Compilation, Featured, House | Top 50 Dance Tracks Of 2013 (Including 50-41)
Posted by Middy on January 13, 2014
Yes we know, you may be “top _____ of 2013” listed out, but bear with us as we present you our top 50 dance tracks of 2013. In the past we have done just big room / progressive, but here we attempt to take on the whole genre, from trap to progressive to deep house. A few ground rules and biases for how these tracks were selected. “Top” means biggest and best. So the most supported and played out tracks, first and foremost, but also our own bias as well to make this list not just a carbon copy of every other one you have read. All of us are based in the US / Canada, so our perception of what is played live is a largely US worldview, though we try and take a step back. The songs have to have been released in 2013. So tracks like “Easy”, “I Could Be The One”, “Alive”, “Clarity” and “Harlem Shake”, while all huge in 2013, won’t qualify for the list because they were released in 2012. Tough luck, but I think the artists will manage. Check out 50-41 after the jump and at the end find links for 40-31, 30-21, 20-11 and the best of the best, 10-1.
Progressive House | MS MR – Ash Tree Lane (Live City Remix)
Posted by Middy on January 8, 2014
Generally, Live City bring the heat with relentless aggressive electro stompers that attempt to blow you out of your chair, but it always nice for artists and fans to get a change of pace in a producer’s discography. Like their recent remix for London Grammar “Strong“, Live City add an easy going progressive melody that carries through the indie original. MS MR have not been over remixed, so this will be a breath of fresh air in your playlists and best of all it is FREE.
Free Download: MS MR – Ash Tree Lane (Live City Remix)
Hip-Hop, Playlists | Jeff’s 15 Best Hip-Hop Tracks of 2013
Posted by jeffwbaird on December 23, 2013
With the mainstream sound shifting further towards hip-hop (or is it the other way around?) the way it has in 2013, it’s become quite a good climate for rappers. While this year has had its share of successes and rises to fame (see Chance The Rapper, Logic), though, it’s certainly had its share of disappointments. Read on to see my selections as the year’s best work in hip-hop.
Exclusive, Hip-Hop, Videos | Dylan Owen — Ghosts Revisited [Music Video & Interview]
Posted by jeffwbaird on December 17, 2013
There are very few artists shy of national recognition who seem to have really found themselves as artists; those who have truly discovered their sound and taken advantage of how it connects and resonates with people. Dylan Owen most definitely has, and with each release his understanding of his sound—that carefully crafted blend of highly-skilled lyricism, indie song-craft, and honesty—becomes more illuminated. It’s no wonder that he’s gained such a tight-knit following as quickly as he has. He’s not afraid to wrestle with conflict or to embrace his vulnerability, and that’s where his talent as a songwriter and rapper pays off the most. Today, Dylan has let go of a new video for “Ghosts Revisited”, a song that originally appeared on his 2012 EP Keep Your Friends Close. The song has been revised and updated (and now features additional vocals by Kiah Victoria and Kaleigh Young), which is fitting, given the time since he wrote the original, and how the experiences depicted have shifted in his mind throughout time. To give you a better understanding of how this process began, what he envisioned for this version, and what we can expect to see next, I reached out to Dylan, and below you can see what he had to say.
Electro-House, Exclusive, Trance | Bastian Salbart – Run! [FNT Premiere]
Posted by Middy on December 4, 2013
Polish producer, Bastian Salbart is still quite a fresh face to the industry, but having been snatched up by the reputable trance record label, High Contrast Recordings, you can expect that all to change sooner, rather than later. “Run!”, much like his other productions, treads the line between trance and electro, integrating the best of both worlds, with interesting melodies and hard electro elements. This type of genre-melding dance music is great to see when some artists sometimes get pigeonholed into one category or sound. You can stream the song in full below exclusively here on FNT until it is released on December 9th, via High Contrast Recordings. Early support coming in from a few small names like Armin van Buuren, Sied van Riel and Rank 1. Make sure you follow Bastian as he continues to impress with his unique sound.
Progressive House | Jeremy Olander & Fehrplay – Balboa
Posted by Middy on November 22, 2013
Surprisngly enough, these two have never done a collabo together with all the work they have both released on Pryda Friends over the past two years. However, with all the time they have spent together touring across the US over the past 3-4 months, both with Prydz and on their own, a track was spawned from two innovative minds. It has the vintage progressive grooves you expect from these two and best of yet, the track is free, so hit download now.
Hip-Hop, Videos | Dylan Owen — My Name Is Dylan [Freestyle]
Posted by jeffwbaird on November 13, 2013
Over the past few years of closely following the trajectories of upstart artists (rappers in particular), one of the most important characteristics of the more enduring artists I’ve found is their versatility. Dylan Owen has rightfully received a tremendous amount of praise since 2011’s Keep Your Friends Close, all synonymous with his innate ability to gratify a variety of listeners with equal ease: honesty-craving singer-songwriter fans, lyrically-focused hip-hop heads, punchline-loving partygoers. While his most recent release, “The Window Seat”, is what he’s best known for—the maturity of perspective, the resonance of his songwriting, the lasting substance—here he concocts a quick reminder that he, too, can playfully rap with the best of them. Reminiscent of the verse he premiered prior to our interview together a year ago, this track is punchline-heavy, and shows off his wittiness and love to play with language. A must listen, regardless of your preconceived genre-affiliations.