IIO unleashes "RAPTURE 2007"!

Hi guys!!

Hope everyone's enjoying the sulllltry summer heat - yikes! We're on Day 3 of 90+ weather here in Boston. This has NOT been good for my hot yoga discipline... after a day like this, I'm hardly in the mood to sweat through my "downward dogs." :-p

Aaanyway... here's something else to heat up your summer: a new album from Iio, "Reconstruction Time." It's a remix CD of all their hit singles (and then some). Most of them are pretty good... click the iTunes link below to sample 'em!



Unfortunately, the cover looks kind of ghetto, if you ask me. And what's that guy doing with that hammer?!?! LOL.



Of course, of all the remixes, the big question mark is "Rapture," the song that propelled Iio to dance fame back in 2001 (it went to #2 on the Billboard Dance Club Play charts). Now, I had high hopes... as you may recall, DIVA DIVO named "Rapture" one of the 20 Greatest Dance Songs of the 2000s (so far ;) ). This remix, though... eh... it didn't do it for me. But maybe I'm alone seeing as how "Rapture 2007" is climbing the charts much like the original. This week, it's up to #3 on the charts.

In fact, I didn't think the album's strong points were the hit remixes: "Kiss You," "At the End," "Is it Love," "Runaway" and "Smooth" are all kind of BLAH. But maybe that's just because the originals were such killer club tracks that trying to top them is like... well, messing too much with a good thing!

On the plus side, some of the other remixed tracks are decent... there's a NEW song called "Give it Up," and there's also an 11-minute Iio MEGAMIX. Awwwww yeeeeah ;)

One thing that annoys me to no end, though: None of the tracks identify in the song title that they're remixes... so if you buy them through iTunes, it's easy to get them confused with the original album cuts unless you pay attention to the "Album" column. Kind of annoying, especially when playing them on your iPod.

Kind of a weird complaint... think I might have too much time on my hands? ;)

Anyhow, there's the latest on Iio... check out the remixes and let me know what ya think.

Later!
Jade

NIKI HARIS: New Face (and Voice!) of VISA

Hey hey, everybody...

You know, it's not often that a dance artist gets an endorsement deal. I mean really, do you expect to see Kristine W hawking Reebok sneakers anytime soon?? Or Lucas Prata for Vitamin Water?? Don't think so ;)

But interestingly enough, one of the dance world's most important names is now the new face (and voice) of VISA credit cards. Her name is Niki Haris, but dance fans know her best as one of Madonna's long-time friends and back-up singers. She worked with Madonna from the late '80s through the 2001 "Drowned World Tour," as a backup singer/dancer in albums and live shows. She was also one of her Madgesty's closest friends, as you can see in the early '90s documentary Truth or Dare, the famous flick that followed Madonna's "Blond Ambition World Tour."




Now, rumor has it that the two had something of a "falling out" after all their years of working together... which is why Niki was NOT involved with Madonna's two most recent tours: 2003's "Re-invention" and 2005's "Confessions." But fear not, fans... Niki has been keeping herself busy... and paid! :) She makes her own original music, in genres ranging from disco/dance to jazz and gospel. Snap! fans might recall her as the voice behind the hit "Do You See the Light?"


And her last dance single (L.E.X. featuring Niki Harris, "Let Me Hear the Music") peaked at #3 on the Billboard Dance Club Play charts last fall. Click the iTunes link to check it out:


Well anyway, she's got a new project now... check out her new VISA commercial below:




But wait... it gets better!

The song, "Downtown" (a pretty familiar song - hasn't it been covered by just about everyong at some point in their career?? ;) ) has just been released as Niki's next single this summer. Click below to check out the version available now:


Stay tuned, cause remixes are on the way... Should be neat to hear how it sounds when it's mixed for the clubs. Especially since we know that Eddie X will be producing a Jungle Remix for it. Hmm!!

Should be interesting... and also gives hope to other dance artists that they might be able to finagle some mainstream commercial deals!

What's next... Ultra Nate for Mastercard?

Damn, bitch... it's ON!

Haha.

Later,
JOHNNY

Video Premiere: ADAM BARTA "I Wanna Hold You"

Hey guys!

You might remember that a while back we introduced you to a new Divo on the scene: Adam Barta.

Anyway, his single "I Wanna Hold You" just premiered on MTV's LOGO network, and we've got it for you below! Check it out:



What I really like about the video is how he leaves with the guy AND the girl... it's presented in an ambiguous way, but I like to pretend that he's going home with both of them ;) Is that wrong? What can I say, after having to sit through a MILLION rap videos where the guy has his arms slung around two chicks (suuuuch a male fantasy), it's nice to see a provocative video that plays around with the rules of the menage a trois. YEAH for liberal sexual politics! Woot!

Can you tell I'm excited for the weekend? ;)

It's a beautiful day in Boston... hope you're all having a great one, too. Enjoy the vid!

Bye for now,
JADE

Clubbing in SWITZERLAND - crazy Euros!

Hey everybody,

So I spent last week in the city of Lucerne, Switzerland... it's an amazing, historic and beautiful tourist town, but not a real clubbing place. Ibiza it's not!

Still, it's been a while since I was last overseas, and being in Switzerland reminded me of how different the dance music scene is over there. It was so amazing to hear dance music everywhere - it's their pop music! In taxis, in stores, on the radio, on television, in restaurants, in hotel lobbies, in buses... in places where they would NEVER play dance music here. Of course, since it so rarely gets played ANYwhere, that's not saying much ;)

I didn't have much time to get out and sample the nightlife, but my hotel did happen to be directly across the street from one place... THE LOFT. I had to check it out, even though it meant I'd be heading over solo. Still, I had to see how a small European city in the middle of Switzerland parties!




It was a fairly small place: two bars, a dance floor and an upstairs catwalk that overlooked the whole area. Not much in the way of lighting or decor... mainly a huge disco ball, some traditional club lighting effects (nothing special) and these weird plant-looking things that hung down from the ceiling... they looked like the fake plastic seaweed you put in a goldfish bowl... ha

The place was okay, but what really impressed me was the crowd. It is just so amazing how it differs from The States. Literally EVERYONE in the place was dancing: guys, girls, black, white, gay, straight... it was awesome. Half the time, Boston clubs have about 25% of the crowd dancing, and 75% hanging back against the bar, tapping their toes like its a junior high Sadie Hawkins dance. I mean, WTF?

Not only that, but they danced WELL. Look, I like to think I know how to move... luckily, I missed the dancing-deficiency gene that usually accompanies the Y chromosome. But it was amazing to see so many people (especially guys!) who danced with bona fide steps, choreography, and like, thought! None just senseless bumping and grinding; people danced with intent, and with something in mind. And even the people (again, usually the guys!) who sucked... well, they danced anyway and even if they sucked, they sucked enthusiastically!

Anyway, it got me thinking... why IS it that Europeans treat dance music with so much respect? In the US it's the bastard child of the music industry... always getting the short end of the stick, lacking radio play, and getting scoffed at. What do you think explains the cultural difference?

I've got my own theories, but I'll wait to hear yours ;)

Talk to me, peoples!

JOHNNY

Live Concert Review: NELLY FURTADO in Boston!

Hey all!

I went to see Nelly Furtado the other night at Agganis Arena in Boston... Agganis is the performance center at Boston University, so it's one of the area's mid-sized venues. But it was perfect for Nelly!




I've looooved Ms. Furtado ever since her "Woah.. Nelly" days, when she came across as a barefoot, world-music hippie chick. It took me a while to warm up to her "new persona" when the album "Loose" came out. Like the rest of the world, I loved "Promiscuous," but I was also kind of suspicious... I was nervous she was "selling out" and losing her own sound just to get mainstream radio play. I mean after all, it barely seems that ANYone gets played on the radio now unless they have a guest rapper on their track. Am I right??


Aaanyway... once I got my hands on the actual album I felt much better. It's actually consistent with her earlier stuff, in that she once again takes her own sound and combines it with a specific genre... "Whoa... Nelly" combined her sound with pop and trip-hop... "Folk-Lore" (still my fave album from her!) combined it with folk music... and now "Loose" combines it with hip hop and a healthy dose of 80s new wave.

You've got to love the girl's style, and the fact that she's a credible musician who writes, produces, and plays most of her own music. PLUS, she's got an awesome voice... even though it can sound kind of nasally and pip-squeaky on her albums (sssh! you didn't hear me say that! :) ) the chick can BELT live.



Anyway, the show was amazing... after a brief introduction from the "Loose" track "Afraid," she opened the show with her last #1: "Say it Right." Then it was straight into my favorite performance of the night, "Turn off the Light." She was energetic, spunky, and on-point... though I have to say, her dancers were only OK. Of course, the dancers aren't really what a Nelly Furtado concert is about!

The show did slow down for a bit during a big ballad section, which I loved as a long time fan. It gave a chance to hear some non-singles, and it made me love her even more that - despite her recent success in the "hip hop crossover" world - she wasn't ready to forsake her own image. Although... the remixed version of "I'm Like a Bird" she performed kind of got on my nerves. That could have been such a "group singalong" moment in its original form! :-/

Here's the full set list from the show:

"Afraid" (intro)
"Say It Right"
"Turn off the Light"
"Powerless (Say What You Want)"
"Do It"
"Showtime" (slow version)
"Crazy" (Gnarls Barkley cover)
"In God's Hands"
"Try"
"All Good Things (Come to an End)" (featuring Reamonn)
"SexyBack" (Justin Timberlake cover performed by the band)
"Give It to Me" (featuring Saukrates)
"I'm Like a Bird (Remix)"
"Glow/Heart Of Glass"
"Força"
"Promiscuous" (featuring Saukrates)
Encore:
"Party/Baby Girl"
"No Hay Igual"
"Maneater"

Below is my video of the grand finale: "Maneater"

Enjoy! ;)

JADE

Revealed: Alternate video for Madonna's "Get Together

Hey guys,

We love digging up fun treasures for dance music fans, so here's a little treat: the original version of the music video for Madonna's "Get Together," (a #1 Billboard Club hit, Grammy nominated song... AND DIVA DIVO's selection for "Greatest Dance Song of the 2000s").

The animated video was created by production team Logan, using clips from Madonna's live performance at London's Koko Club. Both versions are in the same style, though the original version seems to vary much more in color and animation technique. The final version is like one long - but consistent - head trip.



So here it is... the original version! And for your compare/contrasting pleasure, I've linked to the final version after it. Which one do you guys prefer?

Click for original version:
Mad-Eyes, your ultimate Madonna fansite: Music videos: Get Together (Alternative Version)

Final version:


And can you guess mine? :)

Later,
JOHNNY