Time for another Remix Roundup! First up in this week’s installment, Brooklyn-based house duo The Golden Pony put their spin on Alt-J’s “Hunger Of The Pine.” Keeping the general temperature of the original, they turn up the tempo while infusing some kaleidoscopic synths into this deep disco edit. In other words, everything you loved about the original but now with a dance beat! Pick up a free download on SoundCloud.
And then we have the lovely new Claude VonStroke reinterpretation of London Grammar‘s single “Strong.” As opposed to the High Contrast Remix we also love, celebrated producer/DJ and pioneer of Dirtybird Records Claude calls out the softer elements of the original. Interweaving Hannah Reid’s lustrous vocals with a guitar riff and house shuffle, the result is a gorgeous effort — the chord change around the 1:48 mark will melt your heart. You can find this track on London Grammar’s compilation of If You Wait mixes, available on iTunes.
Finally, Swedish producer Oliver Nelson renders CAZZETTE‘s track “Sleepless” into a nu-disco gem. The original has inspired a myriad of remixes, but Nelson hits just the right note with his effortless retouch. Stream below.
In anticipation of their forthcoming album, Beat Connection has shared a new single, “Another Go Round.” Since their 2012 debut The Palace Garden, the Seattle trio have been unparalleled purveyors of tropic-pop, and the new track is no exception. This time around, they’ve also added sitar and tabla drums to their roster of worldly instruments.
Stream the sunny single below, along with a sleek and chilling rework of their recent track “Hesitation” from LA producer Jerome LOL. There’s nothing funny about this melancholic mix, however — a free download of which is available on SoundCloud.
Really looking forward to seeing these guys at Austin City Limits next month.
Shout out to our friend Geoff, formerly of 32feet for introducing us to this charming tune from Torquil Campbell, lead singer and songwriter of Stars. In what is presumably a side project, writing under the pseudonym blue john Campbell released the track, “Thirst For Knowledge” last week to little fanfare on his SoundCloud page. Why more bloggers haven’t scooped up this dulcet duet is beyond us, as we love just about everything about it. Stream below.
Osca, the London heartbreakers are back with another gorgeous ballad. Their second official single, “Illume” is a flawlessly executed, heartrending follow-up to their premiere track “Blood.”
In a press release, vocalist Jack Kenworthy explains that the track is about “simplicity and how that always means the most.” He adds, “I remember going to Glastonbury that year when I wrote it, and coming back remembering Rolling Stones set ender, ‘Satisfaction’, and the way everyone sang along to all the words. I came home and was messing around on the piano, and the chorus came quickly. I started singing ‘Illume” for no reason. It’s not a word you hear often but it fit the melody, feeling bright and colourful.”
Feel free to press play on this one over and over and over.
So many remixes, so little time. Which is why we serve up the latest and greatest in our semi-weekly Remix Roundup segment.
We begin with the new downtempo Darius rework of The Magician‘s track “Sunlight,” featuring the dazzling vocals of Olly Alexander from Years & Years. The effervescent original was a contender for song of the summer in the eyes of many bloggers — nonetheless, we think it needed that extra something, which is exactly what Parisian producer Darius provides here. His silky and slow-burning approach shines in just the right measure in contrast to the sunny original.
Next is the new Alex Metric deep house remix of Say Lou Lou and Lindstrøm’s “Games for Girls.” Similar in the way Darius does with “Sunlight,” Alex takes the tune from daytime to nighttime in his disco rendition of the electropop single. Stream below.
And finally, we’re loving this vibey rework by Niklas Ibach of a track called “Hungry,” originally by Amsterdam artist Dotan. The young German producer is only 20-years-old, but based on the skills he applies to this addictive track, the world will soon be hungry for more of his work. Pick up a free download of this one by liking his Facebook page.
Dust off your Roland cuz Richard’s back! With the release of Syro quickly approaching after 13 cold years on hiatus, there’s no better time to explore the hallmark Aphex Twin record Richard D. James Album than now. Released in 1996 from everyone’s favorite grimacing Cornwallite, RDJA serves as a clear middle ground between Aphex’s softer early-90s releases such as “On,” and his later propensity for the macabre, famously shown on “Come to Daddy.”
To this point, the album’s opener “4” has RDJ gorgeously building shimmering drum blasts, string harmonies, and warm melody lines—all of which are quickly abandoned in the following two tracks to explore more angular abrasive styles. The album is rife with this kind of interplay between facile, pretty electronics, and on-your-ass discord, making it initially accessible but ultimately challenging to fully appreciate. For its stylistic breadth, Richard D. James Album serves as a great entry point for newcomers to the genre.
Thankfully, easy points of ingress like “4” are interspersed throughout the album, be it in the playground ebullience of “Fingerbib,” the winding layers of “Carn Marth”’s labyrinthine outro, or the simmering warmth of the synths in “Yellow Calx.” RDJ’s knack for sharp drum trills remains ubiquitous throughout these songs and yet he cleverly finds a way to have them only further enhance the tracks’ lush melodies. That’s the thrust of this album’s charm; for every pretty hook, for every layer of strings he uses to brighten up a track, Aphex Twin gets you to swallow a bit more of his medicine. The parts of the album you immediately latch on to find a way to sell you on the rest — the sharp tempo changes, the frenetic bursts of synths and samples. Eventually, tracks like “Cornish Acid,” “Peek.824545201,” and “To Cure a Weakling Child,” while packed with Aphex Twin BrandTM strangeness, bloom into their own particular kind of loveliness, if for no other reason than the tight-as-hell programming and inventive sampling.
I find this record to be mostly sterile despite its ability to convey warmth and frigidity in equal measure. Whereas most of my favorite albums hold some sentimental value, Richard D. James Album makes the cut because it’s just really interesting and engrossing to listen to. The way its melodic simplicity belies a deeper complexity makes it rewarding to repeatedly absorb on a level rarely accomplished by electronic music.
The expected release date of Syro is September 22 (via Warp).
Mammals is the musical brainchild of Sydney-based artist Guy Brown. Also consisting of Henry Wells, Nathaniel Joyce and PJ Wolf, the four-piece released their highly anticipated EP Animalialast month. They supported Of Monsters and Men on their Australian Tour, and recently collaborated on a track with Goldroom. Transport to the Northern Beaches with “Move Slower,” a downtempo tune with soft vocals supported by an atmospheric soundscape.
CATHEDRALS, in case you hadn’t heard, is a new indie/electronica group from San Francisco whose debut self-titled EP dropped today. Having stole our hearts with the stirring ballad, “Unbound,” their most recent single “In The Dark” is an edgy, sophisticated, and potent track that is more than worthy as a follow-up to its predecessors. Stream below and purchase the EP via Neon Gold here.
This week’s Remix Roundup starts off with the sumptuous new rework of Jessie Ware‘s new single, “Say You Love Me,” courtesy of Alex Adair. The young UK producer won us over with his debut track, “Make Me Feel Better,” and now he’s managed to trump himself with this rousing Ware reinterpretation that is dare we say it — better than the original. Stream below and you’ll understand.
Next is the upbeat, shimmering new mix of “ILYSB” that dropped last month from the nascent LA outfit LANY. Germany’s Ferdinand Weber gives the pop track a tropical house makeover, rendering it dance floor-ready.
And last but not least we have SF producer Nick Monaco‘s recent retouch of Rhye‘s “3 Days.” Turning up the tempo ever so slightly, Monaco stays true to the soulful original while suffusing it with some synth-coated minerals. Pick up a free download on SoundCloud and look out for Monaco’s debut LP, Mating Call to drop September 9 via Soul Clap Records.
While we wouldn’t normally endorse an artist revering the inferior brand of cola in the title, it’s hard not to fall for the sugary electropop sounds of Saint Pepsi. Ryan DeRobertis, the 21-year-old producer behind the pop hails from Long Island and was just named The Guardian’s New Band of The Week. Take a listen to his disco-tinged and end-of-summer-vibes track “Fiona Coyne” — off his debut EP release with DC label, Carpark Records. We’re also digging his polished rework of Beat Culture‘s “Drift.” Stream below.
poetry in an empty coke can 