This delightful re-imagining of Fred V & Grafix’s Major Happy from 2012 could be a master class on how to construct a remix. The rambling beat collects a number of the elements from the original song, and adds them all back in new ways, such that the track can hardly even be called drum & bass anymore. As it shifts into the realm of almost IDM or glitch, there’s a classical or symphonic feel that sticks with you as the violin strings pluck away under the gurgling beat. Just as quickly as it appears, it’s gone, and it leaves me wondering when I get more from this Mr. Robinson kid. Time to start keeping tabs on this one.
Category Archives: Midnight Music
Midnight Music: NuTone – Tides (ft. Lea Lea) [Liquid Drum & Bass]
NuTone does all the right things when it comes to soothing drum & bass. I’ve spoken about him before, but this is a special track that I thought deserved additional words. From his Future History album, the fast bassline melts behind some soulful vocals, resulting in some good music for tea sipping. I’m serious, go pour yourself a cuppa, then imagine sipping it while watching the afternoon rain in Brixton or riding the Underground in January. And, if you’re currently in the UK and able to do that, leave a comment and let us know how it feels.
Midnight Music: Royalston – Kronos [Massive Drum & Bass]
I don’t know how I missed this. London Elektricity turned me onto this track on his XmasCast so, I’m going to bring you the best bits over the coming week. This one is on the heavier end of D&B, but there’s a smoothness to the vibe while still being an exquisite & driving production. The build into the punchy, vintage sound works flawlessly, and you find yourself solidly in the realm of the camouflage pants & hoodie wearing bassheads. With a dreamy interlude and an even more impressive build, we only get a taste of the 2nd drop before the tune taps out. This is definitely one of the best D&B tunes of 2014 and Royalston, from down under, is not be watched. All they need is a dope remix or a slot at a Hospital Records show, and you’ll be hearing about them. I guarantee it. This Hospital/Med School Records group is going to get in your face soon.
Midnight Music: Netsky vs Metrik – Can’t Speak ft Stealth [Drum & Bass]
I do love when dope producers collaborate. In true grand fashion, two of my favorite Drum & Bass producers from 2014, Netsky & Metrik join up with vocalist Stealth to re-work one of his tracks in an excellent, chilled out kind of way. It’s still fast & furious, but there’s a relaxed vibe that makes me wonder when Netsky or Hospital Records is going to work with Example. This might be seen as a little softer and more commercially friendly than some of Netsky’s earlier work, but there’s a lot to like about it and I think it’s important to give people something soothing. Relax with this tonight, only a couple of days left in the year.
Midnight Music: Savant – 1997 [Trance] (Free Download!)
Savant is exactly that. A musical font, issuing forth dozens of tracks over a relatively short period, we last visited his amazingness almost 1 year ago, when he killed the opening set for Astrix & Infected Mushroom. This track that I think he did as a joke, but it’s freaking incredible. Like, this is classic trance almost to a point. The 9min track has an ominous sample and a proper multi-minute build. With stabby synths that pluck at all the right heart strings, it seems as if he just stumbled upon a hit. To be frank, it’s one of the best vintage non-anthem trance tracks I’ve heard in years, and I don’t think he meant for it to be as dope as it as. Cause it is. Super dope. This needs as much exposure as possible, if for no reason other than hearing a Savant track on ASOT 😀 Tell your friends, and get down to the crazy hypnotic beat.
Midnight Music: Usher – Yeah (Pat Lok Rework) [Future House]
Two min 30 sec in really speaks for itself. This kind of deep push and potent vibe that Pat Lok is making sure happens, really can’t be replaced, and I think that needs to be noted. This remix is amazing, in ways that neither Usher or anyone associated with the original could have predicted. This reworking has the elements that you need in a 2015 mix, that you don’t know you need until they’re not here. Pat Lok puts all the correct pieces into the puzzle the right way. The vocals are brought back in exactly the way they need to while the breakdown at three minutes in can still remain the dope break it is. (via FreshNewTracks)
Midnight Music: Blackmill & Mt. Eden – Now [Dream Bass]
I have been waiting literally years for this. Blackmill has created some of the most gorgeous, symphonic & ambient music in the last 5 years. Then one day, Blackmill went dark, so the people waited. And waited. And now, thanks to Mt. Eden (who deserve a medal for making this happen), there’s new snowy goodness just in time for the holiday season. This is on the lighter side for Mt. Eden, which speaks volumes to the respect they have to Blackmill’s vision. The chilled ambient is exceptional, and will give you a moment to come into the present moment. Don’t worry about the future, just be here in the Now. For as long as the song lasts anyway. Merry Christmas, to all who celebrate it.
Midnight Music: Hayden James – Something About You [Future House]
There’s something about this track. The soothing, shimmery yet upbeat track by Hayden James caught my ear and it’s exactly what you need to get the family you’re staying with relaxed and not talking about how wacky the year was. The lyrics are issued forth competently & soulfully, while the house’y beat glistens along. It’s a fine offering from the upstart from Sydney. I’m getting into a lot of the indie bass acts out of Australia & New Zealand these days. There’s this distinctly non-EDM feel to a lot of these artists and I’m looking forward to when they breach the gates here in the USA. I’d certainly see this in a Brooklyn warehouse. And the next track on the Soundcloud “related” is Miss You Most At Night, which is le dope, so it’s got that going for it as well.
Midnight Music: Infected Mushroom – Kazabubu
I’m 10 days late on this, so apologies are in order. I should’ve been yelling about this a week ago. To get you excited for 2015, 1/6 brings Friends With Mushrooms, their new full-length album. The 17 track juggernaut will include a couple of the highlights from their massive “Friends With Mushrooms” EPs that have dotted the release cycle over the last few years. To celebrate, Dim Mak wanted to make sure you knew what they sound like and to remind you just how dope their production values are, even to this day. This album is going to have a lot of surprises, but the quality you’ve come to expect will be there in spades. This track fuses the electro, world-beat, psy, big beat and dubby elements with the end of the tune really punching into some fun bass sounds. Pre-order the album here on iTunes & get ready for some sharp, effective mushrooms in 2015. (via Thump)
Midnight Music: LOTR Remix! Turn Down For Hobbits!
I can’t say that I’m a huge LOTR nerd, but closing the circle must feel good for a lot of people. To celebrate the end of a journey that started before Obama was a household name, my boy Will Vance over at EDMTunes whipped up a surprisingly legit remix of Pippin’s song. The bass & backbeats work really well, and I’m definitely hoping that I hear it mixed into something at some point. Oh man, can we get DJ Hodor to play LOTR remixes? Because that might actually approach the definition of epic. It’s a tumultuous track that definitely needs to be mastered and slipped onto a playlist in Peter Jackson’s jet at some point. Get at more of this one’s sound here. (Lyrics & photo from here)
Terry Gotham 