Quantic – Dancing While Falling: Extended Versions album track-by-track
Bigger and better than ever
We already quizzed Worcestershire-born, New York-based beatmeister Will Holland aka Quantic about his Latin and disco infused new album Dancing While Falling album. (It’s a great piece and if you missed it, you can catch up here)
So when we heard he was planning to drop a new, Extended Versions version of the album, we thought we’d hand our proverbial microphone over to the man himself and let him do the talking. So here, he talks us through the new edition, track by track…
“Nearly all of the songs on ‘Dancing While Falling’ are dancefloor oriented or dance adjacent,” he told us.
“In simple, they are songs written and recorded with a loud sound system and a mass of bodies moving to them. Each track was road tested and finessed to really be a force in my dj sets and sit well with the music I’ve been hearing in my favourite NY club spots. The tracks with Andreya Triana, who was singing with on world tour with Jungle are really fine tuned to her experiences and knowing how to write a killer hook.
“So when it came to release the album, a lot of these songs were shortened to for the constraints of the album format and streaming listeners generally don’t want to hear intro beats etc, tools that are very useful to DJs and often make songs way more playable. The extended vinyl versions will sit alongside a long tradition of extended or 12″ version, dance, disco, house and soul releases – think salsoul etc. Principally I’m an artist with a strong background in making live tracks that can hit hard on a sound system, its a fine art in the present world of splice samples and sample-heavy looped disco.”
Run feat. Andreya Triana (Extended Version)
“The seedling for ‘Run’ began with a remote collaboration between Andreya Triana and I. What started out as a simple sketch slowly became a patient gathering of lyrical ideas and musical fragments. These initial ideas were blended by an incredible array of musical contributors across New York and London. Our patience in seeing the idea through paid off and I think we found a perfect balance between raw emotion and musical expression for the dance.”
Subway Lover
Recorded in between New York and London, this track explores uplifting Gospel themes with almost robotic synth energy. I found a way to sync my 2” tape machine with my Eurorack synth rig, so there is a really rudimentary vibe to the interaction between machine and human. The Voices are so soul pouring and emotive and married with these cold bleeps and rigid tones it creates a really compelling blend.
Stand Up
Stand Up speaks to the everyday person, the everyday struggles for everyday people. It is celebratory but at the same time about pushing forward, standing strong in what you believe in and creating power through love and dedication. This track has a touch of Roy Ayers influence, the chorus of singers was lead by Andreya Triana.
Unconditional feat. Rationale
‘Unconditional’ is a jam that I had spinning on the tape reels for several months, everyone who heard it vibed with it. In searching for the right vocalist and connecting with Rationale, the track really took new life and the final song is something I’m so proud of.
Get In The Ride feat. Connie Constance
This is Connie and I’s first collab together, one of the more futuristic approaches on my new record. The song’s journey is a clash between hard synth patterns and pack vocals, like sitting in the backseat of a very bumpy ride whilst Connie takes over the stereo.
Brooklyn Heat feat. Andreya Triana
This was one of Andreya and my creative encounters, it starts out as an intimate tale, you can imagine empty streets slowly filling with singing and dancing people. It finally erupts into life, with the help of the formidable sound of Queens drummer Joe Blaxx lending to the rhythm and power of Andreya’s voice.
Emeralds
I envisaged this as a track for a band to stretch out on, in my years of touring live there’s always a point where the band needs to stretch out, relax and solos are played. A track like this become a favourite for the band and thus the crowd.
Morning Light feat. Andreya Triana
This song sits somewhere between the party hours and the morning sunrise. It’s about those lingering moments where the night before meets the sunlight of a new day and the two interact. Andreya and I recorded part of this in Baja California where the sunrises and sunsets are so beautiful.
Tikurin
This is an instrumental jam named after a small Izakaya style restaurant in the island of Naoshima, Japan I frequented. Tikurin means bamboo forest and i thought it suited the vibe of the track which is quite cinematic.
Where The Flowers Grow feat. Andreya Triana
This is one of my favourites on the record, so tender and the arc of the song is so special. It talks about loss, the agony of grief and rebirth, it was an emotional journey making it.
Buy your copy of Dancing While Falling: Extended Versions by clicking here