I DONT LIKE YOU! - Eva Simons w/ Zedd on the track!

Unless you were living under a rock in the EDM world last year you could have not missed "Take Over Control" from Afrojack ft Eva Simons. She has returned for a "solo" effort, and I use that loosely because this track is produced from the hot up and coming electro producer Zedd. Oddly enough he is know for his hard hitting electro tracks with very limited to no vocals BUT the production on this track is probably just as surprising as the work with Afrojack on "Take Over Control" could it be that Eva brings out the best in these producers???? Only time will tell. This track has all the makings of a hand raising floor anthem, everything from the beat patterns to the melodies included during the uplifting chorus. The playfulness of this track is the electro drop that pops up right after the catchy chorus that Eva deliveries in such a believable and raw tone. I loved this song from the moment I heard it and my mouth was watering at the chance of hearing the full version un-edited for radio and the mountain of remixes just begging to be put together over the relentless vocals laid down by Eva. Will the circuit boys love this song? Is this going to be the track that finally blends the world of electro with the tribal fans? I guess it really depends on the remixes and who puts all their cards on the table and takes a chance with remixing this track. I look forward to playing this for everyone this year! GO GO GO Zedd & Eva!

ps - this track is going to be released on Mon March 26th so get your money ready!

via soundcloud






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Jean Elan ft Cosmo Klein - Feel Alive FINALLY RELEASED IN NORTH AMERICA!

I have been waiting over a year for an official North American release for this track. "Feel Alive" is a progressive house masterpiece blending the vocals of Cosmo Klein with a floorfilling peak hour progressive house track provided by the fantastic Jean Elan. If youre not familiar with his work he is best known for his remixes and unique versions of Basement Jaxx "Wheres Your Head At" & his solo release "Killer". He hails from Germany but doesnt fall into the category of what most would consider traditional German Techno music. Cosmo Klein provides the vocals on this which have a rock n roll/soul feel to them which gives this track a more human element to go along with the euphoric melody provided by Elan. This track sports an interesting array of remixes and I am sure that with the official North American release we will see more remixes from more well recognized producers and DJs, I will update you guys when that happens. This track was one of my personal favorites last year and with the push here in the states now I will probably put this into more rotation during my sets. Expect for me to update you guys when the remixes become available for download! I know Jean Elan is in Miami right now for the big week ahead I hope he uploads his set for us to hear and download! If there is a streaming version I will try to upload it here!


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Laidback Luke & Wynter Gordon Give Us Sexy & Bold! "Speak Up"

Wynter is one of the hardest working vocalists in EDM right now, she is all over the place and I'm not complaining. Every since Luke remixed "Dirty Talk" I was hoping for a collaboration from these 2 and I got my wish granted! "Speak Up" is an ultra sexy track with LBL's signature rise and fall drops as a backdrop to Wynters amazing ability to turn a pop lyric into dance music gold. The remix package for this song is pretty impressive as well, Chris Lake, Mark Knight & Oliver Twizt are the stand outs. LBL offers a dub version of this track as well for those DJs who prefer less vocals and more beat drama. I love these kinds of dance tracks where you could totally hear them crossing over and topping the charts. Had this song featured Rihanna, Katy Perry or Jessie J it would be all over pop radio. Wynter is one of the most reliable and consistent vocalists in the game today and with LBL weaving the melody you cant go wrong. Expect to hear a lot of this track in my sets during the Spring and into the Summer!

Below is a soundcloud link with samples of all the remixes so you can figure out which one you wanna dance to or put in your sets!

Ima Read - Mad Decent Gives Us Zebra Katz

Mad Decent has long been a label taking risks with EDM in its various forms. One of the many underground forms of house music is Baltimore Club (blending breakbeat, hip hop & house). Zebra Katz & Njena Reddd Foxxx lay gay cultural lyrics over this minimal Baltimore club beat to bring us "Ima Read" an anthem for how to handle shady bitches. I fell in love with this song when I first heard it, not only does it resonate with me because of the use of specific lingo heard on a daily basis in the gay community but the track itself speaks volumes in such a minimal way. I can say faithfully that while the production itself doesnt offer much variation from what we have heard in the b-more club world, the lyrics and patterns of repeated verbal decimation over the beat more than makes up for it. This track is currently in rotation in my sets and the crowd really gets into it, of course I will include a link to the remix I am playing during my sets. Are you a fan of b-more club? Do you love or hate this song? Some people have told me that they find it a bit irritating outside of a club setting but I find myself listening to it a few times a day :) give me your feedback!

Here is a soundcloud link to the remix I am dropping right now!

Swedish House Mafia - "Greyhound" -The Bad Boys Of EDM?

Its 2012 & if you didnt realize EDM is taking over the world you should probably ask the attendant at your old folks home to bring you an iPod filled with the latest crossover acts in the dance market.

Right now Swedish House Mafia is the EDM worlds closest thing to a rock band. 3 very talented djs/producers working together to create songs that translate into a crossover market breaking barriers each time and pushing the limits of what pop music is. SHM along with artists like Calvin Harris, Afrojack, Skrillex etc. have done things in the last 2 years that dance music hasn't been able to do since the mid-90's.

"Greyhound" was a track many fans knew of from various set rips and radio broadcasts, the finished version is slightly different from the version many of us had been exposed to. With a driving electro hook and acid style progressive chord placement this track does make one wonder, "is this what we expected after Save The World?" The single "Save The World" was the electronic equivalent to a current day rock anthem with a dance music soundtrack. "Greyhound" is far more what the traditional EDM audience would expect, but to me, had this song been produced by anyone else, it would have most likely been overlooked as a middle of the road song. I dont think it lives up to the talents of the individual producers in SHM. Many are saying that SHM is a hype machine, nothing more than a lot of buzz with not as much substance to date. I could talk about my likes and dislikes of each producer individually but thats not really fair since I don't personally know each contribution to the "Greyhound" track, so I just have to be critical of the group as a whole.

I like the track, I think its very current and very much on target with what EDM fans expect. I don't think its as good as previous crossover productions however, I think that its more in line with what EDM fans would want to hear from these guys. I think the mainstream fans may be left wondering, "what's this?". To talk about the video is an entirely different monster altogether. Its obvious to be one big commercial for Absolut, and that's unfortunate. Being in the same industry I know you want to take a paycheck where you can get it, but does this detract from what the song is about? Is the song more than we want it to be or is it simply and instrumental track only worthy of being a background song for a commercial? I guess time will tell.

Regardless, "Greyhound" will be heard in sets for many months to come but the true test of its viability will be what other DJs do with it and how flexible the song will become with its remix package.

Airrick


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Calvin Harris ft. Ne-Yo - Let's Go - Review

I am extremely excited about this collaboration between Calvin Harris & Ne-Yo. The track is called "Let's Go" and its from Calvin's upcoming album due out this Summer. Following the huge success of his work with Rihanna he is continuing to move forward in a progressive/radio direction and this is going to be fantastic for EDM fans who like the continued crossover of dance music. I know a lot of people have been critical over David Guetta and his work with mainstream artists but I can't hate on them for giving us great music, even if some people dont like the crossover aspect.

People ask me why I feel that way after so many EDM producers have been burned with mainstream artists stealing their music? The reason for that is because of giving credit where credit is due, I never had a problem with the crossover aspect just the way it was handled. So here is the preview for the track "Let's Go" with Calvin & Ne-Yo, enjoy and let me know what you think. I LOVE IT!



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Madonna - Girl Gone Wild - My Review

There was a lot of criticism over Madonnas first single from MDNA "Gimme All Your Luv", I was very critical because I felt it wasnt really original enough for someone of Madonnas caliber. When I go back and listen to the progression of Madonna from the 80s and beyond one thing she never did was play it safe, she was very much like Rihanna is now, fearless and avant garde. Over the last decade she has had hits and misses with her music, some of them critically acclaimed, some fan acclaimed, others dismissed by both, some praised by everyone. I was a huge fan of "Confessions" and was on the fence with "Hard Candy".. I hated "American Life" just want to forget that altogether LOL. I do however feel that this second single from MDNA is very strong and actually shows a bit more of her pushing into a direction that is not as safe but very familiar.

The second single, "Girl Gone Wild" was produced by Benny Benassi and I think this shows the true difference in the level of EDM quality when it comes to artist pairing. I really felt that Martin Solveig was the wrong producer for Madonna. His music to me is campy and fun but predictable, almost too easily recognizable. It almost felt as if Madonna was the guest artist on one of his songs instead of vice versa, that stirred my lack of interest in that track, I didnt need a "Hello" part 2 vs "Hollaback Girl". However "Girl Gone Wild" is a true blend of artist and producer, although you can clearly hear Benny's influence Madonna and her influence and energy come through on this track full force. Its a fun, dance/pop record with heavy electro elements that I think work well with todays crossover market. This is very similar to the work with Calvin Harris and Rihanna, where the producer and the artist blend and combine to push out some of their best work as a collaboration and celebration of the individual instead of fighting against each other.

Take a listen and see what you think, I will start putting this record into rotation in the coming weeks and testing some remixes, bootlegs, mashups and maybe one of my own versions. Catch you on the dancefloor!





-dj Airrick
-voted by DJ in Hampton Roads 2011-12
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Whats Goin On?

Hey guys, gals, everyone! I have had some ideas to revamp this blog and make it not only about my music and mixes but about other music that interests me on a regular basis..

Starting next week I will pick a day of the week and do updates every week.. hope that catches everyone up! Thanks for sticking around!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! - Year End Podcast!

Hey guys, sorry for the lack of updates but Dec was a very busy month for me! I will started updating again regularly this week with new releases and reviews! I did want to share what many of you have been waiting for, my year end commercial mix! Its 2 hours long and full of the hottest commercial remixes from 2011! ENJOY!

Deadmau5 Does 4D? Nokia Is Still Around?

I hadnt heard the brand name Nokia since 2004... until this week. Deadmau5 collab'd with Nokia to bring a "4D" not 4G.. presentation against the Millbank Tower in London. This was a spectacular show of lights and music and I would have loved to see this live, although I think the name 4D is a bit misleading its still all in fun!