Lianne La Havas – What You Don’t Do (Grades Remix)
GRADES increases the tempo and adds a french house flare over a nice bed of powerful vocals in his remix of Lianne La Havas’ What You Don’t Do. GRADES, perhaps best known for his original Crocodile Tears and whose video for King was recently nominated for “Best Dance Video” at the UK Music Video Awards, is continuing to develop his upbeat mixture of catchy vocals and bobby electronic production within the London dance scene. Both artists have soul – you won’t be disappointed.
Electric Mantis – Infatuation
“Electric Mantis” is the perfect name for the incredibly sophisticated Oregonian producer Wyatt Pearson. Originally from Alaska, Electric Mantis’s charged sound is perhaps best showcased in his latest EP Braincase. Here at Black Sheep, we’re thrilled that he’s getting the recognition his craft truly deserves – including having his remix of Hear The Bells featured on Porter Robinson’s upcoming Worlds Remix album – and we can’t wait to see where he goes. This guy is the real deal.
Check out Electric Mantis here.
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Like An Animal
As is now seemingly the norm, RÜFÜS DU SOL hail from the great city of Sydney, Australia. Perhaps best known for You Were Right off their sophomore album RÜFÜS, this upcoming trio is a Triple J regular and is quickly becoming a notable presence in indie-dance. We hope you appreciate Like An Animal’s soft vocals, and as always, enjoy Jack Vanzet’s stunning album artwork.
Check out RÜFÜS DU SOL here.
Whispa – Hamara
Damn. Whispa is back with Hamara, one of his recent “less club and more headphone” tracks. Kick off your shoes, turn down the lights and unravel your mind to London’s renowned ambient/trap producer. If you’re anything like me, you’ll have to listen to most of his songs more than once to fully appreciate the richness of each sub slap and vocal splice. Go deep.
Check out Whispa here.
sakuraburst – forest of the spirits
Be warned – this song is only for the brave. forest of the spirits is a sensational release off sakuraburst’s new EP blood orange. Not much is known about this UK artist besides their incredibly lush Japanese production chops, but get ready to go on a sonic journey. forest of the spirits is absolutely haunting, rapidly transporting listeners from moments of calm recluse to an incredibly tense synth-didgeridoo drop; hang on for the ride.
Check out sakuraburst here.
Latroit x Bishøp – Loving Every Minute (Ghastly Remix)
Whether you’re celebrating upsets at USC’s Coliseum, just starting school or blowing off some steam after a brutal work week, a crazy weekend needs an equally wild song. Ghastly’s take on Loving Every Minute rises to challenge, throwing down some raw industrial chaos from the get go. Ghastly’s bass-heavy drops have already landed him big releases on popular electronic labels OWSLA and Dim Mak, meanwhile his grimy future house is becoming a staple of the LA club scene. If you’re trying to go out with a bang, we highly recommend Ghastly.
Glen Check – I’ve Got This Feeling (Kartell Remix)
Kartell brings the funk yet again with his throwback remix of Glen Check’s I’ve Got This Feeling. From one of our favorite labels Roche Musique, Kartell is definitely an important international artist to study up on. If you’re feeling the French House vibe, make your way through the Parisian crew’s first compilation .Wave.
ZHU x AlunaGeorge – Automatic
This is one of those rare songs that we can honestly say we’ve been counting down to. The internet’s exploding over Automatic, the new release from ZHU after about 9 months. After his inevitable astronomic rise post Faded, ZHU has stayed largely hidden until the announcement of his latest project “Genesis Series”. Despite both artists already having sizable followings, this twisted song needs to be talked about. After a seemingly dark Tarantino beginning (0:10 seconds in after the BBC 1 intro), Aluna lays down a sexy vibe that’s carried all the way to ZHU’s shadow falsetto. Outside of the electronic production, the duo’s use of the piano and midnight saxophone around 3:18 make this a perfect song to start your Fall.
EP Spotlight: Troye Sivan – WILD
Troye Sivan is not a newcomer to the limelight. Raised in Australia, Sivan is a decorated actor, YouTube personality, and finally musician; his resume includes the film X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), winning a Teen Choice Award for his collaboration with YouTube sensation Tyler Oakley (2014), as well as being featured in Papercut off Zedd’s album True Colors (2015). Amidst all of his other successes, Sivan’s music and unabashed openness regarding his homosexuality is quickly propelling the 20-year-old into new heights worldwide. Riding off of the success of his previous label EP TRXYE, which included his earlier hit Happy Little Pill, Sivan’s latest project WILD is surpassing already elevated expectations and is set to make Troye Sivan a recognizable name in popular music.
Read More…
MORRT – Dive Right In
Immerse yourself in weekend vibes with Josh Mortimer, the 21-year-old DJ behind MORRT who’s perfected his unique homage to early ‘90s groove. Built around infectious bass lines and juicy synth layers dripping from disco vocals, MORRT’s sound has already garnered quite a bit of attention abroad from BBC 1 tastemakers Hannah Wants and Pete Tong. Dive Right In, originally released this year on 4/20, represents another exciting milestone for this rising UK talent as it was released on his own label MRRT Records. The future looks bright for MORRT, and here at Black Sheep, we hope you’re as excited to follow his ascent as we are.
Check out more from MORRT here.
weird inside – just ask (Alexander Lewis Remix)
Take note of one of our consistent go-to’s Alexander Lewis. From what we gather, Lewis is now officially in LA and is continuing to carve out a niche that consists of his experimentation with jazz, trip hop, trap and a little funk sprinkled on the side. His discography includes some tremendous collab projects, including 5 South and many more with none other than Brasstracks. Take our word for it – browsing through his SoundCloud is like exploring a brand new city.
The Colourist – Little Games (St. Lucia Remix)
In honor of TBT, here’s a lighter remix released about two years ago by one of my personal Coachella favorites St. Lucia. It’s hard to maintain a frown when hearing Little Games’ bouncy synths and beach vibes, so soak up the last few drops of summer and take a stroll through St. Lucia’s notoriously catchy pop while you count down to the weekend.
Mazde – Battas feat. LissA
Off Mazde’s new three-song EP Mazde x LissA, Battas represents a subtle shift towards a smoother, darker vibe for the Berlin producer. While you can still find his signature trip hop sound in the latest project, Mazde’s new exploration with melodic house (and at times orchestral segments beaming with cinematic grandeur) really sets this EP apart. When trying to define Mazde’s varied sound, perhaps try following his bio’s instructions: “Take his dad’s obsession with Jack Johnson, mix it with East Europe’s obsession with dance music, add some Chrome Sparks, Ta-Ku, Jamie xx, Hayden James and more and bake for 10 minutes, then you have Mazde.” That’s a combo we can get behind.
Check out Mazde here.
Little Dragon – Twice (Tora Cover)
It seems fitting that the name “Tora” evidently derives from the Greek τώρα meaning now. This Austrialian quintet’s modern sound brilliantly lays passionate vocals on top of a mesmerizing chillwave backdrop. Strap yourself in around 1:15 and enjoy Twice’s soft chorus held together with the piano and bass; if you’re a fan, be sure to give Tora’s most recent release LATP a spin.
HONNE – Baby Please
For those who’ve been anywhere near me for the past couple of weeks, you know HONNE has essentially been on repeat. HONNE, the English duo comprised of James (producer) and his university bud Andy (singer/producer), formally began about a year ago. Nevertheless, their silky downtempo R&B is reminiscent of Chet Faker and has already opened doors for the young group. These guys have real potential to do big things, especially after signing with Coda – the prominent London booking agency whose live roster boasts some of our favorites including Disclosure, Flume, AlunaGeorge, FKA Twigs and many others. In addition to their three previous EP’s and a few fire remixes, HONNE just released their latest EP Over Lover and announced a predominately UK tour. Throw on HONNE when you want to unwind during a late night drive – you won’t regret it.
Check out HONNE here.
Black Sheep Music Blog 