Le Castle Vania wasn’t a name I heard very often in 2013. Granted, it’s not a name I’ve paid particularly close attention to in my span of dance music appreciation, but that doesn’t mean I don’t respect the DJ, Producer, and Label Owner – and he certainly has a devoted following. The Atlanta-based Le Castle Vania got his start back in 2008 when his name was a recurring one across the blogosphere. One of the tracks that helped to propel him to where he is today was his first remix of Walter Meego’s “Through a Keyhole”. The first remix has more of an Indie-Rock-meets-Electronica feel, with undertones of Dubstep womps. The updated version has more of a House feel to it, though it’s certainly still a bit dark and spooky in its own right. Both versions contain a lot of power and emotion and show of Le Castle Vania’s unique take on dance music.
This updated remix is only the start to Le Castle Vania’s fresh new music, as up next from his strong relationship with Mau5trap comes several brand new remixes of his Prophication EP. You’ll undoubtedly see a bonafide selection of Le Castle Vania’s friends and respected artists alike on the remix EP, which sees its official release next month.
The other freebie I have for you today is by Italian duo-turned-solo project Crookers (DJ/producer Francesco “Phra” Barbaglia). Premiered at and released for free via ThisSongIsSick.com (TSIS), “Heavy” is a track that shows why Crookers is one of the biggest names in dance music over the past ten years. I’m almost positive I heard “Heavy” played on board Holy Ship!!! and for good reason – it’s incredibly danceable, unique, and refreshingly sexual (jump to the break if you want to see why). Crookers have been known for producing a broad range of dance music, often falling inside the umbrella of House, but I’m not quite sure how I’d classify this one. TSIS calls “Heavy” a Tech-House song, while Crookers’ PR refers to it as low-frequency Electro-House. Whatever you want to call it, the bass line is pumping and it’s a righteous track to keep things warm at the end of a cold January. Check out the awesome video below by ilseñorlopez / http://www.cianomagenta.com.