Part of my process of learning an RPM release is to listen to the music first before doing anything with the choreography. Considering the Les Mills program directors pick the music first and choreograph later, I’m trying to approach the release in the same way.
Disclaimers:
- Some of the tracks on the actual RPM release may be slightly different than the version released by the artist. For example, some are edited to make a track longer. Also there are times when Les Mills can’t obtain the licensing rights and use a cover artist instead.
- The YouTube links to the songs are not under my control; hopefully the links stay live.
Pack Ride
Pumpin Blood – NONONO
- Genre: Indie pop
- NONONO is Swedish, and is a “featured artist” according to the RPM release kit cover
- Key: C major
- Don’t really care for the overdriven whistle
- Bright and upbeat; breathy vocals
- Reminds me a bit of Donna Lewis (of “I Love You Always Forever”), but she’s Welsh, not Swedish
- The hook is rather simple musically — can’t decide whether it’s just enough, or “dumbed down”
- 2:32 — maybe a place for a pedal drill?
- Good lyric cues
- “It’s your heart, it’s alive, it’s pumping blood” — very appropriate for a Pack Ride track
- “On the road again, on a highway.”
Pace
The Spark – Afrojack feat. Spree Wilson
- Genre: Electro house; dance-pop
- Afrojack is Dutch and has been in other releases
- BODYJAM 65 (Warmup) – Last Night
- BODYJAM 69 (first song of Afro JAM 2014) – Wrecking Ball
- RPM 58 (Speed Work) – Can’t Stop Me (Tiësto Remix)
- Key: C major
- Good drop at 1:07, maybe a short sprint?
- Energetic with typical processed dance-pop feel; about what I would expect from a typical EDM track
- Ending is likely a sprint, but very quickly after the reprise of the song, so I’m not sure
- Good lyric cues
- “We all got the spark tonight”
- “I gotta do this more often, well maybe tonight”
Hills
Maria (I Like It Loud) (R.I.O Remix) – Scooter
- Genre: hardstyle; jumpstyle
- Scooter is Belgian
- This is a cover (from 2003) of the 1997 song “I Like It Loud” by Marc Acardipane
- Key: a minor
- Glen (the program directory) has a thing for Scooter; he’s been in BODYPUMP and RPM before
- BODYPUMP 87 (Squats) – Black Betty
- BODYPUMP 83 (Shoulders) – C’est Bleu
- BODYPUMP 79 (Shoulders) – J’Adore Hardcore
- BODYPUMP 77 (Shoulders) – Ti Sento
- RPM 60 (Hills) – Army of Hardcore
- 1:32 swing-triplet rhythm, which is different
- I’m concerned that I’m going to just have to listen to this and get into it; it’s so basic/limited musically, that there’s really not much there other than driving synths and a beat
- It feels like most of this track is copy/paste and you can listen to about 50 seconds and encounter 98% of the musical material; not really impressed
Mixed Terrain
Cheating – John Newman
- Genre: Pop; breakbeat; soul
- Newman has been in recent releases, this time not as an intervals track
- RPM 60 (Intervals) – Not Giving In
- RPM 62 (Intervals) – Love Me Again
- Key: b minor
- This is a different style (more rock than EDM) of Newman’s stuff than we’ve had recently in RPM
- Good lyric cue: “Bring it on, bring it to me!”
- It seems like the sprints will be longer than usual for a typical mixed terrain track.
Intervals
Try It Again – The Hives
- Genre: rock
- The Hives are a Swedish rock group
- Key: C major
- The last time we had a rock Intervals was in RPM 61 (Ready to Rock)
- The alternating stereo guitar riffs at the beginning add something special
- Good lyric cues
- “You’re never gonna pass me; I’m outta your league”
- “You get up and get down and you try it again” (for changing between Attack and Racing positions)
- The definition of madness (expecting different result) at 2:22
Speed Work
Dear Boy – Avicii
- Genre: house
- Avicii is Swedish and is no stranger to Les Mills
- RPM 55 (Speed Work) – Drowning
- RPM 61 (Mountain Climb) – I Could Be the One
- RPM 62 (Pace) – Wake Me Up
- BODYJAM 66 (last track of Jammin’ for the Rest of My Life) – I Could Be the One
- BODYJAM 68 (Swedish Tango) – Levels (Skrillex Remix)
- BODYJAM 68 (Groovedown) – Wake Me Up
- Key: B-flat major
- Good driving EDM song — first good beat comes in at 0:16
- Good lyric cue: “I wanna follow you”
- This would make a good BODYJAM warm up or start of a block; gave me chills the first time I did a deep listen
- 1:45 false drop; real drop at 2:00
- I wonder what will happen in the choreography at 2:30 where the drum line is 1/2 pace, then picks back up at 2:45
- Good wind up around 5:00 — beat drop at 5:15
Mountain Climb
Toca’s Miracle (Original Mix) – Nick Skitz & Basslouder
- Genre: Eurodance
- Originally from the German group Fragma
- Nick Skitz (Nicholas Agamalis) is an Australian DJ
- BODYPUMP 42 (Shoulders) – Livin’ a Lie (Skitz Airplay Mix)
- BODYPUMP 50 (Back & Hamstrings) – Slave to Music
- BODYPUMP 62 (Squats) – Run to Paradise
- BODYPUMP 65 (Squats) – Just Like Paradise (Skitz Clubb Mix)
- BODYPUMP 68 (Squats) – Big Girls Don’t Cry
- BODYPUMP 68 (Lunges) – Listen to Your Heart
- BODYPUMP 77 (Lunges) – Only Girl in the World (E-Nergy Remix)
- BODYPUMP 87 (Back & Hamstrings) – Again & Again (Club Mix)
- Basslouder is a French DJ
- This song has been in other programs
- BODYPUMP 67 (Lunges) – I Need a Miracle
- BODYJAM 46 – Toca’s Miracle (Vandalism Remix)
- BODYJAM 61 (DMFAO block) – Toca’s Miracle
- Key: e minor
- It sounds very much like the BODYPUMP 67 mix, but it’s in different key and starts and end in a major key (C major) which is not the song’s key
- 1:50 – heavy synth; drop at 2:17; three drops in the entire track
- Feels like this track will be a good workout — solid Eurodance driving beat
Ride Home
Shot at the Night – The Killers
- Genre: new wave; synthpop
- The Killers are from Las Vegas
- Key: F major
- Feels like a late 80s rock ballad with a slightly modern touch
Post-class
On Top of the World – Imagine Dragons
- Genre: folk rock; pop rock
- Imagine Dragons is from Las Vegas
- Bright and uplifting song; great way to end a ride — would have also made a good Ride Home
- The first few seconds grabbed me as a BODYFLOW track
- I don’t know much from this group other than Radioactive, which has a different feel