As usual for anything non-rap-related, I’m at least six months behind (in this case, close to a year). I just caught wind of a young Australian musician called Sam Sparro, whose album came out last April.
Sparro’s lead single and video, “Black and Gold,” is stunning. It’s a near pitch-perfect, dark electropop song, with brooding fuzzy synths and a driving beat that is topped off by Sparro’s unique semi-raspy voice and knack for melody.
The video for it is just as arresting, with numerous tuxedo-clad Sparros, complete with hats and canes, emerging from a black limousine. The whole package is strange, dark and unbelievably catchy. It’s so deftly put together that the first thing I said while watching was: “Has this guy ever produced for anyone else?”
Now I have to admit, I’m prone to asking these sorts of questions because I’m a complete nerd for producers. But in my defense, this time it might actually be relevant to someone other than myself.
In any case, “Black and Gold” has the sophistication of a song made by a producer for himself. And on top of that, Sparro can actually sing, without multitracking, auto-tune or relying too much on “Talk to me, girl.”
After investigating the original question, I found out that Sparro had pretty much come out of the woodwork by himself, and hadn’t done any production for any previously established acts.
This, of course, is emblematic of the ongoing crime against dance and electro’s best producers: They get snubbed by pop success and for collaborations year after year.
Have you ever heard a rockin’ dance or electronic song and imagined it on top 40 radio? Aren’t some songs’ charms enough to transcend the artificial barrier between genres and radio formats? I would think so, especially given the gradual convergence of dance and hip-hop/R&B in songs such as “Krazy” by Pitbull, “Forever” by Chris Brown, “Beautiful” by Akon and the entire Lady GaGa catalogue.
So why aren’t more dance music producers being tapped to do huge pop records, especially when the iron is hot?
I will attempt to correct this. If any big-shot record executives are out there, read these suggestions and take heed. These are the producers that will take your dance-pop-rap-R&B to the next level.
The first, of course, is the aforementioned Sam Sparro. I’ve already outlined his skills, but let me elaborate. First of all, being a singer himself, he knows how to create a great chord framework for a catchy vocal melody. A lot of producers these days are more sample- or vamp-based, which doesn’t leave much room for creating a clear melody.
In addition, Sparro’s “Black and Gold” is what Britney Spears’ “Womanizer” could have been. The two are stylistically similar, with dark synths and a faster tempo. So if those execs are comfortable enough giving those crazy Swedes Bloodshy and Avant a crack at mainstream success, why not give Sparro a shot? To be fair, Sparro is currently working on Lindsay Lohan’s new album, which may be Sparro getting his foot in the door.
Secondly ““ and I’ve been saying this for years ““ someone get Basement Jaxx. I understand the mental obstacle an executive would have to overcome to hire the two Brits to work on a high-investment album. The duo is predisposed toward teeming, crazy, siren-filled, sampladelic rave-ups that incorporate everything from Middle Eastern melodies to full string sections to gypsy horns.
The songs might be too avant-garde for radio. But I have one piece of evidence for you, the song “Plug It In” on their 2003 album “Kish Kash,” which features long-errant *NSYNC member JC Chasez. After hearing this song, part of me thought it was possible for JC to have a career resurgence like that of former bro, JT. Now that radio is more amenable to dance music, someone should snap these guys up for a project.
Finally, someone also needs to hire the truth, Calvin Harris. Scottish electronic musician Harris made his name with his 2007 debut “I Created Disco,” which includes self-aware bangers such as “The Girls” and “Acceptable in the Eighties.” Calvin might even be your best bet, given that he already produced two tracks on fun-sized Australian legend Kylie Minogue’s last album “X.” Between those two accomplishments, and his new single “I’m Not Alone” (YouTube it, now), Harris has demonstrated that he is both a dance floor uniter and a true songwriter. His chord changes and synth settings are classic and refreshing at once.
Obviously, I’m oversimplifying this. A lot of these producers are probably comfortable where they are in the dance idiom and have probably already turned down offers to work with mainstream musicians.
However, if mainstream artists and labels are going to push dance music material, why not get the dance floor’s best and brightest to make something convincing? If executives and artists would only take a leap, the radio could be so much more interesting, and they could tell Timbaland to take a little vacation to practice his vocal ad-libs for a while.
“Fricki-fricki.”
If you wouldn’t mind hearing a Basement Jaxx/Justin Timberlake collaboration, e-mail Ayres at jayres@media.ucla.edu.