Dancing Astronaut’s Top 10 Tracks of January 2015

Dancing Astronaut's Top 10 Tracks of January 2015

Looking back on January, Dancing Astronaut breaks down the month’s top 10 tracks. Measured by critical acclaim, airplay, and the editorial staff’s taste-making, you’ll find records now being deemed as the best in the respective month in which it was unveiled in full.

January’s top 10 spans a handful of genres and includes exciting returns and twists. Efforts include Feed Me resurrecting his Spor alter ego, Bakermat and Mark Kinchen working over a Martin Luther King sample, Avicii remixing himself, Justin Jay’s Annie Mac-debuted gem, Tiësto and MOTi’s tag team and more.

Editors Note: The criteria of Dancing Astronaut’s top tracks each month is being altered from previous years; more than release dates are being taken into consideration as sometimes track dominate the airwaves months before they are ever officially released.

10. Avicii - The Nights (Avicii by Avicii)

With the release of “The Nights,” Tim Bergling showcased the authenticity in his musicianship rather than appeasing the big room crowd that demands the old Avicii sound. With this new special “Avicii by Avicii” touch, however, “The Nights” is transformed into a late-night electro house monster that shoots the energy to the forefront and induces the vivid image of Bergling himself on stage with one hand held high.

9. The Prodigy - Nasty (Spor Remix)

While The Prodigy’s new single “Nasty” may have been met with ambivalent reviews, there’s no questioning the response Spor’s official remix has gathered. Incorporating the shredding synths from the original, Jon ups the intensity tenfold with a vicious drum ‘n’ bass beat. He once again proves his sound design abilities are on a level of their own with plenty of insane bass patches and fills to push “Nasty” to new heights. If the remix is a harbinger of his impending Spor album, then we can expect some violent, yet immaculately mixed drum ‘n’ bass to arrive next month.

8. Disciples - They Don't Know (Justin Jay Remix)

Justin Jay has been on the warpath over the past year with a mission to bring a new wave of underground talent into the spotlight. With the endorsements of Claude VonStroke, Annie Mac, and now Pete Tong, nothing can get in the way of the LA producer’s musical mission. Earlier this week, Justin Jay previewed his newest remix of Disciples’ “They Don’t Know” after its debut on Annie Mac’s BBC Radio 1 show that truly embodies his innovative capacity in the studio. Jay flips Disciples’ cheery bouncing house jam into its demonic counterpart.

7. Tiësto & MOTi - Blow Your Mind (Original Mix)

Musical Freedom set the bar high on their 2015 with its late January drop. From the hands of MOTi, alongside the label’s founder who requires little name dropping, “Blow Your Mind” arrived as its airplay and street buzz had accumulated for nearly a full year. Debuted at Ultra Music Festival last March, the ferocious, electro-bred collaboration between Tiësto and MOTi catapults into a daunting assault.

6. Shiba San - I Can't Remember (Original Mix)

Dirtybird celebrates their ten year anniversary with a 14-track album packed with goodies from Claude VonStroke, Justin Martin, Eats Everything and more. Standing out like a sore thumb, even while surrounded by such talent, is Shiba San with “I Can’t Remember.” The Frenchman made waves last year with deep house anthem “Okay,” creating one of the most accessible and universally loved singles to date from the imprint, so it comes as no surprise that his newest is a certified dance-floor thriller. Bringing his sonic signature of a sub-shaking bassline mixed with deft percussion, the Shiba San’s “I Can’t Remember” is unmistakably catchy; from its rhythmic vocal samples to its comfortable groove, the track embodies all that the Dirtybird imprint represents.

5. Giorgio Moroder - Right Here, Right Now (feat. Kylie Minogue)

Giorgio Moroder entered 2015 with one of the year’s most anticipated albums, as signs point to a long and diverse list of collaborators that includes the likes of Markus Schulz, Britney Spears, Madeon, and Lana Del Rey. The upcoming project’s first single hit this January as a joint effort with Kylie Minogue. Entitled “Right Here, Right Now,” the collaboration boasts elite production from Moroder, who lays down his own line of grungy robotic funk as a product of his disco roots, and suitably pop vocals from Minogue. Both artists find synergy most notably on the record’s hook and carry their collaborative vibe through a series of sonic highs.

4. Pep & Rash - Rumors (Original Mix)

First appearing on SoundCloud without the artists being credited behind the track listed, “Rumors” had been unveiled this month as the latest original mix from Pep & Rash. Seeing support from Pete Tong, Oliver Heldens, Martin Garrix, and Afrojack among a long list of other superstars, the duo’s breakthrough single has appealed to a wide ranging spectrum of electronic music names. Multi-layered synths culminate in an extremely rhythmic focal point, which is accented by uncredited vocals that increase the pace on one of January’s hottest records.

3. Madeon - You're On (Oliver Remix)

The duo known as Oliver have been admirably consistent; their recent remix of Madeon‘s “You’re On” serves as no exception. Madeon’s original production, which came alongside the announcement of his debut LP, Adventure, sports the nu-disco sound and style that the Frenchman has developed so meticulously since his early career. In contrast, the house and future bass-tinged sounds from Oliver make the mix a bit smoother, embracing the vocal’s emotion and removing the thump intended by the track’s original crafter. Both tracks are definitively unique and enjoyable, yet hold a similar theme — a true display of the proper role of the remixer.

2. Martin Solveig & GTA - Intoxicated (Original Mix)

It has been quite a while since fans have heard from producer-slash-vocalist Martin Solveig, but an unlikely connection with trap and electro house stars GTA has brought his enchanting touch to life with “Intoxicated.” The Spinnin’ Deep label debut from all three musicians, “Intoxicated” dives into the recent trend of the ‘future house’ movement, the intersection of heavy brass sound engineering and the classic deep house genre. An extraordinarily catchy yet appropriately balanced vocal lays against an instrumental that goes against productions crafted by GTA in recent memory, replacing thumping 808s and blaring electro synths with dark aspects of the essential late-night tune.

1. Bakermat - Teach Me (MK Remix)

Bakermat’s first big hit was “One Day,” which sampled Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. This month, he released MK‘s remix of his single “Teach Me” on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The song samples Grammy Award-winning gospel singer Shirley Caesar’s “Teach Me Master.” Bakermat features her powerful vocals prominently throughout the track, and MK wisely declines to alter them in any significant way. Noticeably absent on the remix are the strings that gave the original instrumental so much of its character; instead, MK lets his signature tones take over the track. It’s a brave and rewarding decision that allows the two versions to be distinctly different — but similarly amazing – songs.