a whole four plus minutes. Awesome just got some whipped cream added to it tonight. You've got the green light to do a full clockwise turn on the volume to this one...#TheRightSong
Tiesto & Oliver Heldens feat Natalie La Rose - The Right Song (Dillon Francis Remix)
A new slow jam from PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake, eh? Evidently the whole OVO crew did a number on the ConverseFader Fort showcase this past week. Consider the momentum continued with Come and See Me. The production has 40's fingerprints all over it, reminding me a lot of my favorite Drake tracks. There's plenty of heartfelt, mellow vibes in the mix, making it a perfect late night track to cool out to. Imagine for a second...a lonely night coming home from the bar empty handed and listening to this before you make the fateful decision of pouring one last Johnny Walker neat to put you over the top. It's that type of pondering life and relationships that a song like this will bring to the forefront. It's tracks like this that I will always be able to vibe with because it reminds me of struggles in the past. The happiness wouldn't exist without something to compare it to, so don't feel bad when you're singing along because I sure didn't...#ComeAndSeeMe
PARTYNEXTDOOR feat Drake – Come and See Me (prod by 40)
I think it's safe to say that Avicii takes performing on the main stage at Ultra Music Festival seriously. While the past few years have been marred by a lot of unfortunate health scares for Tim, he always seems to come out and bring his A game at Ultra. A few years ago he basically lit the internet on fire when he decided to start mixing Bluegrass with synth driven chord progressions during his Ultra set. Both Hey Brother and Wake Me Up then went on to be top of the top dance songs of the year despite some hardcore EDM fans scoffing at the "change in styles" from Avicii.
Now fast forward to this year where Avicii debuted a total of nine...yep that's right, NINE new ID tracks during his Ultra set this past weekend. There's so much new music and I'd encourage you to pick a favorite on your own before being unintentionally swayed by my opinion. Out of the bunch, my favorite is his collaboration with Simon Aldred on Heaven. It has many of the things you'd associate with Avicii favorites. My favorite part is the intense piano coming in to lead you to the jubilant release of the drop. Simon found a way to channel his inner Bono/Chris Martin on the vocals, which fit well with the inspirational vibe of the track. It's pop, sure, but that type of upbeat pop that is more fun than it is monotonous. You feel me?...#Heaven
This week I posted a video of Headhunterz collabo with Steve Aoki. Feel (The Power of Now) got after it and served as a reminder of the quality of music Headhunterz is capable of putting out. That continued with their new single featuring KiFi, Live Before We Die. It lacks the balls to the wall intensity of Feel, but the Future Bass vibe is just as awesome. The vocals are invigorating and repeatable, but the bounciness post-drop is what hooked me on first listen. It's getting tougher and tougher to characterize sub-genres of EDM, but these bass heavy, head nod worthy beats are all good in my hood...#LiveBeforeWeDie
It's crazy to think that we're now five singles deep on Kygo's upcoming Cloud Nine album with two full months to go before its release. The most recent of the five singles, Fragile, takes on a much different vibe than his previous releases. Normally you'd expect some bubbly synths and Tropical House rhythms from Kygo. Instead, we got an emotionally deep ballad that leans heavily on the somber vocals of Labrinth. For further context, check out the debut performance of the track on Senkveldt TV2...
While it's never going to be my favorite Kygo track, I appreciate the ways he's trying to expand the perception of what music he's capable of making. Sure, he might have helped pioneer Trop House, but that doesn't mean it should be the only type of music he makes. The underlying punchline here is that Kygo is a great producer of music, not just one type of music. Undoubtedly, Fragile is a power ballad directly aimed at Top 40 radio, but every album needs a few tracks that people can latch onto and sing along with. There's plenty of broken people out there who are going eat up these lyrics and turn it into a personal anthem. Chalk this one up to another solid addition to an album that's shaping up to be one of the better releases in the past few years...#Fragile
Skewing a bit heavy on the EDM videos this week, but that's not a problem when they bring the type of energy that the three videos below do. Leading the way is another visual for DJ Snake's Middle featuring a superhero you'd want to cheer for in Josh Hutcherson. You might remember him from Hunger Games? You also might remember this other video for DJ Snake's Middle. Tough call on which is better, but as much as I lot the plot of the the new video, it's hard to argue against Lexi Panterra.
Both collective groups of Steve Aoki/Headhunterz and Baauer/M.I.A./G-Dragon made a convincing case for top music video of the week. If you like extreme sports and balls to the wall EDM, you'll probably side with the Aoki/Headhunterz side. Still, it's hard to go against the bangin' Middle Eastern samples that Baauer brought with his glow stick heavy video for Temple. Aside from music, there were a few Fallon sightings. First, the legendary Roots crew flexed some Irish accents and Black Thought rocked out a few freestyles, which was cool. Brining up the caboose this week was Jesse Eisenberg's spot on Fallon where he talks his basketball game and time spent on the Batman vs Superman set. Rotten Tomatoes still doesn't have a read on the movie, but I'm cautiously optimistic that the movie will be a good watch...#BatmanvSuperman
DJ Snake feat Bipolar Sunshine - Middle (Video)
The Roots Freestyle Improv on Fallon
Steve Aoki & Headhunterz – Feel (The Power of Now) (Video)
If you've listened to any marshmello track, you already know how perfect his music translates to video games. Seeing him features on the latest League of Legends soundtrack was about as big of a match made in heaven as you can get. Even though his new one below may not be made for a video game, if you can't imagine some epic e-adventure happening to the beat of Colour, you're out of your mind. marshmello's style is the epitome of happy. The high pitched, bouncy synths consistently make for an easy listening, at times motivational vibe. I'm a huge fan of feel good vibes, which is why the mello that marsh brings will always have a home on GWDJ's lawn of the internet...#Colour
While trolling is generally a pretty terrible byproduct on the modern internet, sometimes it's pulled off in a way that deserves a stand ovation slow clap. What I'm talking about is C-V-N-T-5. I'll let you simmer on that for a minute as you figure out how it could be pronounced if the V was a U and the 5 was an S. Everything from the name, to the plot in the video below is a complete satire piece on countless "manufactured DJs" that have "made it big" in EDM. We're talking the ones who, for example, have someone else produce the actual music or buy twitter followers and manage to made it to the point that they headline festivals. Basically anyone deadmau5 has called our in the past may in fact fit this stereotype. But the duo of Gareth Emery and Ashley Wallbridge executed brilliantly, while making a pretty solid track in the process. Enjoy the humor below and please, please, PLEASE check out their DOPE website (below) while you're at it...#CVNT5
YO MARK ZUCKERBERG GIVE US MONEY TO BUILD A DOPE WEBSITE !!
I'm guilty of this as much as the next blogger, but sub-genre labels in EDM are about as subjective as wine. Is there a right answer? Maybe, but in the end it doesn't matter. What matters is whether or not the music coming through the speakers moves you and I will proudly say that Feel Good accomplished that outcome.
Datsik and Zach the Lad found a way to make this beautiful dubstep, melodic trap creation that is example parts interesting and bangin'. It goes gas, break on the heavy bass and slow drops to the point where you're not exactly sure what's coming around the corner. It skips along, it womb womps, and it even pauses for slow melodic build ups. There's an air of unpredictability that makes the sound of the track really enticing. If you enjoy it as much as I do, check it out on Dtasik's upcoming Darkstar EP that will be out on March 25th...#FeelGood
Back in July 2015 I gushed about the original version of Majid Jordan and Drake's My Love. I loved it from the emotion it brought and how it put Drake back into R&B mode, which was a nice treat. As much as the original was all that and a bag of chips, the chill, slow bass rework they did on the track (below) is something special. The way they were able to tease in some electronics and come in strong with the bass for the hook made for a fun listen. Shoot, they even let Drizzy's verse keep the limelight toward the end when they chopped up the beat for emphasis. I sincerely wish more artists would take notes on what Majid and a lot of EDM acts are doing when they give a successfully song of theirs a new personality. Join me in collectively zoning out to the calming vocals and soothing bass...#MyLoveRemix
If there's one thing you can count on from Martin Garrix, it's a solid progressive house anthem every now and again. Luckily for us, Martin is finally through the drama with his record label and back to making great music again. Consider this the first release from his new STMPD RCRDS. Now That I've Found You features vocals from John & Michel, who offer plenty of catchy pop appeal. There's such a jubilant release on the drop that will play quite well come festival season. Head on over to iTunes or Spotify to give this one more permanent listenability...#NowThatIveFoundYou
Martin Garrix feat John & Michel - Now That I've Found You
Another week, another stellar acoustic version of a Jon Bellion track. This time he took to the studio to put together a magical, piano driven rendition of Woke the F*** Up. Although the profanity in the song title might catch your attention like a sexy advertisement, there's plenty of depth to the sorrowful lyrics. If there are any doubts as to whether or not Jon excels as a performer of live music, I think he's more than put those concerns to rest with his recent string of in-studio performances. Even though he's becoming known for ballads, All Time Low is still my favorite of his. So I'll ask the question again, when is the tour kicking off???...#WokeTheFUp
There are two clear cut favorites in this week's top five in my eyes. First, the live debut of Kygo's new single, Fragile, with Labrinth was more than a little awesome. What a cool ballad! I can't wait to hear the mastered version, which will probably be slightly more electronic. Second, Seal and Gallant's Weight in Gold duet in studio was worth a few looks. While Seal doesn't get near the credit he deserves, he more than held his own with Gallant on the mic. When they combined forces, the result was special.
Was it entertaining to watch Jonah Hill sing Drake's verse on Future's Jumpman? Yep, you bet it was. Glad they're getting more an more creative with the monologues on SNL. In other news, DJ Khaled is continuing his assault on pop culture through Snapchat. Now he's even landing on talk shows like Ellen to talk his motivational talk. Crazy how social media can be used as a tool to get so much notoriety. And last, but not least, Skrillex and Jauz released their new animated video for Squad Out with Fatman Scoop. Leave it to Adult Swim to put together something that trippy. Did I see Fatman Scoop with an elephant nose? Still trying to wrap my head around the plot of the video, but that's kinda of what Adult Swim does...#SquadOut
Kygo feat Labrinth - Fragile (Live)
Seal and Gallant Sing Weight in Gold as a Duet
Future feat Jonah Hill – Jumpman on SNL
More Getting to Know DJ Khaled on Ellen
The more new music I hear from NGHTMRE, the more I appreciate his ability to create bouncy and melodic music. His latest remix shows off a more Future Bass-y sound, flipping Tommy Trash's recent single Luv U Giv. Before I get into the remix, you need to watch the video for the original version of the track. Let's just say, Barbies are involved...
Where the original takes on more of a funky, disco feel, the remix is a lot more bass heavy and chopped up. The remix has a lot steeper, exaggerated drops, and doesn't have the "old school" sounding synths. There's a clear electronic feel to the remix rather than the steady dance/pop sound of the original. Both are great in their won rites, it just depends on if you're in the mode to dance or vibe out to some slow bass...#LuvUGiv
Call me boring, but I usually favor more melodic EDM than hard hitting, edge electronic music. That being said, it's a rare feat when an artist or artists can pull off both styles in one track. Enter A-Trak and Ookay who found a way to mix equal parts sharp, haunting synths with soothing slow bass. Until the 45 second mark, you could have convinced me that Only One was more of an Adventure Club type of slow dubstep. But then they mixed in the high-pitched, skittish synths over the snappy beat and soothing vocal samples. Needless to say, this one will take you on a journey, offering a wide range of tempos and vibes...#OnlyOne
To be honest, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the remix below. A little over a month ago I gushed over Flume's newest single, Never Be Like You. It was such a beautiful slow trap track that Kai's vocals shined all over. Given my affinity for the original, you can imagine how excited I was to see that Disclosure remixed the track.
Then, I pressed play and found myself transported to an after-hours lounge. Generally I like the Deep House vibe that Disclosure brings to tracks, but this one fell flat for me. Where Kai's vocals shined on the original, they were very subdued in the remix to a point of sounding monotonous. Speaking of monotonous, that's a good adjective for how the wobbly chords sounded after a few listens. A full six minutes of remix and I'm bummed to say that I wish the remix wasn't as long. Disclosure, I still love you guys, but this one wasn't my favorite track of your by a wide margin...#NeverBeLikeYou
Flume feat Kai - Never Be Like You (Disclosure Remix)
I can't claim to say that I love everything deadmau5 puts out. He lives on the edge musically, which makes it hard for me to consistently vibe with music he puts out. All that being said, his ceiling for being a genius creator of music is as high as anyone making music right now. His ability to strip down, build up, rinse, repeat for minutes on end is something that he does better than everyone in EDM. It's the reason why I'll always get goosebumps when listening to Strobe.
Speaking of intricate classics, his newly minted track will remind you a lot Strobe. It's a full nine minutes of mellow, layered synths. There are build ups, but they're gentle enough to allow you to appreciate how something so simple sounding can be complex. It's the type of track that you immediately know is done by deadmau5 because of the crispness and attention to detail. I haven't heard a track that I like this much from Joel in a long time, so cheers to that good news on a Monday...#deadmau5
Last week Jon Bellion was just another name in my world. Then, I saw his in-studio acoustic, acapella performance of All Time Low and was blown away. If you've heard the studio version of All Time Low, it doesn't even begin to compare with the in-studio version. Matter of fact, it's safe to say the "1 Take" versions of his songs being performed in studio do a much better job of showing his vast amounts of talent. Need another example? Look no further than his latest video for Human. Where All Time Low was more of a acapella, group effort, Human is just Jon and the piano. It's a more more somber, low-key ballad compared to his aforementioned release last week. After watching his latest performance, the only question that remains is when is the tour coming?...#JonBellion
It seems a little weird posting a track called Hello Friday on a Saturday, but when two Hip Pop legends get together on a new single, date matters less. The track more of a mid-tempo sing along, but the snappy beat and vocals from Jason Derulo mesh well together. The track isn't even close to my favorite track from either Flo Rida or Jason Derulo, but as a novelty collaboration with some top 40 appeal, I can get on board with it. The single will eventually be a part of Flo's long awaited 5th studio album, The Perfect 10. Seeing that he's been opting to release mini-EPs rather than full albums while hyping the release of a length album for over two years, it sounds like there will be a whole lot of new music coming from the 305 this year. If I were a betting man, I'd put money on me liking his next single better than this one...#HelloFriday
Bit a down week for videos to kick off March, but that's to be expected with the ridiculous amount of award shows lately. That being said, there were so undeniably powerful videos this week, led by Lady Gaga's performance of 'Til It Happens to You. The fact that relatives of hers found out that she was a victim of sexual assault as a result of her performance speaks to how difficult it can be to open up about such traumatic events. Needless to say, there wasn't a dry eye in the audience as it hit everyone directly in the feels.
In the world of actual music videos, Jack U released some adventurous footage of their travels across the world on Mind. We also got a nostalgic snack seeing old footage of 2pac in the studio recording MC Hammer a reference track. The world may not fully appreciate how great of a producer he was too. In the world of late night, Kimmel found a way to sneak into a Batman vs Superman scene, which was more than a little funny. And last, but definitely not least, the video that needs no introduction. If you were living under a rock and didn't see John Oliver's complete evisceration of Donald Trump then please set aside 20 minutes of your time to watch. We all fear what could happen when election time comes up next year, but I am proud that there are people out there who aren't afraid of being sued and will willingly do their best to expose him...#MakeDonaldDrumpfAgain
Lady Gaga Performs 'Til It Happens to You at the Oscars
Skrillex & Diplo feat Kai - Mind (Video)
2Pac in Studio Creating a Reference Track Called Too Tight for MC Hammer
Jimmy Kimmel's Deleted Scene From Batman vs Superman
Last Week Tonight's John Oliver Goes Postal on Drumpf Trump
There are few things I look forward to more than a new single from Big Gigantic. Sure, everyone points to the horns from Dominic Lalli as the differentiator, but the headphone thumping bass can't be ignored either. On his new single with Angela McCluskey, Gigantic showcases plenty of his signature saxophone with a whole lot of that aforementioned bass. The vocals and steady tempo produce a laid back vibe that's more boomy and deep than calming. Simply put, the duo from Boulder, Colorado have a formula of funk that is intoxicating when put on an electronic music backdrop. Stay on the look out for anything they have their name attached to and don't be shy about copping The Little Things...#BigGigantic
Big Gigantic feat Angela McCluskey - The Little Things
With every new release I'm becoming a bigger fan of Gallant. There aren't many standout R&B vocalists breaking onto the scene anymore, which makes me appreciate his come up. At first, the ZHU co-sign helped, but he's done more than enough to carve out his own path with new music. If you listen close enough, you might even hear ZHU's signature low-end, slow vocal samples. Bourbon is a soulful, throwback slow jam that capitalizes on a memorable hook and soothing vocals throughout. The track will be surfacing on Gallant's upcoming debut album, Ology, which will be landing on April 6th. Until then, get like and go check him and ZHU out in concert since they'll undoubtedly be coming to a city near you soon...#Bourbon
I'm a simple man when it comes to EDM. If you can add in one novel element to a run of the mill chord progression, you've got a shot at catching my ear. In this case, Vicetone came correct with a post-drop strings arrangement that delivered the goods. With the help of vocals from Cosmos & Creature, Bright Side amounts to an easy-listening, Top 40 worthy hit. You might even go as far as calling it Pop rather than Progressive House, whatever the case, I'm a fan. If you're wanting more, Vicetone has you covered with a five song Aurora EP due out in early April. You can bet the Dutch duo will be making a few more cameos in this neighborhood between now and then...#BrightSide
