One of the greatest seasons for dance music is the summer. School's out, the weather's perfect, and there are a plethora of options when it comes to hearing great dance music in club and festival settings. This summer was no different, as we got to experience a virtual cornucopia of delectably devious beats, although the added notion of mainstream radio play for some of these tunes made things even more exciting. In looking back at the summer of 2013, what tracks really set the tone?
Today, we take a look at the music that made an impact the EDM scene this summer, from the blogosphere to the main stages of the biggest festivals worldwide. And don't get it twisted: just because a song wasn't released in the summer, that doesn't mean it didn't have an impact. Take a look at the 20 best songs from the summer of 2013.
Empire Of The Sun - "Alive"
Australia's Empire Of The Sun may have been out of the loop the last few years but they roared back with "Alive", the lead single from their second album, Ice On The Dune. The goosebump-inducing track's lyrics aren't particularly complex, and there's no "cool" factor here except that this is grade-A synthpop.
Blackstreet - "No Diggity (Bondax Edit)"
Our first impression of this 20-years-too-late edit was that it was a guilty pleasure we could enjoy alone until we got sick of it. Then something weird happened: we didn't get sick of it, and soon realized that we weren't the only ones enjoying it. In fact, we were surprised to see it included in more than a few mixtapes from DJs that I respect across the board. Not only that, but you're pretty much guaranteed to hear this at the small festival tents where people understand how to get down with the get down.
Mayer Hawthorne - "Her Favorite Song (Oliver Remix)"
Oliver has been enjoying some serious limelight since the release of their Mechanical EP that delivered a combo of music sauce that we like to call "electro-festival-funk," and when their remix of Mayer Hawthorne dropped it rose up to the bar they'd previously set while keeping us on the hook for their next big release. You may not hear this bang at festivals like "Jack" has, but you better walk into the tent where you DO hear it.
Drums of Death ft. Yasmin - "True"
Black Butter is a label that we hope many an android are following; with the push for the dirty, bass-driven house sounds we're hearing from the UK, and this combination of a solid rhythm from Drums of Death and the beautiful vocals of Yasmin made for an undeniably funky tune that we always fell back to. Seeing Yasmin go for hers in the supermarket was also a plus.
Mat Zo ft. Chuck D - "Pyramid Scheme"
Mat Zo has had quite a summer. Between will.i.am. clawing away at his career and his infamous Twitter departure, his wild EDC Chicago set, the kick-off of his new radio show "The Mat Zo Mix," and the build-up to his forthcoming album Damage Control, Mat Zo is no question, a star on the rise. Perhaps none more special then all of that was the release and ensuing omnipresence of "Pyramid Scheme," a house cut with inspiration from his earlier Anjunabeats and Hospital Records releases, and of course Public Enemy frontman Chuck D.
Destructo - "Higher"
Martin Solveig & The Cataracs ft. Kyle - "Hey Now"
Martin Solveig has the knack for crafting some feel-good music, and "Hey Now" was a proper anthem for the summer. You knew it when you first heard it, and as it crept into the main stage sets at festivals the world over, its infectious hook and summery sensibilities left a mark on this season that we're not ready to wash off.
Chase & Status ft. Louis M^ttrs - "Lost & Not Found"
Chase & Status are a duo we've seen grow from drum & bass darlings to a one-stop shop, captivating audiences worldwide with their impressive array of sounds and ability to run an imprint like MTA with some of the freshest acts in the dance music scene today. You almost never know what you're going to get from them, and hearing their latest single "Lost & Not Found," which was a serene slice of emotional throwback beauty, taking us into a realm they'd not visited previously. If you needed a tearjerker for the 2013 summer season, grab a box of Kleenex and hit play.
Miguel - "Do You (Cashmere Cat Remix)"
While his stunningly-tasteful debut Pelican Fly-released EP has garnered him critical success, it was Cashmere Cat's take on R&B singer-songwriter Miguel's "Do You" that exhibited his incredible skill and artistic maturity as he delicately balanced a sensual, silky smooth style with a primal, erotic energy. This remix has no doubt been one of the anthems this summer smashing clubs, major label offices (Re: Wiz Khalifa), blogs, and every one night stand.
Major Lazer ft. Bruno Mars, 2 Chainz, Tyga & Mystic - "Bubble Butt"
It's infectious and it gets stuck in your head, and without a doubt get the ladies twerking. But one cannot deny having Eric Wareheim direct this video catapulted this song into one of the biggest tracks of the summer. The video is hilarious, shocking and offensive to those who have never seen a derriere like the ones featured in the video, leaving people sharing & talking about it for weeks.
Kaskade - "Atmosphere"
With his next album on the way, American DJ sweetheart Kaskade gifted ravers with his highly personal track, "Atmosphere." The track features Kaskade's first-ever released vocal performance and fans around the world have eaten all of it right up, and for good reason. Kaskade truly uses music to express himself and has always taken a particularly personal approach to his releases. "Atmosphere" has kept Kaskade in the limelight where he belongs, and it's ramping up the hype for his upcoming album while setting the tone for those end-of-summer sentimental moments.
Armin Van Buuren ft. Trevor Guthrie - "This Is What It Feels Like"
At over 17.5 million hits on Youtube alone, Armin's most direct attempt at crossing over to date has no doubt been a success. The track has not only dominated festivals and clubs alike, but it's being played all over the radio - both satellite and terrestrial signals. This track is an undeniable departure from his pure trance roots and perhaps that's a big reason why it's hitting new markets (which include your mom's). Whatever the reason may be, Armin's "This Is What It Feels Like" is the sort of anthem that galvanizes an entire festival, an entire movement, and that's been evident this summer.
Rustie - "Slasherr"
Rustie is the sort of guy that doesn't need to have too many releases because you know when he does actually release something, it's gonna burn a hole in your crate. "Slasherr" is the exact type of tune that crowds are blowing up to and they're not even sure what it is. We're not sure what it is, either, other than incredible. Rustie's maximalist take on hip-hop-inspired beat music has had people up in a tizzy and "Slasherr" is perfectly emblematic of Rustie's style and impact on the larger music scale and what's to come.
Martin Garrix - "Animals"
We've already gone in on this track and had a few things to say, so we won't re-hash that. What we will say is that this track still kills in the club and we wouldn't be doing our job if we denied the impact. Like Knife Party's "LRAD" and others, "Animals" has incited a conversation about the direction of "progressive house" and what it has actually become. Is it time to make a distinction? The tribal sounding formula of one distorted hardstyle kick complete with one lead sound soaked in reverb has made for countless takes, many of which have been DOA. The Garrix-attributed "Animals" though? That's the one doing the killing.
DJ Snake & Alesia - "Bird Machine"
DJ Snake has been known in the inner music industry circles for a while as he earned Grammy notoriety for his involvement in Lady Gaga's Born This Way. This summer though, the Parisian DJ ventured out into solo territory as he teamed up with Alesia to put out "Bird Machine," aka the genesis of the twerk movement. Well, you can probably debate the actual genesis of the twerk movement until next summer, but there's no debate that "Bird Machine" has been the twerk anthem this summer.
Knife Party - "LRAD"
This track has been everywhere since it dropped in early May and is definitely one of those tracks we don't need to hear any more remixes for. Knife Party's big room bomb brings a tribal warrior intensity to the main stage in a way that few have. The track's impact has been so big (along with others like Martin Garrix's "Animals") that many wonder if this is a true style evolution or a passing phase separate from the positively melodic and anthemic, Swedish style of progressive house. Regardless, "LRAD" has been one of the best songs of summer 2013.
Zedd ft. Foxes - "Clarity"
We know, we know: "Clarity" was released on Zedd's fall 2012 album of the same name, and the single dropped in February. Guess what happened this summer, though? Zedd's "Clarity" not only went gold, but it received a solid grip of mainstream radio airplay. Not that we're surprised; he's one of the darlings of the 2013 EDM scene, and is receiving acclaim from everyone from MTV to David Letterman, as well as having his hands all over Lady Gaga's forthcoming Artpop. Maybe the mainstream music scene was boning up on Zedd knowledge before that album blows our minds? Whatever the case may be, this track sounds just as good this summer as it did this past winter, and we figure it'll go down as one of the best tracks of 2013.
Disclosure - "When A Fire Starts to Burn"
Disclosure has owned 2013, which might come as a shock to many. Maybe it's the fact that their music reminds us of everything we loved about the dance music that got us into the scene in the first place. "When A Fire Starts to Burn" is one of those tracks that just nails the soulful, UK garage bounce perfectly. Even some of our peers who weren't sold on Disclosure's sounds were baptized by the fire within this single. As catchy as it is bouncy, this track let us know that Disclosure wasn't just pop-drenched house music...which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It just feels this damn good.
Daft Punk ft. Pharrell - "Get Lucky"
Who would've thought that, in 2013, a pair of androids, Pharrell, and disco legend Nile Rodgers would create a disco song that would hit top 10 in over 32 countries? That definitely happened, as this critically-acclaimed ditty not only introduced us to the next phase of Daft Punk's material, but would become a bonafide anthem for dance music lovers. "Get Lucky" was pure 1970s bliss, complete with a 10-minute extended "remix" to boot. It might be one of the two or three immediately-loved tunes from Random Access Memories, but we know that you couldn't escape someone talking about "getting lucky" this summer.
Breach - "Jack"
Believe it or not, Breach's breakout track "Jack" was actually the B-side to his spring dirtybird release "Let's Get Hot." That is a great track in its own right, but it couldn't hold a candle to the success surrounding the Big Beat/Atlantic re-release of "Jack." This monster smashed clubs big and small all summer long, and it even earned a wild music video to boot. When people look back at the explosion of neo house, this is a track that will undeniably stick out.