Dizzee Rascal and Armand Van Helden go "Bonkers"

As dance music aesthetics continue to dominate mainstream American music, thanks to the ubiquity of Lady GaGa, Kid Cudi and the Black Eyed Peas boasting beat-driven hits, seasoned underground dance artists are ready to take the power -- and dance floor -- back.

Case in point: Dexterous British rapper Dizzee Rascal and stalwart house music bad boy Armand Van Helden have come together to record the rave-tastic single “Bonkers,” which tops the UK singles charts this week and is the fastest-selling British single of the year to date.

The high-energy tune pulses with Van Helden’s solid 4x4 kick and Dizzee Rascal’s rapid-fire rapping in his thick British brogue. The buzzing bass line and hands-in-the-air crescendos should make it an easy sell in American clubs, but only time will tell whether the quirky party track will make any headway on the Stateside pop charts.

Then again, in a world where pop princess Lady GaGa is in heavy rotation on Power 106-FM (“Where Hip-Hop Lives”), anything is possible.

(Originally published in the L.A. Times)