Free Song: ANANDA PROJECT "Where the Music Takes You"

Hey kiddies,

Everyone loves free stuff, and we've got another comp'd download for you: "Where the Music Takes You" by Ananda Project.



The track is from Night Blossom, Ananda Project's upcoming double-disc album. It won't be out until April 15, but we have this select track just for DIVA DIVO readers. Give it a listen!

Ananda_Project-WheretheMusicTakesYou.mp3

FYI, Ananda Project is the brainchild of Atlanta DJ Chris Brann... the same svengali behind Wamdue Project. Remember their huge one, "King of My Castle"? That was one of my jams back in... God, 2001 maybe?

Back with some more cool news tomorrow, but wanted to share this freebie with you, lovely readers. Enjoy!!

JOHNNY

PS. Don't forget, Democratic Primary debates are on MSNBC tonight from 9-10:30pm. Stay informed, and rock the vote... or uh... put some BEAT to the BALLOTS. Yeah, I like that ;)

6th Annual Club World Awards - NOMINEES

Hey all,

Winter Music Conference is just around the corner, and with the usual spate of events come the announcement of The 6th Annual Club World Awards. The winners will be announced at the ceremony on March 26 at SET in Miami.

Because the awards are sponsored by Club World magazine, most of the categories are about the aesthetic or technical qualities of actual venues. But there are a few "artist" driven categories that might be of interest to you guys... especially since a few of those artists are some of our very own 2007 DIVAs and DIVOs from this site!



Here are a few of the categories and nominees:

Best Resident DJ

Boris, Pacha, New York
DJ Vice, LAX, Las Vegas
Kaskade, Smart Bar, Chicago
Louie Vega, Cielo, New York
Richie Santana, Deko Lounge, Sayreville, N.J.


Kaskade, "Resident DJ" nominee and October '07 DIVO.

Both Kaskade and Louie Vega are past 2007 DIVOs (October and June, respectively)... but I haven't been able to check out either of them at their actual residencies. Without seeing how they react to the home team advantage, I just don't feel comfortable choosing a personal winner here ;)



Club Banger Of The Year
(click to hear previews in iTunes)

Deadmau5, "Not Exactly" (mau5trap)
Dubfire, "Roadkill" (Toolroom U.K.)
Mark Knight & D Ramirez, "Colombian Soul" (Toolroom Trax U.K.)
Fedde Le Grand, "Put Your Hands Up For Detroit" (Ultra)
Samim, "Heater" (Get Physical Germany)
Sander Van Doorn, "The Riff" (Ultra)

Dubfire may have been our May '07 DIVO of the month, but I can't give him my nod here. Toss Fedde Le Grand out the window, because any song that name-checks cities needs to go away. In mulling the other few, I'm torn between the unique, cross-cultural (and accordion!) appeal of Samim "Heater," and the passion of Deadmau5. In the end, I lean slightly toward the latter. But it's a close one!

Club Anthem Of The Year
(click to hear preview in iTunes)

Axwell feat. Charles Salter, "I Found U" (Remode mix) (Axtone/Vendetta/Ultra)
David Guetta feat. Chris Willis, "Love Is Gone" (Perfecto/Ultra)
Enur feat. Natasja, "Calabria 2007" (Ultra)
Justice, "D.A.N.C.E." (MSTRKRFT mix) (Ed Banger/Because/Downtown/Vice)
Ralph Falcon feat. Victoria Wilson James, "I Need Someone" (Nervous)
Samantha James, "Rise" (Eric Kupper mix) (OM)


Samantha James, "Anthem" nominee and October '07 DIVA.

Here come two (no, three!) more of our '07 artists: October's DIVA of the Month, Samantha James... and the double punch of David Guetta (November DIVO) with Chris Willis (August DIVO).

Now, not to brag, but are these nominations teaching you that we REALLY know how to pick 'em? ;)

Anyway, both "Love is Gone" and "Rise" would be my top picks even without any bias. I don't get the big deal with Falcon's hit (does not warrant "Anthem" to me!). And "I Found U", "D.A.N.C.E." and (especially) "Calabria" got overplayed into oblivion.

While I like "Love is Gone," it's not the strongest work we've seen from the Guetta/Willis combo. The follow-up single from Pop Life, "Baby When the Light," is way better.

So I give my nod to Samantha James. "Rise" has yet to get old!

Who are YOUR winners??
JOHNNY

New DONNA SUMMER: "I'm a Fire"

Hey all,

Check this out! The dance world's original DIVA Donna Summer is back!

The Queen of Disco is back with a new album - titled Crayons - to be released in May. This will be her FIRST studio album in 17 years!!


Donna Summer in the big hair/big hit era.

The first single, "Stamp Your Feet," should be sent to radio next month... but there's already a club-only single that's making the rounds as a preview for Donna's dance floor contingency. It's called "I'm a Fire," and we've got it for you right here!!

Check it out:
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allowfullscreen="true"
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>Here are a few other song titles rumored for the album:

"Be Myself Again"
"Brazil"
"Mr.Music"
"Unpredictable"
"I Will"
"Reasons"
"Crayons"

Exciting!
JADE

PS. Thanks to a special fan for sending the music our way! ;)

JOE BERMUDEZ reports from the GRAMMY awards!

Hey kids,

Hope you all had an awesome weekend.

Something kinda cool for you today: Boston DJ, renowned globe-trotter, super cutie and your #2 DIVO OF THE YEAR Joe Bermudez has checked in with us to give a first-person glimpse at his experience at the Grammy Awards. He was on hand to see the Academy award Justin Timberlake "Best Dance Recording" for "Lovestoned/I Think She Knows" (lame) and The Chemical Brothers "Best Electronic/Dance Album" for "We Are the Night," (also lame, but only because Tiesto's "Elements of Life" was nominated in the same category.

NOT lame was Bermudez' experience last weekend, where he got to mix and mingle with everyone from Janet Jackson to Robyn. Ah, to be young and fabulous ;)

Okay, bitter jealousy aside - here's Bermudez reflecting on his time at the show :)


Bermudez walking the red carpet!

JOE BERMUDEZ:
So, I decided to check out the Grammys this year. It was the 50th anniversary so I figured they would pull out all the stops and it would be nice to be there front and center for it.

I arrived in LA late Wednesday night and by the time I checked in, I just crashed out. I wanted to be well rested for the party I was DJing the following day... for none other than Janet Jackson. At the party, I got to play some really sexy, dark, progressive electro. (To give you an idea, Miss Jackson walked in as I was playing the Henrik B mix of Angello & Ingrosso's "Umbrella"). The party was hosted by Perez Hilton and was a great time.

Friday, I just did some meetings around town and picked up my friend Andrew from the airport. Saturday, we ventured down to the Staples Center to pick up our tickets. It was a little bit of a mess and no one had any idea where we should go so we wandered aimlessly including right into the celebrity gifting tent... where I got to finally play Rock Band... and check out all the swag that was being given out.

After waiting in line for an hour, we finally got our tickets and headed into Hollywood to check out Robyn perform. She was great. I hadn't seen her in 10 years and the new album is filled with hits. Once the show was done, we stopped by Raw to check out Manny Lehman lay down some serious tribal for a bit.

Sunday was the big day. I got all dressed up in my tux and we headed back down to the Staples Center. Once we finally passed through the airport style security, we smchoozed for a bit, then took our seats. The show was great. I never thought I would get to see Jerry Lee Lewis or Little Richard perform. It was a nice surprise. Tina Turner, Alica Keys, and Carrie Underwood were all great too. I was a little disappointed that the Foo Fighters performed outside, though. They were the one band I was excited to see and we were stuck watching them on TV from inside the venue.

When the show was done, we headed over to the after-party where we took full advantage of the open bar and complimentary food. We might have over done it a little bit on the Fiji Apple Tarts, but they were SO good. We stayed for a bit and saw Natasha Bedingfield and Cyndi Lauper perform before we snuck out to see Dirty South rip it up at Elevate. His set was one of the better ones I've seen lately and kept us going into the wee hours of the morning. When he finished up, Shiny Toy Guns took over the decks and started to rock it, but after a long day I needed some shut eye.

Monday, I was back to doing meetings and then decided to check out Nic Fanciulli at the Monday Night Social. It was another great night of music with lots of local DJ/Producers in attendance such as Chris Cox, Trent Cantrelle, and more. Tuesday, I packed up all of my swag and headed back to Boston. Overall, it was a great trip and I am glad that I went! :)

Hey Joe... next time, send a postcard! ;)

Love,
JADE

STATIC REVENGER: Free downloads, including Britney's wedding song!

Hey lovebirds,
Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day yesterday... if you've got a special sweetie you shared it with... lucky! Haha. Actually, nix that idea... I've come to learn that Valentine's Day can be equally (or more!) fun when you're stag. I know some of the bachelorettes out there will vouch for me on that one ;)

Anyhow, here's two new free downloads for you in celebration of V-Day: two tracks from the upcoming album "Love Song Surprise" by Static Revenger. You should already know Static as one of the biggest DJs and producers out there, as well as one member of the dance music collective DJs are Alive... the electronic band comprised of Static with Scumfrog, D:Fuse, DJ Skribble and Kristine W.


Static, pensive.

Static calls "Love Song Surprise" a collection of "unapologetic downtempo for the romantically impaired." Ha! Sounds right up my alley. And check it out: one of the songs from the album - "Sweetest Day" - is the very song that Miss Britney Spears personally chose for her wedding to K-Fed. And, uh, if there's anyone who knows a thing or two about being romantically impaired, it's Brit. :-p

Check both of these out - you're gonna like 'em!



Satellite.mp3
SweetestDay.mp3

"Love Song Surprise" comes out digitally on April 15, and physically on May 6.

Enjoy, and may your own romance be a little bit more successful than Brit's ;)

JADE

Q&A with AMBER

Hey guys,

Following up on our debut of the video yesterday, we've got an exclusive Q&A with Amber about her "This is Your Night 2008" re-release. Read on for her words about the video, her future releases, and her choice for President... of the dance floor, that is !

DIVA DIVO: After watching the video and seeing all the different facial expressions, dance moves, etc., I couldn't help but think... DAMN! How many takes did she have to do? Haha. Do you recall how many takes it took to put the whole video together?

AMBER: Hahaha. Well, I shot the video myself as an indie label. Our budgets are strictly limited but I wanted to have a viral tool that I can work with, so I thought long and hard, "how I can make this happen...?"

I talked to editor Rob Graydon about the concept that I thought of and if he could help me with cutting it together.

I taped it about 35 times in a row. If people would have heard and seen the process... they would have thought that I officially went nuts now ;)


DIVA DIVO: This version of "This is Your Night" incorporates some new vocal elements and inflections. Were you ever nervous that fans would miss certain parts of a favorite "sing along" song?

AMBER: Not really. When I heard this version, it clicked with me right away. I wanted to update it, but then again not stray too much from the original vocals. So I think we found a good medium to freshen it up and make a solid 2008 version.

And for the people that really do "miss" that part... we still have the Showmix...

DIVA DIVO: TWO additional new releases are planned for this year. Can you give us a hint as to what to expect? Will they also be re-released classics?

AMBER: Well, we are currently working on the production of the 2nd release, which will be a collaboration. The 3rd single was taped in the very beginning of this year when I was in Germany. That is how much I will give away... now stop being so nosy! ;)

DIVA DIVO: Was it fun to relive the creation of this song?

AMBER: It was the beginning of it all in regard to my commercial success... I kept hearing the complaints from fans about it not being available anymore, people looking for it all over, and also saw the hits and comments it kept receiving on my Youtube account. So I thought that it would be a great idea to re release it.

DIVA DIVO: The nostalgia factor" will play a big role in the excitement over this single. The 1996 original was a huge hit back in the Clinton years. So now, the obligatory political question!: Now that "This is Your Night" has come full circle and back again... is it time for the a certain Clinton to do the same? ;)

AMBER: Hahaha. Well, one thing is for sure... we will have a Democrat president for the next term and personally, I am not settled on which of those two it should be. There is something to say for Hillary with her experience and coming in with Bill (because we all know that he comes with the package on the low), and also for having a brand new view with more unconventional and unspoiled outlooks in office...

One thing is for sure... this country needs some serious help, and especially long term vision, on key issues such as alternative energy, education, international diplomacy and health care.
The best thing would be if they both could come together and take on the above issues strongly.

But when it comes down to who I would like to see rock out to the new version of "This is your Night 2008," it would visually definitely be Barack... hahaha. I think that he could put a better move on it...!

I don't know about that, Amber... I could totally see Hillary busting a move to "Sexual!"

There you have it, more insight from the legend... if you haven't already, give "This is Your Night 2008" a listen!

JOHNNY

Here it is... AMBER "THIS IS YOUR NIGHT 2008"!

Tuesdays are always a drag for me... luckily, Amber has spiced that up by releasing her hotly anticipated new single... "This is Your Night 2008!"

Re-recorded and remixed by Pathos V2, this new version of "This is Your Night" is a reeaaaaally pleasant surprise. I have to be honest, when I First heard of plans to re-release this song, I wasn't so sure about its prospects. The 1996 original has become a modern dance classic, and most of us associate it with fond, nostalgic memories. Why mess with a good thing?

I'll let you all judge for yourself, but I gotta give big props to Pathos V2 for the remix work. He updates the original's simple, dance-pop ditty sound with a more energetic assault of trance beats. And Amber, while smart enough not to mess with the original structure of the song, introduces a few new vocal elements. For starters, the "da-ba-da-ba-da" scat is gone, replaced with a new series of inflections. There are a few other surprises, too. But the biggest one is how GOOD this 2008 update is! It works on two levels: on one hand, it functions as a great dance song on its own. On the other, the production and Amber's vocal delivery manage to make it sound like a "tribute" to the original.

Oh, and one of my favorite parts is towards the end. Amber lets loose with a "yea!" wail that is a trademark moment from one of her other hits: "Sexual."

Check out the video below, too. It's perfect for the song: simple but effective, perfect as an entertaining background clip at video bars and nightclubs.

Check out the video below, and CLICK HERE to buy "This is Your Night 2008" via iTunes!



JOHNNY

9 from the '90s!

Hey kids,

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

This weekend I hit up one of my favorite bar nights... "My So Called '90s Night" at Boston's Common Ground. Every weekend, the DJ spins "classic" (ahhh! I'm old!) '90s music.... and while it's not all dance-oriented (who can leave out Nirvana, Oasis, and Tupac when you're talking about the '90s?) there are always a lot of dance songs mixed in... because lest we forget, back in the '90s you heard that stuff on the radio all the time!

Anyway, it made me pretty nostalgic. So I thought I'd go back and pluck out 9 of my favorite dance songs from that decade of my teenage years... haha. Bear in mind I limited myself to ONE song per artist, otherwise you would have Amber dominating the list ;) And I also stuck to the Euro-dance classics that you heard on the radio... since those were the defining songs of my youth, and the songs that originally got me excited about dance music!

#9 - Crystal Waters "100% Pure Love" (1994)


Man, you know it's the '90s when a classic House track like this is getting heavy radio play. Crystal is still singing today, having most recently loaned her pipes to Alex Gaudino's "Destination Calabria." But "100% Pure Love" definitely remains her signature song and her biggest hit: #11 on the Billboard Hot 100! (Better than 100 ;) )

#8 - Corona "The Rhythm of the Night" (1995)



Although the Italian music project Corona originally released this single in 1993, it wasn't until '95 that it finally caught on in the US. But when it hit, it hit hard! "Rhythm" shook it's way up to #11 on the Hot 100. Olga Souza, an Afro-Brazilian "singer," was the face and supposed vocalist for the band. It would later come out that she was merely a lip syncher for the real vocalist! This would become somewhat of a trend with a lot of these mid-90s Eurodance acts ;) Doesn't change the fact that it was still a great song!

Corona also had a follow-up song: "Baby Baby," which peaked at #57 on the Hot 100.

#7 - Haddaway "What is Love" (1993)


Okay, thanks to Saturday Night Live's "A Night at the Roxbury," this song has become somewhat of an ironic joke of itself. But lest we forget it's former glory, before it was a punchline it was an awesome mid-90s hit! Haddaway was a Trinidadian singer who was one of the few solo DIVOS of the decade. This was his biggest hit, which reached #11 (okay I'm noticing a peculiar trend here) on the Billboard charts.

There was a follow-up single, "Life," which was just as good but not as successful: only hit #41.

#6 - Angelina "Release Me" (1996)



House wasn't the only dance genre that got decent attention in the '90s. So did Freestyle! One of the biggest DIVAS of that sound was Angelina, and "Release Me" was one of her best songs. That thumping beat, that sucking vaccuum sound that sounds like modern Mirwais... it was all there back in '96. And I loved it!

Angelina released three freestyle dance albums before becoming part of the hip hop trio New Ridaz.

#5 - La Bouche "Be My Lover" (1995)


"La da da dee da da da da..."
Oh, Melanie Thornton. What a voice! This major Diva led the duo La Bouche (alongside her male partner Lane McCray) to international success with this infection Euro song that hit #6 on the charts!

The German duo released several other singles, including "Sweet Dreams" (#13) and "You Won't Forget Me" (#48). Unfortunately, Thornton died in a plane crash in 2001 when promoting her debut solo album... ironically and poignantly titled "Ready to Fly." McCray continues to perform as La Bouche on occasion, with singer Dana Rayne "("Object of My Desire") frequently filling in for Thornton's vocal part.

#4 - Fun Factory "Close to You"


This was one of favorite songs of the entire decade, hands-down. Though it only hit #46 on the charts, I felt like I could never get away from this high-energy House track from a German group. This is one of those forgotten gems, but it's worth rediscovering! You might also remember their reggae influenced hit "I Wanna B with U" (#45).

Two other singles had so-so success: "Celebration" (#88) and "Don't Go Away" (#93) following that same reggae/calypso formula. But it was the high-energy sound of "Close to You" that will forever be near to my heart ;)

#3 - Amber "This is Your Night" (1996)


Oh please, Amber is SUCH a familiar face to readers of this site that we won't bother to rehash ALL the hits that she had throughout the '90s and early '00s. You can just read our very first DIVA article to remember all those! But needless to say, her very first hit holds a special place in our heart for introducing us to one of dance music's biggest, best voices. And don't forget, TOMORROW we hear the rerelease of this classic hit, "This is Your Night - 2008!"

#2 - Culture Beat "Mr. Vain" (1993)


Another forgotten gem, and one of my favorites... this high-NRG Euro pop song pounds away like a beating rain. It perfectly encapsulates the wailing diva/tough-guy rapper sound that typified so many of these songs. It was the German group's only hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 (#17) but it was a big one that remains one of the best examples of the '90s dance sound. Totally ferocious!

#1 - Real McCoy "Another Night" (1993)


Okay, this was THE song that got me into dance music. During my junior high days, this song was inescapable! I used to beg my mother to take me to the record store (before iTunes, junior, we had to walk eight miles in the snow - uphill! - to buy a CD) every week just so I could see if the album was out.

"Another Night" peaked at #3 in the US. This was a bona fide smash (not to mention the soundtrack to so many dances in the school cafeteria ;) )... but here's the little known trivia. Once again, we had a lip syncher on our hands! "Singer" Patsy was just the face for another woman who actually did the vocals. But as for the leader of the group, German rapper/producer/DJ O-Jay... he was the real mccoy, indeed ;)

Oh, memories!

Hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane! There are sooooo many more songs that come to mind. I have a feeling we'll have the chance to get to them very soon on the site, though ;)

Talk to you tomorrow - oh, and fear not - we're just days away from announcing this month's DIVA and DIVO of the month!

JOHNNY

Sneak Listen: MIGUEL MIGS "Those Things Remixed"

Hey all,

Okay, time for our last post from San Francisco before we head back to the East Coast.

So a few days back we checked out a fairly new venue in San Fran, The Mighty. It was a pretty neat space, pretty laid back. We were there to check out Julius Papp and Miguel Migs, two of my favorite DJs in the vein of soulful, funk House music.

We got there kind of late and only cuaght the tail end of Papp, but it was awesome nonetheless. Then Miguel totally blew us away! LOVED loved loved his stuff.


San Francisco based DJ, Miguel Migs

Migs is preparing to promote his new album, "Those Things Remixed." This record revisits his 2007 album "Those Things" (Click Here to read our review from last year!) and might be an improvement on an already good thing.

SOOOooo without further ado, here's what we promised: A sneak listen at the first three tracks from "Those Things Remixed," which won't be released until mid-April! (You're welcome ;) )



Enjoy! We're off to Boston now. Be checking back in tomorrow!

Ta-ta, San Fran,
JOHNNY

FREE Advance Download: OM's San Francisco Sessions!

Hey ladies and gents,

Sorry it's been a while since we last posted, but San Fran has had us all over the place. Just about time to head back to Boston, but a few more posts about the Rice-a-Roni capital of America! (Probably not the distinction they'd put on a stamp, but y'know... ;) )

One landmark San Francisco institution to be VERY proud of is the OM Records label. Not only is OM one of the heavyhitters in electronic music, but they pretty much own the scene on that trademark, chill house sound that has become such a major force over the last five years.

This is the label where Kaskade got his start... behind the scenes, as part of the office staff. No wonder it's currently home to some of the biggest, like Colette (your #3 DIVA OF THE YEAR!), Samantha James (November '07 DIVA of the month), Chuck Love, DJ Heather, Mark Farina, Greenskeepers and more.

Well, pretty sweet news (and a free download) straight from the OM office. Hot on the heels of Masterbeat, which launched last month as the latest - and seemingly greatest - download site exclusively for your dance music shopping needs, OM has now launched its own online store! Long before iTunes gets it (they take weeks of lead time to add songs), OM will be able to offer fans new releases straight from the label.



To celebrate, OM is giving DIVA DIVO readers a free download from one of their upcoming compilations: San Francisco Sessions 6!

This won't be available anywhere until February 19, so thanks to OM for giving our readers another exclusive.



We've already heard the full compilation, and rest assured that you're getting one of the highlights as the freebie:

Olivier Desmet & Oriental Funk Stew - "Hot on your Trail".mp3

Enjoy! See, this is why you have to love any record label that has video games in their front office ;)

JOHNNY