Dancing Astronaut’s top 10 tracks of August 2014

Dancing Astronaut's Top 10 Tracks of August 2014

Want an easy way to make sure you’re up to date on all the latest, best music? Dancing Astronaut takes a look at the top 10 tracks officially released in August and ranks them based on a combination of reader feedback, track quality, editorial preference & critical reception.

Dancing Astronaut wraps up August for you with another edition of our top 10 tracks of the month. August’s list features massive tracks from reader favorites Dirty South, Knife Party, Eric Prydz and Dyro. Not to be missed are also fantastic efforts from Big Gigantic, Junior Sanchez and Oliver Heldens.

10. Zhu - Faded (Big Gigantic Remix)

Ripping through the United States on board with the Mad Decent Block Party and preparing for their yearly celebration “Rowdytown,” Big Gigantic have taken the electronic scene by storm with intricate saxophone lines and kicking live drums. Dom and Jeremy, manning the sax and percussion respectively, have been commended on their ever evolving production skills and delicate sound, both of which are certainly present on their makeover of Zhu‘s “Faded.” Championed as one of the hottest deep songs of the summer, “Faded” needs no fixing – instead, it has been redone; a gentle melody plays behind the dark vocal before the musical duo steps in to deliver a world-class saxophone-based chord progression and a reinvented deep bass line. Zhu’s music has attracted many of electronic music’s finest for remix duty, but few have taken to the task with the style and success as Big Gigantic.

9. Knife Party - Resistance (Original Mix)

Knife Party’s debut album is still over 2 months away, but fans were treated to a “leak” today when the duo tweeted “For fucks sake…there was so much rain today, the studio must have sprung a leak!” indirectly announcing that they were making good on their past promise and releasing “Resistance” for free. The track itself is quintessential Knife Party and should satisfy fans who were a bit put off by the “Boss Mode” teaser and its unfamiliar style.

8. Dyro - Wolv (Original Mix)

The relentless and unapologetic energy that cements Dyro’s “Wolv” is everything that has made the young Dutch talent stand so firmly ahead of the majority of his contenders to date. Part heavyset electro offering, part experimental instrumental odyssey, Dyro crafts something of a big room epic cut reassuringly far from that of his national status quo. “WOLV” may just be the differentiator needed for the young producer to make his boldest leap for independence, but in 2014 it plays as a crucial reminder that there is life in the festival primed sound yet to be exhausted.

7. Pryda - Mija (Original Mix)

When Eric Prydz dons his Pryda moniker, it’s almost always a momentous occasion. This month, however, marks one of his biggest landmarks yet. For the first time ever, the Swedish mastermind has released a four-track EP on his label Pryda Recordings. The EP opens with the glorious “Mija,” a slow-roaster beaming with darker artifacts and a grand architecture. Showcasing some of Eric’s stranger sound design, it’s easily one of our favorite progressive house tracks we’ve heard from him to date.

6. Oliver Heldens - Koala (Original Mix)

“Gecko” might be one of 2014′s hottest instrumentals, and its vocal version “Overdrive” is of equal status in regards to complete records, but Oliver Heldens is only getting started. Bringing the deep house sounds to a mainstream level of acclaim, the rookie with a veteran stature is one of the leaders in production as dance preferences see a vast shift. Listener’s of his aptly titled Heldeep radio show know this first hand (and have been treated to a premiere of his upcoming Coldplay remix), and it now comes as a treat to have his newest solo production released. Following his aforementioned hit, Heldens primes “Koala,” a disply of plunging deep house sounds padded by easy-listen rhythm, enhancing his own genre to greater audiences.

5. Tiësto - Say Something (Original Mix)

Tiësto released A Town Called Paradise earlier this summer, dishing a full-length record out to radio rotation. From “Red Lights” to “Wasted” and all the mega-collabs in between, his newest studio effort came as electro-pop from start to finish. However, one of the album’s bonus cuts has flown completely under the radar and may strike familiar with frequent Hakkasan party-goers. Striking and executing deep house styling, “Say Something” has Tiësto sending the message that he hasn’t closed the doors on his roots or flavors of the days before catering to the festival-dominated landscape. 

4. Mike Mago & Dragonette - Outlines (Original Mix)

“Hello” song-siren Dragonette went fairly dormant after her smash hit alongside Martin Solveig back in 2010, but while her voice may have been silent for a minute, it certainly hasn’t lost any of its sinewy appeal. Swapping out the pop-styling of her French forebearer, the fiery vocalist teams up with Mike Mago and Spinnin Deep for “Outlines,” a deep pop gem that further instigates an undeniable pivot in style for Spinnin and its talent pool. Bubbly synths and a groove that refuses to let go, Dragonette and Mago celebrate their first collab and earn a guaranteed spot in your music library.

3. Junior Sanchez - Salt (Radio Edit)

Coming as the most pivotal change of pace the label has seen this year, Junior Sanchez summons indie rock group Bad Suns and their standout “Salt.” Sanchez laces a back-to-basics house production with the vocals at a spoken word pace, gradually layering nostalgic dance elements and contagious drums, building out songmanship as new elements come into play. “Salt” soulfully matures from start to finish — the musical journey unfolding trick by trick — as Sanchez finds the grounds for a funky house record that’s one of the year’s most distinguishable.

2. The Chainsmokers - Kanye (Original Mix)

The Chainsmokers return to original production duties for their next pop culture anthem, “Kanye.” A track more about self empowerment than Yeezus himself, the New York duo enlist the help of Siren, a little known vocalist whose top line is about to turn this pop trap production into the pair’s next radio hit.

1. Dirty South - Unbreakable (ft. Sam Martin)

What’s manifested of With You is cinematic and takes on a tunnel vision aesthetic, and it’s lead single is finally being unveiled to offer such taste. Premiered by Pete Tong and named his Essential New Tune last month, “Unbreakable” features vocals from Sam Martin and boasts production quality of a film score while nailing undertones and uplifting peaks that match lyrics word by word.