Monday Music: The Code, New Phynix, Dream Beach, Soy Sauce, Feki & ROIS!

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Terry Gotham

Photo by Peehs: http://peehs.deviantart.com/art/snow-spring-112436421

Monday Monday (so good to me)! Another balmy week is before us Gothamites! To celebrate, here’s your usual 5pack of dope tunes & a bonus EP slapped on the end! One oldie from Dream Beach, but mostly new hotness. Let’s dig in!

Kicking things off is a peppy, moody How Deep Is Your Love future remix. Calvin Harris usually doesn’t leave a lot of room to improve on his signature sound, but the way the track almost waves in the breeze works perfectly. The Future Trap vibe can be over done, but no bed squeak noises, quality production and a couple of satisfying drops make it great for an office chair dance party. Great work by The Code, can’t wait to see what they do next.

I’d not heard of New Phynix, but this original got my attention. It’s a great example of where Progressive is going now that the Big Room trend has been dead & buried. This is very much still a mainstage/anthem track, but the abrasive electro sounds from 2 years ago are all gone. Instead, we’ve got a driving bassline & rounded synth stabs, making for an impeccable “get hype” tune.

Switching gears entirely, Dream Beach has been killing it for a while. It’s hard to describe the sounds he creates, but it definitely needs way more attention. His occasionally melancholy, occasionally euphoric, always dope vision has made for a bunch of great releases. Faintly Jersey Club, faintly future dreamwave, the track is everything I want from a 90’s hip hop remix. The mix completely re-envisions the song & brings us a triumphant new look at the classic Biggie track.

Not everyone may remember “Suga Suga” but, if you do, you remember how it was on every dance floor for months back in 2003. Soy Sauce brings us all the way back with this syrupy dope remix of the original. Winking future elements, soft chill vibes & his own excellent vocal work. If you’re a fan of his vocal stylings, check out Imad Royal while his beatwork will be featured on Soy Sauce. Delightfully relaxed and sexy, it might deserve a spot on your Valentine’s Day playlist.

Feki, the young star from of down under, brings his A-game once again for a sweet reworking of Anna of The North‘s soulful tune “The Dreamer.” It’s got an almost Lana Del Rey/London Grammar vibe to it, which is high praise to someone I’m not sure anyone outside of AUS/NZ knows of yet. The Future vibe is in full effect, and the fusion between organic & synthetic couldn’t work better if we handed it to Flume himself.

Bonus!

I usually only do 5 tunes a week, but I had to make an exception for this EP from ROIS. A duo out of LA so far below the radar they don’t have 100 Soundcloud followers yet, so you know it’s a juicy find. It’s a light, forward thinking take R&B that we’re not hearing much these days. While most are pushing towards the Jersey Club sexiness, Vincent Coleman & Nick Hughston make a strong case for your attention using a more vintage style. Is Future Soul a thing yet?

Monday Music: P-Buddy, Sciahri, Flume, Meganeko & Julio Bashmore!

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Terry Gotham

Even though my city continues to dig out from Blusterfuck 2016, I’ve got dope tunes to help you melt the snow away. Strong basslines dominate this quintuplet, so let’s get up and at them!

P-Buddy busts into my awareness with this remix. It’s hard to out-groove Major Lazer, but P-Buddy does a really good job reworking Be Together. This has Groove Cruise written all over it. A solid Future Bass/Trap remix of the original, the touch of tropical on the side that’s added gives it an almost synthetic feel, but it totally works in this track. Also, the last 20 seconds need to be way longer, but the producer only has 29 followers on Soundcloud. So let’s change that.

I don’t usually list full EPs on my music posts, but I had to make an exception in the case for Behind The Line by Sciahri. Attention deep, tech & minimal house DJs, this is needed. It dropped 3 days ago and it’s 2 A & B sides of solid tunes. Eremite is crisp, scintillating while simultaneously murky and driving. Ambiguity oozes classic vibes and is an understated gem. Sublunar & Paranoia are both impressive in their own rights, so I found myself just having this EP on repeat. Sweet dance around your apartment music, but if you’re a DJ in NYC and you drop beats in this space, make sure to pick this up. The dance floor will thank you. Great release by Opal Tapes.

Stoney Roads reminded me there was new Flume. In case you didn’t know, I’m reminding you. There’s new Flume. It’s good, like old Flume. You really could keep reading words about me trying to describe the wonderful that is his Aussie Bass goodness, or you could just listen 😀

Switching gears entirely, here’s a ridiculously good dance remix from Super Mario World on the SNES. I’m the coolest music blogger you know right? Posting VGM EDM remixes? All kidding aside, gotta give it to meganeko on this one. It’s an exceptional re-imagining of that Ghostly tune from so far back in the day. I could hear this at all those Anime/SciFi con raves big time. The people at OC Remix continue to hold it down, so, show them some love as well.

Rounding out the list with one of the funkier tracks in recent memory, Julio Bashmore delivers. This disco house stunner of Holding On features Sam Dew on vocals and a magnificently relaxed vibe. It gives me hope for summer. Put it on and lean back. Don’t worry y’all, we’ll get back to the light soon.

Monday Music: SunSquabi, Cignature, C.Z., Chahine & Mark Johns

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Terry Gotham

The first snow of the season in Gotham, and with it, another round of Monday Music. Some funky, future, possibly even fresh tunes for you this week, so let’s get it started!

SunSquabi knows what they’re doing. This seductively funky tune is masterfully produced. Exceptional construction gives the track a Ratatat vibe, which is very high praise. This is a superb addition to GRIZ’s label, as this can find its home in the electro-soul universe that GRIZ has helped to build. There’s almost a touch of Random Access Memories to it, which is not easy to do. Can’t wait to hear this album.

Cignature is out of this world. The production on this side project is spectacular. It takes a singular vision to take Kaskade, Galantis, Fun, Calvin Harris & others and make them even more positive, progressive and euphoric. But that’s what we’ve got going on here. Scintillating vibes, so dive in.

I heard this over the weekend and knew I needed to share it with everyone that had ears. This kind of ambient/chillwave is really getting explored on the lighter side of Soundcloud. Artists like haven, glo, & now, dream beach, and a bunch of others have a newcomer to their ranks I’m a huge fan of. C.Z. creates a fun little soundscape over the first 2:45 then blows into future footwork. It’s not a thing…yet.

I wouldn’t have come across Chahine if it wasn’t for this dope collective I follow called Daruma Sounds. I’ve posted about artists from their stable like Enschway before, and on Vol. 005, a number of the tracks really nailed it. Chahine’s was a standout even among those. This deep, ebb & flow Future vibe really hit home for me. It’s not wobbly, nor is it electro. The bass is almost syrupy, like molasses, a must listen if you want to hear where ish is heading, and the rest of the compilation is great as well.

Rounding out the pack, a fun vocal ditty by Mark Johns. The vaguely auto-tuned funky, soulful jam has a lot going for it. Flowing words orbit the guitar and seemingly effortless jam that is laid out. It’s not the most cerebral tune, but it hits right in the feels. Groove to it, and if you have off today, relax, kick back and enjoy. If you don’t, throw some headphones on and drift off with these as Monday smooths along.

Monday Music: Shahly, Simon Viklund, Cetana & San Holo

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Terry Gotham

New Monday, new music! A few fun choices this week, trying to keep the energy up since January can always be a real drag, even though it’s unseasonably balmy this year. I also added a Christmas remix, because I kept seeing the trees out on the street waiting to be picked up by the garbage men. Also, it may or may not be hard as fuck. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

You cannot keep a serious face through this song. I dare you to try. Shahly fused Chiptune & Future Bass. The result is a whipped delight that bounces around with way too much energy. If you’re not a fan of Pokemon this might be a little too sugary for you, but if the vocal FX reminds you of old school TV watching, you’re in for a great time. The smoothness and the screaming chip chords work well with the vaguely future-infused bass. Nothing life-changing, but entertaining as hell nonetheless.

This is an odd one, but it’s going to get favorited and added to your Christmas 2016 playlist. A friend was playing Payday 2 and this came on. I needed to find the thing so I did some digging. If you’re as impressed with the vaguely hardhouse/hardstyle Christmas song remix, get at the Bandcamp for a high quality download. Can’t say I was thinking of buying PayDay, but at the same time, this Simon Viklund does some interesting work.

Every month, Dim Mak Records slides one or two tracks over the plate that really take me by surprise. I’d never been the biggest Aoki guy, but Dim Mak seems to really have an eye for new talent. This CETANA X moistbreezy tune had me dancing in my chair. The Future Bass is a perfectly adequate backing to this half-electro half-chip half-Daft Punk track. It builds into a shimmering success that I am super happy I didn’t miss. It’s a great example of where Future Bass is right now. 2016 is going to a be a great year for the genre, if this track is any indication.

San Holo takes the medal for the best DJ name we all should have come up with, but didn’t. His latest EP, Don’t Touch The Classics, adds a Future Dutch vibe to Blur, Eminem, 50 Cent & Dr. Dre. Most certainly my favorite remix on the EP, it’s got an almost, but not quite tropical vibe to it. Future Sunset, we’ll call it. Excellently reworked, San Holo earned my respect with this one. We don’t take kindly to fucking with Marshall Mathers around here, and San Holo ensured I never started sharpening my pitchfork. Kudos, see you in Episode VIII!

Monday Music: Mickey Kojak, Mochipet, OLWIK, Jerome Blaze & Houses in Motion!

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Terry Gotham

New year, new tunes! For this first Monday Music of 2016, I added a Bonus EP from a cool indie label from Melbourne. Lots of good stuff this week, and if you’re hungry for more, don’t forget to check out my 2015 Gems playlist on Soundcloud for my favorite sleeper tracks of the last year.

This Mickey Kojak came out of nowhere but hit me like a ton of bricks. The uptempo, nu house vibe hits the ground running and doesn’t stop. The drop at 1:10 is a wobbly delight that I didn’t anticipate. It’s got an electric disco groove that is super danceable and the vocals keep the energy from barreling out of control. Lots to like from this upstart from Sydney native.

Mochipet has done some great work, so I gave this mashup time to breathe before passing judgment. You should do so as well. It’s a murky, almost sullen reworking, bringing the best elements of both Tool & Kendrick Lamar to prominence. Inventive and well executed, it’s a breath of fresh air considering how chock full of pop and house mash ups tend to be. Free as well, so what’s not to like?

I’ve talked about OLWIK before, and you better get used to it, because you’re going to be hearing a lot more from him. His progressive wings continue to grow, and this track soars because of it. He’s walking a very fine line between progressive and pop, which is a huge step forward. This kind of sound is going to continue to be crucial to the integration between the EDM & pop/commercial markets, even with the final collapse of Big Room in 2015. The light, airy & bubbly sound that OWLIK absolutely nails with this is where it’s going, and he’ll be at the front of the pack.

Jerome Blazé is a name I’m hoping gets a lot of attention in 2016. The track and some of his earlier work have a very Porter Robinson feel to them, and that’s as a huge fan. It’s high praise, but I think if Jerome stays the course, in a year or so, he’ll be making waves at festivals way above what he’s doing now. The build up is well-executed, and the crescendo into major chords awash in synthy keyboard work is excellent. It’s a positive tune that should get signed to a label as soon as possible.

Stoney Roads made sure I didn’t miss the “For The Heat” EP, the second issuance from the Houses in Motion label. This fam is super under the radar at the moment, but the EP is a DJ delight. The first tune is a slow simmer, meditative track that would find itself at home in a CityFox or Robot Heart set in a second. The 2nd track is a remix by Sweetland, another Melbourne producer, and as almost a high fashion vibe, blending a quick tempo with some vintage house elements. It’s a clean, clubby tune that deserves some love on this side of the Pacific.

Midweek Music: Viticz, Milwin, Varien, Mr FijiWiji, BLNDSGHT, Dan Thompson & Ron Alperin!

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Terry Gotham

Production from artists all over the world today! Lots of great stuff coming in, so let’s get right to it!

Viticz did something special with this tune. While Electro as a genre has been pretty stagnant over the last couple of years with the Big Room genre wilting, the producer from Singapore has pushed it in a totally needed direction. It’s got a touch of future, a touch of garage, a dash of chip and two scoops of anthem. This is a great effort by Viticz I’d never heard of but will definitely be keeping tabs on in the future.

Jumping from Singapore to Uddevalla, Sweden, Milwin pulls us into that Future House territory with a soothing tune. I have a pretty low tolerance for most Future House, but this one silences the usually annoying throbbass while featuring Blest Jones. This focus on a soulful, blues-oriented vocal line gives the track a more of a melancholic, autumn feel. Surprising, but great work from Sweden & Milwin as always!

Varien & Mr FijiWiji are two of the best knights in the court of Monstercat Castle. They’re production geniuses in their own rights and this collab could not have come at a better time. They can learn a lot from each other as the melodic bass shows. A truly future tune, they’re able to make even a rift of sexy sax work in the context of this chilled out, starry-eyed 4min. Silky, progressive, with just a dollop of euphoric above and bass under it. Really great work gentlemen, can’t wait for the next one & the Monstercat tour.

And now for something completely different.

BLNDSGHT is some wavy shit. Well produced, with some eccentric choices that the Cali producer has ensured almost have no choice but to work together. It’s got this groovy, spacey feel to it. Can’t say it’s dancey, but it manages to be downtempo without being too minimalist or droning. The low end is surprising and it would fit nicely into a side room or fucked up afterparty set.

Finishing out with some great trance. I’m going to make a concerted effort to post at least one trance tune a week, because I think the genre still deserves ears. Some cool stuff happening in it even outside of the juggernaut of quality that is A State of Trance. Coldharbour Recordings is Markus Schulz’s label & it’s been growing on me. Classic trance vibes & deep/energetic modern tunes from artists I’m not familiar with as an American trance family member. Have I ever heard of Dan Thompson & Ron Alperin? Nope, couldn’t pick their music out of a mix if you paid me. They sure can make a good mid-set trance track though. Go swim around in it & I’ll see y’all next week!

Earworm Of The Month: Lido’s Thoughts From The Tour Bus

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Terry Gotham

Lido – Thoughts From The Tour Bus

This kind of sound is dangerously honest. Lido created this tune in response to his account being frozen by Soundcloud I believe. In which, you can hear the frustration with the touring, inauthentic life. The shot about riders & refreshments, being alone with speakers and everything else shows his existential annoyance with that whole life. Shining through the words is Lido’s signature perfect production. The bass and frisson-inducing chords are exactly where they need to be. He’s got this infectious way to take an original and turn it into a far superior version. This kid’s got the Midas touch so hopefully he’s got some good people around him to steady him as he blows up. In a year’s time, he’ll be an EDM household name. Just watch. You heard it here first.

Midweek Music: SMLE, BANKS, 20syl, Big Grams & Daktyl

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Terry Gotham

Created by homieh: http://homieh.deviantart.com/

Another week, another quick quintet of tracks! Stuff from New York, the UK, France & LA. Lots of great stuff happening as 2015 draws to a close, so don’t sleep on these tunes!
This is a big set folks, all new dopeness spread across a couple of different genres, but it stays decidedly future throughout.
SMLE is getting a bunch of attention, though somewhat quietly. Over the last couple of months they’ve kept showing up on my Soundcloud feed. You always know an artist is legit when multiple producers you respect keep sharing the stuff. SMLE puts together a sound that’s both symphonic, chill and surprisingly forward-looking. It’s got Sunday afternoons all over it.
BANKS is back, and we are all better for it. The soothing single has an amazing music video, which reminds of Gesaffelstein, but with her own flair. She makes you wait until 2:25 of the 3min to really get how bluesy the track actually is. It’s melancholy & massive at the same time.

20syl re-envisions a masterful trumpet piece by Ibrahim Maalouf in ways I’m not sure any of us saw coming. This is a future ballad that needs 100x the attention it’s getting currently. The tune fuses classical trumpet, future bass, the always impressive synth work of 20syl and a distinctly global feel. One of the tracks that I doubt will make it to the blogs, but really does need to.
This next one is huge news for everyone in both the bass music & hip hop universes. Big Boi & Phantogram have decided to team up to start producing under the name Big Grams. The classic Outkast vibe is played to perfectly, and faithfully, while Phantogram has taken the “make beats for Big Boi” mantle & ran with it. It’s a fantastic premiere, so expect to keep hearing from this collaboration. I feel like it’s got cross-pollination potential both at regular hip hop shows but also at Bassnectar, Pretty Lights & other edge acts. Splendidly produced from start to finish, this demands your attention.

Rounding out the post is a surprise posted by This Song Is Sick. This remix of Autograf by Daktyl made me sit up in my chair. It’s got just the amount of re-production, while staying faithful to the original. The bass seems to laze along, but crests properly, giving an almost anthem feel to the future trap.

Midweek Music: A-Trak, GRMM, Mt. Eden, Liem & Stephen

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Terry Gotham

You know the score, another week, another quintet of tunes. A nice mix of new hotness from a bunch of different places, so turn on, tune in and vibe out.

A-Trak is one of the last remaining DJ Jedi in this time of crisis. His Fool’s Gold label continues to be a bastion of quality and his Duck Sauce side project with Armand Van Helden brings funky joy to the world. This tune with Jamie Lidell fuses his impeccable timing with vintage funk and euphoric vocals. It gets better with each listen, you’ll see.
GRMM has consistently impressed me with his post-EDM sensibilities. He joins up with Father Dude, a featured vocalist I’m seeing around more and more each month. They come together to create a dope little Future track that perfectly captures what things can sound like when you really get out of the box. The rest of the Die Young EP, that this track is on, isn’t bad either, so don’t miss it.
This Spooky Black remix by Mt. Eden is a symphonic bout of melancholy we all have around this time of year. The Soulful Trap vibe that radiates from this track gives us all a wistful look at the changing of the seasons, thinking too much about things long past. It’s further proof that Mt. Eden continue to be a source for inspiration & inventive production work, years after their original remix EP swept the globe.
Liem came out of nowhere with this UK Garage tune that you could just put on and leave on. It’s a soothing club track that fits perfectly into a surprising amount of sets I’ve heard recently. I don’t know who this Liem is, but they sure can mix.

A vocalist known only as Stephen pushed out this interesting mix between euphoria & indietronica. There’s a chill in it to match the Fall air and a little bit of that “Lean On” feel that’s been infecting a number of tracks lately. Enjoy it and everything else you’ve heard today!

Midweek Music: Kasbo, Kasum, Le Dos-on, TroyBoi & Armand Van Helden

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Terry Gotham

I saw sweaters & darker colors at Uniqlo this week, which means only one thing. We’re hitting the back end of July & there aren’t many moist summer weekends left in NYC. Don’t let them go to waste folks, still lots of time to have experiences that you’ll remember forever. Here’s a soundtrack for while you’re having them, or even for while you’re just scheming/dreaming about em.
KASBO kicks us off with a sun drenched future bass delight that needs to be on your beach playlist. A vibe that can only be described as triumphant melancholy, a rooftop bar feel that melds with almost sad vocals, twisted & stretched into sonic taffy. After this single, you’re going to definitely mob Kasum‘s social media. The soundtrack of high school for the older millennials & I has been reworked by Kasum into a scintillating, shimmering day club tune. The syncopated bassline fused with the perfect 3EB vocals has been repped by the original band & you really need to bomp this with the windows open. The only thing you can say to yourself is TUNE! This is the gem of the week, so make sure to tell Kasum how dope it is. Switching gears entirely, I’m delighted to showcase a track that will be entirely too hard/fast for a great number of you. It’s from a genre called Freeform Trance. The hallmarks of this genre include exceptionally fast BPM, heavy low-end, trance-infused melodies, major chords and a throw back to happy hardcore, that goofy genre that exploded across the world during the Rave movement of the 90’s. This stuff is anything but dopey. This genre holds (in my opinion) the hardest & most powerful builds/breakdowns/drops. The build that crescendos at 2:50 and rises into the massive drop at 3:30 is indicative of a genre & scene that would blow past most of the brolectro & even the hardcore dubstep out there. This stuff is not for the faint of heart, but if you’re into it, there’s nothing else like it. Le Dos-On is what he goes by, but you may have also heard of him by the name of Hyphen. Freeform Trance from Japan Tell your friends you listen to it and they’ll think you gained a level in EDM hipster points 😉 TroyBoi is a shining star. The Future R&B wunderkind blends garage, global bass, chill & some distinctly UK sensibilities. Nefera provides stellar vocals that Troyboi drizzles perfect chords and bass over. This track is less than a week old & it’s already racked 127,000 hits. You may not have heard of TroyBoi, but you will. This dude is skyrocketing to the top of the production pyramid, as these precious 4 minutes demonstrate. Rounding out the pack this week is the always on time Armand Van Helden. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, you’ve got years of music to listen to. Helden essentially created the pop remix for everyone not playing the home game. He brings in a deep, but surprisingly round & technical feel to one of the new singles off Disclosure’s album CARACAL. It’s a fluid, signature 90’s flow with an impressive dual drop structure. This is one for the warehouses, the club, the tech house music dens all over the world. A DJ track start to finish, so EDM kids, you’re gonna be mad. Or you’re going to love it. Hit up the comments and tell me which.