Okay, sure an EDM remix of Van Halens synth-rock classic Jump sounds pretty horrendous in theory. Hear me out, though! Dutch trance god Armin van Buurens sleek, rave-ready revamp of the 1983 hit is an absolute winner. We can only hope it leads to more glowstick-ready remixes of classic rock monsters.
Jump is all about the memorable, meaty synth riff that opens the track, and van Buuren knows it. Thats why he puts the riff on hold, teasing us with a bubbling, Baba ORiley-esque build-up before David Lee Roths vocals enter the mix. When that synth riff does come in, it feels earned and climactic the kind of adrenaline-rushing beat drop that dance music lovers spend entire lifetimes waiting for. A jumpy, erratic drum beat helps give the rest of the song that I get up, and nothing gets me down feeling.
Unlikely as it might sound, this meeting of the minds ends up as a song that you wont be sorry to hear at every party and festival all summer long. Might as well jump, just go ahead and jump! Theres wisdom in those words, and Armin van Buuren feels it in his European DJ soul. The funniest part of the whole thing is that it makes one less nostalgic for the golden age of Eighties synth-rock, and more hungry for the era of Peak EDM that we experienced a mere five years ago.