Last week, we had a nice theme of house music through time. This week we’re back to no theme. In fact to make up for having some sensibility last week, we’re way overcompensating here. No theme, no rhyme, no reason. It’s a throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks kind of week.
Cevin Fisher feat. Loleatta Holloway – (You Got Me) Burnin’ Up
We at the Shuffle Button love a little bit of crate digging, especially when we can find an original song that is sampled endlessly. Often the original beat is just as good if not better than all the remixes that come after.
This vocal by Loleatta Holloway has been used endlessly (especially in the last five years or so). But Cevin Fisher made sure the original song is chock full of house goodness and it shouldn’t be ignored. It’s got a groovy accompaniment to a timeless vocal. The fact that the only version of this song we could find was on Youtube shows just how underappreciated the original is.
This is one of the times you can say, yea this version’s good, but have you heard the original (our friends hate us)?
Yomanda – Synth & Strings
Now we start our descent into madness, and Yomanda is providing the soundtrack to take us there.
“Synth & Strings” is a bonkers song that’s all over the place. It starts out as a crazy club song that sounds like it belongs in a mega club in Europe with heavy synths galore. But don’t get too settled because disco comes in and completely changes the vibe. It’s all at a frenetic pace, but the moods couldn’t be more different.
The song is schizophrenic and it’s absolutely amazing.
Daft Punk – Robot Rock
It’s a little surprising it took until the 22nd version of this column for Daft Punk to appear (don’t worry you’ll hear more soon, wink wink nudge nudge). The French electro pioneers have no equal. While they’re known for their electro, disco, and house music, they’ve found a way to influence basically every genre of dance music.
“Robot Rock” showcases the electro sound that they perfected, making synths sounds modern and sexy. The helmeted duo are legends for a reason, and you don’t need 100 words to see why.
Drumsound & Bassline Smith – Wardance
Drumsound & Bassline Smith tend to fall on the heavier end of the drum and bass spectrum. Their music is always hyper, high energy, and aggressive. When you combine that with the name of the song, you can pretty much expect what’s coming. It’s hard, it’s heavy, and it makes you get up and move.
The drums stay still and the bass-line is more or less constant, but the pressure applied is from the top notes coming down hard and not letting up.
This song could lead you into battle or get you amped for a workout. Whatever you need motivation for, this has it. In fact, if this song doesn’t want to make you tear stuff apart you should check your adrenaline levels.
Roy Davis Jr. feat. Peven Everett – Gabriel (Live Garage Version)
We’re closing off this whirlwind playlist with a drastic change in mood. We’re going to have Roy Davis Jr. treat us to some mellow garage to take us home.
“Gabriel” is just a beautiful song that is made for a toned down afterparty. It makes you want to relax and let the soothing tones flow through you. The horn breakdown ties the song together and gives it a wonderfully warm and fuzzy vibe. It’s a soulful and happy song that makes you want to hold someone you love and sway to the beat.
CHOON of the Week
Daft Punk – Da Funk
We mentioned there’d be more Daft Punk earlier on and here it is. We had to double down on potentially, one of the most influential acts in dance music’s history.
“Da Funk” is off Daft Punk’s first studio album and it hinted at some of the electro that they would go onto make in the future. The song is dominated by a repetitive, slow acid riff that just burrows deeper and deeper into your consciousness.
It’s a song of power and it’s not classically catchy. But it shows that while Daft Punk was incredible at making disco, they were also after something more.
Along with the power that characterizes the song, is the polish that Daft Punk is known for. The bpm’s of “Da Funk” aren’t as fast as some of their other well-known songs. But what they trade in pace, they make up for in heft. If you were paying attention, maybe just maybe, you could have seen Human’s After All coming down the line.
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