David Morales - Life Is A Song (2LP) [Diridim]

Format: 2x12".

Tracklist:

David Morales - Elle Cato– I Feel Love 
David Morales - Ultra Naté– I Can Dream 
David Morales - Michelle Perera– Never Give Up 
David Morales - Mr. V (4) - DJ Rae - Scott Paynter– The Feels 
David Morales - blondewearingblack– What Can I Do 
David Morales - Blakkat– Second Chance 
David Morales - Joe Roberts– Easy 
David Morales - DJ Rae– Come Undone 
David Morales - Blakkat– Can’t Get Enough 
David Morales - Michelle Perera– Life Is A Song (Philly Mix) 
David Morales - Lea Lorien*– Never Looking Back 
David Morales - Michelle Perera– Addicted

There's nothing quite like a night under the rhythmic spell of the legendary David Morales. Stepping onto the dancefloor while he's behind the decks requires full trust and surrender. You agree to give up the reins of your mind, body, and spirit to his intuition and ability to always take you to where you need to be. At times it will be cathartic and intense. It will often make the hairs on your body stand on end and you'll sweat more than you ever have before. The release of endorphins will be powerful. You'll feel as if you can touch the joy and euphoria floating in the air all around you. As he gently brings you back to reality, you'll feel refreshed and ready for anything life throws your way. This is more than a night of dancing. This is an experience in the hands of a magical music master.

How is this possible from just a night on the dancefloor? It starts with the brilliant mind of an artist at the height of his creative power, imbued with the empathy needed to connect with what has become a global legion of fans. “If there's any secret, it's really simple—I love what I do with all my heart,” Morales says. “I'm a DJ first. I feed off human interaction. I always adjust my sets according to what the people in the room need. Every night we form an emotional connection that inspires the music as it comes through.”

For Morales, “working in the studio is important, but it exists as a way to support the DJ experience. Everything is thought out to inform how it will work on the dancefloor.”

With this in mind, you are reading these words as you delve into a new collection of Morales classics. Always a collaborator, he has featured a wide range of voices and talents. There's the diva power of the legendary Ultra Naté, who brings her distinctive flair to I Can Dream, while Michele Perera's explosive chemistry with David is felt in Life is a Song and Never Give Up, as well as the passionate Addicted.

Morales reminds the listener of his ever-evolving musical reach in collaborations with blondewearingblack (What Can I Do), Lea Lorien (Never Looking Back), and Blakkat (Can’t Get Enough). There's also the club supergroup David formed with Mr. V, Scotty P., and DJ Rae on The Feels. Closing out the set is a reunion with his longtime muses Elle Cato (I Feel Love) and British soul icon Joe Roberts (Easy). Just be sure to listen closely, because there are sure to be some hidden surprises within these grooves to delight your ears and move your body.

The beauty of this brilliant new foray into electronic music is the intensified intimacy between Morales and the music. What you hear here comes almost exclusively from the artist's own hands. “Technology has evolved in extraordinary and liberating ways,” he says, adding that he can now be much more directly involved during the creation of each track. “In the 90s, I had to involve more people. With technological changes and advancements, I can now do it myself. I don't even need to be in the studio anymore. It's smart financially, but also much more fun and creative.”

David adds, “I no longer have to wait to realize an idea. I can build my ideas as they come.” In fact, he reveals that many of these new tracks were born in unusual places, such as airplanes, cars, his bedroom, and countless other spaces. “Music is always swirling in my mind. I'm no longer worried about losing an idea.”

Surviving the ups and downs of a constantly changing world has also led Morales to focus on the essentials of life and music.

“The pandemic has brought me full circle,” he says. “I love what I do and I still have the passion of a child just starting out.”

However, we know that Morales has been at this for a long time. He is a Grammy-winning producer, remixer, and songwriter. He has lent his talents to countless records by icons such as Mariah Carey, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer, Seal, and Jamiroquai. As a turntable artist originally from New York, he earned his credibility in the 80s and 90s in clubs like Paradise Garage, Red Zone, Tunnel, and Club USA. He pioneered the concept of DJs touring beyond their hometowns with countless successful tours that have taken him to the most remote corners of the world. While electronic music thrives in pop radiation, David tops the list of primary influence for any young artist or DJ.

Even with such an impressive legacy, Morales never looks back.

“That's how you stumble and fall,” he says. “If you get caught up in the past, you'll lose sight of what's in front of you. You lose the thrill of discovery. That's what motivates me—to take what I know and combine it with what I don't know as I learn it. There's nothing better than experiencing how it all comes together. It's different every time.”

And that is the final secret to the extraordinary spell David Morales casts on all of us every time he performs.