With the arrival of his long-awaited debut disc GET WILD, on Ultra Records, revered electronic music trendsetter SHARAM makes his boldest studio statement yet. Counting superstar collaborations with everyone from Kid Cudi and Tommy Lee to Diddy and Daniel Bedingfield, SHARAM’s ability to draw such a vast talent pool is as impressive as his longstanding reputation for mesmerizing club crowds from Miami to Ibiza.
“I always believe in moving forward,” says SHARAM, known to many as one-half of the now-on-hiatus Grammy Award winning duo DEEP DISH. “Whether it’s the way I DJ or remix songs to the way I produce, there has to be a constant forward motion. This album was no different. That philosophy--to do something different without losing sight of what I’m known for--is what makes Get Wild what it is. People are always looking for something new from me and I pride myself on pushing the boundaries of dance music and taking my fans on an entertaining musical ride”
The 22 solely produced tracks on Get Wild span the full spectrum of dance music. Take the disc’s landmark “She Came Along,” which meshes elements of Patsy Cline’s legendary country song “Strange” with vocals by hip-hop sensation Kid Cudi, recently heard on Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak. The end result is a masterpiece already being hailed as one of the most uniquely infectious songs of 2009.
“I’ve always been a huge, huge Patsy Cline fan,” the Washington D.C.-based SHARAM says of the single. “She’s one of a kind. I had the idea to sample her for three years but I was looking to find someone who could match her. After trying different artists Cudi just nailed it, putting a really cool and interesting twist on it. He’s an unusually diverse and talented artist, because he’s very much a hip-hop fixture, but he understands dance music and is willing to try different things, plus he has an amazing voice. It’s a great contrast with Patsy Cline. His singing style and delivery was just perfect.”
Elsewhere there’s the equally memorable dancefloor opus “Sweat” which incorporates Tommy Lee’s piano wizardry. “A lot of people don’t realize he’s a full-on musician. He’s more than just this hard-partying drummer,” says SHARAM. “Tommy’s an amazing talent who has been unfairly pigeonholed and his work on that track is nothing short of beautiful.”
The same should be said of SHARAM’s uplifting work with longtime associate Anousheh Khalil, a veteran of several Deep Dish classics who takes two breathtaking vocal turns on Get Wild with “Don’t Say A Word” and “Be The Change.” “She’s one of the most talented singer/songwriters in existence,” SHARAM explains. “Her vocal parts always transcend whatever I’m creating, making her a natural choice.”