Kentaro & One T – Thank You
We’ve got the perfect Friday afternoon jam for you this week. Recently, LA’s Kentaro had his SoundCloud account removed due to some remix licensing issues. It’s now back up and running with a re-release of Thank You, his smoky R&B collaboration with vocalist and producer One T that was originally released earlier this year on, you guessed it, April 20th. So kick back and give this one a spin–happy weekend everyone.
Raye – Bet U Wish (Lucian Remix)
Sensual, smooth, scathing and unapologetic. When Bet U Wish first surfaced, its captivating vocal delivery and lyrical maturity suggested a time-tested artist working behind the scenes, practicing that kind of finesse that only comes with years of experience. So when we found that this mastermind was actually 17 year old Raye from South London, we were absolutely astounded. Raye has been carving out a name for herself in a saturated market of alternative R&B female vocalists since the release of her debut EP earlier this year, Welcome To The Winter. Since then, she’s shared a steady stream of content to solidify her fledgling fan base, including this breathtakingly dramatic and unique reimagination of the original Bet U Wish by Lucian, who had this to say of the final product: Read More…
GRMM – Travolta Cool
More new ear candy from down under. This time we’ve got GRMM with Travolta Cool, aptly named and featuring a slack but smooth vocal hook and rebounding, slingshot synths. Benn Markos, the 24 year old Sydney producer behind GRMM, has seen a surge in popularity after recently hitting #1 on the Australian iTunes electronic chart with Electrify. Now a part of the Neon Records roster, (joining the likes of Gorgon City, Felix Jaehn, and Klingande) and busy finalizing his debut EP for release this week on October 2nd, GRMM is one we’ll be keeping tabs on.
Check out GRMM here.
Glass Animals – Gooey (Imagined Herbal Flows Remix)
Zaba was easily one of my favorite albums from last year. I fell in love with Glass Animals after listening through the LP front to back, again and again, and it’s with that peculiar but extremely common sense of fanboy ownership that I’ve watched them now step into the limelight like some kind of proud mother. It happens when you really identify with a piece of music, with an artist, with an aesthetic. And the same phenomenon occurred when I came across Imagined Herbal Flows last year, so when this blend of the two surfaced, I was trapped. IHF had a limited amount of material to work with, extracting only the vocals that were unburdened by the rest of the mix from the original. But there’s something beautiful that happens when your tools are limited, when you are forced to draw with only certain colors. Boundaries spawn innovation, and Dave Bayley’s voice sits atop IMF’s accompaniment as comfortably as if it was the master recording. While finding them can be challenging, this is an example of a remix done well: original, creative, but derivative in the best way.
Check out Imagined Herbal Flows here, and Glass Animals here.
Froogle – Repose
Last month we gave a shout out to Texan electronic producer Froogle and his collaboration on Falling Down with Alexa Harley. I thought I’d bring a different side of his work to light, so here’s Repose, a bouncing instrumental centered around a simple but catchy lo-passed synth line. Another great piece for some R&R, though a little more representative of the diversity in his production talent.
Check out Froogle here.
Danrell x Småland – Hostage
Danrell recently gave Småland’s debut Hostage a rework, pushing the tempo and shaping the original into an extremely well-polished daydream. He’s been steadily building a catalog of remixes for the past two years, and they keep getting better and better. I think it’s safe to say that this is his best yet, but definitely don’t let that stop you from giving the earlier work a listen. It also goes without saying that the caliber of songwriting here is impressive–looking forward to more Småland in the future as well.
PYRMDPLAZA x Abraham Blue – Whatever You Want
While there’s a chance PYRMDPLAZA has come across your radar before, this was our first introduction to Abraham Blue, a 20 year old vocalist and producer from Belgium. The two happened upon the seed for Whatever You Want during a session at Red Bull Studios London, and this is what came of it–an amazing vocal hook that has been stuck in my head for a week now. The stereo Rhodes tremolo makes this one more than worth a headphone listen.
Beauville – Letting In (Prod. by NoMBe)
An acoustic guitar hook that refuses to let go, coupled with a soulful sundrunk vocal melody. Letting In is the debut release from Beauville, singer/songwriter Josh Bovill and guitarist Robert Coronado from LA. NoMBe, the mind behind California Girls, handles the production perfectly with dry acoustic percussion and the softest saw-synth support. Really stoked to see where this project goes.
Check out Beauville here.
Cura – Theory of Dreams
It seems like the mystery-producer aesthetic has become somewhat of a phenomenon over the past few years. The masked artist looming behind some artistic facade, whether it be a robot suit, mouse head, or (in this case) a gray hoodie, really gets listeners interested and elevates a brand–but it makes it hard as holy hell to write a post about them because there’s no damn information to be found, even from the artist him/herself. Anyways, meet Cura. He’s from Norway. That’s all we know. Oh, and also that his first release Theory of Dreams kicks ass. Listen to this if you’re an Odesza fan. And if you’re not, listen to it anyways.
Check out Cura here.
Aeble – Better By Your Side ft. Tom Aspaul
The first release from fledgling independent label Estate, based in London, Better By Your Side is a collaboration between fresh new British producer Aeble and vocalist Tom Aspaul. Read More…
Tennyson – Lay-by
Teenage sister-brother duo Tess and Luke Pretty are Tennyson, an instrumental act from Edmonton, Canada. The B-side to their new single With You, Lay-by is a modern-day nocturne that slows the car to the shoulder, kills the engine, slides on the hood, and melts under the stars. Born from that oh so familiar sound of the open car door, the two manage to craft a jaw-droppingly creative and lyrical piece that is anything but monotonous or commonplace. The sample slowly dissolves into the mix, becoming nearly imperceptible as we become more and more absorbed in a deep and warm stereo image painted with broad, dark basslines, and dotted with bright, twinkling synth plucks. Tess and Luke “hope this song reminds you to slow down. Sometimes the dark can be beautiful.”
Definitely a group to keep your eye on, check out Tennyson here.
kuma & Kim Vallido – Crawling Back to You (Cover)
Arctic Monkeys’ Do I Wanna Know?: It took the world by storm on AM in 2013, helped make the band the first indie label group to boast five consecutive #1 albums in the UK, gave birth to one of the best music videos we’ve ever seen, and also brought about an onslaught of covers, reinterpretations, and remixes. Bedroom YouTube singer Kim Vallido stripped the tune down to its core with a candlelight interpretation, and experimental producer kuma crafted a downtempo beat to lay underneath her voice and electric piano. Fresh, delicate, tasteful — and, most importantly, a unique reinterpretation — as a cover should be.
Jack Tipper & Mike McCann – Caverns
Jack Tipper is an electronic producer from Vermont who recently finished his music schooling at Middlebury College. For his senior composition study, he teamed up with classmate Mike McCann to write Caverns, a fittingly deep and dark cut marked by spacious drip synths, a catchy vocal hook and accompanying vocoder, and a level of depth that screams “talent”. Listening, I can’t help but imagine spelunking endless crystal caves and shadowy grottos — the two captured the theme extremely well.
Check out Jack Tipper here.
Henry Green x Emlyn. – All I Want For Christmas (Mariah Carey Cover)
Happy Holidays everyone! I know most of us have had our fill of the same old festive recordings on the radio, but this year great Henry Green put his delicate touch on All I Want For Christmas, and it’s the first creative spin I’ve heard on a holiday standard in a very long time. A perfect end to the day and beginning to a silent night. Hope you’re all enjoying the friends, family, and other fellow human beings and animals you find yourself surrounded by this season.
Check out Henry Green here.
Alexander Lewis x Brasstracks – Distant Memories
Feeling horny lately — A fresh graduate of the Manhattan School of Music’s jazz program, Alexander Lewis got back together once again with Brasstracks for something new, titled Distant Memories. Turning down the tempo since Life is Good, the New Yorkers managed to squeeze a lot of soul into less than three sweet minutes of Brooklyn beat. Those trumpet layers are the work of Ivan Jackson, if you want to give his solo work a listen. Can’t get enough of this combo.
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