Irina

Exotic. That is how you would describe the voice of Russian bombshell Irina. Bursting onto the dance scene with her debut single, "Something About You", Irina demands attention from the second you see or hear her. Her voice has a slight accent that gives it a special appeal, one that I personally can't get enough of. The original version of "Something About You" has all the ingredients for a perfect pop jam; a synth-heaven bassline, a killer hook, rock elements with a pop feel, another killer hook, a beat to die for, another killer hook...it's fun to say the least! Sadly, while perfectly danceable, the song is not a dancefloor jam in its original construction. This problem did not go unnoticed however, because Irina's debut single was treated with a delicious, boundary-breaking remix package!

Not all mixes in a remix package can be terrific, and "Something About You" follows that paradigm. The Automatic Panic Remix has an unfitting breakdown that throws the whole thing off, and the Eddie Amador Remix sounds generic at best. Things get a bit better with the Bill Hamel Remix, which does awesome work on the verses with a pounding synth riff and only stumbles when it comes to the prechorus and chorus where that synth riff is suddenly dropped for some reason. Razor N Guido provide the classic house sound that they are known and appreciated for, giving the track a whole new feel. However, they are outshined by two other outstanding remixers.

Released separately from the rest, the Dave Aude Remix is a beautifully executed mix that takes advantage of the song's composition and gives us pure dancefloor fun! Adding a Pitbull-esque "Ooh baby, baby!" vocal bit, Dave takes the song to the next level with no apparent flaws. This remix could stand on its own as a single, without any of the other versions. Even so, the song does not reach its absolute full potential here - a feat only accomplished by the absolutely stunning and transcendent Bimbo Jones Remix. Standing out above the rest from the very first listen, this remix is exactly what the song was meant to be. The verses are ideally tame, building up to the perfectly contrasting prechorus and chorus. Piano-synths have never sounded so sublime as they do here, and combined with the intertwined techno elements, have an almost trance-like affect. This is the perfect mix to BLAST while you lose yourself to the music and dance like there's no tomorrow. Needless to say, this one is getting the most plays from me.

While "Something About You" is her only official single as of yet, Irina still has an album's worth of music out there for people to sample. Visit her SoundCloud (linked below) to hear more of her material as well as all of the "Something About You" mixes. A few standout tracks...

N 2 U - A catchy tune that is somewhat reminiscent of 90's pop hits.

Blow By Blow - A powerful song with a hook that Britney would kill for. It will be stuck in your head!

Fall Like The Rain - A midtempo song with mysteriously whispered Russian bits. With some good strong strings in the chorus this song could be her breakout hit.

Electrostatic Pressure - Just as good as any of J-Lo's recent hit singles with a dance breakdown similar to something by RedOne.

Control Me - On the first listen it doesn't sound too special, but it has grown on me and is now my favorite tracks of hers. I've had it on repeat for a long time now! Something about the way she sings it combined with the fact that it's a perfect track to begin with...I am just in love with this one.

Irina Links:
Official Website
SoundCloud
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Google+

Buy Irina's Music:
7digital US
7digital UK
Google Play
Beatport
JunoDownload

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