Midweek Music: SG Lewis, Armin Van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, Farzam & Joman

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Terry Gotham

Another week, another set of reasons to get up and dance. There’s a big range here, but each track definitely gives you a unique vibe and reason to groove. Without further ado, grab your volume control and dive in with me!

SG Lewis tugs at the heartstrings with this one. This future garage triumph takes the recently released Magnets, off Caracal by Disclosure ft. Lorde, adds its own delicious spin and some powerfully relaxed vibes. It’s takes a lot to fuck with Disclosure if your name isn’t Flume, but this is executed well. The break at 1:50 is unexpected but totally welcome. Drift away on this one.
There are things I never thought I’d say when I started writing, and “Here is the new Armin Van Buuren & Cosmic Gate collab” is certainly not one of them. This kind of stab at a classic trance vibe, Armin-ified is packed with shimmering nostalgia. The punch and ethereal feel is a throw back to trance that we listened to a decade ago. While it’s definitely more of a festival banger than anything from that era, that’s really only because we’ve actually got festivals outside of Amsterdam now. A huge tune I expect to hear in sets for months, blast this. Annoy coworkers & significant others with it, this one is worth it folks.
Continuing the classic trance vibe, Ferry Corsten released his remix of Ayla’s Ayla from 1999 on Soundcloud. Ninety fucking nine! The world was entirely different back then. Anyone who knows Ferry can tell just how long ago this collab with Vincent de Moor took place. The two break structure, the restrained production, the deep Northern Europe feel, it’s all there. If people want to know what dance music sounded like a generation ago that filled stadiums, you play them this.

Switching gears entirely, coming back into the future to a track released two days ago by a producer from Germany with Arabic vocals. This kind of melodic dubstep is really easy to screw up, but FARZAM does spectacular work on this tune. He seems to be a producer of cinematic, trance-y, stepp-y tracks and a gifted one at that. It’s a wonderful effort and I really want to hear more like what’s happening at 2:14. It’s a gorgeous sound that the world needs to hear. Enjoy it & thank him for making it.
Last but certainly not least, I’ve gotta give it up for Joman. Ever since he made the greatest dubstep remix that has ever been and ever will be made in the history of dubstep remixes, I’ve kept a close eye on this guy, occasionally being a somewhat creepy cheerleader. But, he continues to hit his stride and pushing the edge of his skills. This new tune is no exception. It’s a wobbly electro feeling tune with a hard driving progressive edge. This is usually a genre and a toolset I can’t take seriously, but like TheFatRat and Madeon, he’s using the shimmering chords and the vocals appropriately, while backing them up with a well derived punchy beat. The dubby breakdown at 2:30 reminds everyone that Joman can produce with the best of them and deserves your attention. I’m gonna keep repping this dude, and not just because he’s a Master of Karate & Friendship.Beneath a Neon Sky is a certified banger that is going to get picked up.

Jae Jin’s Album “Kairos” Is A Stunning Soulful Success!

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Terry Gotham

Jae Jin – Kairos

I spoke to Jae Jin a little while back, during his last stint of NYC performances. Easily one of the most electrifying new voices of my generation, I think there’s a certain explosive potential in this kid. He’s put it all on the line and if you were one of the chosen few who helped him crowdfund (with a hefty chunk going to charity no less) his debut album, you have not been disappointed. For everyone who wasn’t smart enough to get in on that action, you can grab it here, which I highly recommend.

When It Finds You is one of the best vocal tracks I’ve heard in years. This has pop/rock anthem written all over it. It delivers with hints of gospel, a heaping dose of soul & just a dash of euphoria. The call & answer section is a wonderful throwback & the tune reels you in and doesn’t let you go. Expertly arranged, it busts the door down for the album.

Running pulls a little more in the indie direction, showcasing Jae’s range and ability. The mastering & additional elements added in to support his buttery vocals are the right choices, with the track gliding along. I’m surprised I haven’t already heard it on the radio. Ain’t About Love brings it back down to almost a blues vibe, but the ditty uses piano & snaps to emphasize just how good Jae Jin is at this.

Don’t Fall Too Late is a rambling, relaxed soulful meditation, but by this point, you should be expecting that. It harmonizes & blends well, giving Jae Jin another chance to knock it out of the park. Which he of course does. The guitar & piano are front and center, but neither dominates. Everything is necessary and it all works. Moon & Stars modernizes that soulful vibe, centering on some soaring chords. It has almost a country vibe, feeling like it could be played at an indie show or even a NASCAR race. It feels very American, if that means anything anymore.

Honestly, I could keep going on, listing each track and telling you how good they are, but that’s just taking time away from you listening to & buying the album. Each track is expertly arranged and continues to show new sides of Jae, ones I didn’t even know he had, and I knew the guy years ago.

I want to wrap this up by saying that this guy’s sound is screaming to get paired up with DJs & producers here in NYC. This guy’s vocal work is beyond compare and any producer or label that picks him up will be lucky. He’s pulling his weight in gold, to quote Gallant, and Ed Sheeran has nothing on this kid. Pick the album up here and enjoy!

Someone Figured Out That Drake Works Perfectly with N64 Music

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Terry Gotham

http://setheverman.tumblr.com/post/130224964139/im-on-to-you-drake

I’m not even sure how you figure this out. Someone decided to overlay Drake on N64 games and the synergy is stunning, if not a bit terrifying. For serious, the combination of Drake & Mario Kart 64 is one of the more shockingly perfect tunes I’ve heard this month.

Music Video With Kitty On Speaker. What Are You Waiting For?

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Terry Gotham

I’m stunned no one has thought of this before. Also, I have no idea how they got the cat to stay still for the entirety of this shoot. Lernert & Sander are two high concept artists out of Amsterdam, and did this great little video for De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig for their song “Manon.” I have no idea how to pronounce this group’s name but I really don’t care. It’s a great little video and I now want all the gifs made of it. Get on that internets. The cats command it.

Midweek Music: A-Trak, GRMM, Mt. Eden, Liem & Stephen

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Terry Gotham

You know the score, another week, another quintet of tunes. A nice mix of new hotness from a bunch of different places, so turn on, tune in and vibe out.

A-Trak is one of the last remaining DJ Jedi in this time of crisis. His Fool’s Gold label continues to be a bastion of quality and his Duck Sauce side project with Armand Van Helden brings funky joy to the world. This tune with Jamie Lidell fuses his impeccable timing with vintage funk and euphoric vocals. It gets better with each listen, you’ll see.
GRMM has consistently impressed me with his post-EDM sensibilities. He joins up with Father Dude, a featured vocalist I’m seeing around more and more each month. They come together to create a dope little Future track that perfectly captures what things can sound like when you really get out of the box. The rest of the Die Young EP, that this track is on, isn’t bad either, so don’t miss it.
This Spooky Black remix by Mt. Eden is a symphonic bout of melancholy we all have around this time of year. The Soulful Trap vibe that radiates from this track gives us all a wistful look at the changing of the seasons, thinking too much about things long past. It’s further proof that Mt. Eden continue to be a source for inspiration & inventive production work, years after their original remix EP swept the globe.
Liem came out of nowhere with this UK Garage tune that you could just put on and leave on. It’s a soothing club track that fits perfectly into a surprising amount of sets I’ve heard recently. I don’t know who this Liem is, but they sure can mix.

A vocalist known only as Stephen pushed out this interesting mix between euphoria & indietronica. There’s a chill in it to match the Fall air and a little bit of that “Lean On” feel that’s been infecting a number of tracks lately. Enjoy it and everything else you’ve heard today!