Friday, February 16, 2018

Enlightened Listening for February 16

The last few Fridays I've been compiling playlists of new music for the weekend, so today I've decided to give it a name and make it a routine. I present the first proper edition of Enlightened Listening. The name is a simple tie to the blog itself, which features all dance and electronic genres under the sun, as does this list and the others ahead of its naming today. I should also state that while I use the term enlightened, I'm not suggesting that each of these are the pinnacle of production but rather some creative cultivations on the endless road to musical enlightenment. So once again here we go, find the tracks in no particular order, note the free downloads marked by asterisk and reviews at the bottom.

ATLiens - Interstellar (ft. Sara Skinner)
Fantastic mix of fearsome fire in the incredibly twisted trap drops countering Skinner's savory vocals.

Madeaux - The Wave (ft. BRUX)
Another captivating creation from Madeaux that fits its title to a tee. I can't quite put my finger on what this reminds me of most, but certainly the likes of Jack Beats, Mr. Oizo, Boys Noize and others.

NuKid - Hustlin'*
The more I hear from NuKid the more convinced I am that he sits atop the crowded crossroads of deep, g-, and bass house. The combination of grit, drive, and bounce of this track is mindblowing.

AOTA - D Sides*
Five classics (or soon to be classics) twisted to fit AOTA's particular brand of deep house. Likely your eyes are drawn to "Satisfaction" or "Bodak Yellow" and while they all deliver a good groove get your feet going, I'm most struck by the Borgore remix, which like the original goes ridiculously hard.

BETON - Directions (ft. Wevie Stonder)
My most anticipated track of the year. I've gushed about it following Tiga's New Names Mix and again when the B-Side was released (here). Crank it to up 11 and shake the whole house. MASSIVE!

Robotaki - Limbo (ft. SHOR)
Seems like every new production from Robotaki raises the bar further and further. It's the perfect mix of T.E.E.D., SBKTRKT, Chet Faker and future bass when it was fresh coming out of Australia. Beyond beautiful, fantastically funky, smooth and sublime. Oh my days, might just have a little cry.

Max Olsen - Sub Zero (ft. JC)*
Expect to be moved by this one. Deep bass bonks and sweeping grooves. And how about those lyrics?

SAKIMA - Death Is In The Air
Maybe it's just the album art but I can't get The Cure out of my head. There may be nothing I enjoy more than dark lyrics with bright uplifting grooves. This is gives new meaning to scary good.

Minnesota - Hilow (Charlesthefirst Remix)*
Serious get down with these drops. This is atmospheric bass brilliance with all kinds of crazy elements.