In need of new study jams?

With the end of Thanksgiving Break peeking around the corner, I am slowly starting to realize that with the amount of work I have to do over the next two weeks, I should probably get a move on. However, being that it is a holiday, there has been a spike in the amount of activity going on in our house. From the constant coming-and-going of friends and family members, to the never ending commentary of football or hockey echoing throughout the entire house, it's hard to find a peaceful place to get things done. Fortunately for me, when I'm done stuffing my face with homemade food (a luxury I have taken full advantage of the past few days) I can retreat to my room, shut the door, and enjoy some much needed solidarity.

I, for one, know that it is nearly impossible to get anything accomplished unless my music selection is perfect. I guess it makes me an anal person, but it's crazy the way one song can throw off my entire study groove. Thankfully, I've finally come across an album that appears to be sent directly to me from the Study Gods themselves. Kaskade has been one of my favorite artists for a while now, so the release of his new album Fire and Ice on October 24th was like an early Christmas present.

The album is comprised of two discs Fire and Ice. The first disc, Fire is everything you would expect from Kaskade; ten catchy progressive house tracks, with awesome vocals and collaborators. Each song is so distinct, yet still maintain the deep-house signature style Kaskade is known for. What's awesome about this album is the way the second disc Ice mirrors Fire. This disc contains the same ten tracks, but they are deconstructed to give them more of a chill, lounge-esque vibe.

When I find myself in need of music that will not only keep me awake, but also help steady my focus, I turn to this album. The way the two discs seamlessly flow together keeps me from having to constantly scroll through my jumbled iTunes library to find a new song to play.

The music video for Kaskade's "Eyes", one of the hit singles off Fire & Ice.

My personal favorites from the Fire disc include the popular single "Eyes" (featuring Mindy Gledhill), "Llove" (featuring Haley Gibby who frequently collabs with Kaskade. Check out "Dynasty" and "Move for Me" to hear more their work together), and "Turn it Down" (featuring Rebecca & Fiona).

Although everything from Ice is amazing, I'd suggest listening to "Lick It" (featuring Skrillex), "Room for Happiness" (featuring Skylar Gray), and again "Turn it Down" (the reduced BPMs and touch of dubstep juxtapose really well with its Fire counterpart)

So whether you need to get work done, start getting work done, or just feel like chilling out, I'd highly recommend buying this cd to help you do so.