It should come as no surprise to anyone that the first track from Diplo and Mark Ronson‘s new collaboration Silk City absolutely bangs. ‘Only Can Get Better’ is the kind of summery house hit that immediately transports you to a tropical beach party, giant cocktail in hand, or a clammy Ibiza club where strangers become best friends. So far, it’s the only track the pair have shared from their new collaboration, but their first official live show together at New York’s Governors Ball tonight (June 2) gives us more of a taste of what to expect.
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‘Only Can Get Better’ bookends their set – a reminder that this isn’t just a one-off DJ set – and reveals itself to be both the perfect first and last song. It’s immediate and infectious enough to get the party going right away, and euphoric enough to close things out on a huge high, even after some of the solid gold hits included in the rest of the mix. As bright as the neon “Paradise” and flamingo signs projected onto the walls either side of the heavyweight producers, it’s a strong contender for song of the summer.
If Silk City’s first track was made for balmy nights like this, then the rest of their set is an extension of that vibe. There’s chopped and screwed remixes and mash-ups, like Route 94’s ‘My Love’ bumping up to Drake’s ‘God’s Plan’ or Cardi B‘s ‘Bodak Yellow’ stripped back and given the new foundation of a funk-tinged guitar lick. Later, they drop a hip-hop section that features Kanye West‘s ‘Fade’, Missy Elliott‘s ‘Get Ur Freak On’, and Soulja Boy‘s ‘Crank That’. When the latter cuts in, a light hits the disco ball and suddenly everything is dazzling in the youth of the dusk.
Between dropping other people’s tracks, Diplo and Ronson also find time to share a sneak preview of another song they’ve been working on. “All I need’s some medicine,” guest vocalist Dua Lipa sings over a house beat. Her collaborators should tell her to get down to one of their sets this summer – easily the most fun cure-all on the market. “Do you wanna make this go all night?” Diplo asks the heaving crowd at one point as the set is winding up to its big finale. It’s a very obvious tease, but a tantalising prospect, even if they were just to drop ‘Only Can Get Better’ another 100 times.