Combining country and any genre of music is difficult, but I think this bootleg done by De Hofnar of The Common Linnets has done it. The addition of the smooth bass to the rifts and smooth vocals of The Linnets totally works. It’s super rare to see, but the beat never overpowers the vocals and it remains a very solidly country tune. I’d love to hear a whole set of country grooves like this. Now that would be an opener for Kygo like woah. Summer, big sky vibes.
It’s Monday night. Congratulations, you made it. It’s all downhill to Friday from here. To help recharge you, I give you this sick minimix the great new hope of Trance, Andrew Rayel, put together to get you excited for his new album. That’s right, the guy who you’ve been hearing on ASOT podcasts and seeing at Trance shows hadn’t put out an album until now. This guy is responsible for so many of my favorite Trance tracks over the last couple of years. The minimix gives me hope for Trance. The vibe is unmistakably hopeful and full of the shimmering positivity that I demand from my Trance. It’s mixed in a tantalizing way, which means I’m totally hitting this album hard. Each track looks to be fun and if you’ve listened to Trance podcasts over the last few months you’ve already heard a few of these. Preorder the thing on iTunes and swim around the puddle of serotonin this album is eventually gonna bring out. (h/t to EDMTunes for the minimix tip off)
An amazing friend from Boston turned me onto this SOHN, and I’m kind of super totes thankful. The lush, chilled vibes SOHN puts out is really something, and this remix of Disclosure’s moody hit “Help Me Lose My Mind” prove they can play with the big boys. This soothing but infectious vision of what Disclosure can sound like is right up my alley, and I think you’re going to dig it a lot.
I’m absolutely floored. I had no idea you could put Andy C & London Grammar in the same zip code at the same time, much less have the former remix the latter. This reworking of “Sights” is hot off the presses and immediately reminds you how good at their job both London Grammar & Andy C are. The melancholy vocal energy of London Grammar’s original lines is preserved perfectly. The drum & bass elements come together slowly, like a master assembling his tool belt & workstation slowly but surely. As the energy shambles along, you arrive three minutes & 15 seconds in, and the triumphant build finally reveals itself. Pulling into the danceable back beat ever so slowly, you find yourself flying along before you know what’s going on. The vocals pull back in to remind you, yes this still was London Grammar, so be sad it’s over too.
And the time is finally upon us. Trap is going the way of Dubstep, and we’re beginning to see chilltrap producers popping up with the competence of the wave of chillstep DJs & Producers that came before them. This maturation of the genre is starting to be my favorite time in the life of any burgeoning class of dance music. First the genre gets big, then it slowly contracts while the amazing producers take the same elements that were cranked to 11 and work with them at a controlled level, producing some astonishing work after the “party” has ended. 40 seconds in definitely puts a spin on Trap in a way that I’d not heard since Minnesota was starting out. The summer vibes combined with an almost big room house feel make for an interesting tune from someone who isn’t even out of high school yet. Hit up the Soundcloud and show the Swedish 18yr old some love.
New Drum & Bass! Kove has been a bastion of occasional quality over the months, and I’m super pleased that new awesomeness has come out featuring stunning vocalist Melissa Steel. The tune is exactly what you want out of a vocal liquid track. Coming at you fast & hard, the tune doesn’t disappoint, while not taking any risks. The vocal work is perfectly matched with the lush & gliding drum and bass done by Kove. Kove has been on my radar for a while now, but they’ve definitely been upgraded to “put everything they come out with into my face. You should too. (via Stoney Roads)
Tonight, hit up this 30min of deep, groovy, funky & potent disco house mix from Raffael De Luca. If you don’t know him and you live in NYC, get over to Le Souk downtown and get an evening of grooves into your face. While it’s only 30min, there are remixes here I’ve never heard, in addition to seemless mixing and a serious level of awareness when it comes to the music that’s come before. It’s important to know your history and Raffael definitely does.
I don’t know how I missed this the last time I was in Philly, but Rakohus officially needs to do everything ever. Not only is Sonic 3 one of my favorite games EVER, but the Biggie usage was appropriate and excellently mixed in. Rakohus has a bunch of these videos on his YouTube channel. Not only are the mashups made of win, but there’s dozens of chiptune remixes there too. Just in case you don’t believe me, check out the 8bit remix of Royals. Yes, that Royals. AND because I’m feeling generous, the 8bit remix of Get Lucky.
Fresh New Tracks has been killing it lately with stuff I’ve not heard anywhere else, and this tune rounds out the week in a jaw-dropping way. I don’t know where this came from, but if it didn’t actually come straight from the minds of Daft Punk, I’ll be shocked. The track has all of the trappings of French House and it manages to never end up sucking, something that 100% of the DP posers out there can’t do. Put it into your face. That’s the only thing I’m going to say. The nu disco vibe combined with a dollop of proper synth & some compelling French lyrical work needs your attention, and it needs it right now. Who the hell is J.A.C.K. and why the hell haven’t they been touring in the USA for the last decade?
The moment that the guitars came in a little over a minute into the tune, I knew I had to make it tonight’s Midnight Music. Dinnerdate remixed this tune by Cocoon, giving it this indie house reworking that could not be more successful. There’s a groovy chillness to the tune that manages to stay upbeat without getting loud or in your face. I’m a huge fan of this style of music, which I’ve dubbed “Indietronica” over the years, and I can’t wait for the pop music engine to shift away from big room crassy house into this more melodic, artistic and acoustic sound. If that makes any sense. If it doesn’t, hit the tune below and show them some love on Hype Machine, Twitter and Soundcloud.
Terry Gotham 