Dancing Astronaut's Top 50 Biggest Tracks of 2013: 30-21
30. Jeremy Olander – Let Me Feel (Original Mix)
The stand out track from camp Pryda Friends, Jeremy Olander’s “Let Me Feel” was first debuted in an EPIC Radio mix in December 2012 but thrust back into the spotlight on Eric Prydz’s February Essential Mix. A pure house output from one of progressive’s most promising assets, “Let Me Feel” has touches of the label’s iconic sound with an infectious melody and charm that are all Olander’s own.
29. Monsta – Messiah (Dirty South Remix)
Dirty South brought the album-hot dance sphere his own full-length offering, straying from his usual singles-and-remixes practices for Speed Of Life. But still, his best offering of 2013 was one of the few that reverted back to his individual release days. Working around Monsta’s “Messiah,” Dragan packed all the looming remix punch in an anthem that goes head-to-head with some of his historically beloved remixes.
28. Madeon – Technicolor
Madeon returned to original production duties with a cryptic teaser and a digital scavenger hunt before debuting “Technicolor.” At 6:25 minutes, his resurgence was his most intricately layered composition yet. A swirling epic of 16-bit arpeggios and synthpop dream sequences, Madeon painted the entire spectrum of sound with the appropriately named production.
27. Moguai – Champs
Moguai joined the Size Records family with “Champs” just before Miami Music Week last March. A refreshing take on the festival house trends of 2013, the producer stayed true to his talent for punctuating his melodies with club-friendly electro work. As beautiful as it is bouncy, “Champs” keeps the energy and the artistry intact in a genre full of lackluster imitators.
26. Baauer – Harlem Shake
The most viral dance music song of all time, Baauer’s “Harlem Shake” became an internet phenomenon and a cultural identifier for the pop culture year as a whole. Far exceeding its home in the fringe genre of trap, “Harlem Shake,” proved that it doesn’t take major label support to crest the Billboard charts — just an infectious hook and an internet meme.
25. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike – Wakanda (Original Mix)
Competing with “Mammoth” for Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike’s biggest track, the Axtone-released “Wakanda” takes top honors for the duo’s pre-eminent output of 2013. A track that may be responsible for the “drop epidemic” of this past year, “Wakanda” took everyone by storm when it was first debuted. Breakneck percussion, blaring Dutch horns and tribal chants turned the track into a Frankenstein monster that quickly overran main stages worldwide. Often imitated, but never duplicated, “Wakanda” set the bar for festival music in 2013.
24. Mark Knight & Funkagenda – Man With The Red Face (Hardwell Remix)
In celebration of Toolroom’s tenth anniversary, Mark Knight curated a collection of remixes for the TEN compilation series. Hardwell’s approach to the Mark Knight & Funkagenda original “Man With The Red Face” stood out as the most soundly adapted cut on the comp. Shying away from his big room electro successes, Hardwell’s take stands up well against the label’s techier leanings. Reminiscent of his last Toolroom release “Three Triangles,” this remix showcases his production talent outside of the commercial house arena.
23. Mat Zo ft. Chuck D – Pyramid Scheme (Club Mix)
Mat Zo released “Pyramid Scheme” ahead of his debt artist album Damage Control. Fulfilling a lifelong dream of working with Chuck D, Zo’s biggest release since “Easy” was a warning shot of things to come that pieced together well-oiled dub beats with a hip-hop icon’s vocals.
22. W&W & Ummet Ozcan – The Code (Original Mix)
W&W find themselves in the top 50 for a second time for their collaboration with Ummet Ozcan, “The Code.” Debuted on Hardwell’s Essential Mix, the collaboration quickly made its way into the Beatport Top 10, securing itself a profound presence in festival sets throughout the summer. The trio blended electro and big room house with ease, delivering arena-ready builds and a larger-than-life, main stage flattening drop.
21. Digital Lab, Henrix & GTA – Hit It
This Size Records anthem made rounds late in 2012, giving producers the heads up on how to excel in big room for the following year. Released early in 2013, Digital Lab, Henrix, and GTA’s “Hit It,” set the ripples that would make the waves for the sound of this year’s festival season. It was in the lineage of “Atom” and the preface for “Animals,” a placeholder in rocking crowds and keeping drops from becoming stale.