Welcome to the first publishing on Biggie.co.nz of the Charge New Zealand Dance Chart. Here is the chart, with little info about each of the tunes. We will also be publishing our industry news, music reviews and more in our column shortly - check back again in the coming weeks!
The radio broadcast of the chart takes place weekly on a network of 16 radio stations around the country, you can get a list of the broadcasters on our Web site ‘www.nzdc.co.nz’:http://www.nzdc.co.nz – which is soon to be majorly updated and overhauled as well… you will also find the chart in magazines such as Infusion and The Package, as well as posters and flyers in music shops everywhere… cool!
THE TOP 10 DANCE-MUSIC TUNES IN NEW ZEALAND (20 March 2005):
1. Greg Churchill – Nola’s Scream (Underwater)
It’s ironic but he’s beaten out the Shapeshifters this week, and this track is basically a piss-take of their last big hit lola’s theme! Yeah! Local support for this release has been huge and with a string of releases due in the coming months it’s definitely the ‘year of Greg’ in New Zealand.
2. Shapeshifters – Back to Basics (Nocturnal Groove)
Freshy from ‘Shapeshifters’ of West London… yes the ones responsible for Lola’s Theme last year – their debut single which went to number frickin one on the British frickin singles chart! This is their latest called ‘Back to basics’ and ummm… yes, they’ve actually used real instruments on this one, and a big vocal from ‘Cookie’ no less! The remixers inclued Steve Lawler and Antoine Claraman, and with a release on Positiva now, who will be putting huge support behind these chart-topping golden-monkeys, you know you’re gonna hear this one again!
3. Freestylers – Boom Blast (Against the Grain)
Kung-fu MC Million Dan is the vocalist on the track and the freestylers carve him up with their signature breakbeat action making probably the biggest breaks track of 2005 so far. John B and his american boobies rinse the electronic drum & bass sound on the remix as well as Deekline & Wizard doing their bit on the other of two discs, making this into a crossover anthem that anyone in camo pants is bound to know (just don’t play it to anyone in a button up shirt and loafers… they wouldn’t understand!
4. Baitercell & Schumacher – Lock & Load (Passenger)
The latest from Baitercell & Schumacher feat. Bex, Lock & Load… it’s hitting the spot on the b-net big time (as these fellows always do), getting props on all the dance stations, getting plays from DJ’s, selling out in shops all over town, and basically going off the scale as you would expect from a very large local producers release on an international label! We’d love to know what makes these guys tick, but we can’t ask them because they’ve battened down the hatches and sellotaped the door closed on their studio where they’re putting the finishing touches on their forthcoming album which looks set to be amazing! We’ve had a sneaky listen to a couple of tracks, which include collaboratons with various local hiphoppers, rockers and whoever else they could get their hands, or microphones on.
5. MC Conrad & Makoto – Golden Girl (Good Lookin)
You wanna talk about hype? You wanna talk about this track. It’s been on the tips of the tongues of the drum & bass community everywhere lately, including being the most played demo on drum &bass arena (which is basically THE web site for junglists to head to)! The track comes from Japanese producer Makoto Shimuzu, who’s teamed up with MC Conrad (a man with golden vocals of his own) to produce this lush, jungly, atmospheric roller for Good Lookin records. Conrad was recently in New Zealand along with Good Lookin boss LTJ Bukem and proved that he’s really making that noise in the mic… not so much an MC… more like MC, vocalist, singer, and party starter – an outstanding performance!
6. Juliet – Avalon (Virgin)
Juliet’s ‘Avalon’ is number 6 on the chart this week… after buzz-charting all over the world the Jacques Lu Cont produced monster is one of the biggest selling singles in the country right now. American vocalist Juliet Richardson is the namesake given to the track and she’s pulled off the type of song that very seldom comes along… and we’re talking like finding a four leafed clover on St Patricks day, in the middle of New York, blindfolded (or something). Massive electro-infused house with quality vocals like this is pretty hard to ignore and Virgin records think so as well… let’s take the flipside remix from Guetta and Garraud, A.K.A, F*U*C*K me I’m famous for example… it’s a meeting of smash hit producers all clashing together and coming up with a piece of pop-house pie that even a vegetarian with a pastry allergy couldn’t resist. Nice!
7. Cabin Crew – Waiting for a Star to Fall (Data)
Filtered house gets another ride around the track thanks to ‘Cabin Crew’… and there’s a bit of a story behind the tune… ‘Waiting for a star to fall’ is actually a remake of the huge 80’s hit by ‘Boy meets girl’ that originally blew up on Australian import and caused a bit of a feeding frenzy with DJ’s to get hold of a copy of the very limited pressing… and eventually got signed to Ministry of Sound to release under their Data imprint. That’s not the end of it though – soon after that, Sony/BMG, who owned the rights to the original recording started a bunch of rumours that the samples were uncleared and scared radio stations into removing the track from their playlists, followed by deciding that they would release their own remix version after seeing the success of the Cabin Crew version. The plot thickened when Ministry found out that the original members of ‘Boy meets girl’ loved the cabin crew remake though, and volunteered to actually re-record the vocals for their version – which meant there was now a race on to get a finished product on the shelves. It seems like the Cabin Crew version has won that race now and it’s an anthem, no doubt about it. 2005 is definitely the new 80’s!
8. Sander Kleinenberg – The Fruit (Little Mountain)
Sander K is one of the big names in progressive house music today. While he’s best known for his uplifting trance vibes this one’s proven that trying something a bit different can be the best thing… At number 8 on the CNZDC, this track called ‘The Fruit’ is… well… a bit fruity (excuse the pun). The original mix is a quirky breaks excursion that basically talks about fruit, juice, funk and junk… whatever he’s on about he’s come up with something catchy and that’s all that matters. The Fruit has been floating around on white label for a while now but with a new release on his own ‘little mountain’ label it’s now firing 100%, and remixes from class acts like Tom Novy take it into 4/4 territory as well. This tune has a bit of an Azzido Da Bass vibe about it if you ask me – Check your ears for the gated hoovers and subsonic bass that really kicks on a loaded system… the kind of thing that makes music geeks wet
their pants. See you on the moist side……..
9. David Guetta – The World is Mine (Virgin)
‘The World is Mine’ is the latest single from David Guetta on Virgin music. The french house pioneer has come up with a mix of elements that seems to please everyone, and even the unpleasable seem to be pleased by the remixes from Blackstrobe, Deep Dish and the rest… Sitting again at number 9 on the chart this week we’re now trying to think of polite excuses to get rid of this guy after he’s been on here for almost as long as we can remember… I have to wash my hair? I need to go to the bathroom? My tonsils need removing? Whatever….
10. Basement Jaxx – Oh My Gosh (XL)
The Jaxx are back… and this new single release from the Brixton duo is one of two NEW tracks which complement a collection of classics on their recent ‘best of’ album, which they’ve called ‘singles’. This track is called ‘oh my gosh’ – and you instantly know it’s the Jaxx, with cartoon vocals, twisted basslines, and that punky garage sound that’s now familiar to us all… You can also grab the new album on DVD release – we know some people like to watch their music as well as listen to it, but we haven’t quite figured out why yet… still it should give you an excuse to show off your home theatre and that plasma screen you just spent your pocket money on… The video for this is also well worth checking, featuring a bunch of geriatrics doing aerobics in their retirement home!
THIS WEEK’S LOCAL PICK:
Rob Salmon & Dick Johnson – In Transit (Red Melon) – These 2 well known DJ’s team up for a nice tribally proggy track. Bringing together their collective influences from New York to the UK, they don’t disappoint!
THIS WEEK’S HYPE RADAR:
1. Studio B – I See Girls (Boss) – Big remix of this tune by Tom Neville… new video out for the track this week, and accompanying video game!
2. Daft Punk – Robot Rock (Virgin) – The single from ‘Human After All’
3. Sub Focus – Xray (Ram Records) – Big D&B, destined for very big success if hype in the UK is anything to go by!
4. Bodyrockers – I Like the Way You Move (White) – Guitar-house anthem getting plays here, there and everywhere… recently signed to a major so look out for it!
5. Beckers – Fake (Greg Churchill Remix) – recent remix from Greg, forthcoming on INfusion’s ‘Polaroid’ label soon.
6. Miss Kittin – Happy Violentine (Novamute) – Various techno’ish remixes from Michael Mayer among others.
7. Base Graffiti – Implant (Tripoli Trax) – Yet another strong release from one of the longest running hard dance labels.
8. SLK Hype Hype (Smoove) Tom Neville on the remix again, the man is on fire!
9. The Upbeats – Late Night Fright (Habit Recordings) – Local D&B getting props all round.
10. Tha Breakfasterz – Pressure (Passenger) – Another weighty breaks tune from the producers of the moment in this genre.
Check you next week :)
