Beyonce - Run The World (Girls)

This is the lead single off of her first new album in almost 3 years. It is a busy uptempo in which the diva sings about women dominating and running the world. The song samples extensively from the electro track "Pon De Floor" by Major Lazer. The result is a noisy, non-cohesive track lacking focus and listenability. There is a clear chorus, but it feels forced. Hopefully this is not indicative of the rest of the album.

The lush Masters At Work-styled throwback remixes by Streamweaver lost all of the noisy elements of the original, leaving just the vocals over a gorgeous production. This is a perfect example of salvaging a mediocre to bad track and making it into something good.

Listen to the original here (YouTube)
Listen to the Streamweaver mix here:
Beyoncé - Run The World (Girls) (Steamweaver Who Run The House Radio Edit) by Steamweaver

Grade: D+ (for the original)/A- (for the Streamweaver mixes)

Vibelicious and Dean Boudreau - Love Sick (Remixes)

Originally released in September, this song now has a full package of remixes by Nick Harvey, Deep Influence, Streamweaver, Bit Error, Matt Moss, QUBIQ, Halfstyle and Siense Deluxe.

Nick Harvey, Deep Influence, QUBIQ and Streamweaver all provide dark yet uplifting circuit/big room-oriented mixes. The Deep Influence and Streamweaver ones are the darkest. QUBIQ's is a little milder. Bit Error, Matt Moss, and Halfstyle remain faithful to the original with their mixes, but add a little something extra. The Siense Deluxe version is mostly instrumental with just a little bit of vocals. Overall, all the versions are really good. The Nick Harvey, Deep Influence, Bit Error, and Matt Moss mixes are the highlights.

Purchase the digital single here (Masterbeat)

Grade: A

Ryan W - Untouchable

This is the followup to his last single "Oceans." "Untouchable" has that right amount of attitude in both the lyrics and Ryan's delivery. The main mixes by Nick Harvey are his usual big room, tribal fierceness. His Plastic House mix is quite good. There are additional mixes by Razor N' Guido and Streamweaver. Razor N' Guido's mixes are much darker than Nick's versions. Their Duhb version is particularly notable with it's classic references. Streamweaver's mixes are slightly trancey with the soaring synthwork. Every version on this package is great.

Purchase the digital single here (Beatport) or here (Amazon)

Grade: A

Ryan W - Crave

"Crave" is the debut single from up and coming singer Ryan W. Ryan delivers a warm, unforgettable vocal on "Crave." Remixes by Nick Harvey, Ruben Vega, Fumi Kondoh, Taz, and Streamweaver make this dancefloor ready. Nick Harvey's main mixes a bit more accessible this time around with the soaring synths and pounding beats. His Sunday Morning mix is a bit more big room-ish. The dubs of his main versions are nice as well. Ruben Vega's mixes are a bit more drummy. Fumi Kondoh's has plenty of 'drama' in it with its various ups and downs in energy level. The old school vibe of it is really great. Taz's mix is indeed a 'wild ride' as the mix name indicates. It hits hard in all the right places. Streamweaver's is very big room-ish as well. The entire package is great. "Crave" could soon become a club classic.

Purchase the digital single here (Masterbeat)

Grade: A

Nick Harvey - Wurkin

Already on a roll with a number of releases on his label, Nick Harvey's latest track "Wurkin" will also be quite huge. It is a dark, tribal mostly instrumental track, save for some select vocals. It would fit in well during slightly deeper, afterhours type sets in its main versions. Remixes by John Michael & Billy Waters, Michael Hades, Taz, and Streamweaver help this song to fit into other types of sets. John and Billy take the song in a dark, peakhour circuit direction. The synthwork calls to mind the NY club classic "Lift Up The Needle." Michael Hades also takes the song in a slightly more commercial peakhour direction. Taz's is a bit more minimal but it works really well. It calls to mind some of Armand Van Helden's really dark, dubby treatments of songs during the mid to late 90's. Streamweaver takes things in an epic, trancey direction. It's really great to see that much variety on a remix package.

Buy the digital single here (iTunes)
Grade: A