iEDM's Spotlight Sessions: Tracks For December 2016

What comes to mind when you think of the month of December? Naturally, you think of the holidays!

Ah yes, the holidays. We all look forward to the holiday season every single year, almost as much as we look forward to festival season; we live for spiking our eggnog, frolicking in onesies, sharing some love and laughs with fam & friends around the Christmas tree, experiencing that giddy rush of excitement when you see that first snowflake fall outside  and then 2 days later when you can't get your car out of your driveway, you're like, "why the f*ck did I ever wish for snow?" Yes, that time of the year.

However, that's not the only reason the month of December is special. That means it's our very last Spotlight Session of the 2016 year *tear tear*- but put those tears away because although the year is ending, that means we have a brand new year filled with awesome tunes ahead of us!

We've pulled out the big guns for this month's installment, because we obviously have got to go out with a bang. So on that note, cheers to many more years of good music ahead and all the everlasting memories that come with them- and Happy New Year/Happy Holidays, ya filthy animals. 

Here's this month's 5:

1) 'Imaginary Friends' - Deadmau5

All of social media has been buzzing about Deadmau5's latest album drop earlier this month, which according to the Canadian-producer was something he threw together pretty last minute and wasn't 100% pleased with- kind of like an "eh, whatever" album. But needless to say, this king of trolling put out some pretty solid stuff for something that in his opinion is just "eh."

W:/2016ALBUM/ very obviously showcases a different side of mau5 than what we're used to, with tracks like eerie and glitchy trip-hop tune 'Snowcone'- but still encapsulates his signature sound in some of the other tracks off the album. If you've had the chance to catch Deadmau5 in the flesh this past year, there is no doubt that you've heard 'Imaginary Friends' being dropped during his set- I'm even having flashbacks to when I heard it at Ultra this past year. I mean, with a synth heavy, hard-hitting progressive track like this, how could one POSSIBLY forget this?

2) 'Stay With Me' (Goshfather Remix) - Ookay

The Godfather just served us up a tune that is too good to refuse- scratch that, I meant Goshfather! If any of you out there get my Godfather reference, hats off to you, my friend. In all seriousness though, the only thing that you can say after hearing this track will quite literally be, "oh my gosh."

Whip out those afros and bell bottoms, we're going to the disco. This brilliant remix of Ookay's 'Stay With Me' takes you completely off guard and transports you back to the 70s, with it's upbeat, funky disco house inspired melody, flawless sampling of the original tune and sets an overall groove that's smooth like butter.

3) 'Thousand Colors'- Uppermost

Do you ever just hear a song that feels as though the artist peered into your soul and created a sound that emulates all the little nooks and crannies of it? I know this feel all to well- and yup, that's this song.

Off of his long-awaited 23-track Origins LP dropping in February, Parisian producer Uppermost blends his unique style of french wave electronica and soulful deep house to bring you a nu-disco tune that literally just sparkles. 'Thousand Colors' is euphoric down to the very last second, and crafts a home within your mind and soul. A warm home that brings back- or in this case, creates- feelings of nocturnal disco nights with your best friends. This track puts kaleidoscopes in our eyes, and it feeds and uplifts our souls.

4) 'Gaia' - Fairchild

I had the pleasure of writing about Fairchild last year, when his otherworldly Touch The Sun EP got released on Kaskade's label Arkade- and it brings me even greater pleasure now to write about his most recent EP release, Evergreen.

This 2-track EP released on NU Ideals is nothing short of stellar, with massive progressive tech-house tune 'Gaia' packed with glitchy blips, and an arabic-inspired sultry outro that immediately puts you in a trance-like state. Fairchild took a different approach with this EP when comparing it to his deeper, earth-toned Touch The Sun EP- both EPs in which he was successful in crafting a phenomenal one-of-a-kind sound for himself.  Watching his rise to well-deserved success has been the upmost pleasure, and I truly cannot wait to see what the future holds in store for Fairchild.

5) 'All I Want For Christmas' - Mariah Carey

COME ON DON'T JUDGE- it's a TIMELESS tune! There was no way in the world that I could've possibly wrapped up a December Spotlight Sessions installment without featuring an "old but gold" Christmas classic. If you didn't play Mariah Carey's iconic 'All I Want For Christmas' then did you really even celebrate Christmas? I think not.

I think this is one of the very few tunes that ravers from all over- the bassheads, the techno elite, trance lovers.. you name it- can come together as one for, regardless of what genre of music they love. And for that reason alone, this song deserves a spotlight- for being able to unite everyone together regardless of who they are. Don't resist that burning sensation you have within you that makes you wanna belt out those vocals we all know and love. Just let it happen...