Acclaimed Dutch duo Rockefeller is back, delivering a straight forward club anthem with “Lonely,” drenched in 70’s soul nostalgia and powerful bursts of contemporary club house. Featuring samples from L.T.D.’s 1976 hit “Love Ballad” the song refreshes and pitches up the original’s sultry vocals, and mixes them up with delirious house beats and warm guitar licks, creating a whole new, disco fueled DJ weapon. You’ll be happy to feel “Lonely” this time, as this tune is out now on Spinnin’ Records.
Rockefeller is a name that speaks to the imagination. Originally a 19th & 20th century family of entrepreneurs, the name was adopted in the early 21st century by Dutch house music veterans Mark Nieuwenhuijzen and Addy van der Zwan. Inventively employing oldschool samples and grooves from the 70s and 80s, they dropped several club hits, nicely blending funk, soul and disco with fresh house productions.
From their 2006 claim to fame “Do It 2 Nite” (emerging in several remixes from the likes of Lucas & Steve, Olav Basoski and Ian Carey) to club hits “Pretty Baby,” “Liberated Woman” (both collabs with Redondo), 2019’s solo hit “Same Man” and 2022’s “High On Emotion,” they’ve remained a tastemaking dance act throughout the years.
New single “Lonely” emphasizes their continuous creativity, this time using the gentle 70s soul hit “Love Ballad” as inspiration. Originally a sultry, temporized love song, the Rockefeller duo sets the vocals on fire as they are revamped in a fresh production, pitching them up along with sweet strings and catchy guitar lines.
Combined with a straightforward house groove, you get a club monster in true Rockefeller style. While bursting out with punchy beats and lively percussion, the samples are chopped up, twisted round, and drenched in filtered effects, causing nothing less than a titillating, euphoric dance tune that will blast any floor into disco bliss. Rockefeller is on fire (again), and delivers a radiant kickstart to its year with this powerful tune. Better get “Lonely,” as this groove serves as the ideal cure for any winter blues.
