While good Tropical is getting few & far between, I am really digging this remix by Thero. The Chainsmokers have had the Midas touch for a while now. No matter how much you pretend to dislike Selfie, they’re everywhere, and definitely deserve it. Thero takes their latest hotness and re-envisions it as an airy, future chill track that I like more each time I listen to it. There’s a whole lot of reverb put to good use here, making the track a bit harder than most tropical tunes. This is a huge step in the right direction for a genre that seemed to be spinning its wheels a bit. The heavier throb & beat structure give the track some oomph that gives it more versatility & range. I hope he’s entering it into The Chainsmokers remix contest on Beatport, cause this kind of dope shit just might win.
Category Archives: Midnight Music
Midnight Music: Shawn Wasabi – Marble Soda [Mashup]
153 sounds, songs & samples were used to construct this, which blows my mind. You can hear all of it among the stupendous technical competence of the track. This live mashup is in the vein of Madeon, Araab Muzik & the others who drop insanity on midi controllers. This kid got his hands on the first 64-bit midi fighter and made this with it, Marble Soda.
Midnight Music: Nightcall – Reverie [Euphoric Synth Metal]
Nightcall is one of the few moody, dark triumphant groups that get an instant listen whenever they put out new work. Their explosion 2min in is one of mastery and could best be described as “viking metal without guitars.” There’s a powerful dark future sound here, while staying true to the fundamentals of a genre of music that ISN’T DANCE MUSIC. This is straight up some progressive metal that is being made with a keyboard, or some crazy synth work. If this is coming out of a laptop, which, is likely at this point, I think we’ve seen the tip fellas. Like, this means that all genres are on the take when it comes to this, as my longstanding love of indietronica helps to reinforce. If you can take the best of what’s coming out of laptop production & throw it into some pre-existing musicality/vibe/whatever, bang. And we’re all better for it. This is the kind of work that needs to be happening across genres to really find the sweet spot that bands need to sound unique in an ever increasingly crowded marketplace.
Midnight Music: Rudimental – Never Let You Go [Soulful Drum & Bass]
Rudimental is back and all is right with the world. The soulful, triumphant feel that the world fell in love with is back. The rollicking good time that hits up 45sec in is the signature sound that if they keep making, I’ll keep hyping. To know what the potential of this music is and not see it in wider American release kills me. This is the sound of a generation and we’re all better off for them being so good & well received we’re getting a 2nd album. If you’re like me, that album is already getting you hyped. The full album should be out this summer and if it’s anything like Home, we’re in for a treat. Live drum work, great vocals, throbbing bass & quality production, what more could you ask for in your drum & bass? Oh right, live trumpet! Because Rudimental does that 😀
Midnight Music: Groove Armada – Inside My Mind
Tonight, we’re going back just far enough to when trip hop was still a thing. Groove Armada is such a crucial component of any dance music fan’s arsenal that if you’re hearing it for the first time I’m both disappointed & jealous. Groove Armada managed to combine lyrical flow, downtempo vibes and a really mature (especially for the time) understanding of production. This kind of vibe is rare but utterly necessary within the the non-main stage/post-party chill situation. Whether it’s a lower energy Thursday for you, or just a throwback to some happy and relaxed Sunday mornings listening to this, you’re gonna smile when you hear this. And if you’re new to Groove Armada, here’s a quick 15-track playlist to get you up to speed.
Midnight Music: Disclosure – White Noise (Baiji Refix) [DeepTrap]
Well this one came out of left field. Props to Stoney Roads for the tip on this, the artist has under 25 twitter followers & isn’t even on Facebook at the time of writing. This has been on repeat all day, forcing me to track this new artist down. White Noise was a hauntingly good track by Disclosure & MNEK if you don’t remember, but this refix by Baiji is unheard of. The molasses pace, the deep, soulful honoring of the original vocals, and a general turn down to chill vibe is exactly what’s needed as festival season heats up here and the tracks get bigger and bigger. This alternative, relaxed attitude has definitely got him on my radar. And apparently, if you actually go through & adopt a dolphin, Baiji will buy you Chipotle. So, put this into your face as you finish out your 420.
Midnight Music: Nero – The Thrill (Porter Robinson Remix)
Nero – The Thrill (Porter Robinson Remix)
Yea, this collab needs to happen way more often. The track of today could only be Porter Robinson’s stunning remix of The Thrill by Nero. The remix hits this apex when it comes to production, stupendous production values, respect of the original work & blowing the lid off of it at the same time. The arpeggio work is second to none, with Porter reminding everyone he creates soundscapes, not songs. This shimmering remix is one of the first true post-Big Room offerings that aren’t gimmicky. This type of Future Electro really has a shot at unseating the idiocy of Brolectro & Big Room. The power goes crazy, but he never loses control. Porter has shown he can be a master at the massive yet crystalline & this new release is no exception. Put it into your face post haste. At this point, it’s so good & good for you it might as well have Vitamin C in it. (via This Song Is Sick)
Midnight Music: Ratatat – Cream On Chrome [Indie Pop]
Any fan of indie, pop or alt dance should be salivating at the fact that the word Ratatat is in my title. This is some classic Ratatat right here. The guitar work doing the heavy lifting, with a clever, understated video to go along with it. Ratatat earned the opening slot at Daft Punk’s shows here in the USA for a reason. The seemingly overly simple music reveals a level of composition complexity that is rare for kids with hair as long as they’ve got. This is definitely a track not to be missed, as is whatever follows. Trust that if this is the herald of a new album or a new tour, you’ll hear about it first right here. This is their first new song since 2010, so, sit up, take note and put it into your face.
Midnight Music: Backdraft – R U Ready (Part 2) [Vintage Breaks]
Tonight, we’re taking it back to the roots with a classic track that I was recently reminded exists. This is that kind of menacing breaks style that hasn’t really filtered into modern EDM. There’s this menacing feel to it that is really only captured by dark D&B and hardstyle. Dubstep tried to get this gangster, but then Skrillex’s hair ruined that for everyone. I mean, sucks to be hard in the UK at Brixton, because a lot of those cats are legit hard, but back to the point. 1:20 is potent breaks. The track has a no nonsense female vocalist that could probably kick my ass. She doesn’t want to, but she could if she had to. This is backing some serious production that, while simplistic to some of our more technically oriented listeners, there’s some solid fundamentals here that we could all do well to remember.
EP Of The Week: CMA – Dreams [Chill]
This week, drift away with CMA. This tight little EP is made of clouds. The excessive talent of CMA is on display as this sextet of relaxing sonic snowflakes float down upon you. Dream Away gets us off to a winking, almost uptempo start, before Caught In Out Thoughts pulls us back into that chillstep vibe. Don’t Look Back brings in some atmosphere that you wouldn’t find out of place in a Rameses B track, which given how much I love that dude, is high praise. The arpeggio work is solid and it never gets too intense. Moving Forward manages to both be heavy & soaring, while still keeping in the feel of the EP. So, an oppressive giant made of clouds. Or someone screaming but the only thing coming out is sparkles? Not sure if that metaphor is decidedly positive enough. Without You showcases CMA’s piano skill, which is on point. I am glad to see more and more producers coming from strong piano backgrounds, as I find it to be tremendously helpful to production. This gives a flexibility that we see throughout the EP, that other producers should take note of. Friends brings it back to the chillstep vibe we all showed up for. Great work by CMA & it’s a Creative Commons licensed EP, so go put it into your student film so people discover CMA.
Terry Gotham 