Coming at you with a couple of massive, massive tunes this week. These are definitely get up and dance tracks, in a couple of different genres that you’re definitely not expecting. Get your hazmat suits on and get sweaty! Hybrid Minds brings out the smooth, rolling delicious liquid drum & bass, care of UKF. The meditative, leisurely build meshes with GRIMM‘s vocal perfectly, creating a lush, silky track that never rushes or gets in your face. It’s most certainly a dance track, but without the buzzsaws or aggro-feel that so much D&B presents. Dance in the sunlight to this. Your feet will thank you. The Aston Shuffle has been making an excellent name for themselves over the last couple of years. This tune has “Better Than Disclosure” written all over it. The UK Garage/House fusion Disclosure made famous has attempted by many as of late, but very few artists can stick the landing. The Aston Shuffle is a rare exception, as Make A Wrong Thing Right proves. Micah Powell’s excellent vocals add to a track that’s damn near dazzling. The wobbly house feels great, keeps you grooving, and never lets you down.
I discovered this Sim Gretina over the weekend and it’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Electroswing infused with Aladdin samples need to be an entire genre of music. Can we please start dropping Robin Williams samples into as much music as possible? Because he makes everything better. Throw this on and I bet your entire family will be grooving to it. Life is your restaurant indeed.
Just A Tune came out of nowhere with this track. It’s got some of the most forward thinking sound design I’ve heard in years. The drop seems to fuse elements of electro, moombahton, worldbeat and future bass. The entire track is more massive in a way that definitely needs some attention. Frankly, I need to hear more of this and have no idea where to find the stuff.
Hey You Let’s Fight threw something at me I did not see coming, a Drum & Bass remix of the Unsolved Mysteries theme. And it’s a good one! It’s ominous and totally generates the chills that the 90’s show evoked. A fun tune, over way too soon, but I had to make sure you heard this.
Tag Archives: garage
Monday Music: Geo, Kaptain, Endemic, Filous, James Blake
It’s Leap Day! This day doesn’t exist, most of the time, so here are a couple of tracks you might not be sure are real until you listen to them again. Genre mixing, ethereal rhythms and a larger than life trance tune in the middle. That one’s not for the faint of heart, but the rest are totally for general consumption. Enjoy the 29th, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all those Leap Baby mutants out there!
Officially the smoothest Jackson 5 remix I’ve heard in a while. The upbeat tropical vibe would be annoying if it wasn’t almost driving and progressive. The vocal modulations give the track an interesting twist, that keeps me from hating on their presumptuous Jackson 5 choice. I don’t know where this geo came from, but I’m a fan and can’t wait to see where they go next.
Kaptain is a new arrival on the scene, but already making huge waves. With production like this, it’s easy to see why. That Future Funk vibe is melting the cold we’re all currently dealing with. The bassline synth is impeccable, and the tune swings like Uptown Funk. Grant Genske & Willdabeast (great name) add some extra layers of dopeness, giving you a solid six minutes of jazzy wobbly vibes.
Endemic! The off the wall potent hard trance producer that fell off the map a bit back is back. If you’re not into hard dance, run screaming from the room on this one. However, if you’re into punchy bass, heavy trance and old school UK vibes, you’re going to LOVE this track. It’s got a classic drop that’s positively frenetic for 2016. However, if you close your eyes, you can almost hear 2004 in it. Have fun ravers. #PLURLife
Slowing way, way down, filous brings his global bass feel to the Gorillaz classic. LissA joins filous to rework the song entirely, and we’re all better for it. Peaceful guitar chords, positive vibes, and a whole lot of relaxed competence flooding the original. Not a lot to say besides sit back and enjoy.
James Blake continues to be able to do whatever the fuck he wants. This Modern Soul hits all the right notes. Blake’s melancholic vocals fuse with the lilting piano and chord work to great success. But, that’s because it’s James Blake, who could probably make a room weepy with a Kazoo and an 808 if he wanted to. Great work as always, can’t wait for the next collab with Chance The Rapper.
Monday Music: Disclosure, Kuren, Miike Snow, Cruel Youth & Mikael Seifu
This week, Monday Music is global once again! From the UK to Australia to Ethiopia, I’ve got a bunch of slickly produced, dope tunes that have been begging for your attention all weekend. Don’t leave them hanging ok?
First up, direct from Disclosure, a new VIP rework of Nocturnal. If you’ve seen them live you might be lucky enough to have heard this version, but it’s definitely a rare play for the rest of us. Not a whole lot to say about the UK Garage House savants that are Disclosure so, enjoy!
Kuren has been on my radar for a minute, steadily producing chill vibes of the highest quality. The wunderkind from down under re-imagined Better by BANKS and his signature style, infusing soulful and melodic elements into Aussie Bass & Future Trap, is in full effect here. Great start to 2016 for Kuren and this will be his year, you watch.
Miike Snow exists on the quieter, eclectic side of indietronica in my opinion. They’ve got an almost Royksopp-sound to them when they want, but are successful enough that they can get away with high concept videos like this. The timelapse creation process of the eventual symbol/animal the band is known for is a meditative, almost soothing experience. Put it on when you need to take a breath but still keep pushing forward.
https://soundcloud.com/igetrvng/mikael-seifu-how-to-save-a-life-vector-of-eternity by
This track hit my feeds care of Stamp The Wax, a cheeky UK music blog I follow. While the first 1:45 may seem a bit pedestrian, skip ahead or stick with it. 1:50 pulls into a surprisingly powerful deep groove using ethnic Ethiopian instruments and some powerful composition. It’s a much better track at that point and stays that way for the rest of the 6 minute odyssey. Very forward looking, while being something I would have literally never come across otherwise. Kudos to RVNG Intl. & Stamp The Wax for making sure I didn’t miss this.
Fresh New Tracks turned me onto Cruel Youth over the weekend, and I couldn’t stop myself from insta-sharing the track. This new sound is spectacular. Cruel Youth made me go look up what drug she’s referring to in the track, and it turns out, (Mr.) Watson is another word for hydrocodone & opiate pills. It’s got a serious Amy Winehouse tragic pop vibe. I really hope we can get to this one before they die of a heroin overdose. She’s going to be a star, and when it happens, you’ll know Fresh New Tracks & I called it.
Midweek Music: Shirk, Arbitraire, Snoop Dogg, Dark Sky & More!
While the holiday season bears down on us, that doesn’t mean the tunes have to freeze over. 5 more tunes, and not a cold shoulder in sight!
You don’t hear glitch hop like this much these days. I’m a huge fan of the orchestral feel that the track gives off. It’s almost got this mad scientist feel to it, as electro clashes with glitch and everyone wins. Definitely not something I’ve heard in some time, so even though I’m a year late to the party, Shurk got followed like woah.
Arbitraire showed up from nowhere with this winner of an indietronica tune. There’s a pretty high level of moodly dopeness here, with the track wandering into London Grammar territory at times. It’s hard to keep this kind of production under wraps so watch for this group, wherever they’re from, to start making digital waves in 2016.
Stamp The Wax is one of my favorite UK blogs & for the holiday season, they’re bringing out the Advent Calendar. A whole month of music leading up to Christmas, with all the proceeds going directly to the artists, with mastering, hosting and all of the trimmings being comped. This tune comes from Dark Sky, a hugely talented London trio. This 8:25 epic journey feels like it’s halfway between the worlds of techno, garage, minimal and topped with just a dash of Latin. It feels very Barcelona during Sonar Festival, with the tune oozing character but not in a hurry to get anywhere.
A tune from 2004 by a group called The Real Tuesday Weld, this is about as random as it is chill. The genre was dubbed Antique Beat, but this was 3 years before Beats Antique showed up, so it’s managed to be its own thing. The video is what happens when you let a YouTube producer loose on the Internet Archive. The track is as close as you can get to a modern iteration on the classic Steamboat Willy vibe of vintage jazzy lounge music.
This is one of those remixes you’ve heard over and over in tiny pieces. I kept hearing it on forums and had to track it down. It’s about 3 years too late, but if you’re legit looking for a celebration anthem for 420, a way to test out new speakers, or troll straight edge friends, I got you covered. Just don’t tell Dr. Dre.
Midweek Music: Viticz, Milwin, Varien, Mr FijiWiji, BLNDSGHT, Dan Thompson & Ron Alperin!
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!
Midweek Music: SG Lewis, Armin Van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, Farzam & Joman
Another week, another set of reasons to get up and dance. There’s a big range here, but each track definitely gives you a unique vibe and reason to groove. Without further ado, grab your volume control and dive in with me!
SG Lewis tugs at the heartstrings with this one. This future garage triumph takes the recently released Magnets, off Caracal by Disclosure ft. Lorde, adds its own delicious spin and some powerfully relaxed vibes. It’s takes a lot to fuck with Disclosure if your name isn’t Flume, but this is executed well. The break at 1:50 is unexpected but totally welcome. Drift away on this one.
There are things I never thought I’d say when I started writing, and “Here is the new Armin Van Buuren & Cosmic Gate collab” is certainly not one of them. This kind of stab at a classic trance vibe, Armin-ified is packed with shimmering nostalgia. The punch and ethereal feel is a throw back to trance that we listened to a decade ago. While it’s definitely more of a festival banger than anything from that era, that’s really only because we’ve actually got festivals outside of Amsterdam now. A huge tune I expect to hear in sets for months, blast this. Annoy coworkers & significant others with it, this one is worth it folks.
Continuing the classic trance vibe, Ferry Corsten released his remix of Ayla’s Ayla from 1999 on Soundcloud. Ninety fucking nine! The world was entirely different back then. Anyone who knows Ferry can tell just how long ago this collab with Vincent de Moor took place. The two break structure, the restrained production, the deep Northern Europe feel, it’s all there. If people want to know what dance music sounded like a generation ago that filled stadiums, you play them this.
Switching gears entirely, coming back into the future to a track released two days ago by a producer from Germany with Arabic vocals. This kind of melodic dubstep is really easy to screw up, but FARZAM does spectacular work on this tune. He seems to be a producer of cinematic, trance-y, stepp-y tracks and a gifted one at that. It’s a wonderful effort and I really want to hear more like what’s happening at 2:14. It’s a gorgeous sound that the world needs to hear. Enjoy it & thank him for making it.
Last but certainly not least, I’ve gotta give it up for Joman. Ever since he made the greatest dubstep remix that has ever been and ever will be made in the history of dubstep remixes, I’ve kept a close eye on this guy, occasionally being a somewhat creepy cheerleader. But, he continues to hit his stride and pushing the edge of his skills. This new tune is no exception. It’s a wobbly electro feeling tune with a hard driving progressive edge. This is usually a genre and a toolset I can’t take seriously, but like TheFatRat and Madeon, he’s using the shimmering chords and the vocals appropriately, while backing them up with a well derived punchy beat. The dubby breakdown at 2:30 reminds everyone that Joman can produce with the best of them and deserves your attention. I’m gonna keep repping this dude, and not just because he’s a Master of Karate & Friendship.Beneath a Neon Sky is a certified banger that is going to get picked up.
Midweek Music: Jerome Blaze, Xavier Dunn, Bonobo, Dusky & Drake!
As summer turns to fall, so does the music spectrum & sonic landscape. Here for you, a couple of the best tracks that I thought transitioned from the shiny, sun-drenched vibe of the last 3 months, to the inevitable harvest & apple picking feels. Don’t worry, no pumpkin spice beats here, I promise.
Jerome Blaze is one of those producers I’d totally miss if it wasn’t for Stoney Roads. These masters of the Australian & NZ scene are crucial and if you’re not following them, you need to. This kind of pick up is one that will change your whole day. Heartbeat is a track that gives people hope for the future. The high energy proglectro is not to be missed. There’s a vibe in him we haven’t heard since before the Swedish Fish Mafia discovered cocaine. Don’t skip this one, it’ll make your day better, in a way we’ve not experienced since early Avicii. Yes, I went there. Hit it.
Someone needs to give Xavier Dunn a fucking medal. This is the best retro/vintage cover ever. I’m serious. In the 2-3 decades of retro covers, this is the best one that’s ever been conceived of and executed. Go ahead and play it for the old ladies in your office, or anyone who has a lady boner for Travolta/hard on for Olivia Newton John. I almost want to drop it on Webster Hall just to see how many of the kids actually recognize what they’re listening to. I say it every time I bring up Fresh New Tracks, but V-Man needs a raise.
Back in the realm of non-ironic covers & remixes, Bonobo continues to absolutely kill it. This rework of a George FitzGerald original continues to drive home the point that you do not fuck with Bonobo. The tune glides along, in a way that you’d only expect from Bonobo. It’s a relaxed but exceptionally well-produced Odyssey that doesn’t rush, but hits every mark it plans for. No beat out of place, or sound that wasn’t specifically put there. It’s these kinds of tracks that give me hope. This is some certified hipster shit, so make sure to push up your glasses while talking about it over non-cheap, locally sourced whiskey.
Ending this update out with some new hotness from Global Communication. That’s the first time this moniker has been used since 1997. That’s right, you’re getting music from someone who was in the game just about 20 years ago. This remix has eight minutes of almost any genre you could look for at the moment. With a half dozen genres of music being represented and several breaks/beat builds to speak of, I don’t even want to keep wasting your time with you reading this. Hit play & go about your day citizen!
Midnight Music: Huntar – Autumn [Future Garage]
Huntar – Autumn
Starting the week off with some fire from Annie Mac. A 21yr old named Huntar pushed out this crazy good track, a mix of pop, indie, future & garage elements coming together in a moody gorgeous way. I’m thinking “producer & vocalist” is going to become the new “singer/songwriter” when it comes to the way we’re going to describe things in the future. It’s a fun, bobbing tune from an up & comer that I totally wouldn’t have heard without Ms. Mac giving me the scoop on this. It’s got a great UK garage’y house feel, with some more of an early Disclosure vibe than I thought it would. It definitely holds up on repeat listenings, so make sure to hit up the page for your free DL. Huntar is young, but the tune hit #1 on HypeM, so don’t count him out just yet. This track surprised me, and it may just surprise you.
Mix Of The Week: Deuce Returns. Rejoice & Be Glad.
Like a crazy masked avenger, The Deuce Cake himself has reappeared on the scene. A new mix of significance has been dropped for us, so all you tech house & garage heads take note. My boy Deuce is one of the most talented sleeper agents in NYC. He was my first Hometown Fire for a reason. The first 10 minutes are some of the most crucial tech house I’ve heard in months. But the hits keep coming with clutch remixes and some stupendous transitions. I’ve watched this guy spin and even I don’t know when he starts some of these. He’s one of those DJs that will give you a taste of something and forget about it for 5 minutes. Making you think you lost your damn mind placing that sample incorrectly, then bam, it’s in your face, re-worked and grooving. I need the names of the tracks 36min in & just over an hour, as those are some of the high watermarks for me when it comes to the vibe that the combo between house & garage can be. By the time I was done with this mix I was even more sad I didn’t have Disclosure’s home phone number. This sound needs to get way bigger.
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.
Terry Gotham 