Seattle-based electro pop group Dance Yourself Clean are certainly no stranger to crafting infectious dance pop tunes. Their conception in 2013 started out as more of a touring dance party then a band, serving primarily as producers and curators of wild and energetic live concert experiences. Now the group has turned their focus to recording and producing original music. Having worked on many successful endeavors, which include their Back Talk music project and a collaboration with (a now-matured) Rebecca Black, Dance Yourself Clean is back with yet another catchy and vibrant pop single.
This time, pop singer Lizzy Land lends her powerful vocal chops to the mix, adding an elegance to the group’s fun energy. “Been Too Long” is a chill-inducing sonic explosion about recalling a past relationship. A solid electro beat and a dominating bass line perfectly compliments glimmering synth leads and Land’s airy, delicate vocals. The mix evokes a sense of pleasant moodiness that’s also danceable and easy to vibe to. The lyrics describe a longing for reconnection, to reunite with an old flame, but sonically, “Been Too Long” is far from disconnected. The track remains thematically consistent and lively. A musical tour de force, Dance Yourself Clean’s latest single is easily one of fall’s hottest electro pop bops that’s sure to get listeners on their feet.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Joel Albers, who originally started DYC, and here is what he had to say:
Q&A with Joel Albers from DYC
This song is super catchy, with amazing vocals, and has such a feel-good dance beat! What was your writing and recording process this track?
We originally wrote this instrumental for another artist on our label by the name of Van Bobbi, but he never really connected with it. We really loved the beat so we shelved it in hopes to use it one day. A couple years later, we connected with Lizzy through a mutual friend and sent her the track. We’re big fans of her lush vocal style and thought she would do an amazing job and she totally crushed it.
Can you tell us about the evolution of your record label “Lights & Music Collective”?
Lights & Music originally started as a music blog, but quickly evolved into throwing live events. The plan however, was always to create a record label it just took a while to get there. One of those live events was/is Dance Yourself Clean, which is actually a indie dance party turned music project. So, I guess you can say that the parties really helped us launch the label. Especially when we had so many artists coming and performing at our party.
How is the music scene in Los Angeles, having moved down here from Seattle?
We made the move because LA felt a lot more open, collaborative and supportive at the time. Specifically in this genre. Seattle has some amazing talent though and there is a deep thirst for good music up there. Not to mention some iconic venues.
Was there any pivotal point in your life that you knew that music is your passion?
I don’t know if there was ever a pivotal moment that really stuck out at the time, but I did gradually notice that most of my time was spent on music oriented things. I think that if anything really stuck out, it was the revelation that I couldn’t work a regular job. From there I sort of worked backwards and it quickly became pretty obvious that music was what I was most inspired by. Andrew (who co-produces DYC with me) is from Los Angeles and has played in bands his whole life, so he probably knew at much earlier age.
What projects are coming up next for you?
Right now we’re just focusing on releasing as much DYC music as possible. We’ve typically been spread so thin with so many different projects that it’s nice to just focus on one thing for now.
Do you have any parting words for your fans out there?
Be patient with each other. None of us have all the answers.
Written by Derek Tate
Interviewed by Music & Fashion Blog
