David Morales “Changes” Album Release Party @ Cielo
On Thursday June 14th Electronic Music’s Press gathered at NYCs legendary club Cielo to celebrate the release of David Morales’ highly anticipated new album “Changes”. As he embarks on his new tour, David Morales is a man with nothing to prove. He has topped every known chart, worked with hundreds of artists and won numerous awards, yet this album may go down as his most celebrated.
In the appropriately named album, David Morales demonstrates exactly why he is still one of the top house DJ/Producers in the world. While Other DJ/Producers have “changed” by exploring new sounds and becoming shadows of their former selves. The evolution of David Morales’ sound has not been into something contrived or commercial, but rather a total immersion into what he does better than anyone else. The man with nothing to prove proved that his is still one of house’s reigning masters.
Cielo is a remarkable venue, both grand and intimate at the same time. David was able to interact with the crowd in a way that few other venues could allow. He walked through the club greeting everyone that arrived. Supported by his longtime friends Frankie Knuckles, Hector Romero, Quentin Harris and a newer generation of DJs like Jimmy Carris, the crowd was awash with the tracks of this amazing album. The album’s first release “Golden Era” is a throw back to when music reached into your soul. It’s a celebration of a time where DJs wouldn’t dare play the same tracks twice and clubbers would dance long into the morning, feeling like they were in the center of the universe. It’s a gorgeous song, featuring the immensely talented Roisin Murphy, and is a brilliant nod to house’s golden era.
As one of Ultra Records staffers put it, “the night was flawless”. We can only attribute it to the fact that David Morales only attracts the best people. More importantly, his music resonates deep within everyone who listens to it. Asked why he named the album “Changes” and he responded simply saying “Because I’ve changed… even when making this album I changed”. With tracks entitled “What Do You Believe In”, “You Just Don’t Love Me” and “Stay” David exposes every ounce of his soul to the listener. From beginning to end this album may be his crown jewel.
As I reflect on this past night, I think a key take-away is that “Change” doesn’t have to equate to selling one’s soul or becoming something completely different. David Morales has showed us that true growth and change comes from becoming better versions of ourselves… masters of our domain.
Watch the “Golden Era” video here !