How CamelPhat changed the game with ‘Cola’
Timeless; adjective
Meaning: not affected by the passage of time or changes in fashion.
Synonyms: classic, ageless, permanent, everlasting, immutable.
Perhaps the most poignant of all the official dictionary definitions of ‘timeless’ is the final word on the above list… Immutable. There is, after all, no finer way to describe CamelPhat’s 2017 anthem, which rests firmly at the summit of the ‘Timeless’ category. But how did a record, which intended to act as nothing more than a deep underground groover, fizz, sparkle, and pop all the way to a GRAMMY nomination? With more and more producers looking to find the midas ingredient which can turn their well-respected underground production into a commercial crossover success, recent times have seen acts like FISHER dominate the best of both worlds via hits like ‘Losing It’, yet the ability to cross both worlds is still something of a rarity.
For DJs and producers, the case of CamelPhat is an intriguing one, and one to aspire to. With the duo now also securing a huge residency at Playa d’en Bossa venue Hi Ibiza every Tuesday alongside Eric Prydz, their impact on the scene has marked a shift in the stance of what makes a commercial hit. This, is how ‘Cola’ changed the dance music world forever…
Rewind to 2015 and the world was a simpler time. World Cup matches didn’t rely on VAR decisions, Europe was blissfully living in a pre-Brexit fairytale, and the idea of Donald Trump in the White House seemed like nothing short of a fallacy. But in the dance music world, two British producers were already making waves with notable gems like Axtone’s ‘Paradigm‘, and the melodic daydream of Spinnin’ Deep’s Balearic sunset classic, ‘Constellations.’ CamelPhat (Dave Whelan and Mike Di Scala) were on the rise, but nobody could have predicted what was to occur when iconic UK label DEFECTED picked up the deliciously sweet rhythmic rumbler in late spring of 2017.
“How it crossed over I’ll never know,” added Dave.
“Most dance records that cross over have a sample that people connect themselves to, but “Cola” is all entirely original. When we made it we didn’t really think that much of it, it took 4 months to get signed but once it did it sky rocketed. It was meant to be a dark winter record and it ended up being a summer anthem, which was completely unplanned. We had it since February and it got signed in May, no-one wanted it, we gave up on it. We eventually sent it to Defected who took a punt on it finally, despite us sending it to them in February. There were more lyrics that we used in the original version that didn’t make the cut. These kind of explained the story a bit more, but Defected pulled the extra ad-libs out. You are a sick puppy if you think it’s about anything else.”
CamelPhat and Elderbrook’s confusion is not entirely unwarranted; “Cola” is an unusual hit. At a time when crossover dance music, especially in the U.S., often moves at a slower tempo around 100 beats per minute or less, “Cola” pushes forward at a traditional house tempo close to 120 b.p.m. At a time when most of the records that make it to the upper reaches of the pop chart rely heavily on streaming support, “Cola” gained traction almost entirely on the world’s dancefloors. And as Whelan notes, “most dance records that cross over [in the U.K.] have a sample that people connect themselves to, but “Cola” is all original.”
On top of that, CamelPhat — the duo of Dave Whelan and Mike Di Scala — and Elderbrook do not have a history of pop crossover. Whelan and Di Scala, both record obsessives, became friends hunting for vinyl in Liverpool. Many of their peers slowly left music behind and took the 9-to-5 route; these two never did.
From the brooding opening chords of ‘Cola’, it was clear that this sticky treat was a sugary flurry of addictive club-floor refreshment. Adding Elderbrook’s vocals after a studio meeting in February 2017, the Liverpudlian duo’s soon-to-be-classic was premiered by Danny Howard (interview above) with the BBC Radio 1 dance music S.A.S of Annie Mac and Pete Tong also swooping in to drop the bass-backed bomb on their respective shows.
With the track soon filling clubs all round Ibiza, the record was instantly catapulted into the primetime, cementing its status as the soundtrack to the 2017 season, as the likes of Robin Schulz, Franky Rizardo, ZHU and Teamworx all spinning their own remixes of the original. Amassing over 80 million Spotify streams, the fizzy anthem soon racked up a whopping 48 million YouTube hits, with CamelPhat now – unexpectedly – a household name.
Bursting into every playlist worldwide, ‘Cola’ was now platinum, with CamelPhat earning a GRAMMY nomination in the process – an unheard feat for an underground dance track. Blurring the lines between more club-ready tones, and commercially successful records, the UK duo became innovative pioneers for the social acceptance of deeper house tracks emerging onto primetime radio airwaves. In the same way acts like Avicii catapulted EDM into the public eye, CamelPhat were now responsible for bringing their own brooding tones into everyday pop culture.
One year on, and Cola still sounds as infectious as ever. Paving the way for other acts in the electronic scene, the track represents a movement, and shift in stance on how dance music is viewed in a wider, and more global, context.