The frenetic world of electronic music is full of distractions and diversions, hindering the ability to find transcendent music. Let Oggie James be your guru and lead down the path to musical Enlightenment.
Album, song and event reviews, mixtapes, and radio shows, light the way to Enlightenment, conveyed by Oggie James.
It's that time again, time for another edition of our weekly new-music playlist, Enlightened Listening. The theme of this week would appear to be triumphant returns/blasts from the past. The first of those three thematic leaders is Fake Blood, who delivers 10 new tracks in the latest release centred around Ian Urbina's The Outlaw Ocean. Immediately after that in the playlist is TWRK classic "BaDinga," as refreshed and reloaded by DJ Sliink. Finally, Point Point make a triumphant return with their first new release in over 3 years. Staying with the retro trend, that's what The Weeknd delivers in his new single "Take My Breath," a spiritual successor to "Blinding Lights."
Of course, that Weeknd track is a standout, but there's plenty of others worth paying attention to. Both of the LPs from Monkey Safari and Lakou Mizik/Joseph Ray are incredible rides, just as the singles from Ben Böhmer, Franc Moody and Louis La Roche are utterly intoxicating. Finally, I just have to give it up to tails for an impressive EP on bitbird, as photos of the sunis brilliantly inspired. Stream the playlist, organized for maximum flow, below and find each individual release linked at the bottom. Enjoy!
When was the last time Fake Blood, Feed Me and Rusko all had new releases? It's got to be damn near a decade. That trio, along with a strong selection of EPs and a couple sublime singles make this edition of Enlightened Listening one to remember. Find brief descriptions below along with stream.
Yuksek - I Don't Have A Drum Machine
Maybe not the most inventive or game-changing track you'll ever come across, but a beautiful, groovy homage to the life and love inherent in disco. Haywyre - Panorama: Form
Another exceptional EP from Haywyre, both in the cohesiveness of the tracks and the dazzling display of musicianship in each. Formmakes his tour even more of a must see. Low Steppa - You're My Life
The kind of quality we've come to expect from both Low Steppa and Defected. Delightfully dancey. Undercatt - Cadabra / Vegas
Big time builds whose payoffs are more than worth the wait. That said, the journey is an enjoyable one. Fake Blood - The Fear / Garms
Theo has not lost a step, he's as unique and hypnotizing as ever. Dark and brooding brilliance. Blossom - Big Shot Night Bass never misses and Blossom brings some really tough stuff for her debut there. The blend of bass house, garage and grime, especially in "Anime" is sick. Feed Me - High Street Creeps
Not quite the same raw, raucous electro I first enjoyed from Feed Me, but still as powerful as ever. The diverse deliveries include fire in "Barrel Roll" and "Satanic Panic" and resplendent restraint in "Feel Love" and "Defiant." Certainly Feed Me's most polished product. Modeselektor - Who Else
Wickedly cool creations, at times incredibly jacking and perhaps even killer in "Fentanyl," others more melodic and slow burning. Straddling the line between the two, "Wealth" is my favourite of the bunch. Rusko - MEGARAD
While there's been countless artists follow in the footsteps of Rusko, no one does it quite like him and this EP is the perfect example of that. He and the EP have both got range and energy for days, and I fully expect these tracks to be rinsed for for the foreseeable future. I'm here for all of the tracks, but I just can't get enough of the nostalgic vibes "Hardcore Raven" doles out.
Yesterday on my way home from Bump In The Hump I was listening to music on my iPod Touch (which itself is a throwback), but it has been glitching lately, leaving only a fraction of my normal music on it. This might normally be really frustrating, but thankfully there were a few gems left, one of which was Phonat's "Set Me Free," one of my earliest and favourite introductions to electronic music.I owe a lot of my introduction to electronic music to one man in particular, a childhood friend who unfortunately has grown apart from me, but had the prescience to show me the likes of Fake Blood, Louis La Roche, and of course Phonat before seemingly anyone I had met at university, let alone our tiny hometown. We knew about Benny Benassi and deadmau5 but this was different, this was weird, trippy and ever so alluring. The synths sublimely satisfying, the groove glitchy yet gorgeous, and who would've thought a guitar could be used in a track like this. But then there's the mind-bending movement and turnt transitions that hold the key to this five minute track's genius. String sweeps and swells, followed by funky grooves and electro energy, there's no pinning this track, nor Phonat, down. Which leads me to the other track I was introduced to at the same time as "Set Me Free," the lush, lurid and revolutionary "Learn To Recycle," which was also released on his debut, eponymous album.
Even more glitchy and groovy than its picturesque predecessor, "Learn To Recycle" is eminently stylish and slick, again offering up garish guitar work atop a fantastically funky, ever changing electro soundscape. Clearly the work of a capable musician, the chords and playful synth work are stunning as is the genius guitar, but it's Phonat's multi-tier track building that makes this such a sensation. He manages to give it multiple lives and identities over the course of the nearly six minute run time, constantly bursting into flames and arising out of the ashes. Without listening and just reading this description you might think it difficult to dance to, but the hardest part is avoiding your jaw on the floor.
Listening all these years later, it's no wonder Skrillex was quoted as saying "Phonat is easily the most underrated producer [...] I don't know why he isn't the biggest thing out there." These tracks still stand the test of time, sounding as fresh and fire as the day they were released. Maybe we weren't ready for him back then, but I feel that if Phonat were to be a new artist these days, he'd have one of the biggest fan bases around. That said, there's no discounting his role in inspiring many of today's artists, so we certainly have that to be thankful for. However it would be cool to have new Phonat too, as his most recent release came back in 2017. Either way I really enjoyed this trip down memory lane, and hope you did too. FOLLOW PHONAT: FACEBOOKSOUNDCLOUDTWITTER
In late May Cheap Thrills, the curator of classics from Hervé, Jack Beats, Stanton Warriors and others, announced a new 10 track compilation in honour of their upcoming 10th anniversary. Before beginning to showcase any new content, they drew our attention with 10 of their greatest hits from their immense catalog in a compilation called FREE THRILLS. Although originally announced as being released July 6th (via Data Transmission here and UKF here), it seems there's been a snag as July 13th they tweeted "We're getting very close to announcing the main release..." Well that silence has since been broken, and doubly so, in that yesterday we got the first new Fake Blood release in years, "Shogun."
Created to recapture the classic rave vibes you'd heard in London, Fake Blood has gone back to signature bleepy, fidget house style combining shadowy intrigue, brilliant breakbeats and sensational synth pads. It stabs and slashes with Fake Blood's propensity for strange film samples, deserving of the title "Shogun." But best of all it is sonically sublime, pairing notes perfectly, achieving unparalleled accord and amicability in spite of its umbral atmopshere. No matter what Fake Blood track you want to choose, I can find for you transcendent sound design; my favourite however comes from the aforementioned FREE THRILLS, "Voices." It is this contrasting acerbity and attractiveness coming at the second drop (3:30 in "Voices") that melts my heart and has me falling in love with music once again. I had almost given up hope that Fake Blood would return, and I'm on the verge of gushing further, so I'll stop here, as we look forward to more from the forthcoming release of 10 Years Of Cheap Thrills.FOLLOW FAKE BLOOD: FACEBOOKSOUNDCLOUDTWITTER
With the long weekend looming, I'll be away from my computer as I attend a bachelor party in Montreal. With that in mind I've decided to share my five favourite episodes of BBC Radio One's Essential Mix that we'll certainly be turning to as the party rages on through Monday. It of course serves as a Throwback Thursday post as each of these mixes original aired between 2009 and 2011, an era I'll forever find close to my heart. Find each five linked alphabetical order with short descriptions. Enjoy!
Alex Metric - April 16, 2011
This has been my exemplar for mixing and track selection, and is best described by the man himself as his past, present and future. Records that he grew up listening to and takes in "80s synth, funk, italo-disco, nu-disco, techno, house, electro, indie, [...] filters the attitude and feeling of big beat through it, [...] that anything goes ethos, [...] no genres, just good music." Picking one highlight is nearly impossible, as there are so many, but the combination of LCD Soundsystem's "You Wanted A Hit" and Yuksek's dub of Katy Perry's "Peacock" is still stunning. (Tracklist) Boy 8-Bit - May 14, 2010
An obvious inclusion as this is my favourite artist, but what can be said about this epic mix? The crate digging and mixing reign supreme, showcasing so many of my favourite productions, soon to be legends, and just downright dirty deep cuts (see the unknown mix of Detroit Grand Pubahs). Again a single highlight is tough to pick, but the move from the groove of Thomas Shumacher's "Red Purple" to Joe And Will Ask?'s "Rusty Pig" gets me every time. (Tracklist) Cosmic Gate - February 12, 2011
The only non-house mix in this list, and an oddity in that I had really never heard Cosmic Gate before this. That said I still turn to this mix incredibly often, there's just such a grandness to it that fills me with an immense energy. I use it for long bike rides or other extended travels, where I may need to focus for short stretches, but can still enjoy the overall epicness. The track selection is again top notch, with so many now classics. Dune's "Heiress Of Valentia" still sends me into a tizzy, but the move from "Zero76" to Tristan Garner remix of "Rapture" is rave resplendence. (Tracklist) Fake Blood - March 14, 2009
Quite possibly the first Essential Mix I ever heard, and it was because of Fake Blood that I became introduced to Boy 8-Bit. Fake Blood was bloghaus at its best, but he was so much more. His skills on the deck, undeniable. His ear for fire mashups and acapellas, perfect. His own productions, awesome. At times it is pure explosive energy and others, sublime and sweet. The sledgehammer to the face that is the trio of Zinc's "Blunt Edge," Lazy Jay's "Float My Boat" and Ink & Needle's "Tattoo Number Three" is stupid good. (Tracklist) Jack Beats - February 20, 2010
Another excellent example of handfuls of my favourite productions (from Jack Beats and otherwise) being brought together in incredible fashion. One hell of a start with their ridiculously wicked "Little Secrets" remix. But then there's what I've called the best 40 minutes of music starting from their remix of "Epic Last Song" through to Popof's "Serenity." Then there's the transition from "Peanuts Club" to "Donut" that still sends shivers down my spine. The release there with the drums and the depth of "Donut" underneath is almost more than I can bear. True and undeniable brilliance. (Tracklist)
Yesterday Dr. Fresch dropped the 30th edition of his popular mix series, The Prescription. In honour of this milestone, he upped the dosage to two full hours and invited Wongo to help him spin some salacious bloghaus. As you might expect, it is all kinds of sick, wicked and nasty beats and bangers. Both hours feature some of the most respected names of this egregious electro era, and truly some of the most raucous remixes, fire flips and audacious originals.
Right from the get go we're greeted with one of my favourites, Jack Beats and their "Get Down." The next dozen or so tracks turn to more of the mainstays of the scene with SebastiAn, Mr. Oizo, Crookers, and the genius that is Fake Blood. Those names reappear in Wongo's mix while Hervé and Switch make multiple entries as well. With "Marina Gasolina," "Mars," "Erotic Discourse" and "Hustler" all appearing, there's no questioning the quality of choices for a true bloghaus set. Find the full tracklist here and download the mix for yourself free via Hive here.FOLLOW DR. FRESCH: FACEBOOKSOUNDCLOUDTWITTER FOLLOW WONGO: FACEBOOKSOUNDCLOUDTWITTER
Recently I remarked that seemingly all tracks tagged "Dance & EDM" on soundcloud are "unoriginal." While as per usual, I've been proven wrong. I'm glad I kept clicking on tracks with that tag, because I came across this hard hitter from Hybrid Theory. "JQ Riddim" is indeed original, and not just that, it's a wildly fun mix of bass(line) house and UK garage. I'd even go so far as to say its got a bit of fidget, acid and grime, but whatever you wanna call it, the groove laid down is godly. Just make sure you've got the subwoofer turned up. I think I like it so much because it reminds me of the 'good' old days where the majority of my musical knowledge referred to Jack Beats, Fake Blood and Boy 8-Bit. This could easily fit into any of their sets, as its playful poise washes over the dancefloor, demanding you dance. And how could you not be affected by this awesomeness. It's hypnotizing and exhilarating at the same time, a tough task to accomplish, but one they've pulled off with ease. Find "JQ Riddim" as part of Urban Dubz Music's Garage Futurecompilation, available here.
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Still to this day, I've never heard a remix that fits the original vocals quite so well. Right off the bat, its hollow, filtered sample strikes me as a perfect bed for Obie's lyrics, and reacts perfectly when Obie says come on, filling out that foundation. Throughout the track, Switch caters his production to suit Obie's inimitable lyrics and delivery. In a fashion reminiscent of Daft Punk, among other revolutionary producers, each added looped and layered sample compliments all those that came before it. I'm thinking specifically of the 'on-hold tone' beep that gives the track the feel that Obie is leaving himself a message reminding himself of what happened the night before. The constant utilization of effects, filtering, adding and removing samples add much needed depth to what could be an incredibly repetitive track. It remains one of my go-to tracks, when I want to impress my friends by reciting all the lyrics, as well as its constant and unmovable status in my 'dance-all-night' playlists.
As I like to do with my Throwback Thursday posts, I often refer back to the place/time I first heard the track in question. As I mentioned before, I first came across Switch's "Got Some Teeth" in DJ Touche's Essential Mix. And as is the theme, it remains one of my favourite and go-to mixes, in part because it showcases an era of electronic/dance music that I was never really a part of, but also because of Touche's incredible mixing of so many incredible tracks, such as Fatboy Slim's remix of Scissor Sisters' "Comfortably Numb," Mr. Oizo's "Flat Beat," the first ever Boy 8-Bit track "The Colonel," a mind blowing mashup of "Forgot About Dre" (starting just before 1:06:00), and maybe the only thing that could top that, Touche's scratch edit of ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" (starting just after 1:33:00). The way "Got Some Teeth" is sandwiched between two fabulously funky tracks in Pleasure's "Disco Doctor" and Dino's "Call Me," furthers the awesome arc of DJ Touche's set, touching on so many styles and genres. Highly recommended listening, especially with the extra time we've got this May 24th weekend, get the full stream from mixcloud here, and follow along with the tracklist, here.
After arriving to late to see RYME at the last No Neon, I swore I wouldn't miss their next set, and today's the day I make good on that sentiment. They'll be alongside headliner Justin Jay as part of his Fantastic Voyage tour, along with support from fellow Toronto DJ Simon Jain. Apart from my well known love of RYME, I really started to get excited for tonight's show after Justin Jay dropped his incredibly awesome and joyful Late Nite Dub mix of his already engrossing track "Karma." I've found myself lost in his magnificent mix multiple times since he dropped this past Tuesday. Although it may not be the typical headlining track, I sure hope to hear it on The Hoxton's strong speaker set up.
Lately I've been lamenting the lack of older, more classic tracks in sets I've heard recently. I understand why, people will always hunger for the next hot new ID, but there's no questioning the rush of endorphins that comes with a nostalgic track. That's why I hope to hear the first track I properly knew from Justin Jay, the ingeniously produced, club-thumper "Static."
It's crazy to think that it's been almost exactly 13 months to the day since Alison Wonderland released her debut album Run. I still listen to it quiet often but have found myself going to the remixes more often as of late. My favourite original, "Take It To Reality," just so happens to be remixed by tonight's Captain, Justin Jay. It's easy to feel lost at sea, with his tidal ebb and flowing mix, but I'll be the first to say I'd be comfortable with the Admiral at the helm.
Fresh off their BADLQQK Remixed EP, label runners RYME have bolstered their already overflowing crate of tracks with powerful productions like Slowbody's banging remix of KMRT "Flash Flash."
I'd really like to hear some Tiga tonight, and RYME always seem to feed into my insatiable hunger for the Montreal based Techno God. Perhaps it'll be their own remix of the ear-worm "Bugatti."
My passion for RYME's remix of Sia & The Weeknd's "Elastic Heart" is well known, and sadly it's no longer available (except in Electronic Impressions, here), which certainly adds to it's allure. But it's their remix of tastemaker Anna Lunoe's "Satisfaction," that I'm feeling more at the moment. Grab that free d/l. Meech has gone so far as to insist that I arrive in time for their intro, so if it's anything like the opening of their set when I saw them last at the Night Bass party with AC Slater and fellow BADLQQKer Cosella, they ought to blow it out of the water. If I get one of the following, Fake Blood, Mr Oizo, Justice, or Boys Noize I'll be more than happy. I'd be happy if RYME played a mix similar to their recent delivery for Euphoradio, or if Justin Jay were to play one similar to "Fantastic Voyage House Party Mix." Tonight is going to be 'lit' <- LOL
Tickets are still available here, and you can RSVP via the facebook event, here. SUPPORT JUSTIN JAY: FACEBOOKSOUNDCLOUDTWITTER SUPPORT RYME: FACEBOOKSOUNDCLOUDTWITTER SUPPORT SIMON JAIN: FACEBOOKSOUNDCLOUDTWITTER
For this week's installment in my Throwback Thursday series, it's with great pleasure that I reintroduce the world to one of the heaviest, grimiest, bass-jacking, insanity-inspiring, electro house remixes ever, courtesy Dem Slackers, who transformed Sandro Silva and Anjiro Rijo's "Fifty What," into a legitimate barn-burner. I first came across "Fifty What,"when Fake Blood dropped it way back in 2010 at the massive three room affair Digital Future at Sound Academy (which I've mentioned before). I haven't been able to spot myself in the video (below) but I'm sure I'm right up at the front losing my mind as Fake Blood absolutely massacred the crowd. The whistle in the second drop is one of my friends who became well known for that antic. I've since seen Fake Blood drop it at least two separate times, each of which the incredible atmosphere of "Fifty What" transforms the crowd into an undead army under FB's spell. Most times his crowd interaction with this track is perhaps the most awesome I've seen, miming a fisherman, casting a line and reeling us in to the back and forth rhythm of the sub-harmonics. Also in the video you may notice locals, Rynecologist and photographer, thesupermaniak. Whether used in a set or played in full by itself on your iPod, Dem Slackers delivered a nearly perfect production. Putting most of the original elements Sandro Silva and Anjiro Rijo laid out to good use. The combination of the incredible low end and driving percussion propels the remix into an entirely new stratosphere. Both of the drops remain two of my favourites of all time, in part because of their slight yet inalienable differences; the first for its almost shotgun quality, cocking and firing out the subharmonic death knell, while the second has the additional bongos (added so ingeniously after everything but the flute is cut), it leans on a more complex and playful drum fill before the inescapable madness of the now modified drop. When first introducing my parents to electronic music they often thought much along the lines of Randy Marsh, that the drops sounded like farts, and "Fifty What" is the best example of this. My mom often referred to it as the fart song, and while the drop may induce incontinence with its brown note bassline, its overall power remains unmatched.
For this week's installment of my Throwback Thursday series, it gives me great pleasure to re-upload and host, one of my favourite episodes from one of my favourite podcasts ever, the UK's Push Music.
While scrolling through my iTunes playlist looking for inspiration for last week's Throwback Thursday, I came across an incredible grouping of tracks. Wondering what it was that had encouraged me to download these tracks, I headed to google, searched for a tracklist and was instantly reminded of the Push Music Podcast. Bill Shephard, the man behind the Push Music moniker, always seemed to find the perfect balance between electro, house, new disco and indie dance, crafting some of the most forward thinking mixtapes, with just the right amount of retro throwbacks from the Talking Heads to 10cc/Godley and Creme. While many of the Push Music mixes still sound as fresh as ever, it is the third installment of the series that really does the trick for me.
Despite being a Halloween themed mixtape, I believe it could easily be consumed anytime you are looking to turn up. It's also the Halloween style atmosphere that makes this mix such a cinematic movement and journey. The track selection couldn't be anymore awesome and is only magnified by the incredible mixing that Shephard always injects into his podcasts. Starting with the line from Dawn Of The Dead, and a quick taste of Tears For Fears "Head Over Heels," the atmosphere is immediately established as we fall under the spell of Fake Blood's "The Dozens." Obviously Fake Blood's aesthetic is a perfect fit for such a dark, brooding mix and serves as a tremendous foundation to build upon.
Seamlessly, Goshi Goshi's "Ravin Cru," rises from the ashes of "The Dozens." It is Ravin Cru's combination of rough electro vibes and disco tinged guitars that so perfectly play the middleman to Fake Blood and Duck Sauce's "aNYway;" just another example of the organic, flow of Push Music's mix. Being such an electro head myself, I just wish there was a version of "aNYway" that had that raucous Ravin Cru bassline throughout. Regardless, Shepard improves upon the original of "aNYway" adding some depth with his smooth scratching. This helps to move us into DJ Zinc's "Blunt Edge" which is again amplified by some additional scratching.
As the mix continues with D.I.M. & Tai's "Lyposuct," we hear another film clip this time from Watchmen, the ominous and gory entry from Rorschach's journal, adds an even more evil flavour to the mix. Shephard continues to thurst the mix forward with scratching leading so superbly into the turntablist inspired, Riva Starr remix of Malente's "I Like It." Continuing to flow so naturally, Grum's "Heartbeats" seems to come out of nowhere. This section for some reason always reminds me of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video, invoking some sort of unholy rave. This is only magnified by the fact that the next track is A-Trak's legendary remix of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Heads Will Roll."
Furthering the cinematic horror motif, the mix delves further into the darkness of Designer Drugs' Saw aided "Drop Down." Ingeniously, Shephard mixes into Light Year and Jimmy 2 Sox remix of Toecutter's "Best Party Ever," making John Kramer happy by making his listeners grateful for being alive. "Best Party Ever" is a much need reprieve, a breath of funky fresh air. This funk continues through the classic sample in The Count's remix of Trevor Loveys' "Organ Grinder," and into the inescapable magic of Boys Noize's "Jeffer." This is followed by one of my favourite transitions, and while it isn't the most smooth flowing of the mix, there's something about the intoxicating tones of Boy 8-Bit's "Spells Of Deception" remix. It so perfectly mirrors the vocals "cause you're so cold," that the seemingly cold drop in and invasion of "Jeffer," that so wonderfully underscore the next level genius of Push Music's mixing.
Aided by another horror film sample, this time from The Evil Dead, Shephard moves into DJ Mehdi's remix of the Sebastien Tellier track "Oh Malheur," which seems evaporate into thin air. Rather, it evaporates into INXS' "Never Tear Us Apart," which at the classic silence drops into "Hell With Gravity." This time it'sa line from Donnie Darkothat accents the thumping evil of Just A Band, before the incredibly awesome transition into the second Fake Blood track of the mix, "Fix Your Accent." It too plays a perfect middleman between "To Hell With Gravity" and Alex Gopher's remix of the Kid Sister track "Get Fresh." The combination and overlapping of tracks gives the mix more of it's inescapable continuity, tied together so perfectly with the continuous scratching. Pushing through Zombie Nation's percussive "Worth It" and the bleepy Herve and Kissy Sell Out "Everybody," the mix is beginning to feel complete as it reaches the depths of Pepe Bradock's "Deep Burnt." But as a kind of cherry on top of the mix, Shephard blesses us with one final twisted track, in the form of VNNR's room shaking remix of Depuis91's "Erothiq."
It's been such an awesome experience reliving this masterful mix, and I highly encourage you check out more of Push Music's podcasts, and they are plentyful and always live up to his incredibly high level of ability. I've added the m4a file, complete with chapter markings, to my dropbox folder so you can download and listen at your leisure, link here. Get more from Push Music below.
For this week's installment of my Throwback Thursday series, it is my pleasure to re-introduce the world to one of the most twisted, raucous, raunchy, ratchet-before-ratchet, heavy stomping bass, acid overloaded tracks I've ever come across. Benga's "Acid Lie" the B side from his 2011 Faithless EP.
I first came across this brooding brilliance from Benga while listening to Annie Mac Presents August 12th. In fact it remains one of my go to radio shows, as it's packed with so much great music, much of it released following the BBC's live shows from Ibiza. Whether it's Skream's "Anticipate," Jack Beats remix of Aloe Blacc's "Green Lights," David Guetta's "Glasgow," the first play of Fake Blood's "Deep Red," The 2 Bears "Take A Look Around" or the debut of Knife Party's minimix, Annie Mac brings out all the stops. I've added the full two hour show to my dropbox for your listening and downloading pleasure, here. You'll find Benga and his "Acid Lie" shortly after the 23 minute mark.
Benga strikes an incredible atmosphere right off the get go - bassline ringing, immediately infecting your pulse with inescapable intensity. The anticipation of the action to come, reaches a fever pitch with Benga's finely crafted and well thought out foundation of sound, swirling and climbing ever higher. The acid level rises, swallowing its listeners, melting their flesh like Jesse Pinkman and Walter White's hydrofluoric concoction in the first season of Breaking Bad. The fluid nature and continual movement Benga injects into "Acid Lie" propels the track forward, leaving no sound unchanged or unaltered. It's his boredom with repetition of the same old, same old, that really makes Benga's "Acid Lie" such a powerful, progressive and inescapable masterpiece. It embodies the Terminator endlessly chasing you down, forever haunting your dreams like Freddy Krueger.
Benga has stormed back onto the scene in the last month dropping "Make Moves," an uncompromising auditory attack, and just today he's uploaded "Power" another track from his upcoming Future Funk EP, due to be released February 26. Something tells me Benga has big things in store for 2016, so keep your ears and eyes peeled on his movements.
For this installment in my Throwback Thursday series, it is with great pleasure that I re-introduce the world to one of the grimiest, sneakiest, most twisted, wobbliest, pulsating and jacking electro tunes, ever released, the Jack Beats remix of Passion Pit, "Little Secrets."
I first came across Jack Beats, through the Boy 8-Bit discography I had downloaded, that included both their mix of his "Fogbank" and his mix of their "What," both pillars of the electro sound of the time; tossing bodies from side to side, with their tremendously mixed, wobbling synths and ebbing and flowing basslines. However, it was the Jack Beats remix of Fake Blood's rave weapon "Mars" that solidified Jack Beats as one of my new favourite artists. I was so lucky, in that the duo, of Niall Dailly and Ben Geffen, had done their first essential mix, just months before.
Mere minutes into said essential mix, came a track that was quite clearly a Jack Beats production, but one that I wasn't yet familiar. Aided by Passion Pit's signature vocal style, the ridiculously intense, jacking and tension building lows take control of your heart and leave you breathless awaiting the endorphin laden release of the drop. One cannot help but feel freed and lose control of all bodily functions, simply being overtaken by the euphoric majesty of Jack Beats' sub-harmonic production. But perhaps the key to the tremendous power of the "Little Secrets" remix lies in the high register. Passion Pit's vocals, combined with the bright and beautiful percussion create a stupendous disparity and contrast that you need to hear to believe.
This essential mix remains one of my favourites, and truly every promo mix or club set they release is simply incredible. I've seen them multiple times live and they do not disappoint. They are part of my greatest weekend ever, having seen and met them after their first show in Toronto, chatting about going to see the Lakers play while they were in Los Angeles. A few weeks ago I was showing my friend, Kayj, some music and Jack Beats came on, which he instantly was in awe of, requesting more "like that." They're catalog is literally overflowing with five star tracks, and cannot be cut down to a top five or even a top ten.
I can still remember getting in trouble during my time at CFBU, claiming different Jack Beats tracks at different times were "simply the best productions ever." I'm not sure it's an overstatement when I say their productions are unparalleled. I've yet to find any producers who can do it all, the way they do; each sound is so finely crafted making even their minimal tracks sparkle, and when getting complex and layered, they fit each piece together so perfectly. The last time I saw them at Tattoo, they became celebrities by the end of their set, even signing autographs for their ravenous fans. SUPPORT (JACK BEATS): FACEBOOKSOUNDCLOUDTWITTER SUPPORT (PASSION PIT): FACEBOOKSOUNDCLOUDTWITTER
For this week's installment of my TBT series, it is my pleasure to re-introduce the world to one of the bleepiest, bounciest, bassiest, grimiest, most raw, rolling electro-heavy and technologically inspired tracks I ever encountered, Feed Me's "Mordez Moi."
Upon looking back in researching for today's post, I've realized that I was significantly late getting in on this track, which although it was released in late 2008, it was a year later when it finally appeared in my iTunes library alongside, his other two breakthrough tracks "The Spell" and "Raw Chicken." These three tracks, all released on the same day ("Mordez Moi" on Noisia's Division label and the other two on mau5trap), marked the first releases from Feed Me, who before that was known exclusively as Spor. Since that time, Jon Gooch, has released numerous EPs and remixes both as his electro house/dubstep persona, Feed Me, and his drum and bass guise, Spor.
Each Monday I post a little mix of less than 30 minutes for your listening pleasure. It contains a variety of electronic music mixed and mashed up to varying degrees. The music is always first and foremost while DJing and mixing skills are meant to take a back seat. It includes some brand new stuff but also some forgotten gems and whatever it was that had entered my consciousness. I'll be hosting them on my Dropbox page for your listening and downloading pleasure, MONDAY MASHED UP MIX VOL 4. You can find the tracklisting and links for each track after the break...
Last night, The Hoxton played host to a crazy party combining the forces of two bass heavy labels, BADLQQK and Night Bass. Cosella, part of the BADLQQK collective, took over the decks just as I arrived shortly after 11. Being the crafty local talent that he is, he started his set off with a cheeky remix of Drake's "Hotline Bling" with a female singer rather than the six god. But that wasn't the only remix of a local pop star. He also dropped his own edit of Chris Lake's bootleg mix of The Weeknd, "Can't Feel My Face." I'm with RYME on this one, really hope he uploads it, unfortunately Chris Lake hasn't even uploaded his version so it's doubtful, but we can still hope.
Cosella did an incredible job filling up the dance-floor and getting the crowd active. He played just the right mixture of old and new tracks, constantly working them over with filters and other knobs. I specifically remember him playing the Tom Staar remix of Dansson & Marlon Hoffstadt "Shake That," and his release on BADLQQK, "Elevator," which got people so hyped a fight broke out. However, the standout track for me, was a forthcoming one from Eyes Everywhere, that I'll be watching out for.
For the third installment of my TBT series, it is my pleasure to re-introduce the world to one of the bounciest, bleepiest, most chopped, screwed and manipulated, turntablist inspired remixes I ever encountered, the Fake Blood remix of South Rakkas Crew, "Mad Again."
There's something special and seemingly magical about hearing a truly unique track for the first time that just sticks with you. This has happened to me on countless occasions (such as Skrillex's "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites," A-Trak's remix of Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Heads Will Roll," and Erol Alkan and Boys Noize's "Avalanche," to name just a few) and each time I get the chance I'm transported back to the place I originally heard it with emotions rushing back; feels racing down my spine. I first heard the Fake Blood "Mad Again" remix in what turned out to be my most musically foundational years, in the shittiest of university houses; music was my escape and that shit hole transformed into a a house party on a daily basis.
This is the first in my TBT series, in which I'll review the most influential tracks from my past. What better place to start than with the most played track in my iTunes, my favourite track of all-time and arguably the most influential for me in many ways. Flashback to 2009 when I was still just learning about the vastness of the world electronic music (not yet called EDM). I had just returned to school after summer break, armed with a new secret weapon, Fake Blood; thanks to my guru who had shown me Fake Blood's killer remixes (Any Way You Choose To Give It, I Want Your Soul, Stuck On Repeat). I then showed my friends at school and we agreed to go see Fake Blood when he came to town. And unbelievably he was coming just a couple months later, with the biggest crew I've ever seen at Sound Academy; Aeroplane, Annie Mac, Boy 8-Bit, Calvin Harris, Fake Blood, Laidback Luke, Nero, Toddla T, and to top it off locals Zeds Dead and my boy Meech. Since it would be a waste to go only to see Fake Blood, I set out to familiarize myself with the rest of the lineup and the one that immediately caught my ear, was Boy 8-Bit. His combination of video game inspired sounds and progressive and playful electro style was everything I wanted in a producer. I was lucky enough to find a discography torrent, complete with a large number of mixes he had done for various radio shows. I was particularly enamored with the following video in which Annie Mac gives the first play to Boy 8-Bit's remix of La Roux, Quicksand.
