Thursday, May 30, 2019

Full, Uncut Interview with Nah Mean

Somewhere around 25 months after our first chat, I finally got Tonks and Ash of Nah Mean into the Radio Humber studios ahead of their second episode of My Mixtape. This is our conversation in full.

Topics discussed: the growth that spurred a change in trajectory towards a more vocal and feels driven sound; their massive collabs with Spock and Barely Alive; their trick of making the 'remix' first; the importance of authentic vocals/lyrics; their preference for non-linear mixes, which includes their episode of My Mixtape (which progresses from their old dubstep bangers to their more melodic future); the turn to live sets as opposed to DJ sets; and their focus on getting their new music right before releasing it.

Stream now below and catch their new episode of My Mixtape Saturday, June 1st at 11 PM EDT.FOLLOW NAH MEAN: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Bump In The Hump: May 29 (Season 8, Episode 36)

Tracklist

Bump In The Hump Sneak Peek: Sam Lamar - The Magician

Montreal's Sam Lamar has been consistently making moves in the dubstep scene for over two years now and is showing no sign of slowing down. This year alone he's authored a remix of Illenium, dropped an EP on Uplink Audio and is now working towards an EP with Kannibalen. "The Magician" is from that forthcoming four track EP and establishes an unholy alchemy with creepy chords reminiscent of Rezz before its disgusting dub drops amidst all kinds of unhinged effects. Its power is pervasive and while it would be good enough to tease this episode of Bump In The Hump on its own, it's also a great fit as we look ahead to Nah Mean's new episode of My Mixtape, which includes six of Sam's tracks. Catch their episode this Saturday June 1st at 11 PM EDT, a clip of my conversation with the duo at the end of Bump In The Hump tonight, stream "The Magician" below and download it now here.While power may be the focal point of this sneak peek, the direction of tonight's show is more in the form of extended, tech driven tracks with more than a handful of house alongside sprinklings of disco, trance and more. Listen live from 7-9 PM EDT via Radio Humber or catch it after the fact with the entire back catalog on Mixcloud here.

FOLLOW SAM LAMAR: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Get To Know - Sonur

London's Larry Holcombe, better known to us as future boogie builder Get To Know, just dropped a dope single on Kitsuné Musique. "Sonur" is an immediately electrifying groove that at first bumps and bounces with the power of a giant jumping on a trampoline. However that image is quickly turned on its head as we're transported to a sparkling seascape which may seem like pure perfection, at least until the two are ultimately combined achieving utter ecstasy. "Sonur" is a summer electro escape washing wave upon wave of sonic warmth on your soul, pushing you onto a heavenly dance floor. Uplifting and exceedingly easy to groove to, this is a must add to your warm weather playlist. Do so now, here.FOLLOW GET TO KNOW: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Monday, May 27, 2019

Lady Lykez - Lyke U

Friday saw the release of Lady Lykez's Muhammad Ali EP featuring production from Scratcha DVA and D'Lux. The four tracker, out now on Hyperdub, is a punchy, powerful and often times groovy, club affair that thrives through the North London MC's fiery flow. While the raps of the title track and closing number "Buzz Lightyear," and the production of "Drmatic," take the lead, it is the cool combination of the two (rap and production) that make "Lyke U" my favourite of the foursome. D'Lux delivers an easily enjoyable bed allowing for Lady Lykez's flow to flourish. Cheeky wordplay and catchy lyrics make "Lyke U" a nearly instant earworm and, in my ears, the kind of track that will get the most play in the summer airwaves. But hey, if Sinjin Hawke calls Muhammad Ali his favourite release of the year (see here), then you best check out the full release for yourself. Do so via Spotify/Apple Music/Bandcamp/etc here.FOLLOW LADY LYKEZ: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Friday, May 24, 2019

Enlightened Listening for May 24

This week's Enlightened Listening features several superb EPs, a couple exceptional remixes and a whole heap of fire. We start with Qrion and Spencer Brown linking up for a beautiful EP on Anjunadeep, before upping the energy and groove with Detroit Swindle's sense-tingling Rhythm Girl Swing. Next up is Prins Thomas who puts his space age magic touch on Cooper Saver's "Star System." Following that are three equally awesome EPs, all of the darker, more banging house variety. Hotfire leans towards the G-house side especially with "Criminal," and while Matroda very much follows suit, his 4 tracks bring a bigger, more ominous magnitude, best noted in "Another Day." Rounding out this thunderous trio, Magnificence electrifies with each of the first three tracks doling out diabolic drums and drops, while the final "Encore" offers up an expansive, quieting denouement. Jumping back into explosive energy Buku goes ballistic with absolutely no remorse. Changing gears with the tempo and flipping Lemaitre on their head, Coucheron whips up a wildly twisted trap banger. Finally, Duke & Jones team up with Lucchii for the jaw dropping "Deception," equally likely to make your backbone slide or break your neck. Get all of this new music via playlist below and find individual releases at the bottom.

Spencer Brown & Qrion - Sapporo EP

Detroit Swindle - Rhythm Girl Swing EP

Cooper Saver - Star System (Prins Thomas Remix)

Hotfire - Do Or Die

Matroda - The RED Tape: Side B

Magnificence - II

Buku - To Ya Brain

Lemaitre - Smoke (Coucheron Remix)

Duke & Jones x Lucchii - Deception

Thursday, May 23, 2019

The Knocks - Memorial Day Weekend in Ibiza Vol. VIII

For eight years now, the New York duo of B-Roc & JPatt have brought their sound to the shores of Ibiza for Memorial Day Weekend. This latest edition of The Knocks' long running mix series is chalk full of the latest grooves, with more than a couple classic vibes. Starting with A-Trak's smooth and supremely satisfying "Work It Out" before moving into the power of The Chemical Brothers "Got To Keep On," this first five minutes lays the groundwork for the rest of the mix. There's a good amount of movement within the house sphere, as the mix can bring both extended easy going island bliss and more upfront, fiery club energy. This range may be no better evidenced than in the two times Purple Disco Machine appears, extended in his remix of Fatboy Slim's "Praise You," and punchier in Yolanda Be Cool's take on "Body Funk." As far as standouts go, my ears perked up with GotSome's remix of "Heroes" and Pablo Fierro's uber cool edit of "Baianá." While this forty five minutes of fun is not out and out Baleric, it does indeed have the White Isle written all over it. Follow The Knocks and stream now below.FOLLOW THE KNOCKS: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Bump In The Hump: May 22 (Season 8, Episode 35)

Tracklist
  • Adam Husa & Tony y Not - Bug Blood
  • Chaka Khan - Like Sugar (STRIPES Remix)
  • The Kount - Yesterday's Gain
  • Vincent Caira & Del Re - Back To 96
  • Diplo ft. Tove Lo - Win Win (Barry Harris Club Mix)
  • Hatiras - 1000 Years
  • Franc Moody - Dopamine (Mikey Palermo & Justin Astro Bootleg)
  • UKnew - Selecta
  • Hotel Garuda & Julius Jetson - Desert Moon
  • Art Department - Normalizm (Damian Lazarus Re-Shape)
  • COREKT - Night Life
  • thook - YO DJ
  • Holly - Skeleton Beach (ft. NastyNasty)
  • Noax - Wrath
  • WHIPPED CREAM - You Wanted It (Jubnar Remix)
  • Azari & III - Reckless (With Your Love) [Bensley Remix]
  • Levrige - Iced Up
  • The Gibbs - Souff
  • Slumberjack & Ekali - Closure (Oriental Cravings Remix)
  • Just John - Boomstick
  • So Sus & Shwirl - When
  • Maddy O'Neal ft. Povi - Like Gold (Birocratic Remix)
  • Paul Quzz - Nightflow
  • Sara Landry - Wait
  • The Bloody Beetroots & Ephwurd - Wildchild
  • Diemetic - Dip Em (ft. Eff That)
  • Disco Fries - Moonlight (ft. Danyka Nadeau & Badjack)
  • Dex Arson - Roll Out

Bump In The Hump Sneak Peek: The Kount - Yesterday's Gain

Purveyor of polyrhythmic molasses, The Kount is one busy man. In not even a full five months, he's already offered up a trio of sample packs, a fantastically funky collab with falcxne, and is prepping to release VIRTUALLY YOURS, May 30th. The Toronto talent kicked off his week with another look ahead to that project in delightful disco number "Yesterday's Gain." Featuring brilliantly biting electric bass from Stacy Shopsowitz and soul snatching violin from Aaron Paris, this creation is utterly engrossing, the kind of track you lose yourself to, becoming helplessly infected by the dance. Enjoy now below."Yesterday's Gain" finds a home in the middle of some disco and jackin house joints early on in this week's episode of Bump In The Hump, but is closely followed by some banging bass house before diving into another exceedingly dark and dirty second hour which includes cuts from thook, Noax, So Sus and ends with Dex Arson. There's also a couple of artist debuts, both from the west coast, and a handful of tracks from Canadian labels that keep killing it. Listen live from 7-9 PM EDT via Radio Humber or catch the episode after the fact, as cataloged on Mixcloud here.

FOLLOW THE KOUNT: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Apollo LTD - Misfits

The Nashville duo of Jordan Phillips and Adam Starks known as Apollo LTD remains on the rise as earlier this month they released their fourth new track of the year. A glitzy, gorgeous groove made from their usual mix of electronic and organic instrumentation, "Misfits" is a cool cruiser perfect for the steamy summer days that lie ahead. It's triumphant in its uniqueness, both in its sound, contrasting today's focus on the sonority of the future, and in its lyrical content, presenting the idea of difference as being beautiful. With that and its undeniable retro feel in mind, it could easily replace "Don't You (Forget About Me)" as the track that plays as the credits roll on The Breakfast Club. Raise your fist in the air and share this exultation with your band of "Misfits" below and pick up your copy here.FOLLOW APOLLO LTD: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Monday, May 20, 2019

Enlightened Listening for May 20

Once again I'm late with this week's Enlightened Listening, but as always these tunes deserve showcasing. Starting funky Gramatik and Big Gigantic get together for some fat grooves, which Goldroom then follows with a cool, glistening joint. Slightly more spaced out, Massimiliano Pagliara blends disco and acid in his remix of "Zone Non Linear." Another rolling ride follows with Amtrac's chugging "Formal Disco," which is then followed by the latest luxuriousness of Kölsch. Things get progressive as we turn to the evaporating ease of "Car Park In The Sky," before Jaytech blasts things back to earth with "Tigerlily." Techno then takes over with another unreal EP from mau5trap in Sara Landry's Wait. Finally the inimitable, both wonderfully organic and entirely unearthly, sound design of thook turns the final trick with NOISE. Find individual releases at the bottom and stream below.

Gramatik & Big Gigantic - Better Believe It Now

Goldroom - U (ft. Chela)

The Juan Maclean - Zone Non Linear (Massimiliano Pagliara Remix)

Amtrac - Formal Disco

Kölsch - AC1609

M.I.G. - Car Park In The Sky

Jaytech - Tigerlily

Sara Landry - Wait

thook - NOISE

Thursday, May 16, 2019

Full, Uncut Interview with Elazion

Last weekend I connected with Vancouver based house producer Elazion for a Skype chat. This is that conversation in full. Topics discussed: his start in production after seeing the likes of Knife Party & Deadmau5; finding his home in house after dabbling in dubstep, trance and future bass; the west coast scene through his eyes as someone who works for Shambhala, Live Nation, Emengy and Emengy Deep; what's next for him from both a production and DJing perspective, including forthcoming stuff on Emengy Deep; and of course his episode of My Mixtape which airs this Saturday, May 18th at 11 PM EDT only on Radio Humber. Follow the rise of Elazion through his socials and stream now below.FOLLOW ELAZION: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Bump In The Hump: May 15 (Season 8, Episode 34)

Tracklist

Bump In The Hump Sneak Peek: Exclusion - Our City

When deciding what track to showcase in this sneak peek post each week there's many factors that I take into account, and Exclusion's "Our City" hits on multiple. 1) Exclusion is one of my favourite artists in the dubstep sphere. 2) it's an absolute banger, that is a great indication of how the episode is going to sound. 3) it's released on Emengy, a label that features prominently in my conversation with Elazion, this week's guest on My Mixtape. 4) it's available for free. Get it here and stream now below.While "Our City" stands as an exemplar of the explosive power of this episode, there are indeed tracks on either side, showcasing bass banging power along with a more restrained resonance. We start with nearly an hour of house, techno and club cuts, several of which look ahead to the weekend, while the second half of the episode turns exceedingly dark with dubstep, midtempo and experimental bass brilliance. And as mentioned above, we close the episode with a clip of my conversation with Elazion, who you can hear on My Mixtape this Saturday, May 18th at 11 PM EDT. But first, enjoy Bump In The Hump live from 7-9 PM EDT on Radio Humber tonight or find it cataloged after the fact on Mixcloud.

FOLLOW EXCLUSION: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

TERR - Tale Of Devotion (Prins Thomas Diskomiks)

Brazil and Norway have combined in an awesome display of disco by way of pleasure factory Phantasy Sound. TERR, who hails from Belo Horizonte, but now calls Berlin home, has just authored her first release on the legendary label with the taught yet expansive, ecstasy-inducing single "Tale Of Devotion." Even further extended, the b-side brings aboard Asker's Prins Thomas who transforms TERR's original into a space disco delight. Putting groovy percussion in as the new bed for TERR's tech to bounce on, the general vibe of "Tale Of Devotion" remains intact, while Thomas sends the track soaring into space. It floats fancy free, shining through its strings and dazzling through its digital delivery as though dreamt up by an artificial intelligence. It will install itself in your ears, especially through the vocal mixes as they whisper wantonly, wrapping around your aural canal. Set a course for deep space disco aboard this sublime starship and pick up your copy of "Tale Of Devotion" here.
FOLLOW TERR: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW PRINS THOMAS: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Monday, May 13, 2019

Magic In The Rain - Jamlife

This past Friday marked the debut release, an epic one at that, for Andy Swanson's new project Magic In The Rain. The 26 track output, All The Things You Are. Always., from the man more widely known as Djemba Djemba is an introduction like no other. Its beats include ambient, future bass and trap touches, and even has a track that features Djemba Djemba. While there's a lot to like and even more to digest as you wade through the 1.5 hour album, there is one track that stands above the rest.

Here I'm talking about "Jamlife," a fun, playful and alluring offering that seemingly nails the ethos of this debut release. Over the course of the album as a whole you'll notice a kind of childlike wonderment amidst generally warm and wild natural vibes; while of course it and "Jamlife" are electronic productions, there is an undeniable organic life-force at its core.

"Jamlife" feels like a sonic safari, a journey into the uncharted outdoors. It surrounds you in a resplendent scene, inoculating you with naivety and unadulterated innocence. It feels as though it could be pulled from any of your favourite childhood films, and like most nostalgic moments, "Jamlife" strikes a stronger chord than the actual memory you're thinking of. Pull up a memory from a film or TV show and think about the feelings it brings with it, then go back to that source material and compare that feeling. Our memories tend to exaggerate or magnify the impact, especially those memories that last long, as they must be important if we can remember them after so long. This is yet another example of the power of, and magic inherent in, music. Adam Swanson seems to have tapped into this with Magic In The Rain, and while I'll remain hopeful for more Djemba Djemba, this project is indeed a powerful one. Stream All The Things You Are. Always. here, download it free here and follow Andy below.
FOLLOW MAGIC IN THE RAIN: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Enlightened Listening for May 12

A couple days late, but these tracks absolutely had to be shared. This week's Enlightened Listening gets underway with The Shapeshifters and Chic vocalist Kimberly Davis and the brilliant, biting brass of Glitterbox joint "Life Is A Dancefloor." Up next Paul Woolford unleashes an exceptional piano-led take on Hot Chip's heater "Hungry Child." The unstoppable force of Kölsch then ups the intensity with his remix of "Stella." Leading us further towards techno with a touch of midtempo, mau5trap once again wows with their recent releases through Sian's Ultraviolet EP 1.0. Marking the midway point in the playlist, Dimitri Veimar dazzles with 3 new originals alongside Dean Grenier's remix of the EP's title track "Planet." Changing gears, Pham returns with a diverse and delectable mixtape in Nostalgia. And indeed it is nostalgia you get upon seeing the title of Madeaux's massive "Black Magic Woman," a production worthy of one Carlos Santana. Next up Ninajirachi gives "303" some much needed movement, progression and captivating sound design, taking it from blah to banger. Finally, Night Bass bring us seven bangers worthy of their high standard; standouts include: "Desert Moon," "Killers" and "Fresh Prince." Enjoy everything below and find releases linked individually after the playlist.

The Shapeshifters - Life Is A Dancefloor (ft. Kimberly Davis)

Hot Chip - Hungry Child (Paul Woolford Sunrise Mix)

Jam & Spoon - Stella (Kölsch Remix)

Sian - Ultraviolet EP 1.0

Dimitri Veimar - Planet EP

Pham - Nostalgia

Madeaux - Black Magic Woman

Anna Lunoe - 303 (Ninajirachi Remix)

Various Artists - This Is Night Bass: Vol. 8

Thursday, May 09, 2019

Full, Uncut Interview with FUTURE MAGIC

Just over two years since our first chat, Stefan aka FUTURE MAGIC once again joined me in the Radio Humber studios to talk about what he's been up to and set up his second episode of My Mixtape.

We: do a quick refresher on who FUTURE MAGIC is and how the project came to be, touch upon his influences (electronic and otherwise), find out about the reason(s) behind his relatively quiet 2018 (tea is spilled), explore the reset that came with moving back to Muskoka, dive into his ability to work with different types of vocalists, look forward to the potential of an album and more to come in 2019, and of course get an inside look at his new episode of My Mixtape, which airs Saturday May 11th at 11 PM EDT, only on Radio Humber. Find our full conversation below and follow his socials for more.
FOLLOW FUTURE MAGIC: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Wednesday, May 08, 2019

Bump In The Hump: May 8 (Season 8, Episode 33)

Tracklist

Bump In The Hump Sneak Peek: Polaris - Uncharted EP

Toronto DnB producer Polaris has had himself one heck of a first few months of 2019. He's already authored a single on the massive Sick Music 2019 compilation from the legendary Hospital Records, he then followed that with a wicked remix of Whiney's "Spheres" and this past Friday he released his debut EP, Uncharted. While visually and sonically indicative of Tron, which is quite literally a chart, each of the four tracks crackle with exceptional energy and an electronic allure, driving through a digital landscape.One of the tracks from Uncharted will find its way onto Bump In The Hump tonight, alongside a cut from Nathan Micay's Blue Spring, a couple exceptional mau5trap releases and two more top notch tracks from A-Trak and KRFW. We look ahead to thook's forthcoming NOISE LP and a weekend in which you can see Butrous, Ciel, Korea Town Acid and Barry Harris. Finally we close the night with a clip of my conversation with FUTURE MAGIC who returns to My Mixtape for a second all new hour this Saturday. All that and more live from 7-9 PM EDT on Radio Humber or after the fact on Mixcloud here.

FOLLOW POLARIS: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Tuesday, May 07, 2019

Greg Wilson Live @ Brixton Disco Festival (04.27.19)

Last month the one and only Greg Wilson opened Electric at the Brixton Disco Festival and today he's gifted us with a free download of said set. As he says in the upload's description, the two and a half hour set starts with "a downtempo groove, gradually building towards a frantic conclusion." This evolution allows it to be used in a multitude of ways: as background beats as you embark on a long drive, as an extra jolt of jocundity with your morning coffee, as inspiration to get through an extended workout or quite simply as a party starting mix for your own festivities.

As always the wise and wondiferous Wilson has injected his mix with all kinds of awesome edits and infectious toe-tapping energy. Whether it be Donna Summer's "Love To Love You" sucking you into outer-space, the brilliant Blackbyrds' "Walking In Rhythm" giving a little glitter to your giddyup, or the fabulous funk of Gwen McCrae's "Keep The Fire Burning" propelling the groove, there's no shortage of ear-catching offerings. However my favourite bit about Wilson's mixes is always the sublime selection which inevitably introduces me to new favourites, of which there are two standouts in this mix. The frantic funk of Tony Rallo's "Holdin' On" arrives shortly after the hour 32 mark leaves my head spinning, while the closing track, Harry Thumann's "Underwater," I also heard Horse Meat Disco play last month at CODA and still has my jaw on the floor. Enjoy the mix below, and download it absolutely free here.FOLLOW GREG WILSON: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Monday, May 06, 2019

Arema Arega - Natural Jazz (Black Wolf Remix)

Over the weekend, Australia's Black Wolf offered up an awesome remix of Arema Arega's 2016 track "Natural Jazz." Working with the powerful production that features groovy drums and tremendous trumpet work, Black Wolf has leveraged both and upped the tempo bringing a more energetic toe-tapping feel to the already engrossing original. Of course this more electronic version has extra oomph and club qualities, but it is still the organic elements that make "Natural Jazz" such a sensation. While the piano doesn't quite dominate either the original or the remix, it plays an important role in the second half of this mix as the chords further tap into the utterly infectious dance groove at the core of Black Wolf's recasting. If you find yourself falling for this groove genius, you can get it for free here.FOLLOW BLACK WOLF: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW AREMA AREGA: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Friday, May 03, 2019

Enlightenment Listening for May 3

May blooms bring a beautiful mixture of disco, house, trance and techno. This week's Enlightened Listening includes many of my favourites. Louis La Roche, Yuksek, Dombresky, warner case and Röyksopp get us started with some warm tunes and intoxicating dance numbers. Next up is the second such compilation from TOKiMONSTA's label Young Art Records with the likes of RYAN Playground, Soul Clap, L-Vis 1990, Robotaki and more. After that comes Nathan Micay's incredible Blue Spring album. Finally we close with two top notch techno EPs from mau5trap and Afterlife. Enjoy below.

Louis La Roche & Mylo - Lovers (Mylo Edit)

Yuksek - Cadenza (ft. Polo & Pan)

Dombresky - Simple Hit

warner case & Vin Damato - right with the groove

Röyksopp - Church (Lost Tapes)

Various Artists - Young Art Sound II

Nathan Micay - Blue Spring

i_o - Death By Techno

ROD - Brighten Up Bunny

Thursday, May 02, 2019

Crackazat - Fly Away

Genius jazz musician and electronic producer Ben Worrall, better known to us as Crackazat, recently released a trio of tracks based around acapellas taken from Joey Negro's ZRecords archives. This is the second such time Worrall has woven immaculate melodies around acapellas, a trick he first turned in the summer of 2016. Not quite 3 years later we've been blessed with Period Works Vol. 2, including the absolutely intoxicating lead track "Fly Away." Soaring sublime atop a rollicking piano and groovy guitar, the vocals fit the bouncy bed perfectly, playing right into the lively Crackazat craft-work. There's no way you can let this life-giving tune play out without cracking a smile; the joy and unabashed, childlike exuberance Crackazat imbues "Fly Away" with is wonderfully heartening. Launch yourself into this luxurious loftiness and wash all your worries away with the power of Period Works Vol. 2.FOLLOW CRACKAZAT: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER