Grapell

In what will probably be the last installment of the year, we’ve got a new RMX Roundup for you this week — a bimonthly segment in which we deliver the freshest mixes and electronic beats on the blogosphere. First up is the new ‘night’ mix of Mark Ronson’s hit track “Daffodils” (featuring Kevin Parker of Tame Impala) by Amtrac and Blu Jemz, commissioned by Ronson himself. Speeding up the tempo, Amtrac and Blu Jemz sprinkle some late-night vibes and heavy bass on the nu-disco track, making for a perfect after-hours groove.

Earlier this fall we featured the soulful, slow-burning duet “Some Places” from Swedish act Grapell — now, we’re sharing the fantastic new rework from Canadian duo Blue Hawaii. The Montreal producers have put their own unique spin on the track with their ‘Chop-n-Screw’ edit, trading in the lounge vibes for a palette of bright synths and basslines. Originally off Grapell’s EP Love Chambers, the Blue Hawaii version shakes things up in the best way possible.

And finally, we close out this year in RMX Roundup with the delightfully upbeat Bee’s Knees rework of French Horn Rebellion‘s “Second Opinion.” Off their recent album Classically Trained, the electropop piece gets an energetic facelift from Bee’s Knees producer duo Adam Novodor and Aaron Spiro. This one is being offered as a free download, so pick it up on Soundcloud today. And with that said, we’ll see all you remix lovers in the new year!

Soulful Swedish group known as Grapell have a collection of love ballads on the horizon. The duo, comprised of longtime friends Emil Erstrand (vocals) and Nils Nygårdhs (drums) recorded their upcoming EP Love Chamber with a live band in their rehearsal space located in a laundry basement in Stockholm. To Grapell, a ‘love chamber’ represents a place of beauty, but also a place that one can get easily trapped. Each song on the EP is its own entity, and yet there’s a unifying thread throughout. Regarding the decision to create an EP rather than rushing to put out an album, Erstrand explains, “An EP is much easier to consume, and you want a theme to be cohesive.” The opening track for example, “Every Time” is a subdued, gossamery and reflective song, while “Some Places” is a more uptempo, glimmering sax-suffused duet with notable additions by Many Voices Speak (female vocals) and jazz saxophonist Björn Arkö.

Escape with both efforts below. Love Chambers will be out September 30 on Strangers Candy in Europe and Roll Call Records everywhere else.