Brazilian phenom Alok drops “Kids On Whizz,” his rework of 2020’s “Charlie” by the UK duo (and brothers) Everyone You Know. Rife with “Can’t Feel My Face”-level euphemisms about a certain white substance historically popular in clubland, the already alluring track goes even deeper on this edit. Alok kicks up the BPM and adds a few slight layers to the already heady tropically-laden deep house production, while leaving the standout hook — which the producer says initially drew him to the song — in tact. “When we released ‘Charlie’ we never in a million years thought someone with as much weight and clout as Alok would reach out to rework the track,” the Everyone You Know bros gush in a statement. “It’s quite surreal and still hasn’t fully sunk in that we’re working with Alok, nonetheless we’re absolutely buzzing to get this out and can’t wait for everyone to hear it.”
Mikey Lion, “Above the Clouds”
Some tracks bounce, some tracks throttle and some tracks actually uplift. File “In The Clouds” in this latter category. The new track from Mikey Lion, the de facto mayor of SoCal’s Desert Hearts crew, is aptly named — it perks up your ears, your arms and probably your mood too with its pretty, emotive shimmering synth melody, driving percussion, piano stabs and the thick bassline that adds the foundational heft that keeps the whole thing from floating away. “In The Clouds” is one to put on repeat and serves as the lead single from Lion’s forthcoming album For The Love, out April 28 on Desert Hearts Records.
TroyBoi, “Eyez on Me”
TroyBoi is one of those artists whose able to work across myriad styles while still always striking the same mood: sexy, slinky, kinda rowdy and raunchy in the right ways. That vibe is all over the English producers aptly named V!bez, Vol. 4, which features six fresh productions including “Eyez On Me.” This track is the second collab betwixt Troyboi and sister vocal duo Nina Sky, who first linked for the 2015 breakout Diplo collab “After Hours.” This time around, the trio strike a balance between R&B and the squelchy, thumping but still sorta sophisticated productions that this Boi has made his name on. Beyond that, there’s really no weak link on the EP, which also includes an edit of Anita Ward’s 70s anthem “Ring My Bell” and marks the official release of “On My Own,” which racked up a cool 72 million streams when it first landed in 2015.
Lee Foss & Ferreck Dawn feat. Alex Mills, “The Void”
The truth is that dance music doesn’t have enough saxophone solos. Chicago-born, LA based house mainstay Lee Foss and Dutch veteran Ferreck Dawn remedy that with “The Void,” a house anthem with just the right amount of sax. How much sax is that, you ask? Quite a lot! The brass adds a funky thread to the exuberant track, which features vocals from London singer Alex Mills. The single, along with a few remixes, are out now via Foss’ own Repopulate Mars label.
Röyksopp & Robyn, “Monument” (Olof Dreijer Remix)
In 2014, Röyksopp and Robyn released their massive (and thus aptly named) “Monument.” Coming from the collaborative EP Do it Again — which hit No. 1 on the Dance Album chart in June of 2014 — the moody, hypnotic song was both sonically and commercially large, serving as the soundtrack to a Volvo commercial starring the Swedish dance pop queen. (“It’s not a commercial about a car; it’s a commercial about a way of thinking,” Robyn said of this endeavor at the time.) Seven years later, “Monument” gets a new life with a remix from Olof Dreijer of revered Swedish electronic duo, The Knife. Under Dreijer’s care, the plodding tempo of the original is sped way up, with a layer of tropically-influenced percussion driving an altogether lighter, but still resonant “Monument.”
