12.17.2006

Jennifer Lopez - Que Hiciste

This one is not exactly Dance in it's original form, however, this one is quite dancey.

This is the first single off of Jennifer's upcoming Spanish album tentatively titled Como Ana Una Mujer.

The original version is just awesome. Jennifer sings the verses in a slightly melancholy manner with minimal production underneath and then the chorus is totally anthemic. Jennifer's delivery of the vocals is top notch. She has improved tremendously. She sounds totally natural in her delivery. She seems much more comfortable singing in Spanish, not that her English stuff is awful.

There is also an alternate Remix version of this that is Reggaeton-ish without sounding like it has the same beat found in many Reggaeton remixes. It's a pumping club workout.

In terms of dance mixes, there has been some discussion of Tony Moran and Masters At Work doing remixes. No confirmation from either's camps yet.

Billie Myers - Just Sex

This one surfaced earlier in the year through some hard, driving tribal mixes by Roland Belmares. A few months later, a mix by Wayne G. & Porl Young was released on Promo Only and on CD Pool. And this one is not going to go away quietly.

This one resurfaces through some new mixes by Eddie Baez. The 3 track promo contains a Vocal Mix, a Mixshow Edit and a Dub.

CD promo tracklisting:
01. Eddie Baez Vocal Mix
02. Eddie Baez Mixshow Edit
03. Eddie Baez Dub Mix

Eddie's mixes are not as hard and industrial sounding as the Roland Belmares mixes. However, these mixes are very energetic and anthemic. The Vocal Mix clocks in at over 10 minutes. And the actual vocals don't come in until about 4 minutes into the mix. There's a nice buildup before the first verse. Lots of vocal loops and effects. The Mixshow Edit is a tight version of the longer mix that only removes some of the additional loops without losing the energy. The Dub has plenty of ups and downs in energy. Just when it seems like it's ending, it goes "up" again. Lots of nice looping also on this one.

Now for the lyrics! These are a bit of a departure for Ms. Myers, however, she delivers them with finesse. She sounds, well, sexy on this one. The naughty lyrics are sure to initiate "oh my, did she just say that?" responses on the dancefloor.

Kim Sozzi - Break Up

Ms. Sozzi is back with a followup to her stellar cover of Heart's "Alone." This song is a simple, fun vocal track that isn't a remake (as far as we know).

The single version is remixed by Cascada. The hard, driving trancey sound that is characteristic of most Cascada songs is present here. The comination of Cascada and Kim Sozzi works really well. Kim's voice lends itself really well to trance music, as it does to other musical genres. Although the production here is really reminiscent of Cascada's own singles, that's okay. Vocal trance songs are back in full fashion, and what better way to start than with this one?

In addition to Cascada, Johnny Budz and Ian Nieman have also done remixes. Budz does a much housier, dirty electro mix, while Nieman's mix is slightly circuit house. In the case of Nieman, it's not the usual trancey/synthy circuit stuff he's known for. It works though.

All the mixes for this song can be purchased at BeatPort as a digital download, while the Cascada Radio Mix can be purchased a la carte at iTunes. A CD maxi featuring the Cascada and Budz mixes is available at PerfectBeat.

12.10.2006

Meck featuring Dino Lenny

This is a followup to the smash hit "Thunder In My Heart Again" that featured vocals by Leo Sayer earlier this year. This one is a complete departure from the uplifting house sounds of the previous release. It is much darker and electro. Though not completely original, it does contains elements of the classic "Don't You Want Me" by Felix .

This will be released in the first quarter of 2007 in the UK. Look out for this one.

Check out Meck's MySpace.

Tracey Thorn - It's All True

Tracey Thorn, the vocalist from UK duo Everything But The Girl has been working on a solo album. The album is tentatively scheduled for a March 2007 release.

The lead single is called "It's All True." Pete Tong premiered this a couple weeks ago on his BBC Radio1 show. It has since been regularly featured.

In its original version, the song is a throwback to the Electro-Dance sound that was popular in the Mid 1980s (think of Shannon, Madonna, Alisha etc.). Tracey's melancholy vocals take center stage over this retro-style production. It totally sounds like it came from the mid 1980s. One would have to be told that this is a new song.

Some remixes of this will be coming out soon. Look out for this.

U2 - Pride (In The Name Of Love) [Tony Moran & Jody den Broeder Mix]

The original was released in 1983, and this one has been long overdue for a hot club mix. Tony Moran and Jody den Broeder have turned this into a hands-in-the-air circuit club anthem.

Bono's vocals sound just as fresh on this new remix as they did on the original version. His vocals just soar over the synthy production. Jody's stellar synthwork is very noticeable on this one. After the mini-break with the loop of Bono's vocals, an "I Feel Love"-style instrumental comes in with more of Bono's vocals floating over it.

This one will not be released commercially. The only place to hear this for now is in the NY clubs. This is already a classic at Alegria in NY so that's your best bet for now.

Tony Moran featuring Kristine W. - Walk Away

This much-awaited new song from two of clubland's biggest icons will be released in 2007. Kristine W. originally premiered this one at some of the gay pride events she performed at. She has been performing this at some of her live events as well during the last couple of months. Initial buzz for this song has been quite tremendous, and it has not even been released yet!

This song is a true anthem in a period where anthems have not been at the forefront. Kristine's amazing vocal range is truly utilized on this song. This is basically her "Land Of The Living" song for the new millennium.

12.08.2006

Danny Krivit & Kyle Smith Presents Kim English - It Makes A Difference

After topping the Billboard Dance/Club Play charts earlier this year with the help of the amazing mixes by Tony Moran with the help of Jody den Broeder, this track is back in its third incarnation with mixes by Danny Krivit and Kyle Smith. The second set of mixes were by Almighty which saw a limited release in the UK, and a subsequent limited release in the U.S. via Perfect Beat.

Danny Krivit & Kyle Smith make this song into a song that sounds like it came from the legendary Salsoul label during the Disco era. This one is just simply stunning. Kim's powerful vocals are highlighted over the minimal production. The minimalism of the production really works in this case. It's just enough. Some of Kim's vocals sound like they were from an additional recording session as they were not heard on Tony Moran and Almighty's previously released mixes.

The main Club mix clocks in at over 10 minutes. It's an epic journey across sound. The Dub is only 7 minutes long, but it packs the punch of a dub that is much longer. Kim's additonal vocals are highlighted on the dub.

The lower BPM may scare a few DJs away, but this one is best enjoyed without any tempo/pitch adjustments. This one will work great at the start or end of a House set. Or, this could serve as a nice "bridge" record for going between current House and some old school classics.

This is an essential for any House DJ.

The Club and Dub versions are currently available at TraxSource for digital download.