Kimbra – Settle Down (Sweater Beats Redux)
Sweater Beats had been dropping this track every night before headliner Chance The Rapper at the Verge Campus tour this fall, and now he’s finally uploaded it for all of us that missed out. A spin on Kimbra’s prog-pop original, it throws an alternate chord progression and beat with an attitude behind her blue quivering vocal line and doo-wop harmonies. Would’ve loved to hear this one live.
Check out Sweater Beats here.
Opiuo – Life (KOAN Sound Remix)
KOAN Sound started out as a fairly nondescript dubstep project in 2008. But after three years of experimentation, the Bristol duo began to develop a niche in production techniques and start broadening the scope of their style. 2011 marked this turning point with the release of three EPs, the last being Funk Blaster on Skrillex’s label OWSLA, which rocketed to #1 on Beatport’s release charts. In addition to expanding on their glitch hop and dub influences, their music had been injected with a healthy dose of funk and groove. This new flavor grew over the next few years with concept albums like The Adventures of Mr. Fox, Sanctuary (which features some beautiful collaboration work that really draws outside the lines for KOAN), and my personal favorite, Dynasty, from earlier this year.
Reconsider – The XX (Exempt & Henry Green Rework) [SKIDS Remix]
Stockholm may be more than a stone’s throw away from the tropics, but that hasn’t stopped Scandinavian Oscar Harlaut, the producer behind SKIDS, from trying to make a splash in the tropic-house scene. Now, I’ve ranted before about how monotonous the genre has become since Kygo caught fire last year. At least it makes it that much more exciting when I come across something unique and polished, and SKIDS’ take on Reconsider definitely fits that bill. It’s a remix, of a cover, of a The XX song. As much as this track is an example of the talent SKIDS has to offer, it’s a testament to some real songwriting prowess from The XX — if your original work can be reinterpreted through so many different stages of genres and artists, and still sound amazing, then you’ve really got something.
Check out SKIDS here.
Andreas Moe – Ocean (LCAW Remix)
Speaking of Stoney Roads, here’s a recent premier that we’ve been playing a lot lately, for several reasons. Andreas Moe is a young singer/songwriter from Stockholm, LCAW a 19 year old producer from Munich. I’ve got mixed feelings about this one — LCAW abandons the folksy backbeat of the original for a four-on-the-floor house pattern. That’s not a bad thing at all, except for the tempo being pushed so far from its normal pace to nearly render Moe’s soft and delicate vocals anxious and stumbling at times. There are places where it works absolutely perfectly (“lay your love on mine”), but the chorus feels rushed, which I would guess is the polar opposite of the vibe LCAW was going for. That aside, there’s something to be said about how original and catchy this remix is — that airy lead sample is what got us hooked in the first place — and if anything this is great progress from a rising young producer.
Check out LCAW here.
Bondax – All I See (Remixes)
All I See was one of biggest hits of the summer. And today, finally, it was officially released. Accompanied by three worthy remixes featuring TCTS with an uptempo piano-driven edit full of conga and marimba, Darius with a deep and grooving lounge house cut, and Pomo with a funky riffing bassline, it’s worth a revisit now to explore the original in a few new forms (even if you’ve already played it far too many times over). You can find the Pomo remix below–grab a copy of the album for full-length tracks.
Check out TCTS here, Darius here, Pomo here, and of course Bondax here.
James Vincent McMorrow – Glacier (Atu Remix)
Singer/songwriter James Vincent McMorrow blew everyone away with his sophomore release of Post Tropical earlier this year. It was an eclectic mix of electronic and folk that drew explosive acclaim, with mandolins and trumpets paired against synthesizers and drum samples, all led by McMorrow’s delicate falsetto. But while Cavalier, the album’s only single, saw remixers chomping at the bit and catapulting it up the charts upon release, the other gems from the album (namely, most all of them) didn’t garner the same attention–until recently. Detroit bass beatmaker Atu managed a very tasteful edit of Glacier, pushing the tempo forward with a steady kit, embellishing the somber piano of the original, and keeping McMorrow’s airy tones rightfully at the focal point.
RAC – Cheap Sunglasses Ft. Matthew Koma (AMTRAC Remix)
Our personal favorite Cheap Sunglasses remix so far. AMTRAC abandons the bright marimba-led bounce of the original for an expansive house-inspired soundscape of his own. Matthew Koma’s vocals are still prominent, though not at the forefront of the edit, because what really makes this track is its sense of space. While the bassline and kick sit at the center of the mix to keep your feet moving, the background is washed with a wide and airy reverb, as if AMTRAC’s strings and Koma’s voice hit us only after traveling through miles of canyon walls. In comparison with all the other Sunglasses remixes that came out over the past few months, AMTRAC’s take has the most character.
Check out AMTRAC here.
London Grammar – Strong (Manila Killa Remix)
Yep, he’s back again. I don’t like focusing too much on one particular artist when there’s so much amazing new music coming from every corner of the world each day, but I couldn’t resist this one. London Grammar has skyrocketed since the trio’s debut EP last year. They featured on Disclosure’s Help Me Lose My Mind, and just a few months later released Strong, an ambient hit that unleashed an avalanche of remixes. Manila Killa’s new edit, surprisingly atmospheric compared to his other work, stands above most of them.
James Hersey – Coming Over (Filous Remix)
Here’s a deep breath for your midweek rush. 17 year old Filous (yes, 17) uploaded this edit of fellow Viennese songwriter James Hersey’s Coming Over, a simple but absolutely beautiful piece. Filous takes the original (which features only James and his guitar), ups the tempo, and adds some light reverberated textures over a calm but steady new beat. The guitar echoes and aux percussion brings the song’s atmosphere to a whole new level. While the original is wonderfully minimalist, Filous’ remix has a lot of hidden detail that may only become apparent after a handful of listens.
Check out Filous here.
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.
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.
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.
Dawn Golden – All I Want (Manila Killa Remix)
Manila Killa is killing it. The now DC-based electronic producer from the Philippines absolutely lit up after releasing his recent remix of Dawn Golden’s All I Want, which gave that somber downtempo vibe a unique twist into future house gold. At the time I’m writing this, it’s boasting well over half a million plays, and once you give it a listen you’ll hear why. Manila’s been gaining popularity ever since he hit #3 on HypeM with a remix of Mike Posner’s Please Don’t Go, and with all the buzz around his latest he won’t be stopping any time soon.
Check out Manila Killa here.
Michael Bublé – Feeling Good (SMLE Remix)
A new one for the late-night-drive playlist. Swelling strings, a riffing rhodes piano, and deep blue vocals retain the theatrics and jazzy, curled-upper-lip attitude of the original … but god damn is that synth smooth. What makes the song for me are those pockets of silent tension, swiped away as quick as they came with huge filtered chords. A really clever take on a classic standard, and for being newcomer SMLE’s second-ever release, I’ve got to hand it to them. Looking forward to more.
Check out SMLE here.
Stevie Wonder – Superstition (C2C Remix)
Speaking of 20syl, turntable legends C2C just released the fuunkiest remix of Superstition. A group of 4 French DJs (Atom, pFeL, Greem, and 20syl), they’ll rip any song to shreds, and then piece it back together into a masterpiece. Stevie’s vocals bounce around this track over a steady talking clav and rocking synth beat while scratch fills, one after another, fly right into the pocket. I’ve always wanted to see these guys spin live—as if watching their technical skill wasn’t enough, they’ve also got this massive LED display that syncs up with each of their individual decks. The more the merrier.
Check out C2C here.
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