One Track Mind

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If the British collective who goes by the name of MoonRunners is a bit tricky to pin down, that’s likely by design. The group is led by Tokio and Lyra, two young men who consider themselves producers and bloggers as much as they do rappers and musicians. Also included in their coterie are a photographer named Moimojo and a director who goes by Tommy Magix, although their Myspace page asserts that anyone can be a MoonRunner. This last thought gets to the core of the group’s ethos, which is all about providing a platform for creative expression in the arts, whichever medium that process takes. In the case of their new digital single, “Feels Like Magic,” that form comes in the shape of an addictive hip-hop track whose backbone is a classic of modern dance music.

“Feels Like Magic” doesn’t need a crutch–it’s filled with catchy verses and a sportive spirit of its own–but if it did, it would have a mighty fine one in the form of Daft Punk’s “Around the World,” which forms the basis for much of the backing track. As clever a choice as “Around the World” is, the music is re-appropriated to serve MoonRunners’ vision, not the other way around. These two halves fit together with a natural congruity, never vying for the spotlight at the others’ expense, and the feeling throughout is exhilarating and new. To that end, “Feels Like Magic” is like traveling to a new place and having commonplace experiences colored by the novelty of the surroundings, where what was once familiar is now fresh and interesting.