EP Spotlight: Anna Lunoe – All Out EP
After enduring months of teasers and promos, Anna Lunoe’s All Out EP is finally all out. Fresh, smooth and sophisticated, it’s a standout in a male-dominated industry that seems to be saturated with uninspired, dull content. Anna is an innovator, citing inspiration from “Sheila E, DJ Spindarella, Kim Deal, Frente, Teena Marie . . . and all other innovative babes.” And this EP is a welcome breath of fresh air, boasting four unique and intricate tracks with a powerful and unabashed feminine edge.
Cage The Elephant – Take It Or Leave It (Nebbra Remix)
More horns! With punchy brass stabs and hi-hat-heavy step beats, a Nebbra edit always seems to stick out. There’s something to be said about the diversity of the artists he’s remixed so far: Lily Allen, Phantogram, Odesza, Cage The Elephant . . . and they all seem to work so well with his signature. Although Nebbra’s rework of Take It Or Leave It throws the song in an entirely new light, Matt Schultz’ vocals sit so naturally in the mix that I’d be hard pressed to tell if it wasn’t an original (except for the fact that Cage’s Melophobia has refused to leave my car stereo since it’s release almost a year ago).
Check out Nebbra here.
EP Spotlight: Seasons – Alexander Lewis
As the summer quickly winds down and fall rushes in, we have a great season to look back on. Over the next several days we’ll be sharing a few of our most favorite cuts from this summer, and as we transition, reflecting both on the past and the future, it felt fitting to start with Alexander Lewis’ Seasons. A fusion producer from New York, Lewis brings together a strong electronic blend of jazz and hip-hop. Independent label and music collective Flow-Fi recruited him as their first artist to feature on TapeTracks, a biweekly promotion series that produced a handful of great new sounds this summer. Seasons includes two songs: Life is Sweet, a collaboration with Brooklyn’s loud and proud Brasstracks, and the Seasons single itself.
Howl – Sports Challenge
This track is bristling with character from start to finish. Bookended by vinyl pops, chimes, and deep-blue 7th chords, the heart of the song centers around a few strong synth-and-kick hits and some busy but tasteful drum interplay that quickly moves the piece forward against a backdrop of cascading white noise. The computerized flute line, just on the border of sounding cheesy but honestly too damn catchy to hate on, is what makes the song for me (especially when Howl bends the pitch up and uses it as a riser). With this being his first original release, Howl is another brand new producer to watch.
Check out Howl here.
The Magician – Sunlight feat. Years and Years (Blonde Remix)
The Magician’s Sunlight, another beach-ready hit from this season, is set to see three official remixes (from Watermät, Blonde, and Darius) and an extended mix released on the 28th of this month. Just this week the Blonde remix was leaked, sporting a deeper vibe than the original and an infectious hook layered with clean major 3rd harmonies. The Bristol boys Adam and Jake did well with this one. Keep your ears open for the ducked vocal loops in the background as they oscillate left to right or you might miss the detail.
Basenji – Heirloom
Future Classic is an Australian label and touring agency that has managed the likes of Flume, Flight Facilities, Chet Faker, What So Not, Cashmere Cat, Wave Racer, Panama . . . too many to mention. Long story short, they’ve just added Sydney bass producer Basenji to their ranks, announcing his first release for the label, Heirloom, along with a launch party to kick off a debut Future Classic tour. Really looking forward to upcoming tracks like Heirloom–Basenji’s coming out swinging.
Baytek – Be The One
This tune has seen a lot of reworks since Duke Dumont released Need U (100%) last year, but Baytek’s new take on it stands out. It’s the follow up track for his Nobody EP, and a good intro to Baytek house if your ears haven’t come across him before.
Check out Baytek here.
Mura Masa – Miss You
Another young gun that’s been gaining speed lately. Producer Alex Crossan, at 18 years old, has only been making music for 3 years but already signed to Jakarta Records out of Germany. The label released a compilation, Summer In Jakarta, at the start of the season, and Mura Masa filled his slot with Miss You. This song will not leave you alone. From music-box chimes to synth plucks and arps, it’s packed with too many different flavors to taste in one play, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself leaving this one on repeat for awhile.
Check out Mura Masa here.
Get a free copy of Summer In Jakarta here.
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