My Music Reviews! What's Hot N' Not!!

Swedish duo  Axwell Λ Ingrosso ( who were 2/3rd of legendary Progressive House trio Swedish House Mafia ) made their comeback in 2014 with a new single called Something New . I am not counting the debut EP X4 here. Something New quickly became my top favourite & I still consider it the best track they have ever produced. I can even say Something New is one of my all-time favourites across all the genres. But this post is not about Something New . It is about something new ;) So, I am talking about their another single Dreamer from their debut album More Than You Know . I first heard the song when I was on my first Europe trip & it is one of the reasons why I love this song so much. It is hard for me not to associate music with time! There is an interesting story about it.  Axwell Λ Ingrosso released a teaser of Dreamer during Amsterdam Dance Event 2016 ( ADE ) at Heineken Music Hall. And since the song is dramatically catchy & it also reminded peopl...

Swedish ( yes, I know they beat Switzerland yesterday !) hit machine John De Sohn has come back after a year & what a come back it is! Oh, and I forgot to mention that I am also making a come back on this blog after more than a year. There can't be a better way to start writing than this. John De Sohn, as we know is a Swedish DJ who is famous for his melodic dance music with unique lyrical themes. I have a special liking for him because : - He believes in the quality of music, not the quantity. He doesn't produce songs in bulk. His songs are really good. I love more than 90% of all the songs that he has produced thus far. Now coming to the main topic, that is, the song itself. Go to Sleep is a heart-wrenching Dance number which describes the pain & the happiness of a person whose wife has separated from him. Happiness? You will ask? Well, here is the answer! There's only one thing keeping him together, It's those two days every month. Oh yeah, it ...

Once in a while, I stumble upon a song that not only gets stuck in my head but also in my heart! Music has amazing capabilities and we all know it. Everyone has a different perception about effects of music. I myself have a habit of associating music with weather/season/time. I have songs that remind me of winters 2012-13,  summers of 2012 or 2016, spring 2006 and what not :-) Yesterday, while watching a live set by Jorn van Deynhoven , I came across a song that he played which immediately caught my attention. Its called Anahera (which means angel) and its a song by Dutch DJ/Trance Producer Ferry Corsten who presented this song under his alias  Gouryella (used to be a duo with another Dutch DJ Tiesto but he left). Anahera is not just a song. It is an emotion. It is not just another Uplifting Trance. It is literally Uplifting. It speaks a thousand words even when there are no vocals in it. It has a beautiful melody packed throughout. It has a typical piano riff that...

I had been longing for long to feature this artist here on my blog but somehow missed that always. Looks like, I am in a perfect mood to post this now :-)  Decolt is a Dutch Dj, previously known as Soundwell. His songs under Soundwell alias have a characteristic fairy-tale sound which makes it a surreal experience listening to them. That typical sound is so pretty relaxing that it makes one wonder who this prodigious musician is. But now Soundwell is Decolt & he has teamed up with Australian Dj duo Feenixpawl for this brilliant track called  Chapters (Feenixpawl Mix). Chapters (Feenixpawl Mix)  is a Progressive House track with a slightly delayed development into its drop. But the bassline keeps you engaged till that MASSIVE drop comes & from there its like BOOM!! Supremely catchy & engaging track with a melody that stays in the head for long. It is quite opposite to what Soundwell has released in the past but it sure is a great transition.  Lik...

So, Armin van Buuren here featuring for the very first time on my "not at all popular blog" :-) The only DJ in the world to be ranked World's No. 1 DJ by DJ Mag (A Magazine) five times, 5 years in a row!! This brief info is for those who still don't know what kind of superstar musician he is :-) I have a fairly long play-list of his songs on my phone & selecting one out of that, is a tough task. I decided to select  Humming The Lights here because of the vibes I get when I listen to this.  Humming The Lights is a Progressive Trance song by Armin. You might be wondering who is Gaia? ;-) When there are no vocals in this song, how can it feature someone else as its artist? Well, Gaia is a duo composed of Armin himself along-with his frequent collaborator Benno de Goeij . Benno has co-written & co-produced many of Armin's songs. They use this alias for their darker productions & they perform with their faces covered ;-)  Coming back to song,  Hummi...

Jorn van Deynhoven aka JvD again & so am I after a long time ;) But what a stunning track to make a come back with!!  Arguably the most beautiful piece of Trance music I have EVER heard! What an uplifiting sonic experience!  101010 (The Perfect Ten) is probably the best thing JvD has ever produced. Such is the addiction of this song that I have been hooked to it since past 3 months & been listening to it daily without fail. I have personally found JvD to be the only Trance artist who can bring tears of joy with his songs &  101010 (The Perfect Ten) is the perfect testimony to this statement.  101010 (The Perfect Ten) has an engaging melody that is sure to make you scream with joy & feel good :) Such a powerful Trance song that captivates from the moment its intro begins & keeps you engaged till the end. Its an ABSOLUTE STUNNER!! Pure delight!! Listen to it below :) If you turn up the volume & listen carefully ( that you will be bound ...

Well, ummm, the first Trance song on my blog ;-) Ever since I returned from The Netherlands, my interest in Trance music grew many folds. Reason is simple. Holland or The Netherlands is known for its world-famous Djs/Trance artists like 5 times Dj Mag #1 Dj Armin Van Buuren, Tiesto, Martin Garrix, Hardwell etc to name a few. But today I am featuring a Trance song by lesser popular Dj ( half Dutch, half German ) known as Jorn van Deynhoven :-) I could have easily started with Armin since he is one of my favorites. But I decided to give special attention to Jorn purely on the basis of this very song called  RAMsterdam [Jorn van Deynhoven Remix] . As you can see its a remix of the song RAMsterdam which is creation of another Dutch Dj known as RAM . Its entirely an instrumental song without any vocals ( I would have loved to have a vocal edit as well ). It builds, builds, builds and then BOOM!! You will have to believe your ears when you hear that climax. You just need to be p...

I know am late to post this ;-) This gem of a tune isn't the most recent one but a tad old. And its already incredibly popular all over the world. But, there are very many people who might be missing out on hearing this gem & that's exactly why I have decided to post this. Kygo is a Norwegian DJ/Producer known for strikingly different approach to Dance music. There are millions of Dance tracks but almost all of them sound similar. Kygo takes a step further & converts Dance music to "Melodic Dance" number.  Firestone is a Romantic Dance song with a gorgeous melody, not so big drop (trademark of Kygo) & extremely catchy, infectious instrumental chorus. Right from the moment you hear the intro, you will find there is something special coming your way. This is a kind of song that gets you feel imbibed in music while dancing to it. In other words, its NOT a no-nonsense Dance song. And the breezy vocals by Conrad Sewell will sweep you off your feet!! He ha...

Taking a break from Swedish music (that I mostly write about), today will present a different song :-) This song is called  I'm in Love (I Wanna Do It) and its written & produced by an Italian House DJ Alex Gaudino . Its a single from his alum Doctor Love . Song itself falls under House genre but it packs a beautiful melodic intro which also acts as extremely catchy hook.  I'm in Love (I Wanna Do It) , as the name suggests, is a romantic track and its the kind of music you hear a lot from Romanian artists ( Inna to be exact). And it indeed is a good thing :-) USP of this song is its infectious hook which keeps on playing & sounds really cool. Just like Kygo's songs, there is a peculiarity in this song. Despite being a House track, there is no loudness & its so easy on ears. Melody is beautiful & arrangement is simple :-) Listen to it below. You will love it. Preview/Buy I'm in Love (I Wanna Do It) on iTunes

Didn't know of this until I searched for this gentleman "John Martin" on Wikipedia & voila!! Found one gem of a song!  John Marin is not an unfamiliar name in music world. He is the co-writer and sole singer of one of the my most favorite songs "Don't You Worry Child" by legendary Swedish House Mafia . He had also teamed up with Swedish House Mafia for their song "Save The World". So, John needs no introduction. His voice is probably the best I have heard in songs outside of India. Lets come back to Children Of The Sun . Its a rap song, something that I would have easily ignored if it didn't have John Martin's name against it. But since I saw his name, I gave it a spin and lo! I was mesmerised to the core!  "Lay down your head You're not alone Anywhere you go, I follow We are the children of the sun That's all you need to know" Children Of The Sun is a kind of song that lifts me up when I feel low. I ignore...

Back to this blog after a long time!! Had started another blog dedicated to Swedish music, but now continuing from here only :-) So, presenting the first song (after so many days) that I have been hooked to for past six months. Its called " Hook N Sling ft. Karin Park - Tokyo By Night (Axwell Remix) ". Hook N Sling are an Australian duo & this very song has been remixed by Axwell. Who is Axwell? You may ask ;-) Well, Axwell is one-third of what has been one of the greatest House/EDM groups in world, Swedish House Mafia .  As a solo producer, Axwell has remixed (written/produced) many songs & "Tokyo By Night" is a peculiar example of his production skills. Its thumping, inspiring & MASSIVE!!!  People rave about this song as the best example of Progressive House! Some even suggest to teach this in school & use it as a cure for cancer!! (from YouTube comments) Listen to it below!! Its pretty damn addictive right from its intro till the...

Music knows no language. Most of us stick to our mother-tongue & to some extent, to the universal language English. But the beauty of music lies in the fact that tunes & melody have nothing to do with the language. Its a supreme language itself. While lyrics add meaning to the song, its the melody that matters the most. This LONG post is about celebrating diversity of music in my way. All these songs are among my favorites. Wont try to explain much here otherwise the post will get even longer! TL;DR 1. Hindi (my mother-tongue) "Kun Faya Kun" by Javed Ali, Mohit Chouhan & A.R. Rehman. Soulful, soothing, beautiful, melodious, lifting, upbeat & what not? Not completely in Hindi (a few Arabic & Urdu words used) but still, this one is the most beautiful Hindi song for me. If you insist I stick to pure Hindi, below is that gem of a Hindi song with BEAUTIFUL lyrics. 2. English. Miracles by Coldplay. Have already written about it. 3. Swedis...

Remember Jonas Oakland ? The young Swede who followed his own way to become quite a promising Electro/Dance artist (with obvious hints of BWO !!). Last time I wrote about his best song Where I Belong . This time I am posting his another song Where Were You Last Night. If Where I Belong was melody & vocal driven, Where Were You Last Night is more of a Dancepop. It has more pronounced production & there's a hint of EDM (those hooks!). I am not an expert at this, but I can feel the elements of EDM/House in this song alongwith some RnB (again, am no expert)! Where Were You Last Night is a perfect dance song, thanks to those super catchy hooks in its post-chorus. The moment intro begins, you get the idea what you're going to hear. I repeat, chorus & post-chorus hooks are super catchy & highly addictive. It stays in your head for a long time. Production is quite massive & melody is easy on ears. Heavy production sometimes leaves little scope for vocals bu...

Well Well!! I must have been living under the rocks for past few weeks!! How can I be so oblivious to this miraculous song called Miracles . Must say, this is the most beautiful song I have ever heard. Its upbeat, melodious, poetic, soothing, beautiful & what not?? Let me brief you about this wonderful piece of music. Miracles is a song by English Alternative Rock band, Coldplay written specially for the American movie  Unbroken  which is directed by Angelina Jolie. Unbroken is about the life of US Olympian    Louis "Louie" Zamperini  who survived in a raft for 47 days.   The moment intro kicks in, you know what you have in it for you. Beautifully gorgeous Acoustic guitar riffs which then gel into delightful piano chords. Such a beautiful melody. And voice of Chris Martin (lead singer of Coldplay) is a treat to ears. He sings his heart out. Miracles is a king of song that gives you hope & strength when you feel you're broken. That's why they ch...

Jonas Oakland - A self made Swedish musician who focuses mostly on Electro/Dancepop. I have been following him for more that past 1 year, but never really could find time to post about him. Its been a lot of time since I last wrote something here. So, breaking this hiatus with a song by Jonas Oakland. "Where I belong" is my personal favorite of all the songs written by Jonas. Its melodious, catchy, upbeat, uptempo & full of emotions. This one gives me hopes to better myself. It sets my mood right, whenever I feel low. Verses build & build & then kicks in the best part, the CHORUS!! Its not massive but its really enjoyable & tuneful. I really love the lyrics & vocals of the song. Chorus goes like this. "Everything I have within my heart, gives me strength to carry on. Everywhere I have been from the start, takes me right where I belong" And the middle-eight is quite interesting. Jonas has a beautiful voice, amazing song-writing talent (h...

Been following EDM for quite some time & I am loving it totally. Be it Avicii or Galavant , I am very much liking this stuff. That's why I have decided to start a new Page on EDM. Enough said, let's start with Pick Of The Week . You Only Love Me is a single by Swedish (Oh yes!) House & EDM producer John De Sohn . He is known for infusing a lot of melodic pop into EDM. I am including this song for a very specific reason. Video of You Only Love Me is based on ancient Indian art Mallakhamb . It is about an aged person who trains a young boy in Mallakhamb, who later goes on to win the local competition. The video is shot in Mumbai. This connection with India is quite interesting, especially for a rather unknown artist ( in India ) John De Sohn!  Now coming to the song itself, You Only Love Me is a terrific EDM song. Vocals may sound a bit strange but once that instrumental chorus kicks in, it takes it to a whole new level. Use of percussion is quite catchy. And thos...

I am not a huge fan of House Music. I find most of the house songs monotonous ( Avicii being exception). But that doesn't mean I don't like it at all. A few months back, I stumbled upon Galavant 's (Swedish House Music/EDM Producers) World Of Dreams. I prefer its Radio Edit more as it straightaway kicks off the dreamy vocals of Mary Jane Smith. Her voice is really amazing here & those hooks are, well, MASSIVE. Addictive! Galavant have released only 3 singles till date and they all are driven by gorgeous vocals apart from floor-filling hooks/beats. I am expecting Galavant to be more famous internationally as their music is addictive, atleast, to me! Below is the official video.

Probably the first post of its kind (once again)! This very post talks about key-change in Hindi songs. What is a key-change all about? Well, click the link in the line above & listen to the songs there. You will notice a sudden change in sound towards the end. That's key-change for you. While most of the western-style music relies on it (not necessarily), its a rare phenomena in Hindi songs just like this . If you're keen listener, you'll be able to feel the difference in sound aka the key! Below are such very few Hindi songs. 1. Chup Chup Ke - Movie:- Rush | Music: - Pritam 2. Hum Sey - Movie:- Humse Hai Jahan | Music:- Siddharth - Suhas Siddharth - Suhas are known for their Rock influenced music & vocalist Suraj Jaggan, too, is known for his Rock influenced vocals. Powerful voice, though melody doesn't impress much. Lyrics are cliched as well. But I like it for that KEY-CHANGE! 3. Tum Ho Mera Pyaar - Movie:- Haunted 3D | Music:- Chirantan B...

Being into Swedish music & not following Avicii is impossible. I always wonder how a self-made musician turned into World's #3 DJ. His transition from Sunshine to Wake Me Up is very impressive & I can't help but admire him more & more. This post includes his songs that I like the most. 1. Hey Brother - Song dedicated to US soldiers who lost their lives in Vietnam war. Song dedicated to all the martyrs. Song dedicated to every soldier. A beautiful music video. That's Hey Brother. Chorus is addictive. Quite catchy.   2. Lay Me Down - Very very catchy chorus, great piece of melody & amazing beats. Inspiring lyrics as well. Imagine this kind of pulsating music, thousands of people dancing to it & Avicii performing the song live. That's what we have in the official video below.   3. Levels - Typical Avicii stuff. Outstanding arrangements & production.    4. Sunshine - Written & Produced along-with David Guetta, this ...

Its been a rather long time since I last wrote something here. This one is the first post this year. This certainly doesn't mean I didn't find anything worth sharing this year. I found some amazing artists, songs & albums but didn't really find the motivation to share them. Anyways, today I am posting an old song called "Till The End" sung by Swedish singer Ola Svensson. Till The End is a song from Ola's debut album "Given To Fly" which was released in 2006 & went on to grab #1 spot in Swedish Album's Chart. Ola's is a no stranger here. I already wrote about his song Feelgood last year. Below is what "Till The End" is. As the name suggests, Till The End is about a boy who has been rejected by his girl but he won't let go of his feelings for her. He will change himself to be the one she wants & he will be with her forever. Sounds interesting, hmm!! Its beautiful piano intro itself describes what you can expect fro...