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Friday Hip Hop Quartet

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The Sun kicks us off with some impressive flow and keeps the energy up. The beats underneath supports the vocals perfectly and the chorus gives us an classic funky vibe that I’m a huge fan of. NicX & 6LACK tag team excellently, which just keeps the track’s pacing where it needs to be.

Nothing Personal by Jbre & Dougie Kent ft. SaneBeats is a menacing, massive track that reminds me of Bone Thugz & Harmony, brought into the world of 2014. This is almost anthem hip hop, with a dark undercurrent that almost makes me think it’s going to bust into a Linkin Park breakdown. It stays on point and keeps pushing the bass and solid vocals into your face throughout. Don’t miss this one.

 Chance the Rapper makes me so happy. This guy needs to get recognized so hard that he spawns an entire sub-genre of hip hop. Sunday Candy feels like there’s a choir behind it, with a broken beat swimming through Chance’s jaw-dropping flow. If you’ve never heard Chance The Rapper before, I’m legitimately jealous that you get to discover him for the first time. Premiered on This Song Is Sick, if this is any indication of what the album is going to sound like, I’m a happy, happy man. He just shows up on this track by Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment, and he’s still my favorite part.

 Rounding out the quartet is some thoughtful lyrical work by King Terry. This pulls powerfully into spoken word hip hop, and the stream of consciousness story is real and brutal. This kind of post-gangsta flow is exactly what I like to hear because it’s critical for the evolution of the genre. King Terry does great work here and has developed a massive fan base. Don’t be late to his train, or any of the artists featured here.

Mix Of The Weekend: Above & Beyond – Robot Heart Yoga – Burning Man 2014

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This is the stuff that dreams are made of folks. A full hour of AnjunaBeats infused Yoga music from the playa, at Robot Heart, at sunset. Every single Yoga studio in NYC needs to just get Elena Brower’s permission and play the hell out of this. The collective blood pressure of NYC would go down. Not a whole lot to say about music like this, it’s kind of stuff that’s hard to put into words.

Tracklist

1 Jon Hopkins – Abandon Window [DOMINO]
2 Peter Gabriel – The Nest That Sailed The Sky
3 Jon Hopkins – Immunity [DOMINO]
4 Ólafur Arnalds – Only For The Winds (Ryan Davis A Letter From Far Away Variation) [ANJUNADEEP]
5 Ólafur Arnalds – Near Light [ERASED TAPES]
6 Andrew Bayer – Let’s Hear That B Section Again [ANJUNABEATS]
7 Above & Beyond – Small Moments Like These [ANJUNABEATS]
8 Above & Beyond – Sun In Your Eyes [ANJUNABEATS]

EP Of The Week: Allume – 3 [Soulful Vocal Bass]

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Allume - 3

This week, I’m really excited by the EP I found digging around on Stoney Roads. The pop vocal + indie bass pairing is something I’ve been going on about for months, and it seems with the Australian summer almost upon us, we’re about to get an earful of that sound. This 3pack by Allume & 3 Aussie producers, by the names of Valleys, Oscilla & Souda, makes for some fun, dance poppy listening. I really do hope this gets the attention of LA talent scouts, because this kind of vibe is totally necessary at bars, clubs & lounges all across the country. Plus I’d say this kind of sound has huge potential for marketing, cinema & television soundtracking.

Valleys mixes in some fun backing to the dance pop that Allume rolls through with, creating an almost indie feel that introduces the concept delightfully. Oscilla keeps the party going at a medium pace, keeping the vocal work and the beat almost restrained, letting the emotion ooze out from it in a masterful way. Control, ft. Souda, finishes out the trio of Allume pairings wonderfully, using a broken beat backing her melancholy vocals, given a vintage feel this time. It ends out the EP in an old school way, making me excited to hear more from everyone associated with this project. Definitely keep an eye on these producers coming in from the land down under. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Earworm Of The Month: Submotion Orchestra – Swan Song (Kidnap Kid Remix)

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Submotion Orchestra - Swan Song (Kidnap Kid Remix)Truly a masterpiece of our time. Kidnap Kid‘s reworking of Submotion Orchestra is a triumph. The soothing beats melt into the soulful vocals, mixing together in an almost melancholy way. Submotion orchestra recognized the quality of this remix immediately, with MrSuicideSheep joining in to get the word out. I’ve been listening to this tune for weeks, and it always seems to lift my spirits, even though it may not be the most anthemic or euphoric of what’s out there these days. The Kid had a great night at Verboten a few weeks ago, and I’m hoping he comes back to NYC soon, as a talent like this needs recognition in Brooklyn. Put this track on and let the subtle vibes wash over you.

Mix Of The Weekend: The Massive Set Monoverse Dropped At Pacha.

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Monoverse LIVE At Pacha, New York (11-08-14)I am delighted to bring you a fantastic local trance sensation Monoverse for this week’s mix. The driving after-hours trance set is definitely a standout after the night of epic sets that Pacha hosted last weekend. With tracks from arty, Bart Claessen, Ummet Ozcan, John O’Callaghan, Sander Van Doorn and Above & Beyond, this was a set that rewarded everyone who managed to hang around after Cosmic Gate blew the roof off of the mainstage. If you missed it, or you where somewhere else, here’s your chance to get back into it. Show Monoverse some love here & here as well, in thanks for the dope set. I’m a trancehead at heart, and when NYC locals are able to get that perfect sound, it’s a special treat.

EP Of The Weekend: Invention – Hallucinature EP [Chill Future Bliss]

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From Future Bass Fridays, officially the best thing coming out of White Raver Rafting these days, this new EP by Invention. I’m such a huge fan of the Future Bass sound, especially as the massive anthem era of 2011-2014 dies a hilariously painful death. Bluffs brings in some chilled beats through that remind you of walking around in the rain while trying to find your way in the world. Tight, lush sounds that wash over you this EP needs your after-party or lounging attention. Equip & Moon Life keep the serene vibe going, each, moving in their own delightfully downtempo way. This is hammock music, or snuggling someone you like in a blanket after getting home from a ridiculous weekend. Sumac rounds out the little joint with some jazzy cyberlounge, if that’s even a thing yet. The track reminds strongly of Ninja Tune, which is saying something, as my friends out there that know their downtempo can attest.

5 UK Drum & Bass Tracks That Need To Be In Your Life.

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I got bored and decided to piece together a little pack of Drum & Bass tunes that you may not have heard before. If you haven’t, you’re definitely in for a treat, because these liquid, melodic & deep dnb anthems are exactly what you need to get you through the week.

First up, Etherwood reworking a Jakwob piece. Both UK producers & maestros, the smooth, almost Eastern vibe pushes into your awareness slowly. Debuted first on Annie Mac, this silky ethereal vibe

Fred V & Grafix do stellar work out of Hospital Records, but this remix of my favorite Netsky track from 2014 is an absolute gem. Running Low ft. Beath Ditto is a crucial track for any of the distressed party people we all know, with Fred V & Grafix bringing a symphonic feel to the original that I bet even Netsky didn’t see coming.

If you’ve not heard this before, or the words “Strife II” don’t ring a bell, stop what you’re doing and listen to this. Right now. It’s got some of the most powerful composition & production I’ve ever heard from a producer. This kid needs a label to discover him and it needs to happen yesterday. This track is a frisson-inducing tear jerker that would reduce dancefloors to quivering piles of feels. I would pay good money to see this live and I hope it happens

This was on my October 2014 Soundcloud playlist and if you missed it, change that. The heaviness is powerful, but it keeps the energy up surprisingly well.
Keeno is the crown prince of Hospital Records, and with tracks like this, it’s easy to see why. The effortlessness that seeps into every aspect of his production is readily apparent in this track. It’s got the vocal pop that it needs to hopefully even get some radio play in places that actually play drum & bass on the radio. This American is going to go sulk now.

Album Of The Week: AMB – Going Down [Psy/Techno/Future Garage]

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I’d not heard of AMB before I got a note about this new album in my email, and I’m so freaking happy I did. This is some advanced crazy awesome stuff right here. The atmospheric power of this stuff is tremendous, and you can tell the production values required to make this were through the roof. Make Me is a fun, psy-garage (is that even a genre?) tune with some fun rifts, that seem to be played on some Jamaican oil drums, but in space. The vibes are strong with this one. Going Down is a more melancholy song that features some fun little wind-up samples & the wind chimes you hear in bad video games, used to excellent effect. Sweet Bronze slows the action down even further to an almost meditative pace, while invoking some classic rock vibes in between the spacey keyboard/synth work. Night Slide adds the first female vocals on the album, bringing a feel that manages to be both future and retro simultaneously. One 11 One 10 has a vaguely West Coast Gangster style to it, in between exploratory strings & mellow synth work.  First Light manages to be both groovy & yawning at the same time. The haunting, Beats Antique-esque tune is definitely a highlight on the album. The Widdler joins AMB in remixing Night Slide, which rounds out the album with a future garage kind of feel, a sound that I think totally works in this space. The offering was a pleasure start to finish, and I can’t wait to hear more from AMB & Gravitas Recordings.

Steve Nolan Wins Hospitality DJ Competition 2014 With A Gorgeous Liquid Mix!

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In case you thought that Twitter didn’t matter, I’ve got a mix that proves you wrong. Hospitality announced their DJ competition winner over the weekend on Twitter, and I’d have missed it otherwise. My reward for clinging to the array of Hospitality social media like a barnacle was this FANTASTIC mix by Steve Nolan. Now, if you’ve heard of Steve Nolan before, I’m buying you a case of PBR and a replacement fixie bike chain, because you’re officially more hipster than me. This mix is an incredible journey that pulls some of the best in liquid, drum & bass and Hospitality together into a wonder of a 30min mix. I really hope we hear more from this kid, because this mix is MASSIVE. Put it into your face and let’s get him on the Hospitality parties in 2015, stat.

Reborn By Rameses B [Chill/Euphoric Drum & Bass]

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There is so much good work here I don’t know where to begin. My favorite song? Left Behind is my absolute favorite, with Years From Now, Ecosystem and Reborn following behind it. I was super glad to get this as a reward for helping crowd fund his new tech and this work. It felt good to listen to something I knew thousands of people had contributed to making happen. It’s a gorgeous album, with a bunch of styles executed well. I think the triumphant sound that Rameses B creates is something very few people do well. A lot of it is cheesy, some of it is badly sourced, and most people phone it in. Rameses B puts the time in, creating this almost decadent soundscape, that pulls you in and keeps you there. It was also my first LP from the guy, which was a delight, to just put on and forget about.  It’s linked on Bandcamp below, but don’t worry, I’ve got one more Rameses B post up my sleeve before the end of his week here on the site. Have a great day!