EXS - Sunshine (feat. Jason Jones)

It's not uncommon for drum & bass acts to revel in the summer months, with big commercial D&B anthems such as "Hot Right Now", "Out The Blue" and "Feel The Love" having gleefully soundtracked the last couple of festival summers, but rarely is a tune so blatant in its target audience, and indeed target season. UK electronic duo EXS team up with the gravelly voiced Jason Jones, another in a string of bluesy male vocalists to add to the Drum & Bass feature singer elite, to create something blissfully euphoric. Loosely channelling Bob Marley's famous "The sun is shining" refrain may seem like a cop-out chorus move, but any cynicism is lost midst the impossibly bright pads, breakneck beats and ethereal voice of Jason Jones, who goes through impressive runs as if he's training for a marathon.

FOR FANS OF: Rudimental, Sub Focus, DJ Fresh

Top 10 Tracks of April 2013. (FREE DOWNLOADS)

10
"Baby" feat. MNEK & Sinead Harnett
Rudimental

Rudimental's colourful debut admirably showcases their many trend-hopping sounds, and "Baby" is a particular highlight, its soulful 90s house twice as addictive for the delicious, flamboyant vocal of teen prodigy MNEK and the sweet, sultry tones of the reliable Sinead Harnett.

9
"That's the Way Love Goes" (Janet Jackson Cover/"MNEK Refix")
MNEK

2013 is surely MNEK's year, featuring multiple times on Rudimental's debut, on two of the record's best tracks, which owe no small debt to his strong presence and shamelessly camp vocal flourishes. Taking on a Janet Jackson track is surely a recipe for disaster for most artists, but MNEK somehow emulates and enhances the effortless groove of the original, replacing the breathless sexiness with an altogether more funky vibe, a heavy rhythm section led by a pounding bassline allowing MNEK to bring his trademark melodrama in full force.

8
"Kurt Cobain"
Amplify Dot

"Live Fast, Die Young like Kurt Cobain" goes the main hook of this slick hip hop number from UK female rapper newcomer Amplify Dot, and her cocky flow combined with a snake charmer synth and crushing kick drum provide a convincing case, as least for a Friday night.
PARTY TRACK OF THE WEEK 19/04/13.

7
"Jet Blue Jet" feat. Leftside, GTA, Razz & Biggy
Major Lazer

The crazy carnival vibe of Major Lazer's entire "Free The Universe" record is easily surmised by this crazy supernova of a tune. On "Jet Blue Jet", chopped up vocals ricochet off the walls, sirens screech and beats pound - as if we even needed reminding of the fact that in a cliquey worldwide underground dance scene, Major Lazer run the show.
PARTY TRACK OF THE WEEK 19/04/13.

6
"What I Like"
Charli XCX

Despite a slightly less immediate debut album than we could've hoped for - (I'm all for artistic integrity, but if Charli XCX wants to be on the same self-expressive, unfriendly-pop level as Grimes she shouldn't have tunes as mindnumbingly addictive as "You (Ha Ha Ha)" or "Nuclear Seasons") - Charli has thrown us another bone with latest single and album highlight "What I Like". More "London-Del-Rey" than ever, this is "Video Games" for the tumblr generation. "Your t-shirts on the floor, yea we're undressing in my house again" Charli carelessly murmers, and when she whispers "this shit is super cool", she's bizarrely convincing.

5
"Aftermath"
SZA

"I am made of bacon" is surely the most "did I just hear that right?" line ever heard in a song this pretty. Despite the smooth, gorgeous cloudlite vibes of the Glo'n'B production, there is a strange melancholy that the tastefully reserved SZA seems to withhold in this strange and beautiful track, which seems to be the polar opposite to the cool, razor sharp eerieness of "Ice Moon". Forceful on "Ice Moon" ("show me the way to your hiding place... go to church if you're scared"), here, SZA is infinitely more vulnerable and open, declaring "I want to be kidnapped". 

4
"White Noise"  (Disclosure Cover/"MNEK Refix") (Full Crate & FS Green Remix)
MNEK

Tearing it up on this infectious 90s-flecked remix of his rework/cover of Disclosure & AlunaGeorge's recent hit (description and a half no?), MNEK soulfully trills his way around this sexy, bright cover as the retro house beats go hard. Shivers moment? 3.44 as MNEK goes all Mariah Carey on the track, to euphoric effect.
PARTY TRACK OF THE WEEK 04/04/13.

3
"Glow"
IYES

GIVEPOPACHANCE SAID... "Taking from their peers The 1975 and Chvrches, the band mix euphoric electronic flourishes with an anthemic indie mindset." READ MORE.

2
"Hypolight"
Mt. Wolf

GIVEPOPACHANCE SAID... "...as pianos and guitars mingle in the background, it's a joy to hear a voice soar above the musical tapestry, rather than be content to be just another instrument. More steps in this direction, and Mt. Wolf are real contenders." READ MORE.

1
"On & On"
Snakehips

GIVEPOPACHANCE SAID... "The electronica-flecked R&B of "On & On" has the cool demeanor of a Jessie Ware track, with the subtle, addictive funk that London neighbours Bondax have made a name for themselves in." READ MORE.

Party Tracks of the Week!

A*M*E* - Heartless (MNEK Remix)
#Bass #R&B #Pop

With A*M*E*s bubblegum pop solo material contrasting somewhat with her ultra-cool spot on Duke Dumont's "Need U (100%)", teen prodigy MNEK brings a remix of her latest single that mixes all the sugar sweet melodies and gutsy pop aspirations with a dirty underground bassline and thick garage beats. Dare I say, this will please everyone.



Rudimental - Waiting All Night (Kidnap Kid Remix)
#Garage #2Step #House

Remixing a drum & bass to house is often a recipe for awkwardly-slowed-down-vox disaster. Luckily Kidnap Kid has the right idea when remixing Rudimental's #1 single, cleverly twisting the vox from gutsy and energetic, to sultry and suggestive, letting the jerky stop-start bass do the talking.



The Partysquad - Badman (feat. Alvaro)
#Hardstyle #Reggae #Rave

A revisitation of The Partysquad's incredible "Badman Rave" EP from last year, an insane fusion of reggae, hardstyle and electronic dance. "Badman" itself is a slippery dub number that gives way to a dinosaur stomp of a kick drum and frantic, twanging synth lead.

Dr Meaker - Skyfall (Adele Cover) (Me Darker Mix)

On the whole, Adele remixes have always made me cringe. The last place I want to hear the queen of heartbreak balladry is on the dancefloor. However, upcoming Drum'n'Dubstep fiends Dr Meaker, have managed to take one of Adele's most forlorn and melodramatic numbers, and with their harder Me Darker mix (an anagram of Dr Meaker, see that right there?) turn it into a tense, breakneck speed Drum and Bass track, with a killer drop on the chorus. "Let the sky fall" sounds despairing when Adele sings it on her original Bond theme, but here, it's positively euphoric.

FOR FANS OF: Rudimental, Pendulum, Sub Focus

Syron - Breaking

Syron's guest spot on Rudimental's excellent "Spoons" was somewhat underwhelming. Whilst the soulful melody was perfect for MNEK's husky, warm voice, but singing much of the same melody, Syron seemed short-changed, whispering a melody too low for her, making her voice seem thin. "Breaking" is another matter however, a silky, funky garage number sprinkled with her delicate, pretty upper range. With more material like this, Syron could easily be the next Katy B.

FOR FANS OF: Katy B, Delilah, Jess Mills