Now that Calvin Harris has given us his annual summer dance-pop jam (“By Your Side”), he’s heading back to the club. The Scottish super-producer launched his new, rave-ready Love Regenerator alias in January 2020, releasing 10 original tracks in six months, including the adrenaline-rushing Moving EP with UK up-and-comer Eli Brown. After a yearlong hiatus, Love Regenerator is back and reunited with Brown on new single “We Can Come Together.” A club and festival anthem in waiting as ravers slowly return to once-empty dance floors, “We Can Come Together” swells with pure piano house euphoria that could breach tear ducts with its vocal call for unity: “I feel the time has come for us to come together/ I realize that only we can make it better.” — KRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ
Justin Martin – “Eye of the Storm”
Harp house is so 2021 — at least, that’s how we feel after diving headfirst into Justin Martin’s latest groove. “Eye of the Storm” is a bass-fueled boiler; a real churning hurricane of cool. A trudging synth slowly builds in pitch, creating a mad sense of anticipation, then a woman’s voice claims to be “changing the cultural DNA.” It’s a big statement, but it all comes into place when the center hits, and that gorgeous, funkadelic melody breaks the dam.
“There is a serene beauty that always takes place in the eye of a storm, amidst all the violent chaos that surrounds it,” Martin is quoted in a press release. “Capturing that extreme juxtaposition was my goal.”
“Eye of the Storm” is Martin’s sixth release from his new label What To Do. Catch the left-of-center icon dropping it on tour as he makes his way from San Francisco this Saturday to Houston, Miami, Vegas and back to SF by the start of 2022. — KAT BEIN
Brux, “Covet”
“Your Rolodex, your partner, your followers, your chakra; your Fitbit, your lipstick, your friendship with the Carters”: Everything has monetary and/or social value, and Brux wants it all on her latest single “Covet.” The Australian producer, singer-songwriter and Billboard Dance February 2020 Emerging Artist has a knack for combining social commentary with club sonics — think less after-school special and more afterhours. On “Covet,” Brux’s debut on Zeds Dead’s Deadbeats label, she captures the foreboding energy behind status obsession with textured production that broods, sparkles and spirals, reciting over it anything and everything that could up her clout game. Brux’s off-kilter sounds feel especially significant here, showing how something that at first seems innocent, fun and alluring can turn darkly obsessive.
“‘Covet’ is all about materialism,” Brux writes in a statement, “being blinded and ruled by it in these unhealthy times of social media…now more than ever.” — K.R.
DJ Seinfeld – “She Loves Me”
Some songs put you in a different place and time, and some bring you to a deep space within yourself. DJ Seinfeld’s latest “She Loves Me” feels like all that combined, a dark yet whimsical journey through inner space. Hanging synth chords and dreamy vocals from Swedish artist Stella Explorer conjure emotions as wide as the ocean and still as the night. It’s a vibe.
“The fine line between self affirmation and paranoia is alluring to me, and in music it’s always present,” Explorer is quoted in a press release. “It’s deceptive, and lyrics can change meaning at any time. I think the fewer words you use, the more they shift, and by combining that with different intentions like you do when you collaborate with someone (like this), it makes the outcome exciting.”
“I was connected with Stella by my friend Oskar who runs the label Year0001,” Seinfeld adds. “He had sent me some of her stuff, I loved it, and so he put us in contact … Stella and I mailed some music back and forth, and one day I received the beautiful vocal that is in the piece today. I hold this song extremely close to my heart.”
“She Loves Me” is the third single from DJ Seinfeld’s forthcoming sophomore album Mirrors. Wade into its luscious mood and prepare your body for more. — K. Bein
Joel Corry & Jax Jones feat. Charli XCX & Saweetie, “Out Out”
More than a decade after its release, “Alors On Danse” — Belgian artist Stromae’s breakout hit from 2009 — is experiencing a revival. Just last month, a slowed version of the song went viral on TikTok along with an equally laid-back dance routine. Now, it gets a caffeine boost as the sampled backbone of “Out Out,” the new super-collaboration from Jax Jones, Joel Corry, Charli XCX and Saweetie. “Out Out” radiates strong pre-game energy with a hint of FOMO: “Why am I on my own on a Friday night?” Charli begins. The following saga of hopping in an Uber and meeting your friends at the club is downright nostalgic, and when Charli sings in the chorus, “Just watch me dance” followed by those horn blasts, it’s an invitation to watch her live her best life… and maybe a challenge to live your own. — K.R.
Wave Point – “Higher Dimension”
Catch a slick groove and surf the sweet sounds of a “Higher Dimension.” Wave Point is the new project from former Golf Clap member Bryan Jones. It’s a smooth, organic trip through nostalgic house melodies and pulsing club rhythms, a truly shimmering slice of space lounge delight. “Higher Dimension” is the titular track from Wave Point’s debut album, which just dropped in full via self release.
“This album was made with a lot of session musicians from around the world,” Jones is quoted in a press release. “Since I couldn’t meet up with people physically, I went on places like fiverr.com and found musicians to work with that way. I would send them parts and tell them what I want and go back and forth until we had something…This album was made in a COVID world where parties weren’t happening, so these are made a little more for listening while still applicable on a dancefloor. ”
“Higher Dimension” feels like a familiar favorite already. Listen to it and the full album, for sure. — K. Bein
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