September - Until I Die (Dave Ramone Remix)

"Four years after her big breakthrough with the smash hit ”Satellites” September continues to rule the international charts. ”Cry for you” went top 10 in more than 15 countries and kept the #1 position at Billboard Dance Radio Airplay for three weeks. In the UK the single sold 250 000 copies, worldwide close to 1.5 million. Ever since her debut single “La la la (Never give it up)” in 2003, Swedish singer and dancing queen Petra Marklund has worked together with songwriter and producer Jonas van der Burg and the two songwriters Niclas van der Burg and Anoo Bhagavan. Together they have continued to follow-up one hit with another without repeating themselves and without losing their audience. September has become a reliable provider of the catchiest pop and dance tunes you can imagine.

 ”The four of us have stuck to the formula, which makes it easier for the audience to understand what September is about. We love to work with each other. Of course there are conflicts sometimes, but in the end we are still a team”, she explains.
Today September is one of Sweden’s biggest musical exports. Earlier this year she was nominated for the government’s music export prize together with Björn and Benny (ABBA). The international success means that Petra spends a lot of time in airports, usually far away from home. It is a lifestyle that does not fit everyone, but for her it is the only life she knows – and she loves it. When other artists move to the country to have some rest in-between shows and recordings Petra will spend the following year in London. With all the travelling it is more convenient to live in the UK, but that is not the only reason she is packing her bags.

She says that meeting new audiences and travelling the world has helped her grow as an artist. ”When I started doing shows abroad I was allowed to do my thing full on. Back home in Sweden people would probably be shocked by my live show,” she laughs. Putting on a memorable live show is important to this 24-year-old who loves touring as much as she enjoys singing and dancing. She also designs the clothes she wears on stage and likes to be involved in every step of the process. ”I was meant to do this”, she says. And seeing her touring and conquering Russia, Canada, Australia, Britain and USA we have to believe her.

Already at the age of ten Petra (yes, she was born in September) started planning her career. She took dancing lessons, sang all kinds of music and did all she could to prepare herself for a life on stage. There was never an alternative, never any doubts. She was determined to become a popstar – and a few years later she became one. At the age of 20 she received a Grammy in Sweden for Best Club/Dance-album of 2005 with “In orbit”. The same year platinum selling “Satellites” was the most played song on national radio in Sweden. It also reached #1 in the Spanish charts and was given a prize for Hit of The Year at the ESKA Music Awards in Poland. She even found herself at a higher position than long-time favourite Kylie Minogue  as “Cry for you” landed a spot at the Billboard hot 100.

Now, after all the success she has experienced, the 24-year-old singer no longer needs to prove anything to anyone.She was meant to do this." Article source: www.septembermusic.se.

Fio - Like An Angel (Niels Van Gogh & Dave Ramone Remix)

Booming Car Stereos Can Be Dangerous

"Careful with the volume button: loud music decreases a driver's ability to react to sudden movements and make decisions, according to the latest research.

The study, by scientists in Canada, found that reaction times diminished by up to 20 per cent when a person was subjected to loud volume, a potentially fatal delay for a motorist driving at even moderate speeds.
The finding has prompted concern among driving organisations that young men who drive with music booming from their powerful in-car hi-fi systems could be causing an increasing number of accidents.
Edmund King, the executive director of the RAC Foundation, the motoring organisation, said that the findings confirmed many drivers' suspicions. "This research suggests that loud music is not good for the driver or other road users, and is actually a real risk on Britain's roads.
"We get a lot of complaints about loud cars and their annoying drivers and this research seems to explain why," he said. The study, conducted at Memorial University, Newfoundland, Canada, examined the reactions of 10 people who were asked to complete tasks each day for a month while being subjected to different noise levels. The lowest sound level used in the experiments was 53 decibels - the equivalent to an office - and the noisiest was 95 decibels - the equivalent to standing near a fast moving lorry. By measuring physical and mental abilities over hour-long periods, researchers found that the time it took to complete tasks that required decision-making increased by an average of 20 per cent at 95 decibels. At office levels, it was five per cent.

The typical car stereo has a maximum volume of about 110 decibels, although the loudest can reach more than 170 decibels. Duane Button, the scientist who conducted the experiments, said that the time periods involved were just fractions of a second, but could make a significant difference while driving. "Drivers have people and vehicles and pedestrians coming at them all the time. If they lose 0.35 seconds because of their loud music, it is the difference between an accident or safety," said Mr Button. Damian Green, the shadow transport secretary, said that the Government should commission its own study of the impact of high volume levels on safety. He also called for curbs on the maximum volume permitted in cars. "The Government needs to take the issue of volume levels and car safety by the scruff of the neck and deal with it," he said. A spokesman for the Department of Transport said that officials would examine the Canadian report when it was published.

 

Drivers with booming car stereos dismissed the findings yesterday. Richard Bladon, 20, from Wolverhampton, West Midlands, regularly plays dance music at 148 decibels - the equivalent of standing 10 yards from a landing jet - from his car.

The computer programmer admitted to turning up his £4,000 stereo "pretty loud" and to being thrilled when other drivers looked around from their cars.

"I have stopped at traffic lights and watched people in the next car turn around as they wonder why their dashboards are vibrating," he said.

Mr Bladon insisted that there were worse habits on the road than playing loud music. "People should not play their music so loud that it disturbs people going about their daily business. But playing music a little louder than normal is not as bad as drinking before, or telephoning while driving a car," he said.

There are more than 7,000 registered car stereo enthusiasts in Britain according to TalkAudio, a website that serves young men who are prepared to spend thousands of pounds on amplifiers, speakers and cable leads.

Loud music has previously been blamed for contributing to fatal car accidents. Ronald Myers, a coroner in Wigan, Lancashire, said that loud music played by Nicola Rothwell, 18, contributed to a 1997 crash that killed her and two companions. "I do hope that parents will take heed and hand out a warning to youngsters of the possible dangers too loud a volume of music in a car can be," he said.

 Sony, the electronics giant, was accused this year of encouraging anti-social behaviour in its advertisements for car stereos.

One Sony magazine promotion was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority for selling amplifiers with the slogan: "Maybe you like your music relaxing. Or maybe you like to shatter greenhouses and set off car alarms." Kevin Clinton, the head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said that the study confirmed suspicions that loud noise could increase the likelihood of an accident. "Most research that has shown how using a mobile phone while driving can be a distraction has indicated that listening to the radio is not a problem. "However, listening to very loud music can be distracting. If the noise in a car is too loud, it may stop you hearing other things such as traffic approaching."". Article source: www.telegraph.co.uk.

Ameerah - Sound Of Missing You (Dave Ramone Remix)

"Ameerah - a name that breathes royalty. The Arabic word for "princess" perfectly reflects pop singer Ameerah's Tunisian, Algerian and Belgian roots. Her new single The Sound Of Missing You is a catchy, melodic dance track with influences of urban and pop. It's one of those songs you won't be able to get out of your head for a long time.

The Sound Of Missing You is the result of a collaboration of Ameerah with the renowned Swedish production team Airborn, a.k.a. Didrik and Sebastion Thott; the same team that is responsible for numerous hits for Celine Dion, Westlife and Lindsay Lohan, to name a few. It's a song about the end of a relationship. Ameerah: “It's about missing somebody so much that you can't shake off the feeling. It's like sound: it's always there.”

For the last two years, Ameerah has travelled the world to work with the crème de la crème of international producers, such as Red One (Akon, Lady Gaga), Jorgen Elofsson (Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson), Airborn and Souldiggaz (Beyoncé, Missy Elliott). She divided her time between her home in Belgium, Sweden (the Mecca of pop music) and the U.S.A. (the 1 country of urban music) in order to develop her talent and skills. “When I started co-writing with other people, I didn't know who I was musically. It took a while to discover my own sound. Writing with internationally acclaimed producers has helped me find my strengths and musical preferences. These people believe in my talent and they have given me plenty of room to grow.” Having spent numerous hours in music studios all over the world, Ameerah has become a well-respected songwriter herself, who is often invited to co-write with other artists and producers.

Music has always been the focus of Ameerah's life. Her musical skills emerged at a very young age. As a three-year-old, she started to sing along to Walt Disney songs, did her first big performance at the age of six and has never stopped since. She went to music school and took acting classes and dance lessons. At the age of fourteen, she won a free-stage competition. She went on to become one of the most popular participants of the Belgian version of Idols 2003, got signed to a Belgian record label at twenty and released two successful singles. After that collaboration ended because of musical differences, Ameerah signed a deal with HighClazz Music Entertainment.

Ameerah has always been an ambitious girl and it's starting to pay off. “People said I was a fool when I decided to go to the US and Sweden to establish my career. But I just felt I should give it a try and went for it.” With so many fruitful songwriting sessions on her name, a great new single and her everlasting determination to succeed, it is only a matter of time before Ameerah will become a true internationally successful pop princess." Article source: Ameerah on MySpace.