Top 14 Dbmlabs summer soundtracks of 2009 house dance electro edition Part 2
Here is Part 2 of Dan’s Summer Soundtrack Anthems that you DON’T want to miss! Continued from Part 1
8. K-OS – Fly Paper |Virgin Records America, Inc.|
Canada’s Kevin Brereton, otherwise known as K-OS (Knowledge of Self), is a man who invites all types of sounds into his world. K-OS does a great job of incorporating elements of funk, soul, rock and reggae into his intelligent rap sound. Fly Paper is no exception to K-OS’s philosophy. Despite the killer beat, bassline and reggae-esque guitar stabs on the upbeat, this track has a great sing along factor to it. The hook can be applied to so many everyday situations. Other great tracks off of Atlantis: Hymns For Disco are the anthem Sunday Morning and the epic Ballad of Noah. Joyful Rebellion’s The Love Song is another essential K-OS cut- if not a classic in its one right.”I’m not one to repeat myself,But if it ain’t broken,Don’t fix it.I see you burning all that midnight oil,But I’m caught between a rock and a hard place.That’s why I’m walking in the city with a hard face.Seems I’m afraid of being afraid.”
9. Omar S- Day |FXHE Records|
Day is a cut that the entire family can circle around- even grandma. The hook is a sampled vox sample, slightly longer than a cut, from The Supremes classic Come See About Me. Even though it’s a short sample, one can definitely hear the tambour of Diana Ross’s voice. This track is the epitome of the K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) philosophy. Although rather simple and basic, this track gets away with it’s monotonous feel due its jacking beat and slamming bass line. The true beauty of this song, besides the classic vocal sample, is the subtly and delivery. Omar-S is a staple in Detroit’s most recent generation’s crop of techno and house producers. This type of sample-ladened, filtered house music is becoming relevant once again. Other recent and young producers who have mastered this particular vibe are Detroit’s Kris Wadsworth and Stuttgart, Germany’s Motor City Drum Ensemble (Danilo Plessow).
10. MSTRKRFT ft. John Legend- Heartbreaker |Dim Mak|
Master-craft is a Canadian group comprised of Death From Above 1979’s Jesse F. Keeler and Girlsareshort’s Al-P. They have remixed everyone from Justice to Bloc Party and continue to promote their indie based sound by collaborating by some of the music industry’s A-List. MSTRKRFT has a great ear and certainly doesn’t discriminate. They team up with John Legend to create such a great piece of music that just swirls around the icon’s melacholy voice and lyrics. This track does an even better job of bridging gaps and crossing over to the different realms and scenes of the music industry. Their debut album also features the cuts Word Up ft. Ghostface Killah and 1,000 Cigarettes ft. Freeway. Immensely interesting duo of rappers to choose from being that Ghostface and Freeway have very similiar, if not identical, voices, flow and delivery.
11. A Taste of Honey- Boogie Oogie Oogie (12” Special Disco/John Luongo Remix)|Capitol Records|
A Taste of Honey was an American disco and R&B group formed by Perry Kibble and Donald Ray Johnson. Along with being known for this awesome song, A Taste Of Honey was unique for the fact that they had two lead females, bassist/singer Janice Marie Johnson and guitarist/singer Carlita Dorhan. After being discovered by Capitol Records while on the road and doing USO tours, they began calling themselves A Taste of Honey, an ode to Herb Alpert’s super classic track. When the intro of Boogie Oogie Oogie comes on over the speakers, it immediately transforms the mood of the moment. The intro gives just enough time for one to prepare for the insanity to follow.
12. Pet Shop Boys- Domino Dancing (12” mix) |Parlophone| (1988)
Neil Tenant and Chris Lower are perhaps the great (synth) pop duo of all time. With a career that spans over 25 years, the Pet Shop Boys continue to make people dance and smile all around the world. While America struggled with their sexuality and the sounds of grunge, PSB toured the world and mastered their craft. They have sold over 100 million records world wide and since 1986, they have had 42 Top 20 singles and 22 Top 10 hits in the United Kingdom including 4 number ones. At the 2009 BRIT Awards, Tenant and Lowe received the Outstanding Contribution To Music Award. It’s also no small coincidence that there major influences are David Bowie, Liza Minnelli and Dusty Springfield. Domino dancing is a track that can be and is interpreted in so many ways. More often than not, in perverse ways. While the track is literally about Chris Lowe’s competitive nature and his love affair with dominoes, the video, although beautiful, says otherwise. After critics get done interpreting this great cut, they usually move onto the video and try to siphon that as well. This 12″ mix is better solely because it’s longer.
13. Gangstarr- Royalty |EMI Music|
A Premo beat has the ability to place its listener in a different time period or a different place. Guru’s voice, lyrics and delivery are nothing short of hypnotic. The vocal hook by K-Ci & JoJo round out this track quite nicely and one feels like you’re in an alternate universe. This is is one of those cuts that mean something to everybody depending on where one heard it for the first time. These are sounds that will never die and will always maintain their freshness.
14. Raekwon ft. Ghostface Killah- Criminology (Produced by RZA) |Loud Records|
One has a hard time thinking of a better, nastier and more ruthless of a combination than Pretty Tony and the Chef. When Tony Stark and Lex Diamonds spit over a RZA track, greatness and exemplar work is not far too behind. This tracks flows like no other and it sounds dope coming out of a boom box, stereo, car or club. The Tony Montana vox sample ups the intensity right before the bass drops in and the track is off to the races. One of those selections where one could have easily swapped in their favorite Ghostface and Raekwon track, especially off of Built 4 Cuban Linx, instead of this one- they’re all great.
There it is. I bet your brain and ears got quite the workout. One must understand that good shtuff is good shtuff- whether it is one’s cup of tea or not. Sliding any one of these tracks in your collection and/or set will most certainly cause havoc on the dance floor. With modern advances in technology and DJ software, the “DJ-Friendly-ness” of a track should be irrelevant. If there’s a will, great DJs will always find a way. Programming is foundation of being a disc jockey. Knowing the right thing to play or do at the right time is really a subjective topic, but the dance floor will always let you know. It’s important to make the mind dance as well as the body. Music could make the dumbest and dullest individual feel like an intellectual. The power (or burden) is in YOUR hands! I encourage one to dig deeper if you like these artists and see how far down the rabbit hole one can reach. Article brought to you exclusively by our author and editor Dan.
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