Enlightened Listening for July 30

It's the Friday of a long weekend, so without further ado, I present this week's Enlightened Listening. Sorted from light, light-hearted and groovy to heavy, deep and banging, the 16 releases feature countless trusted names, several pre-album singles, and yes, a trio of awesome Anjuna offerings. Finally, I will note that, while not in the playlist, the two tracks I wrote about earlier this week, "Don't Tread On Else Matters" and "Only One," are just as highly recommended as the rest of these fine productions. Stream now the new music playlist below with each individual release linked at the bottom.

Pusher - Back In Time

Wave Racer - Look Up To Yourself

Parcels - Comingback (Single Version)

il:lo - Cesta

Bob Moses & Elderbrook - Inner Light

Powel - Chapek 9

Amtrac - MIDI Ceremony

Franky Wah ft. AETHO - Should Have Seen It Coming (Yotto Remix)

CamelPhat & Yousef - April (12" Version)

Jerro - Presence

Kiimi - Ritual

CHVRCHES - Good Girls (Prospa Remix)

Baauer & RL Grime - Fallaway

Cerdin - Evocation / Pretend

Mozey & Rusko - Tings

Hudson Lee - Reflex Angle

Enlightened Listening for July 9

After skipping last week, Enlightened Listening is back with more than four hours of new music that you need to hear. Closing the book on last week, I'll note that Daktyl's "Hyperion" is from then, but I prefer it to the new single from his forthcoming mixtape. It, like so much of this week's playlist, features an incredible energy, a wicked vibe, and dope drums.

The other theme appears to be long-form releases (LPs or mixtapes) with Hybrid, Wizard, DJ Ride, and Attacca Quartet, each crafting a unique, cool, and compelling journey. Rounding out that first half, I've gotta give a tip of the hat to Ninajirachi's NLV/Sable Valley release, which is an absolute gas.

Still, the dope drums persist into the second half of the playlist as things get a touch more spacey with an awesome yehno remix package, another unreal Skream ifeel EP, and an Amtrac solo effort on OPENERS. Turning more dancey, and ever more groovy, the playlist continues with intoxicating originals from KUU and Peggy Gou, and a trio of top-notch remixes from Tensnake, Gerd Janson, and ABSOLUTE. Finally, the cherry on top, Chilly Gonzales with one that's sure to make you grin, "Music Is Back." Dig in now below and find each individual release linked at the bottom. Have a great weekend!

Hybrid - Black Halo

Daktyl - Hyperion

Wizard - Viper

tails - tic tac toe (ft. laye & Kelland)

Ninajirachi - Dracodraco

DJ Ride - ENRO

Attacca Quartet - Real Life

Polaris - Love Letter

yehno - Tomorrow We'll Be Here Remixes

Skream - Instakord

Amtrac - Outer Station Support

KUU - Voices

Anti Up - Sensational (Tensnake Remix)

Peggy Gou - I Go

Flight Facilities - The Ghost (Remixes)

Chilly Gonzales - Music Is Back

Enlightened Listening for April 23

Another week brings another edition of Enlightened Listening. It seems the theme this week is breaks, as the first five releases feature said percussion prominently. More drum mastery follows as Squarepusher and Pusher blast off brilliantly. A bit of reset occurs in the middle as The Chemical Brothers wow with epic single, "The Darkness That You Fear." Riding that reset, a couple exceptional EPs follow as Amtrac & The Juan Maclean combine for Grit and Recondite delivers Bird to Afterlife. Turning to house, Vibrancy shares their sensational second edition of the Exhibits compilation series. Bringing in a bit of soul, Shift K3Y & Tinashe propel the playlist into divine disco vibes from Horse Meat Disco and Prins Thomas. Finally, we close with a gorgeous, groovy joint from Great Good Fine Ok. Stream the weekly new music playlist below, and find each individual release linked at the bottom. 

Bicep - Siena / Meli (I) / Light

Nathan Micay - Industry (Green Light/Fun Night Breaks Mix)

Mr. Sosa - Coco Drums

Aeron Aether - Samsarana

Niteplan - Waiting For You / Hold On

Squarepusher - Theme From Ernest Borgnine

Pusher - I Can't Believe It (ft. Danae Greenfield)

The Chemical Brothers - The Darkness That You Fear

Amtrac & The Juan Maclean - Grit

Recondite - Bird

Various Artists - Vibrancy Presents: Exhibits Vol. 2

Shift K3Y & Tinashe - Love Line

Horse Meat Disco - Love If You Need It (ft. Fi McCluskey)

Midnight Magic - Beam Me Up (Prins Thomas Diskomiks)

Great Good Fine Ok - Real

Enlightened Listening for October 9

Time continues to somehow both fly and drag along, and here we are at yet another Friday. Despite being a mere nine releases, this edition of Enlightened Listening stretches over 4.5 hours and features 50+ tracks. On the album side of things, there's an insanely stacked lineup of Foals remixes, Machinedrum's highly anticipated followup to Human Energy, Mat Zo's triumphant return to Anjunabeats, and the killer collaboration of Sub Focus and Wilkinson. On the shorter side, ASHE delivers a divine EP to mau5trap, just as Amtrac, Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas, Planningtorock and Skream supply sensational remixes of their own. Dig into it all below and have a great weekend!

ASHE - Clairvoyance

Foals - Collected Reworks Vol. 3

Machinedrum - A View Of U

Amtrac - Madness To Mayhem (Amtrac's Steady Mix)

Jaga Jazzist - Apex (Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas Remix)

Zhala - Holes (Planningtorock Remix)

Paul Woolford & Diplo ft. Kareen Lomax - Looking For Me (Skream Remix)

Mat Zo - Illusion Of Depth

Sub Focus & Wilkinson - Portals

Enlightened Listening for August 28

Spanning 85 tracks and running more than five hours, this week's Enlightened Listening is absolutely massive. So much so that I dare not tackle a write-up it as I'll be here until tomorrow. Instead I've worked hard to curate the playlist for maximum flow, in the hopes that it can be enjoyed with ease. Don't like something? Skip ahead a bit. There's so much great stuff: banging, groovy and otherwise. As always find each individual release linked at the bottom. Dig in below and have a great weekend!

Innellea & Kevin de Vries - Hoffnungsschimmer

CRi - From Me (ft. Bernache)

Ryan Hemsworth - Pout

Aliias - Of Your Place

Bob Moses - Desire

Mild Minds - DESTINATIONS (Jacques Greene Remix)

Todd Terry - House Is Back

Amtrac - Accountable (Promnite Remix)

KUU ft. Shungudzo - How Could I Ever (KUU's Twisted Melons Remix)

Botnek - Tam-Tams

Yuksek - NOSSO RITMO (Remixes Pt. 3)

Alex Metric & TCTS ft. VÖK - Undone (Chambray Remix)

Fabrikate - Flame (Mighty Mouse Remix)

Dua Lipa - Club Future Nostalgia

Carpainter - Boogie Night Song

Nina Las Vegas & Thai Chi Rosè - Impossible (Roska Remix)

Thys - Unmoved Mover / Unwound

Pigeon Hole - Bugs

Brodinski & Modulaw - ZRS

deadmau5 & The Neptunes - Pomegranate (Jay Robinson Remix)

Hudson Mohawke - Poom Gems

Fahjah - Downtown Streets

Ahee & Defunk - I Feel It

Blanke - Alchemy

Lizdek - Torn Apart

Enlightened Listening for August 7 (Spotify Edition)

As mentioned in my previous post, the August 7th Bandcamp edition of Enlightened Listening, I've made two versions of the weekly release playlist with this one coming from Spotify. Here I've organized the 16 releases with the hopes of the 38 tracks playing out cohesively. There's numerous incredible remixes, several strong originals and an absolutely fabulous album from House Gospel Choir. Enjoy the playlist below, find each individual release linked at the bottom and have a great weekend!

Austra - I Am Not Waiting (Claptone Remix)

Jessie Ware - What's Your Pleasure? (Georgia Remix)

Myd - Together We Stand (Remixes)

House Gospel Choir - My Zulu

Amtrac - Between The Lines (Zimmer Remixes)

Sub Focus & Wilkinson - Air I Breathe

René LaVice & Jess Young - Bad Luck

Goldroom & Moontown - Guess I'm Jaded (The Remixes)

Jonas Blue & MAX - Naked (Armand Van Helden Remix)

Loud Luxury - Cold Feet (Cat Dealers Remix)

CamelPhat ft. Yannis - Hypercolour (Patrice Bäumel Remix)

Eelke Kleijn - Woodstock (Hernan Cattaneo & Soundexile Remix)

Mercer - Lemonade

Volac - Muchacho

BROHUG - Stealth

Lowdown - Ghetto Poetry

Enlightened Listening for July 17

It's the weekend and that means mountains of new music for your ears. Coming into this week there were a few releases I'd had bookmarked, but little did I know just how much amazing content was on the way. Running 20 releases deep, this week's Enlightened Listening features an insanely long list of my favourite artists.

ATTLAS leads things off with a sublime single, which we first heard a demo of in September of 2018. Jim-E Stack follows that with the kind of soul-snatching quality we've come to expect. Building the energy back up, a Dombresky remix of TOKiMONSTA and a Lane 8 collab follow, each with captivating dance vibes. In a stunning turn, I just learned that Alex Metric, Riton and Shungudzo have combined under the KUU moniker and today they delivered their sensational debut single "How Could I Ever?," which follows a fabulous remix of Madonna (here). Turning towards disco we get an awesome run of my favourites in Late Nite Tuff Guy, Purple Disco Machine, Yuksek and Aeroplane remixing PNAU, Gaga & Grande, Dimitri From Paris & Aeroplane and Horse Meat Disco, respectively.

The remixes continue as Amtrac scores four equally alluring offerings from Grum, David Jackson, Francesca Lombardo and Panteros666. Qrion bookends this run of remixes with yet another slice of stunning craftsmanship. As things turn epic, Above & Beyond lead the way with a powerful, emotional trance cut ahead of a trio of EPs from GIGEE, 8Kays and Brassica. The former is exceptional tech house, the middle the kind of mystifying deep house that makes it a perfect fit on Booka Shade's Blaufield, and the latter an awe-inspiring odyssey through synths - a perfect fit for Feel My Bicep. And while we're on perfect fits, how does Soulwax and LA Priest sound? Amazing. That's how.

Tiga remains in top form as he follows his HudMo collab with another familiar face in Audion. This Is A Dream is classic Tiga, lively and life-giving techno. Next up is a nine-track compilation from Boysnoize Records featuring all kinds of awesomeness; a club killing comp that is sure to remind us all of the good old days in a sweaty club. And speaking of club killing stuff, thook drops off a triple-shot of sickness that one friend described as an "assassinating a pharaoh type beat." Finally, we walk off with an explosion at our backs as QUIX and Vincent join forces for TIGER DROOL, a massive new project full of promise. For those hoping Vincent would return to his XVII origins, this is your Superbowl.

Dig into the playlist below and find each individual release linked at the bottom. Have a great weekend!

ATTLAS - The Night Air Was Cool

Jim-E Stack - Note To Self (ft. Empress Of)

TOKiMONSTA ft. VanJess - Come And Go (Dombresky Remix)

Lane 8 & Kasablanca - Run

KUU - How Could I Ever? (ft. Shungudzo)

PNAU ft. Vlossom - Luck (Late Nite Tuff Guy Remix)

Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande - Rain On Me (Purple Disco Machine Remix)

Dimitri From Paris & Aeroplane ft. Leela - Can't Get Enough

Horse Meat Disco ft. Kathy Sledge - Jump Into The Light

Amtrac ft. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Radical (Remixes)

Trivecta ft. Rico & Miella - Everyday (Qrion Remix)

Above & Beyond - Jam

GIGEE - Minotaur

8Kays - Rolling

Brassica - Crystal Sea

LA Priest - What Moves (Soulwax Remix)

Tiga & Audion - This Is A Dream

Various Artists - Wet Floor, Vol. 1

thook - THE MIRROR FILES

TIGER DROOL - Tiger

Enlightened Listening for June 26

While I said I was going to take the week off Bump In The Hump and blogging, I figured today was as good as any to break said 'promise.' However I will keep pretty close to it by simply listing this week's Enlightened Listening below, with no additional commentary. As usual it runs from generally lighter to heavier tracks, from rock/pop/disco to ever more banging house and DnB. Have a great weekend!

HAIM - Women In Music Pt. III

Jessie Ware - What's Your Pleasure?

Breakbot - Be Mine Tonight

The Shapeshifters - Finally Ready (ft. Billy Porter)

DSK - What Would We Do (The Reflex Revision)

Midas Hutch - Freeze

Motez & Qrion - Slow Down

Amtrac - Stratego (Mindchatter Remix)

PRAANA - Samasta / Quiver

Howling - Lover

Hot Since 82 - Eye Of The Storm (ft. Liz Cass)

Djumba Soundsystem & NenaHalena - Sagas Of Iziki / Chapter I

Various Artists - Odd Ones, Vol. 1

The Juan Maclean - Here In The Twilight

T.Raumschmiere / Voigt & Voigt - Speicher 111

Jaded - Bounce (VNSSA Remix)

Dr. Fresch - It Don't Stop

Flume & Toro y Moi - The Difference (High Contrast Remix)

Izo Fitzroy - Red Line (Dr Meaker Remix)

Metrik - Ex Machina

Enlightened Listening for June 12

After last week's Bandcamp edition of Enlightened Listening we're back to our usual home on Spotify. This week's nearly eight hour long playlist features a staggering 85 tracks including 45 from one massive charitable compilation CARE4LIFE which supports the NHS. Said compilation includes big names Daniel Avery, The Chemical Brothers, Luke Solomon, Damian Lazarus, Joe Goddard, Jamie Jones, Pete Tong and so many more. It closes with a a killer DnB cut from 3Strange and the playlist itself does too with a Special Request vs Paul Woolford remix of CLIPZ. Otherwise you'll find that this week's playlist is largely funk and disco driven with amazing offerings from Roosevelt, Cavego, Chromeo and a handful of others. Somehow Ejeca is back with another new EP, just as Tensnake, Tinlicker and Yotto each stay hot with a trio of sick singles. Rounding things out there's standout remixes from Jacques Greene, ABSOLUTE. and Lonely Boy and an epic vocal techno EP from Charlotte de Witte. Find each individual release linked after the Spotify embed below. Enjoy!

Amtrac - No Place (Remixes)

Ejeca - Polar Nation

WhoMadeWho - Synchronicity I

Yotto - Tarantia

Tinlicker - Sleepwalker

Tensnake - Simpansi

Roosevelt - Sign

Cavego - Dovregubben

Kapote - L.O.V.E. 2020 (NYC Tribute)

Chromeo - Quarantine Casanova

Flevans - Realisation (Remixes)

Haska & Salif Keita - Madan (ABSOLUTE. Edit)

Charlotte de Witte - Return To Nowhere

Various Artists - CARE4LIFE

CLIPZ ft. Ms Banks, Ms Dynamite & Jaykae - Again (Special Request vs Paul Woolford Remix)

Enlightened Listening for April 3

Another week, another month, another new edition of Enlightened Listening. While we're around the average size of 15 releases, it's a massive edition thanks to albums from Amtrac, JOYRYDE and AC Slater. Oh yeah, and a massive 31 track compilation from Afterlife with benefits going to the fight against COVID-19 in Lombardy, Italy. Otherwise we're looking a bunch of singles and a couple EPs. Find them all in the embed below with brief descriptions after the fact. Enjoy, stay safe and stay sane.

Amtrac - Oddyssey
Uplifting and beautiful album. Leans heavily on organic instrumentation with an appropriate sprinkling of electronic. Keeps you on your toes with its varied flow and energy.

Massane - Visage 1 (No Return)
I can't remember the last This Never Happened release I didn't like. In fact listening to the lead track again now, I'm struck by its subtle strength and brilliance. Warm and beautiful. I could live here.

Various Artists - Unity
Massive stuff. Not just in the number of tracks, but in their sheer sonic size. Standouts from Ae:ther, Fideles, Stephan Bodzin, Stephan Jolk, and of course, Tale Of Us.

Qrion - B4 Montreal (TSHA Remix)
Two of my favourite artists at the moment; seemingly neither can do any wrong. TSHA's percussion prowess is once again on full display.

Netsky - I See The Future In Your Eyes
It's been a while since I've really been into a Netsky track but this one, a welcome return to Hospital, reminds me why he was the one that really got me hooked on DnB. Sensational stuff.

The Prototypes - Oxygen ft. Kudu Blue
Right there with Netsky as my favourite DnB acts, The Prototypes pull me right back into ecstasy with this soaring number.

Thommy Davis & Randy Roberts - Try Jah Love (John Morales M+M Radio Edit)
The original is one of my all-time favourite tracks and this is a welcome rendition. Morales does a great job keeping the original integrity while adding a more club/DJ friendly twist. Gotta love the way the guitar and drums are showcased.

Tombz - Three 6
The last two World Famous Headquarters releases have been two of my favourite house tracks of the year. Botnek have done an incredible job curating the label and Tombz has delivered a dope groover.

DLMT & Lökii - Freak
Big bad wolf vibes and I don't mean the Duck Sauce classic, but rather the ominous archetype. Wicked roller.

SLATIN - I Don't Think So
Wild and wonky, I'm just surprised this isn't on World Famous Headquarters. Get ready for your jaw to drop.

Mr. Oizo ft. Roméo Elvis - Pharmacist
SLATIN set us up nicely for these freak outs. Oizo stays in a league of his own.

Moralez - Reach For The Dead
The build and movement in this is incredible. Feels like an 80's soundtrack piece dropped in a vat of acid.

JOYRYDE - BRAVE
The most anticipated electronic album ever? Even with expectations at a seemingly impossible level it does not disappoint. It bangs at an unbelievable rate and features plenty of different takes.

AC Slater - Hi8 Remixed
Lots of different flavours of bangers. Real club hours type ish. Rage ready.

DJ Cruz ft. STVSH & Jay Critch - Get A Bag (ANGELZ Remix)
If this is really the last of ANGELZ's tech house output (the tweet indicating this transition has since be deleted, so perhaps it's troll), it's a fantastic finale. An exceptional roller with oodles of movement providing a ton of fun.

Enlightened Listening for February 7

After an epic six hour edition of Enlightened Listening last week, we've got a tight hour this week. It features an easy-going poppy intro moving through deep-house and disco before closing with club cuts and bass/g-house bangers.

Just before going to bed last night I caught the first new Bearcubs in a while and immediate fell for its sublime subtlety, which reminded me of SBTRKT. "Overthinking" is followed by another return from hiatus in Jack Garratt's "Time." Moving and beautiful it is exactly the kind of song that recaptures the love and passion Garratt incited in his fans. Captivating vocals continue to rule the roost as Amtrac glides in with glorious glistening groove "Accountable."

Phaeleh then follows with a touch of two-step which borders brilliantly between easy-going and energizing. Much like "Unity," Rylan Taggart's EP on This Never Happened is as enjoyable lying in bed as it is in the club. Staying hot Mat Zo is back on Anjunabeats with percussion-led affair "The Next Chapter."

The page then turns as disco enters via my favourite track of the list in Alan Fitzpatrick's fantastic Fully Charged Mix of Patrice Rushen. More piano power comes in as Yuksek graces Glitterbox for a gorgeous take on Risk Assessment. Bridging the gap between the hard hitting house still to come and the aforementioned disco, GRiZ gets funky with a club mix of "Could U" on Night Bass.

Finally it's time for fire and VOLAC brings us there, even if slightly understated, with the bumpy ride that is "Baby Boy." Stumbling towards the end of this Enlightened Listening, Walker & Royce get sneaky with their sick remix of "Loaded." Finally it's time to pay the tab as BIJOU makes it rain with menacing cut "Benjamins." Find everything via playlist below with individual links at the bottom. Enjoy!

Bearcubs - Overthinking (ft. narou)

Jack Garratt - Time

Amtrac - Accountable

Phaeleh - Unity

Rylan Taggart - Sail

Mat Zo - The Next Chapter (ft. GQ)

Patrice Rushen - Haven't You Heard (Fitzy's Fully Charged Mix)

Risk Assessment ft. Jemeni G - Remember Me (Yuksek Remix)

GRiZ - Could U (Club Mix)

VOLAC - Baby Boy

Destructo & Yo Gotti - Loaded (Walker & Royce Remix)

BIJOU - Benjamins (ft. Wifisfuneral)

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

Enlightened Listening for April 27

Another Friday another epic list of releases. This week I've decided to focus almost exclusively  on singles (remixes included) from my favourite names. However I've returned to Soundcloud this week to accommodate the newly launched mix series from Falcons. Catch up on this week's Enlightened Listening with the playlist below, and descriptions with asterisk indicating free download at the bottom.

Hunter Siegel - Fading (ft. Melanie?)
Just in time for his latest No Neon date, Hunter returns with his first original in forever. It's clear however that he's not lost a step with walloping wubs and killer chops. If you'll pardon the pun, the future looks dark and stormy for the dark plur himself.

Brya - Neon Lovin'
Disco funk theme engage. This is one of the two artists I wasn't familiar with prior to today, but it didn't take long for me to realize this was a hot groove and the kind of future (insert genre) I enjoy.

NOTD ft. Bea Miller - I Wanna Know (Pusher Remix)
Like Hunter it's been forever since we've had new Pusher, and like Brya it's immensely pleasing to have neon nobility back in the game. Be sure to check out his new video series "Music Minutes."

Silicon Scally - Rift
Drawn in by the Central Processing Unit label, I'm happy to have come across Scally and this EP, from which "Rift" is my favourite. It is a brilliant blend of old school electro and techno, that shows off the underlying life of overtly electronic productions. Genius.

Pete Shelley - Witness The Change (SanFranDisko Remix)*
Despite spending less than eight months in the 80s it will forever feel like home for me. The more I get exposed to it, especially through trusted sources like SanFranDisko, the more I love it. Fancy a groovy cruising track? Well look no further.

Bensley - Do It Again (ft. Armanni Reign)
When drum and bass is done right there isn't much better, especially when it has strong vocals. You can trust Bensley to bring that killer quality, as this one goes off with undeniable energy and ease.

MDK - X Buster*
The wubstep warrior and chiptune champion is back with this piece of playful power and fun funk.

Alexander Robotnick - Problèmes d'Amour (Petko Turner's 808 BD Edit)*
The Petko polish shines strong on this one. While sonically it's entirely unrelated to Silicon Scally, they both sound like machines coming to life and breaking out on the dancefloor.

Sam Smith - Pray (MK Remix)
After the success of his remix of "Money On My Mind" it should be no surprise that this follow up is just as good. Truthfully everything MK touches turns to gold, but there's just something about the way he chops Sam Smith's voice; add that to the choir and you've got some sublime, heavenly house.

Poolside - Feel Alright (Yuksek Remix)
The disco grooves just don't stop. Yuksek blesses the piano, guitar and drums, making a musical bed that you cannot sleep on but must simply bounce on all day and night.

Amtrac ft. Anabel Englund - Old Times (Skream Remix)
Talk about a trio of all stars. This jumped off the screen and into my soul, but even better blasted out the speakers. However I've fallen face down and cannot get up after those pans punched through the wubs. Skream has been making top notch tracks for years, but it feels like this last year or so he's settled into his golden age of supremely satisfying and epic electronic tracks.

Falcons - Fluidity Mixtape Vol. 1*
For years Falcons has been at the intersection of rap and electronic, especially with his bootleg remixes (see his Loosies release), but it looks like now he's really ready to showcase that skill with this Fluidity mix series, from which each individual edit/bootleg/mashup will be released a month later. Peep the tracklist here and whet your appetite, or just take my word and enjoy the awesomeness.

Enlightened Listening for March 2

It's Friday which first and foremost means new music. So here we are again with a compilation/playlist of new music for your weekend. As usual we range from club cuts, house (bass, disco and otherwise), and funky groove numbers. There's names we've seen on this blog before: Pied Piper, Henrik The Artist, Aylen, Amtrac, and Night Tempo; and new names like Calli Boom, Swill, and Mansa '91. Stream this week's Enlightened Listening and read brief descriptions below. Asterisk indicates free download.

Nathaniel Knows - Hungover (ft. King Tutt)*
Fall in love instantly with that flittery bass groove, then have your heart ripped out by that ratchet drop.

Calli Boom & Swill - Impact*
Tripped up trickles of percussion send your eyebrows upward while the drop leaves you floored.

Samba Soul - Mambo #5 (A Pied Piper Jumpy Club Regroove)
The expansive excellence we've come to know and love from Pied Piper. Don't be surprised if you start dancing involuntarily as if you were in the classic "Cuban Pete" scene from The Mask.

Henrik The Artist - Everytime We Touch (Drippy Dolphin Remix)
Henrik's refresh gets a jumpy jersey club-eqsue recast. Perfect for freaking out a dancefloor.

Wuki & Wax Motif ft. Earlly Mac - Buns (Aylen Remix)*
I always bow to Aylen's bass design and while this one isn't groundbreaking it's undeniably groovy. Certainly capable of commanding a crowd, getting pairs of feet aplenty flying across the floor.

Mansa '91 - Hollah*
While the image and title give it away you might not catch onto the cheeky "Hollaback Girl" changeup until the whole horn lick comes through. Like the Drippy Dolphin above, the jumpy chaos of this track makes for a fun and screw-face filled dancefloor.

Amtrac - Old Times (ft. Anabel Englund)
Talk about a perfect pairing, finally a true collab between these two. Fans of Anabel's work with Lee Foss and MK will certainly love this. Her line "There's magic in the air" takes on extra meaning.

Night Tempo - Just Be Yourself
I first came across Night Tempo exactly a month ago today, so it's only fitting there's more music, and from the still forthcoming Moonrise album. Seriously, is there anything cooler than this combination of genre tags? Vaporwave, synthwave, disco, dance, chill, deep house, and french house. I think not.

Jengi - Good Good (Midas Hutch Remix)
It's named twice because both the vocals and the instrumental are good. Midas is one of the smoothest operators out there. His stuff always slithers into your soul, satisfying with sublime sonics.

Stuck On Repeat

December is difficult. Everyone knows that. Add to the already maniacal month a glitch here or there and your whole world can be turned upside down. I dealt with a little of that this past weekend, hence my silence yesterday and most of today. That being said I can always depend on music to make me feel normal by providing a familiar foundation, especially when used as I often do, on repeat. Having my head in every which direction this weekend I relied on these five new releases for comfort and clarity. Since not are all available on Soundcloud I've again opted for a Spotify playlist. Enjoy below.Amtrac - Companions
Amtrac proves adept at partnering the pulse of the piano with the heavy heartbeat of house's deeper darker grooves. Part progressive house, part acid techno takeover. A stunning epic.

HAIM - Walking Away (Mura Masa Remix)
Holy heavenly intro! If that doesn't take your breath away then just wait for Danielle to dance along Mura Masa's new bouncy bed. The onslaught effects and their effectiveness around the vocals is incredible. The infinite potential of electronic music is on full display with this one.

Henry Saiz - The Golden Cage (Sébastien Léger Remix)
I'll admit I was skeptical any track titled "The Golden Cage" could ever compare to Fred Falke's remix of The Whitest Boy Alive, but here we are. Léger has outdone himself with this one. It rocks and most certainly rolls, but it's really the way he mixes the drum work and the atmospheric synths that gives this track freedom. The culmination at 6:18 is quite simply sublime.

London Grammar, Sir Spyro, Ghetts, Jaykae - Hell To The Liars
Another one of my favourites getting an unfamiliar rework. Hannah's vocals and Dan & Dot's music are as strong as ever: never breaking, only bending under the heavyweight grime of this additional trio.

Stephan Bodzin - Strand
Having both Bodzin and Léger in a playlist reminds me of classic Boy 8-Bit mixes. Epic techno with wonderfully warped wobbles, tactical percussion and an utterly explosive atmosphere.

Jesse Rose - In My Mind (Amtrac's Voyage Mix)

Kentucky's Caleb Cornett, better known as Amtrac, has been building brilliant house records for the better part of a decade. Whether it be exceptional originals and EPs (like his 1987 or True Value) or righteous remixes (of Azari + III or Wretch 32), Amtrac never disappoints. It's always easy to put one foot in front of the other and dance, dance, dance. He builds his house beats with an incredible listening ease, all carefully crafted to caress while energizing and uplifting. His productions are always fun and freeing; never noxious nor nefarious. They glide along like a train hovering above the tracks, showcasing sublime smoothness. That trend continues here with his remix of Jesse Rose "In My Mind."

Building on the train analogy, this isn't a mere remix but rather a Voyage Mix. It's a groovy journey, that is sure to get your toes tapping and fingers snapping. I'm particularly drawn to it because of the disco vibes that lead the track out, but more than that, the funky punch of the bass and the groove that guides this journey. It's cool and crisp, and quite the salve for the blistering bass house that seems so omnipresent nowadays. Set for release October 4th, you can pre-order "In My Mind" via Beatport here.FOLLOW AMTRAC: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
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Fred Falke - It's A Memory (Oliver Remix)

Los Angeles duo, Vaughn Oliver and Oliver Goldstein, aka Oliver, have injected their trademark style into Fred Falke's latest "It's A Memory" leading the six track remix package on Mercury Music.

The lyrics from Elohim and Mansions On The Moon, bear a striking resemblance to a previous Fred Falke release, his collaboration with The Knocks, "Geronimo." It's the high flying ethereal lyric "Do you want to float into the beautiful sky with me," that so closely mirrors Geronimo's "You wanna go to the sky with me." Personally, I think this is a brilliant, slightly tongue-in-cheek, memory testing callback to Geronimo, that only longtime fans of Fred Falke would recognize. Surprisingly, the original Geronimo is more bassline driven than the Oliver Memory mix. This is surprising because Oliver have become somewhat synonymous with their own bass heavy productions (see their To U, Electric Love and American Girl remixes, or their Mechanical EP).

All of that comparison aside, the duo simply succeed in mimicking the lyrical content of "the road is easy" and "dancing in the ebb and then the flow" taking our hand in theirs, lifting us up, with free floating synths. With fantastic 80s-esque tuning, Oliver's remix invokes memories of the music of yesteryear. This soaring, incredibly uplifting and beautiful remix is a breath of funky-fresh air. You'll find it easy to fall in love with this genius, ever changing, ebbing and flowing remix that so wondrously illustrates the lighter side of Oliver's production capabilities. Pre-order the remix package now and instantly get a copy of both Oliver and Amtrac's remixes of "It's A Memory," before the full release next Friday, the 26th.

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