Electropop artist James Leon has returned with a new four-track EP – entitled ‘Zen’. It features the brand new song ‘Zen (To the Power)’ plus three great remixes. The title track of the ‘Zen’ EP is a rousing electropop number with a big, catchy and almost gospel-inflicted chorus. The song has an ethereal-yet-uplifting feel with its narrative about finding escape from the monotony and frustrations of everyday life in dreams and imagination, and that timeless theme found in all the best pop songs – triumphing over adversity.
The EP also features a remix of James’ last single ‘I Love the Music (The First Night)’ by rising Manchester DJ/Production collective ‘Club Clique’ – who have been responsible for recent official remixes of tracks by Lana Del Ray, La Roux, Erasure and Bombay Bicycle Club among others.
Alongside their remix work, the Club Clique collective run Manchester’s most successful and longest-running dance party, described as ‘one of the hottest clubs in the UK’ by Mixmag. They described their concept for this remix as ‘a cool basement club feel with the emphasis on melody and danceability’.
The original version of ‘I Love the Music (The First Night)’ combines a classic 90’s piano-house sound with the 80’s-inspired vocals that characterise James Leon’s sound.
Club Clique have taken the song and stripped it back down to its basics before building it up again into an addictive blast of electro-pop-house. They have brought out previously hidden elements – isolating the falsetto backing vocals and placing these where a middle 8 would be; before adding a Pet Shop Boys-esque piano break that builds the track to a final climax.
James’s debut single ‘Purple Heart’ – which has continued to be a favourite of his growing fan base and a highlight of his live sets, gets a Daft Punk-esque disco remix by another rising Manchester-based DJ and producer – Pollarik, which is perfect for 2015.
The EP closes with a dark and funky stripped-down electro remix of ‘Zen (To the Power)’ by remixer and producer Steven Jones (whose own work has previously been championed by Radio 6).
‘Zen’ features a fun set of tracks that are perfect for the dancefloor – but with their thoughtful lyrics and distinctive sound will leave you feeling more nourished than your average EDM banger.
What others say about James Leon:
“[I Love the Music (The First Night)] is an illuminous electro pop stomped that should rightly soundtrack any wild night from Soho to Southampton and beyond. A weekend anthem that will indeed you make you love the music“. The Playlist
“You can always rely on James to incorporate his own musical influences in a contemporary that still allows his personal, heartfelt lyrics to shine through. Whether he’s tackling relationships, nights out or his own personal insecurities, he wears his heart on his sleeve and shares these sentiments with the world. It’s a bold move but one that makes James that much more relatable” MyFizzyPop
“[I Love the Music (The First Night)] It’s big and its bawdy and it’s a song that’s going to get you off your ass and out of the door. If James keeps this up, there won’t be a club in the land that doesn’t know his name” Poprinserepeat
Further Information:
Contact: jamesleonuk@hotmail.com
The ‘Zen’ EP (featuring ‘Zen (to the Power)’, I Love the Music (The First Night) [Club Clique remix], Purple Heart 2015 [Pollarik remix] and Zen (To the Power) [SRJ Electro/Funk remix]) is available now:
on iTunes: http://apple.co/1X54j7X
and Spotify: http://bit.ly/1j7H4g0
All tracks by James Leon available for listening at: https://soundcloud.com/jamesleon
Club Clique: http://www.clubclique.co.uk/ Pollarik: https://soundcloud.com/pollarik SRJ Productions (Steven Jones): https://soundcloud.com/srjproductions
Follow James Leon:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamesLeon1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamesleonmusic/
Instagram: @JAMESLEON1
The album ‘Never been cool’ is also available on iTunes: http://apple.co/1X7MvsV and Spotify: http://bit.ly/1j7JCef