THE DROP: Kid Sister’s below the pop radar success trend continues on "Do Do Do"

http://www.youtube.com/v/HvSXz7FzjFs?fs=1&hl=en_US

Being a true dance diva in a market driven by hackneyed pop confection is a difficult job, but somebody’s gotta do it. That job falls to Melisa Young, aka perpetual underground Chicago star Kid Sister. Chicago house isn’t exactly a mainstream trending style of music. Unlike electro, Chicago house is not a hard sound with basic dance floor motivations. Chicago house grooves and jacks, and is filled with intricate melodies that rely on soul and disco. Pop trending electro takes cues from Baltimore club music, a Chicago house derivative, but a harder and edgier breaking sound. As well, electro owes a great deal to elements of hip hop, trance and a much more basic melodic structure.

Kid Sister’s “Pro Nails” album, in trending far more towards traditional dance than electro pop was met with tepid commercial acclaim. Yes, the Swedish House Mafia did give the album a boost an expected hit with “Right Hand Hi,” but, in being a formula breaking outlier with classic roots, Kid Sister’s success is a much more underground trend waiting for pop to meet her than anything else. There’s a certain applause worthy bravery in taking this stance, however, things may be looking up.

The most popular underground DJs in the UK right now don’t play dubstep, two step, grime or funky. They are native born Chicagoans like DJ Nate who play Chicago house derivative Chicago juke. Kid Sister’s “Pro Nails,” a juke track. Her track “Switch” from her album, juke as well. Given how quickly UK trends cross the water these days, and the intellectual quotient of Fools Gold Records, I tend to believe she’ll be okay. As long as Kid Sister can continue in the interim to be a fantastic live performer and charismatic entertainer, her time is not too far away. Tracks like DJ Mehdi and Riton’s “Do! Do! Do!” have a certain minimal yet excitable Chicago feel that allow her to continue to feel comfortable in a sound that, like Loleatta Holloway before her, will hopefully allow her the ability to cash in for deserved pop success.

THE DROP – DJ Mehdi is STILL amazing – CARTE BLANCHE w/ DJ Riton

Of all of the awesome things I witnessed at Electric Zoo 2009, the most impressive was watching Ed Banger Records’ Francophonic tag team of DJ Mehdi and Busy P’s set in the “hipster” themed tent in the middle of Saturday afternoon on day one. Humorously enough, there wouldn’t be an expanded True Genius Requires Insanity without it, as, well, alongside me for said set were Chris “Lenins Tomb” Kelly and Casey “DJ Cold Case” Morris, both whom served as travelling companions for that ridiculous weekend. What separated their set from most of the weekend is that Mehdi’s open for Busy P was so good that Busy, after assuming the decks for 15 minutes, turned the tables back over to Mehdi, who went in for the rest of Busy P’s 90 minutes, thereby spinning a grand total of three hours. It wasn’t so much that it was Herculean (go to a six hour Armin Only set and be amazed by van Buuren) but that it was so consistent, well placed and seemingly effortless that it was a blow away event.

DJ Mehdi and Riton are Carte Blanche!

That being said, DJ Mehdi’s new project for 2010, Carte Blanche alongside DJ Riton isn’t mind blowingly unbelievable. It’s solid. Of course, solid for DJ Mehdi is “mind blowingly unbelievable” for about 99% of the rest of the world. Mehdi is a house music expert. It’s the expected amazing blend of a wealth of out of this world selections, as well as the skill to make cuts, edits and blends that very few others in the world would have the fortitude and trust in skills to make.

Check these two mixes for proof of this house dominance, and let’s cross our fingers for some US dates in support of their forthcoming EP (featuring a duet w/ one woman classic house music preservation society Kid Sister titled “Do Do Do”) from this exemplary duo.

CARTE BLANCHE – IN THE MIX
http://fairtilizer.com/track/81203?fairplayer=small&skin=edbanger

CARTE BLANCHE – HOUSE PARTY MIX
http://fairtilizer.com/track/105998?fairplayer=small&skin=15