Although the "Freestyle era" came to an end many years ago, there's still a handful of artists that still record in that style. Up and coming artist Joe Zangie's latest single "Can You Feel The Love" is one of those kind of songs.He has been around for several years now, but has only achieved regional success.It has those familiar Afrika Bambaataa "Planet Rock" beats and bass which have found their way into many songs frome the era. However, given that these types of releases occur so rarely, it's nice to hear it again in such a context. There's a nice little sample from Noel's classic "Silent Morning" in there too.
Joe's vocal performance on this song is top notch. It calls to mind some of the great male vocalists which dominated the Freestyle era, including Noel, Stevie B, TKA, Johnny O, Collage and Tolga. He totally fits right in with all those legends. The lyrics are simple but great. Less is more.
This song has the style and vibe of an older song, but it sounds fresh, while sounding classic--a rarely accomplished feat.
In addition to the Freestyle-ish main mix, there's also the Tank's Luv Luv Edit that is much housier. It keeps a lot of the vibe of the main mix. This one sounds a lot more modern and would fit in nicely with House and light Circuit sets.And this one is ready for radio.
For maximum crossover potential, especially on radio, this one could use some trancey-breakbeat mixes, possibly by Ford and Front who dominate in such remix styles. Those would complement this sort of song.
Overall, this is a great release. Just in time for Summer. Joe's forthcoming debut album will be available later in the Spring. Check him out on MySpace for more info.
