September 5, 2011
Dig These Discs :: Kylie Minoque, Joan Reyes & Sergi Domene, Taio Cruz, Morgan Page, Sultan & Ned Shepard
Kevin Mark Kline READ TIME: 5 MIN.
Noize Magazine brings you the latest dance-floor hits!
Cryin’ Over You
This combination seemed to come completely out of left field, but the union of these two forces is pretty heavenly. The Nightcrawlers, whom clubbers will remember from their dubby 1995 un-singalongable yet ubiquitous "Push the Feeling On," team up with Taio Cruz, the Euro Soul-cum-American electro-pop crossover breakout, to create "Cryin' Over You." "Cryin'" sounds exactly like the arrangements John Reid sang as The Nightcrawlers, but with the exponentially stronger pipes of Taio pushing the product into the realm of epic. And when you add in the contributing remixers, including Freemasons, Cahill, LMC, Kenny Hayes and Jorg Schmid, this is a top contender for 2011 late-summer anthem. Taio's had a long road to American pop relevance from Euro obscurity, but it's nice to see someone like him unafraid to pay a little homage to the sound of his townspeople.
In the Air
Everyone knows that good things happen when stars align: love; opportunity; a black president. So when five align at once, you better hold onto something heavy and anchored and brace yourself for what's coming your way. In the Air is a new collaboration between three super-producers - Morgan Page, progressive House's darling of the moment; Sultan & Ned Shepard, clubland's rapidly rising royalty; and BT, the Godfather of modern electronica - and one unique vocalist, Scottish crooner Angela McCluskey, best known for her hypnotic contribution to Telepopmusik's "Breathe." Lyrically, Angela proclaims the change she feels coming, the looming fear that love is going to become heartbreak, and the feeling of desperation over how to respond to what she cannot stop from happening (read: pain made pretty). No remixes as of yet, but this one's ripe for additional interpretations.
Black And White
This song is one of the reasons progressive House is the amazing amalgamation that it is: the combination of beat-driven inertia, sweeping trance-like melodies and stark sublime vocals. Recently employed as the opening track for a Morgan Page podcast mixshow, "Black & White" leaves an instant impression and sets an otherworldly atmosphere in place without all the pesky smoke machines and freaky fantasy rave imagery. Amba Shepherd's breathy vocals delicately proclaim, "Every day it's like I'm dreaming in black and white/You are all of the colors missing in my life." How can you not get at least a little tripped up in those words and bits of imagery? The four-track digital single includes the original and Joan Reyes' "Closing Mix." While not extensive, between those two variations you've got all you need.
Put Your Hands Up
If ever there was a tailor-made summer jam, this is it. Half of the Top 40 at the moment are songs about dancing, drinking, clubbing or stripping. The other half are about love. As simple as it sounds, "Put Your Hands Up" is a standout from all of those because it combines the two intentions to make conditional upon the other: "Put your hands up if you feel love." Blam! Gold. Any DJ who plays this not only has the crowd jumping to the beat, but also has them drunkenly thinking about who they love that's justifying the action. Over thinking it? Come on, you know it's true. To top it off, "Hands Up" has been served with a full remix package, including mixes by Basto, Bimbo Jones, Nervo, and (applause, applause) Pete Hammond. Kylie's in the middle of a world tour, so put your hands up if you're willing to sleep with someone for tickets.