The track lands hot on the heels of the pair’s co-headline tour across North America
Acclaimed DJ and producer Alex Wann has teamed up with rising artist Notre Dame for their first-ever collaboration, ‘The City,’ out now via Armada Music. The release follows closely on the heels of the pair’s North American co-headline tour, including a standout performance at 99Scott in Brooklyn, New York City.
Blending Alex Wann’s signature Afro-house rhythms with Notre Dame's melodic textures, ‘The City’ delivers an evocative soundscape enriched by a powerful vocal from Carte Blanche, who delivers the emotive refrain: “I fell in love with the city.” Already a highlight in sets across the globe, the track is primed to become a standout dancefloor anthem.
Alex Wann says: "Jeremie (Notre Dame) and I have known each other for over ten years — friends from the same hometown. 'The City' came together naturally. The vocal immediately caught our attention: inspiring, emotional, and perfectly matching the energy we wanted to create."
Notre Dame added: “‘The City’ is a track born from our shared story, two kids who grew up in Paris and started this journey together. It’s a tribute to those nights that shaped us, to the city that raised us, and to everything that made us dream bigger."
Alex Wann has continued on an impressive upwards trajectory in 2025, building on his recognition as Dancing Astronaut’s Artists To Watch. With over 3.6 million monthly listeners, he continues to captivate audiences worldwide, highlighted by his rework of Route 94 and Jess Glynne’s ‘My Love,’ which has surpassed 72,000 streams and earned praise from When We Dip for his “talent for reimagining classic tracks with a fresh, modern twist.”
Notre Dame has quickly established himself as one of electronic music’s brightest new talents. In the past months he launched his own label, Paranormal, dropped ‘Give It To Me 2025,’ a collaboration with Adriatique, Nelly Furtado, and Timbaland on Interscope, while continuing to tour globally and deliver high-profile remixes for Lenny Kravitz, Bedouin, Röyksopp, and BLOND:ISH.
‘The City’ is out now via Armada Music.
[review top="1"]
[item value="10"]Alex Wann & Notre Dame feat. Carte Blanche - The City[/item]
[content title="Summary" label="Overall Score"]Alex Wann and Notre Dame’s collaboration, The City, marks a sophisticated step forward in melodic and Afro-house fusion, masterfully crafted for both dancefloors and wellness environments. At 125 BPM, the track combines melodic house, tech house, and indie dance elements, creating a cinematic soundscape that is both energizing and emotionally immersive. The production leans heavily on clean rhythmic layering, syncopated percussion, and warm analog synths, all of which contribute to an outstanding groove and flow. From a technical perspective, The City demonstrates meticulous attention to sound design and spatial mixing. The arrangement introduces layers gradually, with harmonic progressions that evolve organically into airy build-ups and spacious drops. Carte Blanche’s vocal is processed with subtle reverb and delay effects, creating a sense of intimacy while maintaining clarity in a crowded mix. The track’s dynamic range and stereo imaging are particularly noteworthy, as they allow for both club-level loudness and high-fidelity headphone listening without losing detail. Melodic house DJs are likely to adopt The City for its versatility and emotional resonance. Its smooth transitions and precisely engineered cue points make it a reliable set piece for building or releasing energy in live performances. The Afro-house rhythmic undercurrent gives the track a danceable structure that aligns effortlessly with sunrise sets, deep house clubs, or festival mid-sets, while the melodic hooks ensure memorability and crowd engagement. Beyond the club, The City also holds value for mental health, fitness, and wellness classes. Research indicates that music with a steady tempo in the 120–130 BPM range can enhance endurance, coordination, and cognitive focus. The track’s uplifting harmonic structure and cinematic textures contribute to emotional regulation and stress relief, making it ideal for yoga flows, spin sessions, or mindfulness movement practices. Its ability to evoke nostalgia and joy through melodic storytelling can catalyze the psychological benefits of music therapy. By marrying technical excellence with emotional storytelling, The City is poised not only to become a DJ favorite but also a versatile tool for promoting movement, mental clarity, and overall wellness.. #PureGold Love IT
[/content][item value="10"]Rhythm, Groove & Drive[/item]
[item value="10"]Melodic Hooks & Harmonic Layers[/item]
[item value="10"]Transitions, Drops & Build-Ups [/item]
[item value="10"]Energy Flow & Momentum [/item]
[item value="10"]Sound Design & Production Quality[/item]
[item value="10"]Originality of Arrangement & Structure[/item]
[item value="10"]Use of Effects & Spatial Design[/item]
[item value="10"]Dynamic Range & Loudness Balance[/item]
[item value="10"]Atmosphere & Immersion[/item]
[item value="10"]Emotional Resonance[/item]
[item value="10"]Creativity & Artistic Identity[/item]
[item value="10"]Cohesion & Storytelling[/item]
[item value="10"]Vocal Performance & Lyrical Impact[/item]
[item value="10"]Catchiness & Replay Value[/item]
[item value="10"]Club / Festival Suitability[/item]
[item value="10"]Track Intro/Outro Structure[/item]
[item value="10"]BPM Consistency & Sync Ease[/item]
[item value="10"]Cue Points & Loop Potential[/item]
[item value="10"]Dynamic Energy for Set Flow[/item]
[item value="10"]Crowd Reaction Potential[/item]
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Suggested Reading List:
This Is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin – for insights into how musical structure affects cognition and emotion.
The Healing Power of Music by Elena Mannes – exploring music’s impact on mental health and wellness.
Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio by Mike Senior – for technical awareness of spatial design and dynamic balance in production.
Research article: Karageorghis, C. & Priest, D. L. (2012). Music in Sport and Exercise: An Update on Research and Application – detailing BPM and rhythm effects on physical performance.
About Alex Wann
With a fearless touch and instinct for what dance floors crave, Alex Wann bridges Parisian underground roots with global appeal. Breaking through in 2023 with his moody rework of Kelis’ “Milkshake,” championed by Keinemusik, Diplo, Pete Tong, and David Guetta, he’s since become a staple on stages like Tomorrowland, Cercle Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, and EDC Las Vegas.
Releasing on Defected Records and remixing acts like Blond:ish, Adriatique, and Swedish House Mafia, Wann’s sound blends groove, emotion, and storytelling. Drawing inspiration from the cities and fans he encounters, he channels melody, rhythm, and melancholy into every track.
Now a global force, Alex Wann continues to evolve beyond viral fame — an artist defined by vision, energy, and enduring impact.
About Notre Dame
Notre Dame is a Parisian DJ, producer, and musician whose cinematic and emotionally charged sound has made him one of electronic music’s most exciting new names. His breakout track “Yumi” on Solomun’s Diynamic label became a global hit, earning Pete Tong’s Essential New Tune and support from artists like Adriatique, RÜFÜS DU SOL, and Keinemusik. Since then, Notre Dame has released on Innervisions, Cercle, Human By Default, and Kitsuné, and delivered acclaimed remixes for Lenny Kravitz, Röyksopp, and RY X. In 2025, he launched his label Paranormal and collaborated with Adriatique, Nelly Furtado, and Timbaland on “Give It To Me 2025” for Interscope. With performances at Pacha Ibiza, Space Miami, and Womb Tokyo, Notre Dame continues to craft immersive, uplifting sets that fuse emotion and euphoria.
About Armada Music
Armada Music is the biggest independent dance music label in the world. Founded by Armin van Buuren, Maykel Piron (CEO) and David Lewis, the label manages an ever-growing catalog of over 50,000 tracks built up across twenty-plus years of specialized dance music exploitation.
Representing artists such as Armin van Buuren, ARTY, D.O.D, Eelke Kleijn, Jan Blomqvist, Joris Voorn, KI/KI, Lilly Palmer, Loud Luxury, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, THEMBA and Yulia Niko, Armada Music amasses more than one billion streams per month, airplay on leading radio outlets such as BBC Radio 1 and Sirius XM, and top positions in the world’s most notable charts. Significant label milestones include Armin van Buuren's Grammy nomination for 'This Is What It Feels Like' and two tracks surpassing one billion streams on Spotify: Loud Luxury and Brando’s ‘Body’ and Lost Frequencies’ ‘Are You With Me’.
Across offices in Amsterdam (HQ), New York, London and Laren (NL), Armada Music offers a global appeal to its growing roster. The label has its own club, radio studio and multiple production studios, and hosts various live formats. Producer platform Armada University, which offers educational products and opportunities, shows the label’s sustained effort to nurture the next wave of talent.
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