Kleerup feat Loreen - Requiem Solution

Kleerup teams up with fellow Swedish recording artist Loreen (who won the Eurovision Song Contest last year with "Euphoria") on this haunting, gorgeous song. Kleerup has perfected the art of the emotional, midtempo electronic song with a classical undertone. The song may take several listens to really get into, though once it does, it doesn't let go. It's devastatingly beautiful with Loreen vocals. She could sing almost anything and it would sound great.

Listen to the song here (YouTube)

Grade: A+

John Dahlback feat Agnes - Life (Diamonds In The Dark)

"Life" was originally an instrumental however, vocals have been recorded by Swedish Dance/Pop singer Agnes (of "Release Me" fame) taking this song to the next level. On the surface, the atmospheric electro-house song seems to be built on the Avicii "Levels" blueprint, though this one stands on its own with the new vocals. With or without the vocals, this is a great song, but it's extra special with Agnes' belting. The main version and radio edit are the mixes of choice.

Listen to the song here (YouTube)

Grade: A

Jay Sean - Where You Are

This is his latest single. He moves away from the Dance/Electro sound of some of his recent releases. This one is a fusion of R&B, Hip Hop, and Acoustic Pop. And it is one of his first few singles in a while to not have a guest rapper. It is fairly catchy and Jay sounds great, however, this feels a little safe and lacks the edge that some of his other singles had. This may help to get him in Pop radio's good graces, though they haven't been receptive to his singles in a while.

Listen to the song here (YouTube)

Grade: B+

Christina Aguilera - Let There Be Love (Remixes)

This is reportedly the 3rd single off of her Lotus album. The uptempo is produced by Max Martin and Shellshock. The song's production immediately calls to mind Ke$ha's "Tik Tok", Katy Perry's "California Gurls", Usher's "The DJ Got Us Falling In Love", and Madonna's "Girl Gone Wild." While the song's lyrics aren't terribly exciting, it's still a lot of fun. Christina sounds great.

Remixes for the song were serviced recently by Ark Angel, Cutmore, DJ Kue, Jump Smokers, and TV Noise. Ark Angel's R&B/Dubstep mix is pleasant. It has lots of buildups and breakdowns. An edit of that could help it on radio. Cutmore's big room House mix maintains the chord progression but really beefs it up in terms of bass, beats, and synths. DJ Kue's mix is in a similar style, though slightly less melodic. The Jump Smokers doesn't deviate that much from their formula and is good. TV Noise's electro mix changes up the structure of the original and makes it dub-like.

Overall, Cutmore's mix ends up being the best of the bunch.

Listen to streams of all the mixes on Soundcloud (these were NOT uploaded by Sweet Muzik)

Ark Angel | Cutmore | DJ Kue! | Jump Smokers | TV Noise


Grade: A

Eddie Baez feat. Zhana Roiya - I Like It Hot

Energetic Tribal House music productions are synonymous with veteran producer/DJ Eddie Baez. He teams up with fiery diva Zhana on this scorching hot anthem. Eddie's production just keeps on pumping from the first beat to the last while Zhana delivers yet another amazing vocal performance. This song is a nice throwback to the halcyon days of circuit, though it will fit nicely with what is being released right now.

-Listen to a stream of the song here:

-Purchase the song here (iTunes)

Grade: A

Levi Kreis - So Much Better (Remixes)

This single was released last Summer, however, the song is back with a brand new remix EP! Levi is a Tony award-winning actor and singer. In its original version, the song is in a Dance/R&B/Pop style. It is dancefloor and radio ready. There are additional mixes by Jared Jones, Blackliquid, and Angelhouse Kiss. Jared Jones delivers a nice, dark big room mix. Blackliquid's mix is in a similar vein as the original, however, the drums are a little harder. The dubstep-influenced electro mix by Angelhouse Kiss is great as well. The original and Jared Jones mixes are the best of the bunch.

-Watch the music video here (YouTube)
-Purchase the digital EP here (iTunes)

Grade: A

Jim Heinz Mixes Now Streaming!

This is a special posting announcing that a number of the mixes Jim Heinz produced with Jonathan Peters from the late 90s up until about a couple of years ago are now being streamed as a part of the Melodic House Renaissance project. Jim was known for his work on the harder, darker mixes often bearing the Sound Factory Mix or Dub name. He has also done a number of solo mixes.

Several of the famous mixes he worked on include Amber's "Above The Clouds" (the Velvet mix), Aubrey's "Angel" (a solo mix), Donna Summer's "The Power Of One" (the Sound Factory mixes), Karissa Noel's "Corrupt", Luz Divina's "In Your Eyes", SaFire's "Exotique" (a solo mix), and Whitney Houston & Deborah Cox's "Same Script, Different Cast" (the dub).

The playlist in which all the mixes are:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgQAQxV07PGnubqgOhLKNaCoo_byTtc0t

Nearly all of the remixes are unreleased and previously unavailable. Some of the highlights include remixes of Alicia Keys, Gloria Gaynor, Kanye West, Kelis, Luz Divina, Roxette, Sash!, Whitney Houston, and many, many more.

-Jim Heinz's Facebook Fan Page is available here for the latest updates and other information.

Cahill & Kimberley Locke - Feel The Love

This is a new collaboration with former American Idol contestant. She has had remixes commissioned for a number of her singles over the years and has even released a couple pure Dance songs. This song has that same euphoric feelgood vibe that one might have felt when they first heard David Guetta and Kelly Rowland's "When Love Takes Over" several years back. The uplifting, hand-in-the-air production by Cahill is gorgeous. Kimberley delivers a fantastic vocal performance. This should be a huge hit on both radio and in the clubs.

-Listen to the Cahill Radio Edit here (YouTube)

Grade: A

Guinevere - Fly Away

After the club success of "Crazy, Crazy" last year comes the delightful followup. "Fly Away" is an edgy Rock-flavored Electro/Pop song. The retro guitar hook calls to mind Martin Solveig's "Hello" from a couple of years ago. This song is much catchier than the former. This one could be a major radio hit with the proper promotional push. There are mixes by the Jump Smokers, 7th Heaven, KoKo, and Pagano. The Jump Smokers mix doesn't deviate much from their usual formula. 7th Heaven's funky house mix is really well-done though. KoKo's big room mix is a loosely structured and a little messy. Pagano did two mixes: the Americas and European. The European one ends up being the better one. 7th Heaven's mix is the best of the bunch. The digital remix EP will be released on March 5.

Listen to previews of the original, Jump Smokers, and 7th Heaven mixes:


The KoKo and Pagano mixes can be previewed here (Juno)

Grade: A

Danny Tenagla and Celeda - Be Yourself

The  club classic about simply being yourself has been updated again. The song's message is just as relevant as it was when it first came out. A new generation of clubbers will get to hear the song, and maybe check out the older mixes of the song too.

The first package includes mixes by Supernova. The SunRise and SunSet mixes are in a sublime Deep House style. The Inner City-styled instrumental hooks are really nice.

The second package includes mixes by Adam Freemer, Lateral Cut Groove, Rob Warner & Shaveer, and Stephane K & DJ Koutarou.A. Adam Freemer's mix is like a freshened up take on the original Tenaglia production. Lateral Cut Groove's mixes are tribal and techy with an extended beatless section.  Rob & Shaveer's mix is in a darker Deep House/Disco style. Stephane K & DJ Koutarou.A's mix is also in a Deep House style.

Overall, the Supernova, Adam Freemer, and Stephane K & DJ Koutarou.A mixes are the best of the bunch, but every mix is great.

-But the Supernova mixes here (Beatport)
-Buy the second package here (Beatport)

Grade: A

Blake Lewis - Your Touch

Blake was the runnerup on American Idol during the season in which Jordin Sparks won. He went on to release one album, Audio Daydream on the label he was signed to after AI, and then he released the critically acclaimed Heartbreak On Vinyl on Dance/Electronic label Tommy Boy Records which spawned several Club Play hits. He is now signed to Republic Records. His 3rd album Portrait Of A Chameleon is due out later this year. The lead single is Dubstep-influenced Pop song in the same vein as Justin Bieber's "As Long As You Love Me", though this is far catchier and Blake is a much better singer. This has the potential to be as massive as that and help him to finally make a breakthrough.

Listen to the song here (YouTube)

Grade: A

Special Amazon MP3 $1.99 Deals

For today, February 26 only, Amazon's MP3 store is offer 20 specific albums for $1.99 each! The albums included in the deal by the following artists: Muse, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Bruno Mars, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Tegan & Sara, Trey Songz, Passion Pit, Train, john Denver, Billboard #1 Hits: The 70s, Flo Rida, The Lone Bellow, Led Zeppelin, Fiona Apple, Aerosmith, Band Of Horses, Jennifer Lopez, Frank Sinatra, Ricardo Arjona, and Britney Spears.

View the deals and buy the albums here: http://kwn.me/4qg4

Tomcraft - Loneliness 2K13

This song was released 10 years ago. It has been remixed and reinvented a few times since then. Built around a vocal loop of part of the verse from Andrea Martin's "Share The Love" (which was remixed to perfection by Hani), the song relies on a strong instrumental hook in addition to the vocals. The new main version stays very true to the original. There are additional remixes by Tujamo and Jaxxon. Tujamo's mix is minimal and has a few nice electro breaks. Jaxxon's mix on the other hand is a far more aggressive take on the main version, resembling the Benny Benassi mix of the original. Overall, the main version is the best of the bunch.

Listen to these versions here:


Grade: A-

Mariah Carey - Almost Home

This is a new song specially composed for the new Disney movie Oz The Great And Powerful. The poppy midtempo might be a tad too sweet for some, but within the context of a Disney film, one would expect it to be like that. Mariah really sings her heart out on this. She sings with her full voice versus some of the breathy whispering she has done on some of her songs throughout the last decade. She really lets loose in the final parts of the song with the thundering ad-libs one would expect from her. Overall, this song is really beautiful.

Listen to the song here:


Buy the song here (iTunes)

Grade: A

Avicii vs Nicky Romero - I Could Be The One

Although released last year, this song has begun to gain traction in the U.S. and around the world, recently topping the UK charts. Though the song's lyrics aren't exactly groundbreaking, but coupled with the hypnotic production, it all works well. There is a really great remix of this by the Bent Collective (Danny Verde, Guy Scheiman, and Steven Redant) coming soon that significantly improves upon the original. It is much harder and gives the song some much needed drama.

-Watch the music video here (YouTube)
Listen to the preview of Bent Collective's mix here:


Grade: A- (for the original)
            A for the Bent Collective mix