Category Archives: Midnight Music

Midnight Music: SomeKindaWonderful – Reverse (Steve James Remix) [Progressive House]

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I’ve kept seeing this guy on my radar, and this latest track proves that the Force is strong with him. With the slow death of Big Room House finally upon us, the melodic, progressive end of the House spectrum is on the rise. The festival sets are already starting to reflect this trend, and I bet Animals has been played 1/20th of the times it was played by this time last Summer. The remix is slick with some excellent progressive & positive anthemic vibes. Monday is over, you made it, relax and gear up, the week’s gonna be awesome. Steve James is someone to watch, you heard it here first. He’s 16 but he’s going to do some great things, just you watch.

Midnight Music: The Doors – People Are Strange (Infected Mushroom Remix) [Psychedelic Rock/Trance]

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Tonight, I wanted to prep your Throwback Thursday with a track that’s both old & new. Infected Mushroom’s project re-imagining The Doors is shockingly good. This particular tune was one of my favorites, with the update being tasteful and compelling. The additional layers of bass & synth rock are never overdone, and when the triumphant power chords hit, you wonder how the original track didn’t have these elements. Put it into your face and if you can actually find it in one folder online, get it. Immediately.

Midnight Music: Mayo – Rock With You [House-Infused R&B]

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I don’t know who got on this idea, but they need to stay on it. The infusion of uptempo house beats to some of the smooth lyrical work that I’ve not found anywhere. It either comes off trappy or kitch. This gets away with fantastic audio modulation because the beat doesn’t quit and the lyrics are mature and on point. I’m looking forward to this blend of R&B, hip hop and house come together as production costs come down. A few beat makers, a vocalist & one engineer with a laptop and you’ve got your self a new clan.

Midnight Music: Eclectic Method – Hodor [Hodor Electro]

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Now that you’ve finished your weekly emotional manipulation at the hands of HBO & GRRM, I bring you something I can’t quite explain, or decide entirely whether I love or despise it. Eclectic Method does some amazing mashup work and has built a pretty dedicated following over the last few years. You can tell there’s a severe level of mastery when it comes to the sophistication of some of these tracks, and it seems this new one is taking the idea even further. A pumping, upbeat electro tune, made entirely from hodor-related samples. It’s one thing to make electro, it’s another thing to make electro just from “Hodor.” I’m not sure if this is more of a commentary on the genre or this guy’s insane mastery of the medium. What do you think?

Midnight Music: The US National Anthem In A Haunting Minor Key.

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Who is this person and why aren’t they singing the soundtrack to Maleficent. This “Major to Minor” juxtaposition is gorgeous and needs to get copied a thousand times over. I’m serious. Minor keys don’t get used in Pop or EDM these days, in no small part because no one played Jazz or went to conservatory before becoming OMG Famous these days. When Afrojack can’t even read music, how the hell are we going to expect a songwriter or producer to know what a mixolydian mode or minor 5th is. Check this guy out because this kind of disruption is super easy to replicate, but super innovative and will definitely lead to more people experimenting with more chords and different tonal arrangements.

Midnight Music: Puddles Returns To Cover Chandeliers By Sia!

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Puddles is back!! Just be quiet and watch the clown with the golden voice amaze you. Sia’s Chandeliers is no joke of a tune and he nails it. If you really don’t believe this guy is the real deal, check out this Grantland article, “Let Me Live That Fantasy.” He’s backed up by the Postmodern Jukebox, who are swinging through NYC June 9th, rocking out the Highline Ballroom. There’s not much to say besides, watch the clown work, and appreciate good art.

Midnight Music: Kove – Way We Are (Dub Mix) [Deep House]

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Since I yammered about Kove a little while ago, I’m delighted to say that the track has been picked up, and EDM.com brings us a reworking of the tune that shimmers with quality.  The deep, techy, but still perky envisioning of the original D&B is music to my ears. There’s the necessary competent build with some slicing & dicing of the vocals in just the way your rooftop party deep house should sound. This has some potential to get pushed into some sets, especially with the break into super old school styles halfway in. The sound is very now. While I feel like a catastrophic douche for writing that, I think it’s true in a lot of ways. The retro feel given some modern bounce, in addition to the proper usage of vocals pushing into a deeper, less anthem-y sound. Listen and you tell me if I’m right?  (via EDM.com)

Midnight Music: The Beatles – Blackbird

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For Throwback Thursday, I wanted to bring it all the way back to 1968. There’s a lot of perfection in this tune. If you’ve never heard of it, I’m frankly astonished, but I can’t ever judge anyone’s blindspots. The chords and the build are deceptively spot on. The imagery has been sliced and diced a thousand different ways, so I won’t comment on what the words mean. I’ll leave that to you. I used to listen to this and many other Beatles songs with my Dad. What songs do you still listen to that your parents passed to you?

Midnight Music: Saskrotch – Nintendo Breakz Volume 2 [Chip Hop/Glitch]

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I have been waiting for this for literally a decade. In 2004, the Nintendo Breakz Volume One was released. A tight joint of cuts, mixed samples and hilariously on point remixed 8bit themes. Zelda, Mario, Metroid, whatever else you wanted, it was there. The mastermind behind this, Saskrotch, spiraled me into months of listening to breakcore, glitch, hip hop and some terrifying IDM.  His mixes were the stuff of legend. And just in case you don’t believe me, check his new one out below. The combination of glitch, hip hop, chiptune, breakbeats and the occasional dollop of D&B/Jungle, will get you moving. Just don’t play it for anyone who wears J. Crew. They might freak out a bit.

Midnight Music: The Beatles – Because (The Zap Remix) [Psychedelic Chill]

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For Throwback Thursday, I’m going all the way back to the Fab Four, but with a significantly more modern & eccentric twist. The Zap, a collaborative group between Raja Ram & Prometheus, pushed the limits of the original track in a lot of ways here. They know what they’re doing however, so sit back, and enjoy the psychedelic chill ride that you’re about to go on. Also, the pictures dropped into the video by the YouTube artist are great for WTF moments.