Bump In The Hump Sneak Peek: falcxne - yoncé

Over the years we've had some pretty cool club tools hit the Radio Humber airwaves by way of Bump In The Hump. Today we'll add another one courtesy falcxne who's combined the french house feel of Daft Punk with the intoxicating quality of Beyonce's "Crazy In Love." This killer combination was released for free last night as falcxne had promised to share some old flips, the first being "kaytradilla," before a new vocal single drops next month. This combination, an unlikely pairing of artists (Daft Punk meets Beyonce or Common and J Dilla meet Kaytranada), is just one of the many marvels of music and indeed a fantastic fit in what is a horn heavy episode of Bump In The Hump. Grab free download via ToneDen here and catch the jazzy episode live from 7-9 PM EDT via Radio Humber, here.FOLLOW FALCXNE: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

A-Trak - Sunday Afternoon Mix for The Do-Over

Coachella is still on the mind of many, with good reason, and we're still reaping the benefits of opening weekend. A-Trak was everywhere: he crashed his brother's interview on the live stream pre-Chromeo set, DJ'ed for Brockhampton, was behind the scenes for Beyoncé (read his commentary here), then played a set at The Ace Hotel & Swim Club Sunday. The latter as part of The Do-Over's Desert Sundays party (also happening next weekend), and in a rare act he recorded the set, see below.First off, it's A-Trak so obviously it's awesome, not just in selection but mixing. Second, it's tagged disco, and it indeed delivers. Third, it's got Chromeo, Steely Dan, Talking Heads, and that's just in the first half hour. Not enough for you? Perhaps Folamour's "The Power And The Blessing Of Unity," Sophie Lloyd's "Calling Out," or Aretha Franklin's "Jump To It" will get you into the groove.

Of the strings that ties the mix together perhaps Purple Disco Machine is the most prominent. It was his mix of "Juice" in the opening, his original production "Move Or Not" (which samples "Rappers Delight") shortly after, and then his collab with Aeroplane, "Sambal" about a third of the way in.

But my favourite part? That's a tough question. The triple shot from Justice's "Pleasure" to Oliver and Thee Mike B's remix of Blondie's "Heart Of Glass" and Parliament's "Flash Light" is bloody brilliant. The fact that it's followed by an unidentified track which may be new Chromeo, is just a little too much to take. Then again I'm a sucker for The Pointer Sister's "Automatic," and the move to Anderson .Paak's "Am I Wrong" is wild. Oh and how about the section from Marcus Marr, Tiger & Woods, Talking Heads, Luke & Jimmy to Steely Dan? You quite simply cannot go wrong with this mix. Find the tracklist here.

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HAIM - You Never Knew (Jim-E Stack Remix)

Last night I lay in bed watching HAIM perform on the Coachella mainstage before Beyonce shut things down. My love for the sisters is well documented, both on this blog and my Twitter feed, but it was sometime in the last month or so that I came across the fact that Jim-E Stack was credited as playing the keyboard on Something To Tell You. My love for Jim-E is also well documented ("Deadstream" was #7 in my countdown last year) and only further flourished with his latest original, "Somebody," which is beyond gorgeous. So today when I came across a new Jim-E post on Soundcloud I was instantly excited, exponentially so when I heard Danielle's vocals.

While at first it took me a while to get into HAIM's more folk/country tinged tunes, of which "You Never Knew" is one, it is one of my favourite songs on the album. That said, hearing this more electronic tilt totally makes sense. Part of what makes the original so strong is the vocals, harmonies and otherwise, and again they are used to perfection here. The same can be said for the guitars, as they're only bolstered in a way that seemingly blends both the best bits from "Somebody" and "Deadstream." This remix is pure refined and restrained beauty and brilliance, and just another reason to jump on the Jim-E Stack bandwagon.. At the moment the track only seems be available below and on Youtube.FOLLOW HAIM: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
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Extended List of Grammy Predictions

Just for fun I'm making an extended list of Grammy predictions/bets, to go with those I already did for the categories relevant to this blog (read here). In order to save time I'm only going to list the category and who I believe will win, and in some cases who I think should win. I will be skipping the categories I know nothing about or have no taste for. There's dozens of places to find the full list of nominees and eventual winners, and while nothing beats the official source I'm not a fan of their website and generally choose to use Wikipedia here. I'll be live tweeting here as I watch both the pre-ceremony telecast (streamed via www.grammy.com) and CBS broadcast late via PVR.

DJ Khaled ft. Beyonce & Jay Z - Shining (CID Remix)

Usually I try to focus on brand new tracks, but CID's remix of this DJ Khaled, Beyonce and Jay Z joint is too good to pass up. Hopefully you recall my post about his original track "Believer" with CeeLo Green (read here), as it remains one of my favourite tracks of the year, and only further establishes CID as an artist you need to keep your eyes and ears on. Last month he gave "Shining," a hearty house flip, and while it's not quite as heavy or deep as his brand new Bruno Mars bootleg or killer Cardi B flip, it's just a juicy. The magisterial marriage of Beyonce and Jay Z still remains front and centre, while riding a reinvigorated, groovy house rhythm. The track itself is a splashy wave pool of a party, succeeding through somewhat simple, yet entirely effective dance designs. It's killer club tool that should both get the party started and bring a good bounce to the dance-floor. Download it for free via Dropbox here.FOLLOW CID: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Lucas remixes Wiz Khalifa, Beyonce, Rihanna, Future, Jeremih and more in Fliptape EP

Seattle based producer and Secret Songs alum, Lucas just dropped a six track remix package/EP in which he puts his own spin on many of the hottest tracks of the past few years, including Beyonce's "Formation," Rihanna's "Work" and Jeremih's "Don't Tell Em." Each track is available for free download individually on Soundcloud, or you can get all of them together as a compressed folder, here. These are by no means bangers or even really club tools, they're basically just bootleg versions that take the original track in a different direction. Lucas showcases his subdued and subtle style, not being flashy but still beefing up the original. A little jazz, a little air-horn, and a little after-hours affectation give the Fliptape and all of these tracks a new life and purpose. These are the kind of tracks you can break out to impress your friends, as you chill on the dock or reminisce about the night before. Add Fliptape to your library and enjoy the rest of the summer with these tracks in your shuffle.

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Lindsay Lowend - Scrimshaw

Washington DC's Antonio Mendez, known to most as Lindsay Lowend, has put his musical talent and songwriting skill on full display with yesterday's free release of "Scrimshaw."

 While the vast majority of Lowend productions are exceedingly light and beautiful soundscapes, "Scrimshaw" may be the pinnacle of that vein of production. Upon first listen, you may easily discount the track entirely, as it has no distinct drop or specific points of interest, but that is exactly what makes the track such a triumph. It flows so effervescently, soaring with it's bright and brilliant plucked strings accompanied by beautiful bells and slyly swirling synths. However it's the cleverly placed clicks that really propel "Scrimshaw" from mere elevator music to something more deserving of a thoughtful second listen.

While very much so a jazz inspired production, at times it becomes inexplicably electronic, with its reversing course, spinback effects (1:15ish). However, Lowend reorganizes the sounds, regaining its original stride and purpose, easing us back into his flirtatious fluttering. The crowning moment comes around 2:45 with the resolving chord progression, that for some reason, reminds me of the 8-bit soundtrack of RBI Baseball (listen here). Funnily enough, this isn't the first time Lindsay Lowend and baseball have gone together, as a matter of fact the first time I came across LL was through his collaborations with Jonah Baseball.

If you've enjoyed "Scrimshaw," I'm confident that you'll also appreciate their collaborative remixes of Bobby Tank and GoldLink "Semiprecious" and "Ay Ay," respectively. My favourite JB/LL collab however is an original, "Brian Williams." Of course Lindsay Lowend has more of his own productions, worthy of checking out as well, originals: "Tower," "Glen Eden Station," "Zoning Ordinance: Venus," and remixes; Rhythm District "Unspoken," Mr. Carmack "Roller" and Beyonce "Irreplaceable." Go ahead and get yourself some free Lindsay Lowend.

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Super Bowl Sunday: Best Remixes of Coldplay, Beyonce, Bruno Mars & Lady Gaga

In honour of Super Bowl Sunday's numerous pop performers, I've decided to compile a list of remixes that make their music that much more palatable. With Coldplay already utilizing Avicii's production its only a matter of time before the NFL enlists Avicii, Aoki or Kygo to leverage the youth demographic. 

First off, Lady Gaga will be singing the national anthem, and although I don't have any remixes of that, there have been a number of good Gaga remixes over the years. Perhaps my favourite is Jody Den Broeder's "Poker Face" remix (video below). Rainmain (the main producer, previously behind Krewella) delivered a remixes of her massive debut track "Just Dance." And of course, everyone remembers Skrillex's remix of "Alejandro." These should keep you dancing throughout the endless commercial breaks, regardless of whether your team is winning or not.

Apparently one year of Bruno Mars isn't enough for the NFL, enlisting him once again for the halftime show. Luckily his particular brand of pop is easily remixed and improved upon. The first is more of a mashup but an enhancement nonetheless, DJ AJ's "Locked Out Of A Bottle" pitting the classic Police "Message In A Bottle" against Mars' "Locked Out Of Heaven." And of course there are those intoxicating "Uptown Funk" remixes from Riggi & Piros, as well as Charlie Darker (below):

Beyonce will also join Coldplay and Bruno Mars onstage for the halftime show, and it goes without saying that there are a plethora of Bey remixes to choose from. My personal favourite comes from Jack Beats and their remix of "Countdown." Right alongside the Jack Beats mix, comes the Jack U remix of "7/11." My final addition to the Bey remix collection is actually a Destiny's Child remix. Lazerpiff delivered a game changing bootleg of "Lose My Breath" over three years ago, but you can still pick it up free for yourself. Finally we have Coldplay, who have dozens of great remixes, that I've cut it down to an even half dozen. First is the Gabriel & Dresden remix of "Clocks." Mashup legend Party Ben combined Coldplay's "Talk" with Kraftwerk's "Computer Love" to create "Computer Talk." The Cryptonites also took on Coldplay, remixing "Violet Hill" to great success. Of course there is Kygo's remix of "Midnight" and Aylen's remix of "Fix You." There's also two great Canadian remixes from Moiez "A Sky Full Of Stars" and DeBoer "Viva La Vida." Gorge yourself on these tracks and remind yourself the world isn't just pop bullshit, while you get bombarded with endless consumerism and a barrage of pop culture.