Monday, October 31, 2016

Nasïnok - City of Light

Just about any genre or sub-genre with future in its title seems to speak to me. I've written at length about my love of future bass, but the same can be said about my feelings for future house. The most recent example being, Nasïnok's "City of Light." Released today on Eye To Eye Recordings, this bright, yet deep number is a gripping and incredibly fun track that makes me want to go to one of those trampoline parks. Despite its short two and half minute length (full version on iTunes is 4:09), it's packed to brim with movement, energy and progression. I'm a sucker for the sound design of the bouncy bass Nasïnok has crafted, as well as whatever those synths are, but what takes the cake in this track is that sort of spin-back, vocal rip. It's just hard and electro enough for my tastes, but still firmly situated in the house sphere. Head into the "City of Light" for yourself by purchasing it, here. If you want more future vibes, check out Dr. Fresch's new future ghetto remix of Destructo's "Techno."

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Sunday, October 30, 2016

3 videos that encapsulate Destructo's Halloween set at The Hoxton

Once again The Hoxton played host to one of the wildest nights imaginable, seeing the like of legends, Felix Da Housecat and Destructo take the decks, with support from Sita Abellan and Cosella B2B with Maddmon, last minute fill-ins for Josh Pan who was unable to cross the border without his passport. I truly have no idea how many times I've been to The Hoxton. I've seen countless crazy, ratchet and lit shows, but this one was certainly one for the books. I had been lamenting The Hoxton's new LED screens and the fact that they take up so much room onstage, which meant a lack of room for VIPs and hype crews. This didn't stop Destructo who kept inviting people (mostly and almost exclusively girls) on stage, despite security constantly sending them back down. Being a Halloween themed event, there was not only a lot to see, but it meant that people were really letting lose. Destructo led this charge and established this ethos early. Apologies for the audio quality, this was my first night with my new phone and haven't perfected my abilities yet, at least the video is better than it was with the last phone.
Destructo played to, and with the crowd for nearly two hours, which meant he had an extended playlist that included a number of his own tracks, "Technology," "Dare You 2 Move," "Higher," "Catching Plays," and a number of new and exclusive tracks, including a forthcoming track with Snoop Dogg.
Perhaps the best video to illustrate just how crazy the night got is this one where the stage became totally overloaded with fans, leaving security utterly helpless. But as Destructo kept saying, as long as you leave the DJ equipment alone, you can do whatever you want.
As Destructo himself said when he played Vindata and Wax Motif's "Crazy," Toronto is "f*cking crazy," and he loves playing here. He prefaced that by saying, while most DJs say that no matter what, and where they are, he truly meant it. We can be confident he spoke the truth since he professed his love for Toronto in a recent interview with TRC. I can only hope that we get to see Destructo here again soon, and that next time, Josh Pan remembers his passport. Pan has vowed to "make it up to [...] Toronto."


Friday, October 28, 2016

FKNU

I came across this track today that has my attention not just because of its catchy, clean, poppy production style, but because of the artist or account it's linked to. I purposefully didn't include it in the post title, because it is xxxHotBangerzxxx. The account doesn't have any other identifying info, save for a small number of likes, comments and follows. It does however have a classic bot profile picture that seems to fit its steamy moniker. "FKNU" is one of only two songs on the entire account, no reposts at all. The other is credited to Crying Robot, a name that doesn't appear anywhere else on Soundcloud except for an account from Hong Kong, that's been inactive for 6 years. Everything about this account scream bot, including the spam-like comments.
But this is where it gets weird, both songs seem to be entirely original productions, and are definitely not amateur works. The vocals in each are quality and well worked around, making it seem that this creator is not some bedroom producer. Whoever this mystery producer is they got me enjoying "FKNU" with their bouncy, future RnB, tropical trap, super hybrid track and catchy vocals. Since "Different Sides" is available for free download, I'm hoping "FKNU" will be too. UPDATE: the account has since changed its name and profile picture, as well as adding an artist to FKNU albeit essentially meaningless, since it's ID, and we can assume the artist isn't named ID, probably means that this is an unreleased track.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Brassica - Tears I Can Afford (Bicep Remix)

Over the course of the last year I've found myself gobbling up just about everything Belfast duo, Bicep have put out. It all started when I came across a series of posts about their Boiler Room set at their hometown AVA Festival. While it features many of their tracks that I've come to love it was their original production, "Just," that really got me hooked - that and the guy in the red track suit who emerges as the star of this show (see him popping a pill ~23 min, smoking a joint ~41:30, and "feel my bicep" ~53 min).
Of course, part of the hype of this show was the number of unreleased and exclusive tracks the Feel My Bicep label founders played out, including their collab with Hammer "Dahlia" and their remix of 808 State's "In Yer Face." Both took an awful long time to get official releases, but when a track is so good that it can survive and maintain hype for that long, it's probably a good strategy to hold it back and make people come to your shows to hear it.

Another such track immediately grabbed me but I had to wait for, was their mix of Brassica's "Tears I Can Afford." The slow burning build and alien elements of it quickly overwhelm your senses and have you reeling in anticipation of what's to come. When shortly after the two minute mark those keys creep in, the track really begins to hit its stride. It becomes an audio epic and Bicep add and subtract elements. Dynamics, acid and propulsive percussion lift the Brassica original to new heights, soaring so close to the sun that it blurs your vision. This mix is so unabashedly beautiful that it is sure to have you welling up in its presence. No need to wait, it can be yours now, via Bandcamp, here. FOLLOW BICEP: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Bump In The Hump: October 26 (Season 5, Episode 4)

Tracklist

Bump In The Hump Sneak Peek: Carson Teal EP and Bedroomer ∞ Duality

This week on Bump In The Hump, I've got a track from Carson Teal's debut, eponymous EP, set to close out the night as the weekend warm up. Carson will be spinning alongside fellow Bedroomers: Hudson Alexander, Kare, Internet Daughter, Eytan Tobin, Burglar and special guests: moistbreezy, AudioOpera, Abby and Viscera, for Bedroomer's Duality Halloween party, Friday night at Rally. It looks to be an all night party (9pm-5am), in which costumes are recommended, and you're asked to pick sides between Singularity and Viscerality, although I'm sure you're allowed to go back and forth. If you want more info, check out the event page on facebook, and stream Carson Teal's EP below. Which track from the above EP you'll hear tonight I'm going to keep a secret until the tracklist goes live at 6, but I will give you a hint that a certain new Netflix show shares part of its title. Other tracks on tonight's episode of Bump In The Hump include new Bwana, Stephen Walking, Ramzoid, Excision and Jacques Greene. Stream the hour of brand new Canadian electronic music live on Radio Humber from 6-7 PM EDT, here.

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FOLLOW BEDROOMER: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Stormzy - Scary (Slumberjack Edit)

After writing about Grime and the art of edits in the last three weeks, this mix of Stormzy's "Scary" from Aussie duo Slumberjack is the best of both worlds. It's big bold and heavy beyond belief. They've set up a bed of nails for Stormzy's fire flow to rest on, while upping the intensity with ominous, spooky synths and ungodly percussion. Once again, Slumberjack showcase their incredible sound design in every aspect of this mix, specifically their vocal manipulations (much like their track "Open Fire"). Stormzy already has a dynamic vocal delivery, but the duo has doubled down in that department, adding additional depth for maximum effect. But what I see as the crowning achievement in "Scary" is Slumberjack's use of the background vocals, filling out the track, firmly situating it in an unholy, apocalyptic landscape. Finally, as some kind of Easter Egg, Slumberjack have included their trademark riff from their What So Not, "Touched" edit in multiple places (0:11, 1:37, 3:49). Slumberjack are most certainly on the top of their game, and this production is all the proof you need. As a cherry on top, "Scary" is available for free download in full loseless WAV format via Toneden.

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Monday, October 24, 2016

Unauthorized Sax Remix of Aeroplane and Purple Disco Machine

Whether you like it or not an artist's creation is their own, and they can do with it what they see fit. This means they can request any remix, bootleg or otherwise, that they see as "bad use" of their work to be removed, even if the world absolutely loves it. A classic example of this situation arose when Lido remixed Disclosure's "Latch." Despite being one of the best and most well received bootleg remixes ever (obviously my opinion), the Lawrence brothers were not pleased with Lido's take and went to work removing every trace of it from the internet. Of course they weren't entirely successful; it's nearly impossible to completely eviscerate something from the web once it's been there. But the fact remains that an artist and their handlers have final say as to who can remix and use their intellectual property.
Another such scenario has caught my attention, starting yesterday when a London based saxophone player, Abi Rose, posted a "funky house improvised sax line over 'Sambal - Aeroplane, Purple Disco Machine'." She then tweeted about it tagging Aeroplane who responded, "Yikes. Please take it down."

Being curious, I always follow links like this. Was he joking? Was it really that bad? I had to know. It certainly didn't seem egregious or bastardizing of the original, but this is the crux of this post, it is his content and he is entirely in the right to have it taken down. That being said, part of what makes the electronic music scene so enjoyable and so much fun is the rate in which official remixes and bootlegs are produced. There's an immense amount of sharing and collaborating within the scene, and given the internet age, fans have an unprecedented ability to interact with artists. This can be a good thing, but it can also turn nasty rather quickly.

That's just what happened this morning when Aeroplane responded to a twitter account xRiotPrincess and the conversation quickly devolved into a full-fledged twitter feud. Long story short, Aeroplane refused to back down from his stance that the track was an unauthorized use of his work and whether people liked it or not is irrelevant, while xRiotPrincess (and a few others) went at Aeroplane calling him "rude," "obnoxious," and "an absolute snob." Abi Rose has kept the track up, stating "You don't see anyone big being nasty when you cover their songs, Will wait for it to get taken down!"
Purple Disco Machine has remained mum on the topic. The whole thing is rather sad, but brings up an interesting issue, especially since Spotify and Apple Music are moving to allow unofficial remixes. I would assume this still means the original artist has final say whether they believe it is a misuse of their material, but it may be more complicated than that. The question I struggle most with is, at what point does a remix no longer belong to the original artist and simply becomes a new track entirely? Music is just a collection of sounds in a certain pattern, and can you really own a sound or a pattern? That's up for the courts to decide, but in the particular case, it's quite clear that this is in fact Aeroplane and Purple Disco Machine's property and they are in the right to request such use of their work be removed.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Four reasons to see Mura Masa tonight at The Hoxton

#1. He'll be performing live, which means you'll be able to witness his musical and artistic abilities first hand. There's truly something special about live sets and the act of playing. It's not stale and stagnant, it's visceral and alive; you never know what's going to happen, what he's going to play and when. He'll certainly play his own hits, but he may also cover tracks like Major Lazer's "Lean On."
#2. His list of production credits is the stuff of dreams. He'll be able to play tracks like "Firefly" and "Lovesick Fuck" from his EP Someday Somewhere, "Lotus Eater" from Soundtrack To A Death, and the incredible single that took 2016 by storm, "What If I Go?"
#3. Considering the long list of vocalists and collaborators (Bonzai, Nao, Denai Moore, Jay Prince, and A$AP Rocky), he may just have a guest performer up his sleeve. I'm not saying A$AP Rocky is going to show up at The Hoxton tonight, but I fully expect Mura Masa to have a vocalist with him, especially given the fact that he's got a case of strep throat, and is "not saying much at these next few shows."
#4. His opening act, Michl, is fresh off the release of his debut self-named EP, which will serve as the perfect appetizer for the main course of Mura Masa. Stream the EP here, and whet your appetite below.

At last check, tickets were more than 90% sold out, but there are currently people selling on the facebook event, where you can also find the official ticketweb link. Because it's a Sunday show, be careful to remember the doors open at 9, not the usual 10. I'll also be live tweeting much of the show, as I do quite often, so if you're unable to join the crowd at The Hoxton, give my timeline a look see.

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FOLLOW MICHL: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Hunt For The Breeze ft. Josh Jacobson - Awake (LOKI Remix)

Columbus based producer, LOKI continues his furious streak of remixes, this time taking on Hunt For The Breeze and Josh Jacobson's track "Awake." This follows up collaborative remixes with Wildfire and DAZIE, flipping the likes of Lido and Galantis, respectively. His feel for future bass has been on full display since I first found him (and Far & Few) via their remix of Alison Wonderland's "Already Gone" (my post about it from January). Where that track had twisted trap influences, this latest lends itself more readily to future bass vibes, with bright bells, flutes and delicious drum flourishes. It's easy listening while not being downtempo or mindless. LOKI takes the already alluring structure, Hunt For The Breeze laid down, and converts it into a cool, climbing and courageous coup. Its light, airy feeling invokes a Super Mario bonus level in which our hero zooms past angelic creatures, collecting coins and power-ups, confidently forging towards an unsuspecting, yet ever looming boss. LOKI has empowered his listeners with the ability to collect his remix for free, via The Artist Union.

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FOLLOW JOSH JACOBSON: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Bump In The Hump: October 19 (Season 5, Episode 3)

Tracklist

Bump In The Hump Sneak Peek: Zeds Dead's Northern Lights

Last week on Bump In The Hump, I brought you Zeds Dead track with Rivers Cuomo and Pusha T, "Too Young" ahead of their album Northern Lights' release Friday. Now that the album is out in full, it's with great pleasure that I bring you another classic collab with Twin Shadow, "Loneliness." Northern Lights is most definitely Zeds Dead at their most mature and polished, it's got a wide range of productions, with a star-studded list of collaborators. Stream Northern Lights below and purchase here. Tune in to Bump In The Hump live on Radio Humber from 6-7 PM EDT to hear "Loneliness" alongside more of the best new Canadian electronic music, including Omar LinX, Tennyson, Sleepy Tom, and more.

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Monday, October 17, 2016

Sofi Tukker - Déjà Vu Affair (Callie Reiff Remix)

Unstoppable youngster Callie Reiff continues to rifle off remixes, collabs and originals at a dizzying pace. Her latest is a dark yet delightful remix of Sofi Tukker's "Déjà Vu Affair." Throbbing bass leads the track alongside Sofi's soaring vocals that Callie can't help but chop up in the infinitely appealing drop. It is yet another example of pure production brilliance from Reiff who continues to deliver on each and every level. The progression of the percussion, bass, and synth chords leave little to be desired. Despite the title there is very little repetition, leaving one to think this is the final and complete form of Sofi Tukker's already awesome track. You can experience your own "Déjà Vu Affair" free via Hive, where the price of a follow is optional.

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Beach Season - Midnights

Calgary based duo, Beach Season's latest "Midnights" is the perfect soundtrack for your quiet trek home after the crowded club. Its buoyant bass, bounds along giving the feeling of weightlessness as though you've entered into an alien environment. They've set up the track as an endless atmosphere, gleaming with radiant, ringing tones amongst delicate yet downtrodden vocals. It's almost as though the sensation of "Midnights" is so strong that it propels listeners into outer-space, cutting any connection or lifeline, forcing us to float freely and aimlessly. Thematically it bares considerable similarities to fellow Canadians' Barenaked Ladies "Brian Wilson." Both are dreamy, spacey, and full emotional depth. "Midnights" is second single from their forthcoming EP, Libra Year, set to be released November 11th. The first single "Tribes" is already available for streaming and purchase, here.

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Saturday, October 15, 2016

The Magic of Machinedrum's Human Energy Live

Last night Travis Stewart, aka Machinedrum took to the stage at Velvet Underground for a special live performance of his album, Human Energy. I'll be honest, up until a month ago I wasn't even aware of Machinedrum, but when I stumbled across his album I was immediately taken. The bright computer driven sounds, fantastical flourishes and streamlined approach at storytelling is exactly what I look for in an album. The continually playful and progressive style of his effect-driven tracks and their multitude of tempos make Human Energy a wild white-knuckled ride. The composition of the album is such that it lends itself to a live performance, allowing fluid movement between tracks.

He began with "Ocean of Thought." Waves of emotion washed over the sea of faces, as the incredible over arching progression of the track reached its high water mark, breaking the levy, setting in motion a series of events that could not be stopped. The following track "Spectrum Sequence" brought beams of light as the crowd bounced along with the wobbly synth strides. Each climbing chord catches the ear, burrowing into the brain, taking command of our corporeal being, slipping into our souls.

The composition of each euphonic sound and symphonic stride is key to the quality of each track. There's a clear road-map for Machinedrum to follow, he just has to fill in the blanks with his finger drumming and machine manipulations. It was interesting to note that he didn't follow Human Energy's tracklist, opting to take us on a unique journey. Moving from the more anthemic arches to fast flying tracks and resplendent reprieves, the emotional roller-coaster that is his album and his performance of it, kept the floor of revelers on their toes. "Morphogene" is perhaps the best example of this. Nothing stays the same, "the only guarantees come with changes." The movement in each track is simply spellbinding.

It's impossible not to get whisked away by flourishes of "Isometrix" or the impressive intensity of "White Crown." Then again the stoic strength of "Colour Communicator" and its palpable perfection is enough to inspire even the most insipid listener. That's the beauty of Machinedrum's live performance and album. Despite relying entirely on computer based, digital sounds which obviously lack humanity and emotion, he is able to inject it chalk full of feeling and (human) energy. The albeit limited lyrical content succeeds in adding an emotional element and story we can sink our teeth into. Whether it's "Tell U," "Do It 4 U" or "Celestial Levels" the theme Human Energy stands strong throughout. The final track of the night "Angel Speak" had me feeling all kinds of awesome, simply stunned by the potent performance I had just witnessed.

As I tweeted last night, Human Energy is likely my favourite album of the year, Machinedrum's set may also be my favourite of the year, and he definitely deserves some sort of Grammy consideration, both for the album itself and what I believe to be the standout track (among others), "Colour Communicator." If you get the chance to check out a Machinedrum show, DO IT! And be sure to stream Human Energy so you too can feel "sad, elated, wistful, petrified" and ready to explode. FOLLOW MACHINEDRUM: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Rihanna - Woo (Cadenza Edit)

The craft of remixing can be a difficult one. It's important to maintain at least some semblance of the original's integrity, while not regurgitating it entirely. An edit however, is something completely different. Generally it doesn't bring any new elements to the table, merely moving parts around, highlighting others, adding a little more oomph or upping the tempo. Usually it makes a more pop oriented track 'club ready'. While that may seem quite simple, it can be difficult to do well. My favourite example of an excellently done edit is Bit Funk's take on Talking Heads "Girlfriend Is Better." Other recent examples include Jacques Greene's re-rub of Frank Ocean's "White Ferrari" and Kaytranada's sublime Solange refix, "Cranes In The Sky." Others bring something else to the table like Grinless' combination of R. Kelly's "Flirt" and Mija & Vindata's "Better" the result of which is one of my favourite mashups of all time.
All that being said, Cadenza's edit of Rihanna's track "Woo" is another prime example of an excellent edit. Doing everything I detailed above, it is still quite clearly Rihanna's track, reorganized and reinvigorated by Cadenza. What makes it so good and delightfully distinct from the original is its additional propellant percussion, bigger, more dominant bass and almost smoky distortion of Rihanna's now trademark mumbling lyrics. There's a great allure to Cadenza's version of "Woo" taking it from a track I'd never play on purpose, to a track I'd throw on to impress my friends. You too can cop Cadenza's edit, entirely free, and show off your terrific taste in music.

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Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Bump In The Hump: October 12 (Season 5, Episode 2)

Tracklist

Bump In The Hump Sneak Peek: Weekend Warmup

This week on Bump In The Hump, I take the Weekend Warmup from a single track preparing you for a single event, and triple it in size. The final three tracks of the night will get your ready for Frustra, Hudson Alexander and RYME all performing this weekend. First I've got the pleasure to premiere a brand new Frustra track featuring frequent collaborator Nahte. The new track "Body" is set to drop November 1st via OKNF alongside a number of remixes. I'll be playing it in support of a new party called CRUEL CLUB, which will see Frustra performing live alongside Mavis and Nahte, Thursday at The Steady Cafe & Bar. It's a free event so no need for tickets, but if you're interested you can find out more details via the Facebook event. Hear the premiere of "Body" live tonight on Bump In The Hump. Friday night Hudson Alexander will join fellow Bedroomer, Eytan Tobin at the Velvet Underground in support of Machinedrum's live tour. You'll hear his above track tonight in support of that event, and you can grab it alongside the two other free tracks he dropped Sunday for his titled mastered release. RSVP and get tickets for Friday here, and stream Machinedrum's new album Human Energy here. Rounding out this week's Bump In The Hump is the latest RYME production, a remix of M.in & Riven's "Connect." The duo of Rynecologist and Meech will be performing alongside yet another Bedroomer, Burglar, Saturday at The Hoxton in support of Boys Noize. Tickets are scarce but always come available last minute as people try to get rid of them. Best chance is to check the facebook event, here.

These three tracks will get you ready for particular parts of the weekend, while the rest of the hour of new music that is Bump In The Hump will get you ready for the weekend at large. I've got a new track from Zeds Dead ahead of their album Northern Lights which drops Friday, new remixes from Dom Dias, Future Magic, Young Bombs and Dropwizz as well as originals from Eekkoo, and Kayliox & A-SHO. It's as jam packed a show as the weekend. Listen to Bump In The Hump tonight, live from 6-7 PM EDT and join me at one of the above mentioned venues, Thursday, Friday and/or Saturday.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

9 new tracks from the long weekend

Whether you're Canadian and celebrated Thanksgiving, you're American and celebrated Columbus day, or you're neither, you may have missed some fresh new tracks from the likes of Bring The Noise, Lost Kings, and Skylar Spence among others. Classics from Nero and Porter Robinson/Madeon received bootleg remixes, but of course that's not all; I've highlighted 9 tracks that range from light and bubbly pop to dark electro bass. The first, and perhaps most disturbingly underplayed track of this weekend comes from Bring The Noise. Despite their near 15k followers on Facebook, "West Side" has only 23 plays at the time I write this. This is a travesty as it is an absolutely awesome production, dripping with dark vibes, playing with old school rap motifs while warbling bass throbs beneath, giving the impression that something immense is about to happen. It sets us up perfectly for the rest of the tracks to come. Obviously I'm a fan of Nero's "Crush On You," after having written about Animal HÖuse's remix of it last month. Now DJ duo DIV/IDE has put their own touch on the classic, relying on a piano driven lead and an awesome bass house drop. The groove is strong with this one, freely flowing, and utterly enjoyable. Changing course drastically, the next track is from one of the brightest duos in the game right now, Lost Kings. Their latest, "Phone Down" continues their tropical tilt alongside divine piano chords, and a powerful and poignant message from vocalist Emily Warren. Maybe the most alluring track in this nine pack (knowing my love for hyperactive bubbly pop tracks), comes from gupi, in the form of "Great Day." It's like if the Teletubbies took speed, went to Tommorowland, and this is the soundtrack to the montage video. "Wow, what a great day..." As deep and dark as the infinite abyss that is outer-space, where Moonzz and her track "Wonder" emanate from, this mix from DNMO ups the ante, injecting the original with rocketfuel. It refills the stasis chambers allowing the interstellar vehicle to travel further than ever imagined. Bursting at the seams, Pierce's track "What We're Looking For" is absolutely explosive. There's no way you can hear this track without feeling it's tremendous power, while brilliantly combining a number of sounds and styles. Like many of the above tracks it too can be downloaded for free. After seeing Skylar Spence at Bestival this summer, I knew I'd found someone special. The uplifting and groovy disco vibes he delivers are simply sublime. His latest, released on Carpark Records, maintains that delightfully dance-worthy energy and sentimentality. Of course Porter Robinson and Madeon's collaborative effort "Shelter" has been firmly entrenched in the minds of their thousands of fans, but save for Luca Lush's lift, there hasn't been a truly fitting remix. That is until now. soupandreas and Soflex seem to have been able to get into the mindset of the two veteran producers, reimagining "Shelter" as a more necessary reality, a hideout in an apocalyptic future. The last track in this collection of new, fresh productions comes from Ryan Hemsworth's Secret Songs collective, courtesy Rytmeklubben member, DJ Karaoke. His superb and saintly synth work soars with brilliant beauty alongside an angelic, ethereal choir. It too is available entirely free.

Monday, October 10, 2016

ATO - Heaven (prod. by EDEN)

Being Thanksgiving, I figured I better write about a track that I'm thankful for. After having partied with my family a little too hard Saturday night, it was ATO's "Heaven" that gave me the energy to get home and back to my own bed. With production from EDEN, the two combine to create an epic story, the likes of which rivaled my hungover trip home. There's not much I feel I can say about ATO's lyrical exploits in "Heaven" that he doesn't bring to light himself. They're deep, thoughtful and utterly insightful. His flow is the stuff of legend, at times careening above EDEN's production, others delivering death blows among awesome imagery. The combination of EDEN and ATO is simply sublime, giving our lives greater meaning when we're in Heaven's angelic aura. It has everything you could want in a track: it makes you think, it makes you happy, it makes you sad, but above all, it makes you live. It is so powerful that it brings out the best and the worst of this world, and makes them cower in its supernatural presence.You can have "Heaven" for yourself entirely free, and that's certainly something to be thankful for.

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Saturday, October 08, 2016

8 tracks that annihilated The Hoxton for Rezz's EP release party

Taken from Rezz's twitter via Will Selviz
Last night The Hoxton played host to Rezz's Something Wrong Here EP release party. Arriving shortly before 11, I was immediately astounded by the number of people already there. The place was packed the whole night, with a fervor rarely felt, save for the biggest acts, and it's quickly becoming clear that Rezz is one of those. I can honestly say I've never seen a crowd more ravenous for any artist ever, the anticipation throughout the night was incredibly palpable, and rose to near dangerous levels as the crowd was egged on by openers, Melissa Calavera and Cosella.

Both did a great job grabbing the crowds energy, guiding them to the dancefloor, and riling them up for Rezz. While opening the club up can be a thankless task, Melissa Calavera did a marvelous job, maintaining a deep groove, slowly amping up the energy; to great success I might add, as from front to back there was no shortage of people dancing. Cosella continued this trend, with veteran poise and professional mixing despite the now raucous crowd. He was the victim of a stage charger, who twice jumped up, ambushing him in an attempted a selfie. The rest of the crowd was acutely aware of this trespasser and when she tried to escape from security for the second time, she fell over, causing the crowd to cheer.

While the largest cheer of the night was reserved for Rezz (and rightfully so, as it was her night), Cosella captured the attention of many with his unreleased and bootleg tracks, accrued from his undeniable networking acumen. His unique blend of booty, ghetto and tech house had the whole club reeling with tracks like his remix of Destructo's latest "Catching Plays" and bouncy bass numbers from Yolanda Be Cool, Walker & Royce, and Noise Frenzy. As I tweeted last night, I'm always fascinated to see how DJs handle the switch over between sets, and while continuity is perhaps ideal there's plenty of ways to play it. The hand off between Melissa and Cosella was well done, not losing anything, later Cosella chose another route, leaving the stage early, killing the audio, creating a vacuum of anticipation.

The manic masses roared "Rezz! Rezz! Rezz!" even cheering when her drinks were put on the decks. It was almost as though people were expecting the Beatles to come out, there was absolute hysteria. People were on the verge of tears as dozens grabbed for their phones in hopes of recording something historic. That's when things really got lit. Rezz's trademark 'hypno-goggles' turned on alongside her mesmerizing visuals on the three screens surrounding her. The contrasting bright lights and incredibly dense, dark bass drops had people in absolute awe. Early into the set, her track "Edge" came on and the crowd sang along despite the lack of vocals.

Part of what makes Rezz so alluring is her unwavering ability to command the expectations of the crowd while deliver her daunting darkness. She's done a great job curating her sound and style, leading her fans into the dark abyss, while maintaining a bright, bubbly exterior. She truly is a force to be reckoned with. Her sets have become legend, playing almost exclusively her own content; something that you need to see/feel to believe.

I've complied a small sampling of the most commanding tracks from last night, below. Enjoy and be sure to keep an eye on all of last night's performers as they're all going places. FOLLOW REZZ: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
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FOLLOW MELISSA CALAVERA: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Friday, October 07, 2016

Rezz - Something Wrong Here

Rezz's latest mau5trap EP Something Wrong Here can now be streamed via Soundcloud, Apple Music, and Spotify, and purchased on iTunes and Google Play. If you're in the Toronto area, you can see her, Cosella and Melissa Calavera for her release party at The Hoxton tonight. RSVP and Tickets, here.
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Lido - Everything

Today's the day. Lido's debut album Everything is finally here. Stream the whole thing on Spotify below, buy it from iTunes, watch the videos for "Murder" and "Crazy," and get tickets for his tour.
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Torro Torro & Aylen - Designed 4 U

Toronto bass duo Torro Torro have teamed up with Aylen to drop blistering, vocal sample driven, banger, "Designed For You." This is collaborative magic. Despite never having worked directly together before, their sounds combine perfectly. Their production styles seem supportive, blending beautifully, making their sound designs better than ever. There's no stopping the melody progression throughout "Designed For You." Torro Torro and Aylen show off incredible, playful vocal and bass manipulations, from the get go through the two very different drops. Easily one of the best productions of the year. Torro Torro and Aylen, are giving it away for free for a spotify follow via ToneDen.

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FOLLOW AYLEN: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Thursday, October 06, 2016

A-Trak & Tommy Trash - Lose My Mind [Video]

A-Trak & Tommy Trash's "Lose My Mind" gets an awesome video treatment from Love Watts. Complete with 25+ GIFs for your posting pleasure, the loopy visuals are sure to leave your head spinning.
 
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Flipout - Grimy As F*ck Mix

2016 may very well be the year Grime, in large part thanks to Skepta breaking through the mainstream with his Mercury Prize winning album, Konnichiwa. According to Google Trends, Grime music hit its peak in February 2006, but has seen two spikes in February and September of this year. The increase in appetite for Grime is likely tied to the continued growth of bass driven electronic music, and key collaborations with the likes of Drake and Earl Sweatshirt. 2016 has also seen the re-emergence of Grime forefathers Dizzee Rascal and Kano. It's also brought us unbelievable images of Stormzy performing in the rain for thousands of fans at the legendary Roskilde Festival in Denmark (watch live videos of Shut Up and Know Me From here). And of course there's the widespread commercial success of Skepta's "Shutdown." I can't begin to count the number of times I've heard it in DJ sets, mixtapes and yes, even on the radio.

With all that in mind, one of Canada's best DJs and MCs, Vancouver based Flipout has now thrown two separate Grime focused parties. The first of which he recorded and has posted to his mixcloud (below). It's got a number of tracks from the aforementioned Grime acts as well as a slew of lesser known mixes. It's an intense and utterly enjoyable, near two hours of grime on grime on grime. Flipout is one of the best tastemakers and musical curators Canada has to offer, so I highly suggest checking out more of his mixcloud, and giving him a follow on his socials below.

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