This time last year Afrojack released “Lost & Found Part 1,” this album series features tracks that Afrojack has been dropping throughout his sets but have been previously unreleased. Some are updated versions of older releases, some are named after popular cities, and the others show potential – but are not up to the Afrojack standard we have come to love. Let’s discuss each track below.
Montreal is one of the techiest tracks we have ever heard from Afrojack. There are patches of Dutch funk scattered throughout the tune, but it lacks the power of an enormous drop a la “Replica.” We think Afrojack used this as a transitionary track to let the crowd regain their composure after a ‘hands in the air’ moment.
Afrojack – Montreal (Original Mix)
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The very nature of a countdown is bound to spark controversy. With the thousands of tracks released in 2011, our choices for the Top 50 will undoubtedly leave a bad taste in the mouths of some of our readers. We tried our best to define our criteria but the fact remains that everyone, even the editors at Dancing Astronaut are going to disagree. We debated for hours, imaginative name calling ensued, feelings were hurt, egos were bruised, and a small animal may have been harmed. After countless hours, we set aside our differences and personal tastes to bring you the Top 50 most influential songs of 2011. These are the tracks that dominated the US dance music scene and whether you love them or hate them, we can bet that you heard them.
We recently featured our Top 50 Artists of 2011 and received a ton of feedback from you (Dancing Astronaut readers). People disagreed, people agreed, but we can all agree that it stirs some valuable conversations that needed to be had. This time around we tackle a different project, as we try to rank the Top 50 Tracks of 2011. Let us start by saying that this was no easy feat. There were thousands of tracks that were released within the last year, and narrowing down the list to just 50 was an excruciating process. As always, we aim to be as accurate as possible, below are our criteria and our biases.
What does ‘biggest’ mean exactly?
In this case ‘top’ is defined by two points:
1) How big the song was in the world of EDM. Was it played a ton by big name artists? Was it a festival anthem?
2) How high it charted on Beatport, Billboard, or any other accredited source. This is directly related to box office sales and radio play.
Insomniac and Dancing Astronaut have partnered up to offer a pair of VIP tickets (for January 1st show) to see the first show performed by the Size Matters crew in 2012. Steve Angello, AN21, Max Vangeli, and Thomas Gold will all be at the Anaheim Convention Center ringing in the New Year with a bang. In order to qualify please follow the steps below:
Qualifiers:
1. Like this post
2. Answer this question in the comments section: Why do you love the Size Matters crew?
3. Like Dancing Astronaut on Facebook. Remember once we get to 10k likes we are giving away a free bootleg package from some big name artists!
Let’s get this out of the way – this song is bigger than Donovan McNabb’s waistline (well in about 2 years it might not be). Sander Van Doorn and Kele team up to create “What Did I Do” a beautiful trouse song that features Lucy Taylor’s sexy vocals. Don’t confuse Kele with the Kele from Martin Solveig’s “Ready 2 Go” – this is the Kele that created “Tenderoni.” “What Did I Do” is easily the best release since Michael Woods’ “Full Access” and Nicky Romero’s “Toulouse.” We thought Sander would be taking an elongated break after the success of his album Eleve11, but it seems like he still wants to keep dominating. A guy this talented wants to stay on top of the world? Go figure.
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You may remember Gosha from his work alongside David Tort and Axwell with “One Look,” which was one of the biggest tracks earlier this year. This time around he teams up with Richard Grey to create “Falling Down” which features a melodic piano breakdown and light hearted vocals. You can feel the Latin influences emitting from this playful and upbeat tune – if you are a DJ and you want to get people dancing (not grinding) this is a track the dance Gods would approve of. Richard Grey has sneakily been releasing some nice releases, check out his rework of “Lady.”
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We featured Nicky Romero’s remix yesterday, and today the Italian duo Promise Land comes out with their rendition of Kelly Clarkson’s “What Doesn’t Kill You.” You may think this remix is a bit more mellow (when compared to Nicky’s) for about the first minute, but wait until you get to the drop. There is a significant amount of dirt and wobble to make even the most hardcore electro fans smile. We can’t wait to see who else will be featured on this remix package. Thus far the names have been big and the previews have not disappointed.
Christmas might be over, but Dirty South is still handing out presents. If you like progressive house, you’ll love this delectable Christmas mix from the Australian DJ/producer. Did we mention it’s free? Dragan’s probably still thrilled after clocking in at a respectable 12 in the Dancing Astronaut Top 50.
A quick glance through the track list tells you all you need to know. The mix is full of Dirty South’s signature melodic remixes, as well as his iconic collaboration with Those Usual Suspects, “Walking Alone.” Yet another reason to love this talented musician and all-around nice guy. We’re expecting big things from down under in 2012.
Click the Soundcloud link below to preview the mix. If you like it, head to Dirty South’s Facebook page to download.
TRACKLIST
1. Dirty South & Those Usual Suspects Feat. Erik Hecht – Walking Alone [Original / Arty Mix]
2. Nero – Me & You [Dirty South Mix]
3. Michael Woods & Cassius & Nero – I Love Bullet Promises [Dirty South Bootie]
4. Diddy Dirty Money & Daft Punk – Coming Home [Dirty South AERODYNAMIC Mix]
5. Dirty South & Thomas Gold Feat. Kate Elsworth – Alive [Dirty South Supermash Edit]
6. Ingrosso & Alesso & Dirty South – Calling Phazing [Dirty South Bootie]
7. Matt Caseli, Danny Freakazoid & John Dahlback – Raise Your Lucid Pyramid [Dirty South Bootie]
8. Skylar Grey – Invisible [Dirty South Mix]
Following up his release of “Blue Collision,” Michael Canitrot comes out with “White Escape” a track filled with straight up fire from start to finish. Formula One should seriously consider using this as their pre-race song of choice. At DA we are suckers for piano riffs and at around 2:12 Michael Canitrot brings us pure bliss. The build up is well engineered – you can hear all the instruments play their part in making this track a hit. We truly hope this tune charts, because it is too damn good not to. 2012 will be where Michael Canitrot makes a R3hab like jump into fame.
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March 23rd, 2012. Mark your calendars, plug the date into your phone, set an alarm. Do whatever is necessary to be in South Beach for Masquerade Motel Miami Round 2. SHM recently tore up MSG with more ferocity than Carmelo Anthony and company could even fathom, next they will tear up Miami, and finally they continue their onslaught with their show at Milton Keynes Bowl. If Masquerade Motel Miami 2011 was any indication – 2012 should be huge. Pharell made a guest appearance last year – who can we expect this time around?
NOTE: We will be back with an update on when tickets will be announced. Stay tuned.
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