Marko: “Dance (Remix)” – a techno underbelly and a pop veneer
Marko Shanders from Quebec (Canada), artistically known as Marko, has dropped his brand new single entitled “Dance (Remix)”. In general, the song has a retro sound – upbeat dance-pop, with liberal use of synths and other electronic effects in the arrangement. Since I favor the retro dance scene, which is currently coming back in vogue, in a strong way, this is a plus for me. Marko interweaves the lead vocals, the horns, electronica and other effects to form a composition that is layered and kaleidoscopic. In some way, there is a fanciful, almost hallucinatory quality to the track – like everything sounds naturally cool, but maybe there’s something else going on beneath the surface, slightly askew, but in a good way, like the reflection in a funhouse mirror.
For three and a half minutes Marko shows off his box of techno synth and dance-pop magic tricks, and proves that he has got something good to give. “Dance (Remix)” is extremely catchy, captivating and compelling. It is not often that a song sinks into your head only to resurface later in a quiet moment.
The vocals are awash with reverb, and sinks itself deep into the arrangement, almost like a shoegaze or dream-pop melody does. This leaves you to savor the tune, but it’s just a little harder picking up all the lyrics, so you’ll need to hang on the replay or loop button, if that’s your thing.
If anything, “Dance (Remix)” shows that Marko knows how to bash out catchy psychedelic dance-pop bangers. This is a piece of off-kilter, fully stuffed, and intricately formulated dance-floor energy, meant to leave you wanting more and more.
Marko sings with positive uplifting vibes, as the soaring synths, haze of faraway vocals, and the infectious beat harks back nostalgically to the spirit of dancing the night away. To be perfectly honest, this is brilliant fun. It’s the kind of song you put on and just get lost in, as the high-octane energy sweeps you away.
The embellished beat and pulsating synths exposes choruses explode into life with a coalescence of thickly clustered instrumentation and potent percussion, while the honest and minimalist lyrics avoid any complicated metaphor or otherworldly references.
With such strength of feeling in the straightforward lyricism, the benefits greatly from Mark’s largely positive musical approach. At times “Dance (Remix)” may be a little overwhelming for those who have a pair of silky-pop ears, but every instrument here serves a purpose and the loud banging levels are need to prop the energy levels.
No doubt this is a delightfully exuberant apex of a polarizing dance music with a techno underbelly and a pop veneer. Amidst the competitive EDM and dance-pop scene, Marko seems like he wants to dive in head-on and make a big splash, and as such, subsequently leave a remarkable impression with his own style.
So while that remains to be seen as he releases more tracks in the future, in the meantime, the moment “Dance (Remix)” ends, you’ll likely be exhausted, thrilled and spent — like having been out on the dancefloor for the entire night!
