STS Top 100 Tracks of 2011: 31-40
FINALLY we have made our way into the top 50 (predominantly progressive house) tracks of 2011. Thanks for being patient with me, a 100-track breakdown of 2011 isn’t exactly the easiest task. Hopefully we’re be on similar wavelengths as we advance into anthem territory. In case you’re just tuning in, here is the criteria for the top 100.
STS Top Tracks of 2011: 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, 71-80, 81-90, 91-100
#40 Kaskade – Eyes feat. Mindy Gledhill (Extended Mix)
“Eyes” is definitely the most romantic track of the year and is something that exposes a soft spot inside of everyone. What a year for Ryan Raddon aka Kaskade, the mormon who makes $200,000 a show, doesn’t drink, has two kids, and makes a borderline pop album that nobody can hate on. The reason why albums are so difficult to pull off is because it forces most of these artists to experiment with other subgenres in order to make things interesting and not have every track be their same signature style. In other words, you want the album to sell so you want to show range and continuity at the same time. Kaskade did a great job in covering other subgenres that worked for him but he also was able to show range with his style. “Eyes” however, epitomizes Kaskade’s rich signature sound with divine vocals from Mindy Glehill (from “All That You Give”) and the sumptuous play of dreamy chords. Kaskade is indeed one of the best performers I’ve seen this year, it’s like tasting chocolate for the first time.
Kaskade – Eyes feat. Mindy Gledhill (Extended Mix) (Purchase on Beatport)
Kaskade was a legitimate top 5 set of 2011 when saw him headline Identity festival in Clarkston, MI. Probably one of the best setups of the entire tour, just look at it!
#39 Adam K & Funkagenda – Drift (Original Club Mix)
Even though this track was released through Mark Knight’s prestigious Toolroom Records, this is not a tech bomb! Assembled by some of the most versatile and underrated architects in EDM, Adam K and Funkagenda, “Drift” is the closest thing to Deadmau5′s legendary “Strobe” without actually copying it. This progressive masterpiece features an incisive chord progression coupled with faint shrills that build and build into a smoothened melodic drop that still packs a punch. Overall, it’s a track that a noobski ravebaby can still appreciate, just like “Strobe”!
Funkagenda & Adam K – Drift (Original Club Mix) Purchase on Beatport
#38 Hard Rock Sofa & St. Brothers – Blow Up (Axwell vs. Thomas Gold Remix)
At first I didn’t get what was so hot about this track when it released at the end of January. I was actually a bigger fan of the Australians Hook N Sling & Goodwill’s remix, which also deserves recognition. I knew how legendary Axwell is and how talented Thomas Gold is with his productions “AGORa” and “Marsch Marsch”, but at the the time I thought the mix was a bit dull. This of course was coming from my broke and puny MacBook Pro speakers. So then I went to go see Axwell live at Bleu Nightclub in Detroit, where was I completely taken back by the brute force and atmosphere of his rendering to “Blow Up”. With its gloomy chords, alarming sirens and hair-raising drop, this dark track builds any set into an epic night. BLOW UP.
Hard Rock Sofa & St. Brothers – Blow Up (Thomas Gold vs. Axwell Remix) (Purchase on Beatport)
Hard Rock Sofa & St. Brothers – Blow Up (Hook N Sling & Goodwill Remix)
You must check out this mash-up: Hardwell vs. Axwell & Thomas Gold vs. Temper Trap – Blow Up Sweet Boy (Andrew & Romain G Bootleg)
#37 Bingo Players – Rattle (Original Mix)
2011 has been a great year for the Bingo Players, a Dutch duo who knows how to get any bipedal individual up on their feet. Some of their 2011 dancefloor arsenal includes a collaboration with Nicky Romero “Sliced”, a remix to Sander Van Doorn’s “Koko”, their summer anthem “Cry (Just A Little Bit),” and their biggest tune “Rattle”. Similar to Deniz Koyu’s “Tung!”, this is one of those tracks that immediately sets the tone and ignites the energy early on in a set. I remember seeing The Mid’s resident DJ Nathan Scott (who was opening up for Alesso) play a great tech house set and then close with “Rattle” to get the crowd amped up for an epic night. With its animated horn lead and bouncy bassline, this is a track you need to hear live! I also had the chance to see the Bingo Players live at Sound Bar in Chicago where they downright destroyed the dancefloor with this unknown track at the time. Just when I thought their 2011 tear was finished, they dropped “Mode” in early December, which features a vampish tone embodying the Bingo Players’ unique style.
Bingo Players – Rattle (Original Mix) Purchase on Beatport
#36 Red Hot Chili Peppers – Otherside (Third Party Remix)
Okay so this hasn’t even released yet and I assume it will drop sometime in early 2012 along with Tim Mason’s stellar remix. But I firmly believe that this deserves to be the top 50 since it first appeared in early September at Electric Zoo. It was the most sought-after track after Zoo, as people were scrambling to find poorly converted radio and set clips that were ripped into 320 kbps quality. I will never forget everyone’s reaction during Tiesto’s blistering closing set Friday night at the Zoo. Dropping the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Otherside” during mid-set is making a statement but when Tiesto revealed this uncharted progressive remix, the heartening drop evoked reactions of bliss and exhilaration all at the same time. Even in a club setting, I observed the same reaction when Dirty South dropped it during his legendary afterparty set at Pacha NYC.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Otherside (Third Party Remix)
#35 Avicii vs. Kings of Leon – Abow vs. Sex On Fire (Acappella) (Avicii’s Bootleg)
Okay, so if you haven’t noticed I didn’t want to include bootlegs on here because it complicates things. It’s also because bootlegs usually don’t blow up as much as officially released original productions and remixes. However, we’re talking about Avicii. A bootleg to Avicii is just another way of saying “Ehh I’m too lazy to officially release it, but here’s some fuego in the meantime.” “Drowning”, “ID”, and “Penguin” weren’t the only sensational Swedish imports from Avicii’s mythical Essential Mix of December ’10. ”Abow” is another example of why I think Avicii should go more dark since I feel that his upcoming tracks are all sounding too similar (ID2 (Instrumental Version), ID w/Nicky Romero, ID (Just Gotta Hold On), Dancing In My Head feat. Eric Turner (Avicii’s ‘Been Cursed’ Mix)). Starting with an immersing chord progression and some spooky echos, Anthony Followill’s melancholy vocals perfectly set up the most emotionally charging drop I’ve ever heard from Avicii.
Avicii vs. Kings Of Leon – Abow vs. Sex On Fire (Acappella) (Avicii’s Bootleg)
#34 Axwell – Heart Is King (Original Mix)
Drawing upon elements from classic rock and Daft Punk, Swedish House Mafia member Axwell gives us a track not for our muffled iPod earphones but rather for the biggest of stages. Released through his own imprint Axtone, Axwell engineers a pulsating bassline that mimics a steady heartbeat and an epic atmosphere that can collectively be described none other as Stadium House music. Does anyone else think that this track needs a good remix by Alesso or Thomas Gold?
Axwell – Heart Is King (Original Mix) Purchase on Beatport
#33 Adele – Set Fire To The Rain (Thomas Gold Remix)
What makes Thomas Gold my favorite producer/DJ of 2011 is his extremely detailed style in his productions and remixes. Usually after two or three months a track is dropped from my rotation, but with Thomas Gold it’s like I re-discover different elements of his tracks every month. I’ve re-discovered his best original production “AGORa” at least 10 different times since it dropped in early November 0f 2010 and it’s still very heavy in my rotation. When it comes to DJing, the German is an absolute barbarian on the tables and besides Swedish House Mafia’s set at Club MSG, Thomas Gold’s set (where Alesso opened for him) at the Mid in Chicago has been my favorite individual set of the year. I’ve never seen anyone juggle three decks so cleanly back and fourth besides Swedish House Mafia, again for obvious reasons (they have 6 hands).
When asked by Manhattan 2 Ibiza if he gets the same satisfaction from remixing as original productions here’s how Mr. Gold responded:
Thomas Gold: For me its about the approach, not the satisfaction. With a remix, you start from something that already exists. You have to take it from there in your own way, but the origin is something that already exists. With original productions, I’m totally free. I can use anything I like, whether it be a synth or kick drum, or any weird sound, and take it in any direction. When I’m in the studio, I try to treat any remix I’m working on like an original. To me, remixing is a real challenge. If I finish with a product that is not too far away from the original, but my your unique sound, it’s a success. With originals, it’s about expressing myself. It’s fun to have my own baby, a true “Thomas Gold Track” that is fresh.
Being the humble man that he is, he never expected this remix to get so big:
Thomas Gold: Yeah, I never expected the Adele track to be so big. She has such a great voice and is such a great singer. When I listened to original I was actually listening to the whole album at the time. When her people approached me and I got the remix request, I was SO excited but I thought it would be a really big challenge. For me it was important to keep the whole story and vibe of the track, not just put some drums around it.
Stemming from a reeling and rhythmic progression, Thomas Gold uses his classical music influence to fashion big chord structures for one of the most epic drops that features arguably one of the most talented vocalists of 2011 in Adele. In other words, Thomas Gold is a boss.
Adele – Set Fire To The Rain (Thomas Gold Remix)
#32 Nari & Milani – Kendo (Original Mix)
Hailing from Steve Angello’s Size headquarters, Italian duo Nari & Milani’s volatile weapon features a charging breakdown of bigroom synths and a bassline to the pounding sounds of acid. Championed by the likes of Sander Van Doorn (who opened with it at Electric Zoo), Swedish House Mafia (Masquerade Motel), and Tiesto (Tomorrowland), “Kendo” has been test-driven to massacre the biggest stages worldwide. Let’s not forget about the swag in this chant, “WE MAKE THE BASS AND BOY IT’S BANGIN‘!”
Nari & Milani – Kendo (Original Mix) Purchase on Beatport
Nari & Milani – Kendo (Steve Angello ‘Size Matters’ Edit)
Let’s also not forget Nari & Milani’s forthcoming follow-up to “Kendo” called “Atom”, which was first revealed during Swedish House Mafia’s set at Madison Square Garden and set to release on Size records.
Nari & Milani – Atom (Live from MSG)
#31 Tommy Trash – Future Folk (Original Mix)
Generating a formidable follow-up as to his breakout track “The End” seemed like a difficult task for Tommy Trash, but I really think he pulled it off. Released through Tiesto’s new imprint Musical Freedom, “Future Folk” picks up where “The End” left off at with a boisterous bagpipe lead and Trash’s signature cacophonous drop. From Hardwell’s electro-bigroom fusion to Dirty South’s emotionally driven progressive style, “Future Folk” has definitely has had its place in every big name set.
Tommy Trash – Future Folk (Original Mix) Purchase on Beatport
Here’s Hardwell dropping “Future Folk” during his scorching set at Electric Zoo:
STS Top Tracks of 2011: 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, 71-80, 81-90, 91-100
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