As a Dutchman I probably have an exponentially large love for electronic music. A.k.a. EDM, dance or whatever it’s called these days. It’s what I grew up with. Here in the US it is gaining more traction as a popular music choice. If you have some catching up to do: there has been some epic stuff throughout the years. A current song by Disciples refreshed my good memories about this certain type of electronic music. These songs get under your skin in a good way, with a bass line that keeps going long after the song has stopped. The vocals, if present, seem to float on the river of beats. From Technotronic to Disciples, these are the dance tracks that prove that this genre has classics that can stand the test of time.
Technotronic – Pump Up the Jam
Belgian act Technotronic will arguably deliver the brightest video you will see all day. The music speaks for itself, but it does come from a time where vocalists did not always get the instant recognition they deserved. The actual vocals for this song come from Ya Kid K, but the lady you see lip-synching in the video is a Congolese model.
Snap! – Rhythm is a Dancer
This is one of those oldies that works well on multiple levels. Great female vocals by Thea Austin, commanding rap by Turbo B, and that driving beat. The slight smudge on this song comes in the form of Turbo B stating “how serious he is.”
Culture Beat – Mr. Vain
Like their fellow Germans, Snap!, Culture Beat also consisted of a female vocalist and a male rapper, Jay Supreme. The latter co-wrote the song with Steven Levis and Nosie Katzmann. If you want to hear what this song would sound like if it were recorded by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, then go right ahead. Quite astonishing, isn’t it?
Faithless – Insomnia
The power of “Insomnia” lies in all the different layers it has. The mysterious and almost ominous intro flows over into the hypnotizing beats, after which Maxi Jazz delivers his trademark, almost spoken, lines. The radio version of this song, which is significantly shorter and has a very different set-up, does not feature the insomniac’s trip into the kitchen: “Make my way to the refrigerator/One dry potato inside, no lie, not even bread, jam, when the light above my head went bam!”
Chicane – Saltwater
Are you looking for an electronic track that evokes standing on a cliff, while looking out over the Irish Sea with the wind blowing in your face? Then look no further, because Chicane made it. If the vocals sound vaguely familiar, then you are probably familiar with Clannad’s “Theme From Harry’s Game,” from which “Saltwater” takes its lyrics.
Rui da Silva ft. Cassandra – Touch Me
This Portuguese/British collaboration takes many of my peers back to their clubbing days. The groove and raw soulful vocals work really well together. The use of a Spandau Ballet guitar riff (starting at 1:25 in this version) delayed the release of the song, because there were clearance issues. The version I purchased in the UK, does not feature the sample at all. That would explain why I did not recognize that part at first.
K-Klass ft. Kinane – Talk 2 Me
Bianca Kinane’s strong and sensual vocals along with the driving beats of K-Klass took this one straight to the clubs in 2003. It must have spent all of its time there, because it went a little under the radar compared to Rui da Silva a few years earlier.
Tiësto – Traffic
As one of the greats of Dutch dance music Tiësto easily gets millions of views on YouTube. “Traffic” is from a time where he started to get more popular worldwide. Without a doubt one of my favorites by the “Godfather of EDM.”
Motorcycle – As the Rush Comes
Motorcycle consist of San Francisco trance-duo Gabriel & Dresden and vocalist JES. The track topped the charts in Western Europe, Canada and the US.
Reflekt ft. Delline Bass – Need to Feel Loved
The strings used in “Need to Feel Loved” are sampled from “Ghosts” of the “Road to Perdition” soundtrack. It gives the track a laid-back feel, but it does just as well on the dance floor.
Calvin Harris – How Deep is Your Love
Calvin Harris’ mid-tempo track takes us into deep house territory. For some reason the vocals are not credited, but are sung by Norwegian singer and songwriter Ina Wroldsen. She has written material for an impressive list of artists, such as Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, Britney Spears, One Direction and Shakira.
It turns out that some huge hits feature uncredited contributions. How about Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me,” with Jermaine and Michael Jackson singing in the background, or Carly Simon’s “You’re so Vain,” which has Mick Jagger delivering vocals.
Disciples – On My Mind
As you can probably tell from the Disciples’ collaboration with Calvin Harris, they definitely put their stamp on “How Deep is Your Love.” In return, working with Harris did not hurt getting their name out there. The Disciples have the edge on this addictive track, as they use “in-house” singer Nathan Duvall to give the song its sweet and soulful vibe.
Any song that I missed, and that would complement this list? Let me know in the comments below!
Top Photo Credit: Michael Dorausch
Leuk. Heb lekker mee zitten swingen.