10 love songs for the dance music lover's Valentine's Day

Simply put, Motor City Drum Ensemble has a way with producing an irresistible groove, as is evident in his track ‘L.O.V.E.’, released as a DJ-Kicks exclusive on !K7 in 2011. The steady, flowing track delivers soulful deep house elements highlighted by his brilliant use of samples, an unparalleled aspect of his artistry. The smooth and sultry essence makes this a love song for those special intimate moments. The digital release is accompanied by standout remixes from Kyle Hall, Smallpeople and Wolfgang Voigt, all of which are a nice addition to any music collection.

Caribou’s 2014 album ‘Our Love’ is filled with beautiful emotions and intimate motifs, but Tale of Us and Mano le Tough stole the show with arguably the top track of that year with their remix of the album’s lead single ‘Can’t Do Without You’. They expertly transformed the original into a progressive and uplifting dancefloor ballad that was heard in countless DJ sets from Ibiza to London to NYC and beyond. There is a strong sense of yearning for a loved one portrayed in the track, done so with such delicacy and class that it’s bound to tug on the heart strings. When looking to musically confess your love, this track is a great starting point.

For those that speak Turkish, it will be clear why this track is selected. If not, then just know the title translates to “I want to love” and the lyrics tell of a person who wants to love, but is not sure if they are capable. The music on the other hand is the great communicator here because no matter what language you speak, it’s clear this funk filled dance track can help set the mood. MMT, aka Mehmet Aslan, is a Berlin-based producer who has received nods from the likes of Tim Sweeney and Damian Lazarus and has released on Banofee Pies and Huntleys & Palmers, among others. Phe’s launched his Fleeting Wax label which is an outlet to keep an eye on for future MMT material.

Studio Barnhus co-founder Kornél Kovács’ moody interpretation of Serge Devant’s ‘Always On My Mind’ is one of those tracks that’s more about someone longing for love, rather than actually in love. Nevertheless, it’s a song that’s no less filled with love. Released in 2016 on Damian Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels, the original also comes with a remix by Pirupa and another Kornél Kovács dub.

One of the tunes that helped launch Mall Grab into the spotlight, ‘Can’t’ made its rounds on the internet a year before it was released on the London-based Church imprint in 2016. Sampling Alicia Keys’ ‘Feeling U, Feeling Me’, Mall Grab captures the emotion of the original track’s melody and airy vocal hook to deliver an alluring house tune. If you’ve been in love before, clearly it’s hard to get that person out of your mind, and Mall Grab captures that feeling in a dusty deep house anthem.

Detroit producer Kenny Dixon Jr., aka Moodymann, is no stranger to soulful love tunes. Back in 1999 he released ‘Don’t You Want My Love’ and in recent years the track’s legendary status has been cemented in the scene. Throughout his career he’s been a master at using incredible samples and on this record he completely transforms ‘Spiral’ by The Crusaders into a grooving club track aimed directly at the dance.

There might not be a better tune to help set the mood than Daft Punk’s ‘Something About Us’. The steady beat met with a warm bassline, funky guitar riffs and a synth melody to melt your heart makes this an ideal tune for “the right time”. Putting this on repeat in a hot moment is never a bad decision. Daft Punk’s ‘Discovery’ album released in 2001 is loaded with timeless gems and ‘Something About Us’ is undoubtedly a standout production.

Not everyone has the pleasure of being in love and as such an anti-love tune is necessary to help lift spirits. Released on a single sided vinyl in 2013, Swedish producer HNNY flipped TLC’s ‘No Scrubs’ into his beautifully emotive house tune simply titled ‘No’. The lyrics say it all, “No, i don´t want your number and No, I don’t want to give you mine and No, I don’t want to meet you nowhere No, I don’t want none of your time and No”. Sounds cold, but also empowering. Dive into this when the going gets tough and just know that you’re completely fine on your own.

For more love songs, check out our Spotify playlist here

Harrison is Mixmag's East Coast Editor. Follow him on Twitter here