The Ocean (Steve Angello song)
| "The Ocean" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"The Ocean" is a song recorded by Greek-Swedish DJ and music producer Steve Angello for his debut studio album, "Wild Youth". Though the song does give credit to Swedish music producer Saturday, Monday, and singer-songwriter Julia Spada; the artists of the original version of the song.
"The Ocean" was released as the album's fifth single on 20 November 2015.
Background
The most notable fact about this song, is that it is a remix of another song of the same name. In an interview with NPR, Angello stated that he heard the original version back in 2013, before the producer, Saturday, Monday released it under the Swedish music label Despotz Records. When Angello, Saturday, Monday, and Julia Spada collaborated to do Angello's own mix of the song, Angello initially recorded orchestral and folk-band versions, before deciding to explore the potential for a darker and more electronic version of the track.[1]
Critical reception
The song was met with positive reviews, with the senior editor of Beatport in Los Angeles, Katie Bain, commenting about the song, "the track itself is a driving, nuanced electro tour de force;" and Andrew Spada of Dancing Astronaut[2] referring to the song as " a signature production that exposes his (Angello's) maturation while showing signs of life from the Mescal Kid within."
Megan Buerger of NPR also gave "The Ocean" a positive review, complementing Julia Spada's "ghostly" and "seductive" vocals. Buerger went on to say, "it's refreshing to see Angello explore deeper cuts and textures, rather than low-hanging fruit. With "The Ocean" he's onto something more lasting. Buerger concluded, "it's the kind of club hit that could still be circulating dance floors decades from now."
Music video
With the production company, Rebel Studios, the official music video was directed by Filip Tellander. The video was filmed at the Rosengård Boxing Club in Malmo, Sweden, among other snowy, desolate locations. On 22 January 2016, the official music video was uploaded to Steve Angello's Youtube and VEVO account.
Starring the MMA fighter, Ilir Latifi, as a boxer and single father. The video starts with vacillating scenes of the father/boxer carrying his daughter, and the same father/boxer by the ocean, dripping in blood. The viewer is then taken to an earlier time in the boxer's life, where he is seen training for a fight, and then cooking for his daughter, along with putting her to bed. We then see the boxer make it to his next fight, as he and his opponent quickly size each other up. The savage battle then begins, and we observe the father/boxer being brutally beaten by his bloodthirsty opponent. As the bloody fight continues, the merciless crowd cheers on and records the scene on their phones, while the boxer's daughter watches in unrelenting terror. The video culminates with the father/boxer working at a pita factory; and with no clear conclusion provided, the viewer is forced to create one of their own.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Ocean" | 7:07 |
References
- ^ "Songs We Love: Steve Angello feat. Julia Spada & Saturday, Monday, 'The Ocean'". NPR.
- ^ "Steve Angello's 'Wild Youth' is an uninhibited and rebellious autobiography [Album Review] - Dancing Astronaut". 22 January 2016.
- ^ "The Ocean (feat. Julia Spada) (Original Mix) by Steve Angello, Saturday, Monday, Julia Spada on Beatport".