Calvin Harris - I'm Not Alone

Every now and again, it happens. You’ll be cruising along in your car, cheerily satisfied with the musical offerings surrounding you, and then you hear a track like Calvin Harris’ I’m Not Alone, and you begin to reconsider your definition of ‘great’. A spanner is thrown into the musical works, as others in the game realise they’ll have to up the ante to keep in the game.

I’ve always liked Calvin Harris, but only in the same way that I like a nice cup of tea. It’s pleasant, but nothing to write home (or a review) about. But I’m Not Alone is an unexpected sound for Monsieur Harris, and it affirms his position as one of dance music’s hottest young talents. Taking on a healthy dose of nu-rave ambience for the intro, the last thing you’re expecting to follow is a blasting, 90s rave style synth. The cheesy trance sound references popular dance tracks of the late 90s and early 00s. Some say it sounds a little too much like Art of Trance’s Madagascar, but I’m not convinced… Is it a similar style? Of course. A rip off? Not a chance.

The trance vibe is an interesting path for Harris to tread, especially in a time when identities like Tiesto and Paul van Dyk are seeking to distance themselves from the genre (to their detriment, I might add). Although Tiesto has been dropping this track into his sets of late, completing his very own remix of it in fact, so maybe it’ll be enough to get him back on the bandwagon? Either way, good on you Calvin Harris, ‘cause damn, does this one work on the dancefloor!