Benjamin Kassel
"Galvanize" both pumps me up and gets me dancing
The Chemical Brothers' hit mixes elements from both sides of 2000 into one of the most recognizable songs of its time.
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Benjamin Kassel
- Mar 26, 2022
- 3 min
"Papercut": when I realized there was more to electronic music
Zedd's serene house-pop production featuring Troye Sivan was the first track of its kind that impressed me with the greater story it told.
Benjamin Kassel
- Mar 20, 2022
- 4 min
"Enjoy the Silence": fitting music for an ironic title
Depeche Mode's most successful song is an inner monologue, formed in a moment when the outside world is quiet.
Benjamin Kassel
- Mar 13, 2022
- 3 min
The irony and unity in hearing a crowd singing"Dancing On My Own"
Robyn's 2010s-defining hit is narratively unfitting such a response... but deep down, such an act really makes a lot of sense.
Benjamin Kassel
- Mar 5, 2022
- 3 min
"Paradigm" is my kind of deep house
CamelPhat are leaders of the style now, and I saw it coming with this 2015 production.
Benjamin Kassel
- Feb 25, 2022
- 5 min
"Inner Light" speaks to my anxious self in a re-emerging social climate
Elderbrook and Bob Moses' lyrically driven house production has been a personal anthem since I first heard it about half a year ago.
Benjamin Kassel
- Feb 22, 2022
- 5 min
"Digital Love" is my favorite electronic track of all time
...and I break it down today to pay tribute to the two robots with human souls who made it.
Benjamin Kassel
- Feb 12, 2022
- 5 min
"Intrasport" shouldn't work as well as it does, but I can't stop dancing to it
In complete King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard style, its weirdness only makes it better.
Benjamin Kassel
- Feb 6, 2022
- 3 min
"Say Nothing" does all the talking itself
Flume's new release is chock-full of fascinating details as he plays with time and musical space.
Benjamin Kassel
- Feb 5, 2022
- 4 min
Close to a decade on, "Caliban's Dream" continues to embody the Olympic spirit
As Beijing 2022 begins, I return to Underworld's musical setting for the 2012 cauldron lighting.
Benjamin Kassel
- Jan 24, 2022
- 3 min
I'd been hoping for a Years & Years collaboration like "Sweet Talker," and it delivered
Olly Alexander finally making a true house track — alongside Galantis — was an excellent decision in the production of his first solo album.
Benjamin Kassel
- Jan 21, 2022
- 4 min
Early 2000s pop punk meets late 2010s future bass in "Good Things Fall Apart"
In hindsight, these styles are perfect for each other — unlike the former relationship the song describes. Bravo, ILLENIUM and Jon Bellion.
Benjamin Kassel
- Jan 13, 2022
- 5 min
"Sacrifice" is both a dance floor-ready pop anthem and a narrative turning point
In The Weeknd's newest single, he revels in his old lifestyle one last time before his outlook on love shifts across the rest of the album.
Benjamin Kassel
- Jan 12, 2022
- 3 min
"aNYway" is house formed straight from its disco roots
Duck Sauce create "disco's revenge" by sampling the genre that preceded it, paying tribute to New York in the process.
Benjamin Kassel
- Jan 4, 2022
- 4 min
Carpenter Brut's cover of "Maniac" places the listener inside the mania
A "darksynth" retooling of a 1980s movie soundtrack classic gives the lyrics and title a much more fitting treatment.
Benjamin Kassel
- Jan 3, 2022
- 3 min
"Call On Me" — but not the one you're probably thinking of — is a call for perseverance
Between its beat and its lyrics, Ryan Riback's retouching of Starley's dance-pop number is one of my favorite productions from the late 10s.
Benjamin Kassel
- Dec 28, 2021
- 4 min
DubVision's remix of "Ocean" sonically captures an emotional reunion
In examining a complete revamping of a pop production, I think of how stylistic choices can change our perception of a melody and lyrics.
Benjamin Kassel
- Dec 17, 2021
- 5 min
"Never Forget You" captures the emotions of remembering past friends
The memories will always be there, and Zara Larsson and MNEK's presentation of working through them really resonates with me.
Benjamin Kassel
- Dec 14, 2021
- 4 min
"I'm Not Alone": a self-reckoning on self-destruction
Who knew that a house track could breed such philosophical discussion?
Benjamin Kassel
- Dec 1, 2021
- 3 min
"Dreams" demonstrates the power of recurrence
Gorgon City utilize mediated repetition — particularly of a single element — to create and reinforce their track's titular aura.
© 2021— by Benjamin Kassel. Proudly created with Wix.
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