SONJOOZ – “Set You Free” Feat. Viktoria & Sticky Bud
SONJOOZ – “Set You Free” Feat. Viktoria & Sticky Bud – Single Review
From what I’m reading here about this new project SONJOOZ, it all traces back to the talents of Belgian producer Luc Rigaux and his insightful ability to mix pop & electro atmospheres into stunning doses of high energy entertainment. “Set You Free,” the brand-new single featuring the vocals of Viktoria and the rap of Sticky Bud, highlights that collaborative spirit through an audibly empowering and uplifting energy that takes hold quickly and never lets go. The new single came out officially October 4th…and if you’re the type of listener inclined to check out remixes of a track, you can find this track served up eight different ways altogether on the official release, including the original.
Depending on your electro-taste and how you dig this sounding…there are verifiable mixes in the additional seven remixes that could just as easily snag your interest and attention as the original does. For instance, the D&B-inclined beginning and twists put into the ‘Klashtraxx Remix’ or the ‘Raving Luke Remix’ – both adaptations that come out sounding absolutely spot-on with a whole bunch of new ideas for the structure and movement, but always retaining the uplifting energy & vibe you got hooked on through the original. Essentially, SONJOOZ has compiled a track that seems to work well in all its forms due to the strong backbone that all the remixes work with from the original; no matter how different they end up – and some of these cuts really do – it all comes out sounding really fresh, vibrant & wild.
So…what’s working here…SONJOOZ honestly crushes in the electro-department, there’s no doubt about that…the music is vibrant, extremely lively and just as much of a star on “Set You Free” as the featured guests. Viktoria does an excellent job of bringing in angelic and dreamy sounds into the mix through her vocals and the main hooks…lyrically it skims somewhat along the surface, but I also think keeping it light is also what seems to make the energy and relationship between the vocals and music work so well. Rap-mercenary Sticky Bud, who we’ve encountered before on other tracks out there, delivers some real highlight bars on “Set You Free” that at times are powerful enough to almost steal the show. At the end of the day though, I felt like these three main collaborators managed to find a balance that really held them all together in a unified sound that makes a ton of sense to our ears as it plays and all found a way to contribute in equal parts of equal quality for one overall impressive result.
Listen to how smart things continue to get though…honestly if you’ve got the time (and I know you do!) go check out the way these remixes all come out. You’ll see that a great tune can have multiple lives when it comes to music…the ‘Skreatch Remix’ is insanely cool…it takes the track largely to a more electro-instrumental place and there’s less focus/inclusion of the vocals, but even still in a mix like this, the main ingredients of the music sparkle & shine as they transition and morph the music into what’s basically an all-new idea and song by the time it’s rolling along. The ‘Shades Of Dark Mix’ takes it in the opposite direction and takes the Madonna-esque sound of Viktoria’s vocals and places them even further into the spotlight, adding in even more electro-effects and a twist on her own sound to make this version stand out from the rest. Like I said…you really can’t lose…if you like the original, chances are you’ll get right into the rest of the set and the other versions that come along with it. More of what you love – never anything wrong with that right?
The original takes you right back to the early 90’s in a lot of ways…back to when groups like C+C Music Factory and Snap! were fresh on the scene…SONJOOZ twists the sound into a more modern form with precision skills in structure, production and execution like BT. Much like BT in many ways with how SONJOOZ maneuvers through the wild electro terrain and been able to make incredible use of featured guest-vocalists as well…similarities for sure…likely “Set Me Free” might remind you of a few different artists, projects or bands that you’ll come up with on your own as well in comparison.
Just keep in mind the reason why we find it easy sometimes to make comparisons at all is because we remember what we heard from the past…and if a memory like that can be recalled to address the similarities in a sound we hear today…well…doesn’t that mean that the song in question would then possess similar strengths and potential longevity as well? I would think it does…time will tell.
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