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.
Mix Of The Week: Bixel Boys – F/W Mixtape [Heartache Bass]
This week, I’m bringing out this melancholy gorgeousness issued forth by BIXEL BOYS. These guys have been all over the place in 2014, and for this mix they brought things down a little bit. This mix has a lot of chillstep, garage, downtempo, moody breaks and interludes of people sucking at love, which matches the feel completely. There is no track list, so the tunes will remain largely a secret, but I’m hoping I start hearing them elsewhere. I love misty, cold rain mixes like this. In so much EDM there’s this saccharine exposition of love, unity, hope and positivity. That’s not really the case for a lot of people in the scene, and these kinds of vibes, like what Ta-ku does as well, really need some more support. Sometimes we’re in a place where something like this is needed. The hashtag of #Feels is totally on point, and this free download is definitely something that you should grab. This is going on my phone and may not leave. Not all of us get good news during the holidays, so for anyone out there who is hard up this week, this is here for you.
Spice, Or What Happens When Frontier Capitalism & Psychopharmacology Collide
When you create a prison system so bad we regularly joke about forcible rape as a penalty, people really don’t like breaking the law. And because of that, certain people apparently will never smoke pot. They will however, smoke a whole lot of this stuff. I should know. Someone I lived with smoked it by the fist full. To explain why K2 or Spice is popular, we need to understand what cannabinoids, the things that get you “high” are. Because there are chemicals in your brain right now, that your brain makes, that are analagous to THC. That’s right, your brain can get you high any time you want. One of these endocannabinoids (literally “internal cannabinoids”) is called CB1, and it does…quite a bit.
So, this stuff is kind of bizarre, because a lot of the early ones, were just straight CB1 stimulating chemicals, sprayed on potpurri. Literally, someone got the idea to just take the test chemicals used in lab procedures to explore this chemical system & stimulate it directly. It’s such a perfect metaphor for both the the explosiveness of a “had an experience/want stronger version “behavioral cycle, but how our markets meet the needs of our consumers, no matter how complex. These different brands littered gas stations, delis and convenience stores all over the country, as they were legal, “not for consumption” and you got a gram or two for 20 bucks. Proof of exactly what can happen when profiteering combine with poorly constructed & implemented drug laws. The vast majority of the K2/Spice/Synthetic herb brands out there are largely unlabeled and have generated state bans as early as 2010.
If you’ve been playing along on these Friday posts, we’ve seen how drug laws force people to do drugs they’re not familiar with, to keep getting the same symptoms without penalty. People that have to take drug tests still want to get high, and the market will help them. We have no idea what the effects of smoking these chemicals, or the “plants” they’re being sprayed on, largely. But until trees are legal, there are going to be people who would prefer to use this instead of the real McCoy. This is one of the dozen insidious issues with the War on Drugs. So let’s talk about this, 4:30 PM EST, using #DFFspice on Twitter & get more info on our #DrugFactFriday Pinboard.
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)
DMX Sings Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer & Gets Into It.
So, some genius that needs a raise at Power 105.1 (FM radio station here in NYC for all the out-of-towners), because they got DMX to sing Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. You would think he’d shy away from it, but he dives, DIVES in. Provides his own drum track and everything. Because if there was one thing you needed this holiday season, it was hearing DMX catch-phrases over carols. It is. Even if you think you don’t need it, you totally need it. Play it unnervingly loud for your relatives. (via The Joy of Violent Movement)
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.
Ten Questions With Terry Gotham: Strife II
(I was honored to speak to Strife II, one of my favorite liquid drum & bass producers, over in the UK. Show the guy some love!)
1. What is on tap for Strife II for NYE 2014 & 2015? Any live shows or new releases? I hope that one day there will be some sort of live show, but I don’t know if I will ever DJ. Maybe it would be a film like Hammock and Sigur Ros do, or a live band thing. I think what I write is all about escapism rather than dancing, so who knows.
2. Are you currently a full-time performer/DJ/producer, or do you have a day job? Your music is so incredible this needs to be paying your light bill. I’ve got a really bog standard boring day job with some of the most awesome people I’m ever likely to meet. I don’t hate it because a lot of people there bring a lot of positivity to my life – I get to watch the sun rise every morning and take a few minutes to watch the world wake up
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.
Cole Rolland Plays Dubstep On Guitar. Someone Tell The Pegboard Nerds.
Firstly, dope 80’s style electric guitar work definitely needs to come back. And if this kid is the one to do it, so much the better. Cole Rolland takes the electrostep remix of Krewella’s Alive by Pegboard Nerds and drops it live, on his axe. This is a massive accomplishment & further reinforces my hypothesis that dubstep is the synthetic equivalent of a whammy bar, especially when he plays dubstep…largely with his whammy bar. I am a huge fan of the technical skill involved in this cover, and would love to see more guitar YouTube people get into this kind of cross over work. Shit, Infected Mushroom sounded dope with a live guitarist. What are you doing to cross boundaries while expressing yourself on Monday huh? 😀
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)
Terry Gotham 