Stuck In My Skull 555 -- "Surrender"

Song: "Surrender" || Artist: Cash Cash feat. Julia Michaels || http://youtu.be/K22v4xolOsc || 

Comments: Hello, everyone! I've got a shiny new track by Cash Cash for today's entry, and let me tell you now, this one is epic. I heard this song on the radio driving into work yesterday, and new that I absolutely had to share this. I stumbled upon Cash Cash when I saw their remix of Krewella's "Alive," but they've been doing plenty of work since that time. They've co-written Krewella's track "Live for the Night" and remixed for the likes of Capital Cities, Clean Bandit, Nicky Romero, Icona Pop, Hardwell, and even Katy Perry. With a record like that, perhaps it's not surprising that this song is excellent. It's nearest to the labels 'electrohouse' and 'progressive house,' and I'll be shocked if it doesn't chart fairly soon. The song has some really excellent beats that drive the energy, and unbelievably catchy vocals by an uncredited singer -- Wikipedia lists this excellent voice as Julia Michaels. Definitely check this song out, it's fantastic.

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Stuck In My Skull 536 -- "Apollo"

Song: "Apollo" || Artist: Hardwell feat. Amba Shepherd || http://youtu.be/q8kUckZ15fE ||

Comments: Good morning and happy Monday, everyone! I don't know about you, but I was not ready for the weekend to end. So if you're like me and need a pick-me-up to get the week started on a high note, turn up the volume! Today's song is from Dutch producer Hardwell featuring vocals by Amba Shepherd. If that name rings a bell to you, it's probably because her career has been full of huge songs. She first gained major recognition for being the vocalist on Porter Robinson's breakout song "Vandalism," a long-time favourite of mine featured back in Entry 181. This track is an upbeat masterpiece that took my crappy Monday and turned it around, and I think it can save yours too. Give it a listen!

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Stuck In My Skull 534 -- "Beam Me Up"

Song: "Beam Me Up" || Artist: Cazzette || http://youtu.be/mp-IZEFqrG0 (official video) || http://youtu.be/8pwv3g5D3b4 (lyrics) ||

Comments: Good morning, everyone! I've gotten a handle on last week's crazy computer problems, at least to the point that I have a stable working environment, so it's high time to jump back into the music! For today, I nearly wrote a duplicate entry. I was going to write on "The Hardest Mistakes" by I See Stars, before remembering that Amanda covered it last April. No wonder it sounded familiar! Instead, I've got the breakout track of Swedish EDM duo Cazzette. To borrow a term from DJ Abso-Newt-ly, this track is a banger. Stupidly popular and absolutely fantastic, this song is epic. It's got a blistering house beat complemented by a really excellent dubstep bridge, and the whole song is glued together by an exquisite vocal performance. Try as I might, though, I could not manage to find the identity of the vocalist. If any of you readers know, pretty please chime in here or on Facebook and let us hear it, I'm absolutely dying to know. Enjoy!

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AMANDA-- "WORK B**CH" by BRITNEY SPEARS

Good morning everyone! Today I'm bringing you the latest and greatest from none other than Britney Spears. Tabloid drama aside, she has worked really hard to evolve and re-invent herself over the years. You may not personally find her music appealing but her work ethic is deserving of some respect. It has gotten her very far in the music business and happens to be the subject of her newest single "Work Bitch." Largely in spoken word, Spears tells listeners that if they want toachieve success in this world they had better get busy working not unlike Ru Paul's "Supermodel (You Better Work)." The thing perhaps most striking to me is the strong club beat contributed by Otto Knows. The song, produced and written by will.i.am, is ladden with synth and undoubtedly her most EDM inspired  track to date. "Work Bitch" is more satsifying than I care to admit and the perfect music for dancing the night away or getting motivated to do work! Enjoy and have a great weekend!

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Stuck In My Skull 449 -- "Global Concepts"

Song: "Global Concepts" || Artist: Robert DeLong || http://youtu.be/nnSyu4eZkZ4 ||

Comments: Good morning everyone! Since Amanda covered the new Lady Gaga track yesterday and I wrote about the new Katy Perry song on Tuesday, I'm going to step back from pop for today's entry. Let's talk about Robert DeLong. Until fairly recently I'd never heard of him. I remember hearing a remix of this song once, but never got around to looking it up and never heard the original version or who the artist was. A week or two ago, however, I ran into this track, and it's been creeping its way into my head ever since. It's masterfully produced, bringing an excellent drum-powered rhythm to the song without relying on the house favourites like the kickdrum excessively. Robert DeLong's vocals and the downright funky synthesizers put a great spin on this track, and the chorus is incredibly catchy (but carries a mild language warning): "Did I make money, was I proud? / Did I play my songs to loud? / Did I leave my life to chance? / Or did I make you f***ing dance?" (lyrics) I also love that he picks up a Nintendo Wii controller in the video -- according the Wikipedia entry about him, he uses video game peripherals fairly frequently. I love it. I can't get enough of this track. Check it out!

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Stuck In My Skull 447 -- "Phat A** Drop"

Song: "Phat A** Drop" || Artist: DJs from Mars || http://youtu.be/xM16nr7VJ0Q ||

Comments: Good morning! It's Monday and that's okay, because it's time to wake up with Stuck In My Skull! I heard this song on the radio one afternoon as I was driving home, and I instantly fell in love. I cannot lie, I was laughing fit to burst. This track is simultaneously hilarious, a scathing commentary, and a great beat all at once. These Italian DJs are most famous for their mashups, but with this tutorial track, the cardboard box-wearing duo demonstrates their ability to cut right to the meat of exemplary electronic music production. This song is a well-produced track that's just long enough at around 3:40, with three drops conveniently announced by a cynical narrator that does nothing to detract from their awesomeness. This song carries a language warning, so grab some headphones if you're listening at work or around kids, but make sure you listen -- this song is great.

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Stuck In My Skull 444 -- "LRAD"

Song: "LRAD" || Artist: Knife Party || http://youtu.be/4qC9KwujVtQ ||

Comments: Good morning and happy Monday, everyone! Happy Monday? It is for me, and it will be for you too when you listen to this track. It is incredible. Knife Party is a group generally known for their dubstep hits, but they're flexing their musical muscles with this single from their latest EP, bringing much more of a house vibe and leaving the wub-wub almost completely behind. I love it. I can't get enough of this track. The drops are deceptive and catchy, the beats are beautiful, and the melody is masterfully crafted. Ladies and gentlemen, this is EDM. Enjoy!

Would you or someone you know be interested in writing for Stuck In My Skull? Drop us a line!

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[Secret Sounds] ~ Nutronic - The Ghost

Track: The Ghost
Artist: Nutronic
Download: FREE (Bandcamp)
Nutronic is a fresh duo consisting of Jeremy Strickland as the vocalist & producer and Nick Dyson on guitars. The Ghost is their first single, and it was featured on Vital Dubstep as well as other channels. It's under Philosophy Recordings and has several official remixes, though the original version is free.

For starters, the syncopated melody flutters over the harmonic line, drawing you in immediately. The vocals are strong and steady throughout, and especially shine in the chorus. After the great buildup, the drop lands you into full bass and some wubs that are filthy but without sounding like trash. It's a great example of how the wubs and vocals can work together without one overpowering the other. During the bridge, there is subtle but well-executed spatial arrangement of the bongos. The lyrics build a sense a haunting sense of desperation, which seems to collapse into the final drop.
Nutronic has hit the scene with a great debut track that shows even more potential. Really looking forward to hearing more from this group!

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Stuck In My Skull 398 -- "I Can Walk On Water"

Song: "I Can Walk On Water" || Artist: Basshunter || http://youtu.be/BLyHWIXTrlI ||

Comments: Basshunter, you are fantastic. I really can't think of a much better way to start a Monday than with a nice Basshunter track. I have to say, this is one of my favourites. It's slow buildup into an easy, dance-able beat that's just hard enough to groove to and just soft enough to be happy-sounding is a masterful intro. Complimented by the cheerful-sounding synths and fairly uplifting lyrics, this is one of the happiest dance tracks I've ever heard. If you really hate Mondays, give this a listen -- I think you'll be glad you did.

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[Secret Sounds] ~ Temporal - No Story feat. Veela

Track: No Story feat. Veela
Artist: Temporal
Download: FREE (soundcloud)
Temporal is a young Canadian producer who specializes in chill vibes, with bass so low you'll wonder how you can even hear it. He also records a lot of the sounds that he uses in his tracks himself. He enjoys photography as well and has an eye for landscapes. And we also have Veela performing on this track, the purple-haired wondervoice from Vancouver, or the fictional character Mama Cat.

No Story, is all about atmosphere, and Temporal immediately creates a gripping and ethereal one with the echoing sounds and music played backwards, creating a mysterious and eerie feel. The wobbling bass in the chorus adds to this unsettling, foggy atmosphere, as though the foundation is trembling. As the percussion and bass rest, Temporal's acoustic guitar accompanies Veela's emotive vocals, almost singing along with her. The lyrics are curious and leave you imagining, forming a story in your head without knowing where it's going. And, perhaps most importantly, this song asks what we all ask: "Are you really my friend? Are you real? I don't know how I feel about you." This collaboration is amazing piece of work that displays astounding attention to detail.

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[Secret Sounds] MMM ~ Awkward Relations

Track: Awkward Relations
Artist: MMM
Download: FREE (facebook)
To continue this week's theme of German prog house, we have this fresh duo. Their debut original track, Awkward Relations, starts up gentle patters, and then enters the feel-good melody. This builds up to the drop, which features descending gliss bass and the bouncy melody. Though the tune is simple in composition, it is very catchy and well-produced, making for a solid debut track.

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[Secret Sounds] Teqq ~ 3

Track: 3
Artist: Teqq
Download: FREE
First, I must apologize for my absence last week. With upgrading my computer, it was a bit unstable for a while. But this week I bring you German progressive house week!

Teqq is a young producer who specializes in prog house but also dabbles in other genres. To me, prog house is a difficult genre to produce well because of its propensity for repetitiveness and chord stagnancy. However, Teqq's tracks (say that 3 times fast) are well structured and never even border on boring. He keeps interesting with piano solos and sometimes vocal lines, which are always well-written (musically and lyrically) in addition to well-performed. In fact, it was difficult for me to select a song of his to feature since they're all worthy.

I decided to go with 3, which doesn't feature vocals, as Teqq has got it covered all on his own. (He also has a great mashup of the track versus Swedish House Mafia's Don't You Worry Child.) A piano melody dances in from the distance, momentarily fades, and then becomes a lush piano solo, with some sustained strings entering later. The synth comes back and the melody builds up to the huge drop. The melody circles, staying interesting with some syncopation. The piano returns to mingle with the synth, and then the two alternate the iteration of the melody. In the final repeat, the hard bass drum kick brings it home. In the quiet coda, there's a bit of musical trickery, as the chord progression repeats there's almost a sort of pedal point, but not sustained. Despite the repetitive nature of house, this piece by Teqq remains interesting, full, and lush.

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[Secret Sounds] Hollidayrain - Tainted Memories feat. Brenton Mattheus and Laura Brehm

Track: Tainted Memories feat. Brenton Mattheus and Laura Brehm
Artist: Hollidayrain
Download: FREE (soundcloud)
Today's song features a loaded trifecta. Hollidayrain is a young producer from Colorado who has been making music since a young age; he works with many EDM genres and does all of them quite well. Brenton Mattheus is a UK vocalist who has been collaborating with many EDM artists and hopes to expand his career even more. Laura Brehm is a vocalist and producer, also from Colorado, who is currently running the "Give a Voice" music fundraiser to support a surgery for a friend with dysprosody.

This track, Tainted Memories, is actually a mashup of two of Hollidayrain's songs, To The Start featuring Mattheus and Tainted Memories featuring Brehm. What really shines on this track is the everflowing melody as it glides over the trance loops. The juxtaposition of the two vocal lines--two solos made into a duet--makes the lyrics even more poignant and relatable. The motion of these keeps consistent without ever getting boring, moving in small steps but loaded with emotion.

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[Secret Sounds] ~ Rostik - Legends

Track: Legends
Artist: Rostik
Download: FREE
Rostik is a UK musician who has deeply developed his style in the past year and a half. Personally, I love his quirky little mascots.

Legends opens with a great upbeat, acoustic folk segment. Later, the distorted vocals gives a glitchy feel, and the buildup nicely leads into the drop. The melody is accompanied by these distorted vocals and some chime ornamentation. The acoustic guitar returns and carries the melody until the second drop, which brings a great groove. The coda of acoustic guitar alone gives one last iteration of the chord progression. This piece really has a unique sound on Rostik's well-rounded Symmetry EP.

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[Secret Sounds] ~ Rezonate - The Phoenix

Track: The Phoenix
Artist: Rezonate
Download: iTunes, Beatport, Bandcamp Rezonate is a young Canadian musician on the Monstercat label. His style boasts great melodies with a big sound. He is quite dedicated to his fans and even has online gaming sessions with them. (Hit him up on steam for Minecraft, TF2, etc).

The Phoenix is the first part in a trilogy (the second being Ash, and the third still unreleased). Rez's girlfriend, Lauren, has a younger cousin who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at a young age. (He has a CF fundraiser campaign, which you can learn more about here.) The track begins with light sustained notes a strong bass, in both pitch and drum. The vocals enter with some ornamentation in the background. The buildup is not brazen but rather subtle, almost unnoticeable until suddenly--the huge drop. The distorted vocals and the melody--which sounds almost like a bird's voice--soar over the heavy bass. Later, when the bass and percussion drop out, the excellent reverb on the piano-like line gives the effect of pattering raindrops, leading into the second drop, and the melody here has a woodwind timbre in addition to the phoenix's calls. The song seems to fade, but then the third drop comes, like a much-desired encore without you even having to ask for it. This piece is superbly structured, like all of Rez's work, and definitely something to be proud of. I can't wait to hear the finale of this trilogy.

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[Secret Sounds] ~ Ghosts Of Paraguay - The River feat. Aiden Dullaghan

Track: The River feat. Aiden Dullaghan
Artist: Ghosts Of Paraguay
Download: iTunes Ghosts Of Paraguay is an artist from the UK whose music can only be described as as haunting as the story (I presume) behind the producer's name: in the Paraguayan war of the 19th century, the deadliest war in all of history, more than half of Paraguay's population was slaughtered, with estimates as high as 90% of the male population killed. His music has an otherworldly ambiance that leaves one feeling disembodied.

The River--from the album Silent Souls--opens with plaintive piano chords and the vocals of Aiden Dullaghan. This song has minimalistic qualities, elaborating on the same chords and focusing on one motif. The bass is deep and the percussion is precise and not overpowering. Though the piece is fairly simple musically, the evocative lyrics paint pictures of the clash of war and innocence. The ambiance is really what shines, with the crackles, faint background vocals, and sustained strings. The cyclic piano chord progression through this ambiance is mesmerizing. The pristine quality in the vibrato of Dullghan's voice over the crackle, after everything else has faded, resonates in the ear even after the song's end.

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[Secret Sounds] ~ Ben Moon - Majesty feat. Veela

Track: Majesty (feat. Veela)
Artist: Ben Moon
Download: Airborne [Ben Moon] or Veela's soundcloud
To continue the string of young, breakthrough artists, we have Ben Moon. He is known for incorporating orchestral elements into EDM. His arrangements are lush, engaging, and the farthest thing possible from boring. He also has a heart for service, and is currently collecting donations here for a volunteer trip in Ecuador. Alas, he is presently on hiatus while he focuses on finishing high school and getting into college, but he already has plenty of good tunes and remixes queued up.

Majesty is unusual for a Ben Moon song in that it has vocals, but he proves he can arrange both instrumentals and vocals like a maestro. The vocals are performed by Veela, well-known in the EDM world for her purple hair and pristine voice. It was actually a brilliant move on Ben's part to collaborate with Veela and garner some more popularity (admittedly, I clicked on the song because of Veela's name). The tune employs some light strings backing, but the arrangement really shines when Veela becomes a one-woman choir, with complex harmonies and overlapping lines. The lyrics tell the gripping and emotive story of a people overtaken by force and torn by war. Before the vocal line gets complex, the flute line accompanies Veela right into the smoking hot drum and bass. Even the chord progression built on sustained ah's adds great pathos to piece. This collab proves to be meaningful, mysterious, and--of course--majestic. I hope we get to see more of this combo in the future.

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[Secret Sounds] ~ Mr FijiWiji - Farewell

Track: Farewell
Artist: Mr FijiWiji
Download: iTunes Mr FijiWiji, called "The Fij" by his adoring fans, is another young artist on the Monstercat label. Not only is he an accomplished producer at such a young age, but he also volunteers and raises money for charity. He is known for making emotional music that is all his own style, without bending to what is popular. He also loves to title songs after his friends (see Gina and Jason the Breadman's Quest for Redemption) and to give away free music.

His first independent release, Farewell, is no exception. This piece has a beautifully executed ABA form. The first part begins with a great kick that gives way to a plaintive melody, which later stacks on top of a syncopated countermelody. When this fades, a solo piano part rises up from the silence. The Fij's gentle but compelling vocals enter, and though the lyrics may be simple, they capture the perfect sentiment for a departure. The reverb on the vocals (and throughout the piece) adds charge to the emotion. The countermelody from the first section returns, and later the melody comes back after the vocals fade. The two intertwine in a beautiful dance until the return of only the original kick. The outstanding composition of this piece and its emotionally resonant sounds make it a great first independent release for The Fij.

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[Secret Sounds] ~ Day One - Lunar Orbit

Track: Lunar Orbit
Artist: Day One
Download: FREE
Nowadays, many EDM producers like to say they "press buttons and make music." Some of them make music, while others make art. One of these artists is the underappreciated Day One, currently a student at Oxford University. His music reflects inspiration, careful thought, and a profound mastery of music theory.

The tune Lunar Orbit is a gentle giant, with its graceful melodies and big bass. The arpeggiation builds on harmony line, setting the stage for the piano melody. Day One works up to the drop with subtlely, like a swell, without any blaring chromatic rises or rapid percussion. After the drop, the tune glides seamlessly from section to section. The layers weave in and out over the wobbling bass--yet never in interference--creating a beautiful and hypnotizing ambiance. Slowly, the other layers drop out leaving only the piano, as the track ends on a non-I chord, giving the listener pause and striking the sense of longing that the piece gives. Hats off to Day One for a poignant and captivating song!
(The visualization in the video is pretty trippy too, also in a subtle way.)

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[Secret Sounds] ~ Vexare - The Clockmaker

Track: The Clockmaker
Artist: Vexare
Download: iTunes
I'm writing about Vexare today in honor of his recent 17th birthday. That's right, this young producer just turned only 17. Despite his young age, he already has a style that all his own, with the typical grittiness of dubstep but salient melodies and certain chaos that both perplexes and enchants.

The Clockmaker is especially a melodic gem, with a line so lyrical, yet it would confound any vocalist. The quiet opening of ambient crackles, bird chirps and piano chords draw you in before Vexare brings in the 3rd-beat kick and lays it on heavy. As the drop hits, the melody takes an unexpected jump up and never relents even through the filth. The syncopation in the percussion, as well as the bass shudders, make the chorus even more interesting, and the momentary pause for the clock ticks really brings the piece together, giving it that like extra bump. (In an earlier version, the clock ticks had not yet been incorporated, and the difference is profound.) In the second drop, Vexare varies the melody, letting it really sing out through the chaos. Yet, despite the chaotic sound, one can tell that thought and care was put into every note and beat, with expert mastering. The coda brings some light voice sounds backing and a slow minor descent as the piano chords get lower and lower. This track (and the whole EP) is a prime indicator of Vexare potential (and ability) as a producer, and is unforgettable.

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