Five tracks you need to know from Calvin Harris in Stockholm, Sweden
Calvin Harris has established himself as one of the biggest names in dance music snatching up headlining spots at major festivals and a Vegas residency at Hakkasan, not mention breaking Michael Jackson’s record for most Top 10 singles off an album. With a recent surge in popularity because of a leaning towards big-name collaborations, Calvin still maintains major credibility as a talented producer and mixer. He lit up the frenzied Swedish crowd in Stockholm this past Saturday melding in tracks old and new to unleash the perfect progressive set. While the Swedish crowd typically gravitate towards tunes from their own countrymen (since there are plenty of options) the Scottish producer proved himself on a level equal to the Swedish big wigs.
1. Fatboy Slim & Riva Starr – Eat Sleep Rave Repeat (Calvin Harris Remix)
Calvin unleashed his official remix to Fatboy Slim & Riva Starr’s mega summer anthem in what was a definite crowd favorite. Beefing up the original into an electro-driven monster, the remix represents a much harder sound than what we’re used to from Calvin. The crowd chanted the familiar hook in unison proving the track will be just as popular overseas as in the States. Listen for the rip during Calvin’s EDC Las Vegas set.
2. Calvin Harris – Flashback
Who doesn’t love a little vintage Calvin? Before the days of hits like “We Found Love” and “I Need Your Love” Calvin produced and sang most of his songs and was primarily known as a pop star in the UK.“Flashback” has one of the best vocal hooks for mixing into sets played directly after an “In My Mind” vs “Reload” mashup and followed by Robbie Rivera’s Juicy Ibiza remix of “Cream.” It served as a nice flashback of Calvin’s vocal talent and previous work while spinning the crowd into nostalgia.
3. Calvin Harris – Thinking About You (Firebeatz Remix)
Signed to Calvin’s label Fly Eye, Firebeatz has spun Calvin’s retro house track featuring Ayah Marar into a gritty, fist-pumping track still keeping the original vocals at bay. Also playing “Yeahhhh” further into the set, Firebeatz seems to capture the perfect hard hitting energy needed for club settings. “Thinking About You” was sandwiched between two progressive tracks coming after David Guetta’s “Just One Last Time” and before breaking out into “Sweet Nothing.”
4. Ralvero – F*ck what you heard
Standing out as a crowd favorite, Calvin squeezed Dutch prodigy Ravlvero’s “F*ck What U Heard” between “Feel So Close” and “Eat Sleep Rave Repeat.” The Hysteria Record’s thundering, grungy bass raised the temperature through the roof while the memorable hook took precedence over the platinum blonde crowd. It isn’t often you see Swedes lose their cool completely, but this one definitely worked wonders.
Taking one of the standout tracks from Hardwell’s 2013 Ultra set, Calvin ended his set with Mightyfool’s “Footrocker” released last month on Revealed Recordings. Played after Croatian Bura’s “Pyero,” the harrowing punch of the bass lines left the crowd in awe wishing his set continued into the late hours of the night. It was impressive to see Calvin take complete command of the crowd proving once again he isn’t just a Top 40 producer, but a talented DJ who can truly throw it down.
Photos via stureplan.se
Categories: Music