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

Top 100 Tracks Of 2019: 50-26

Continuation of the list started Monday: from 100-76, which includes my disclaimer/preamble. The second quarter of the list can be found here: from 75-51. Soundcloud playlist here and Spotify here.

#50: Haywyre - Let Me Hear That
The most funky track on this list and I'll say there's a few more really good ones on the way. Haywyre had a hell of a year and there could've been a couple other cuts in this place, but I think I fell for this one most hard because of its immediacy and its beyond beautiful back half. Oh and seeing Haywyre play it live is a trip (watch it here). It really doesn't get much cooler than this one.

#49: Murlo - Fauna
The middle Murlo child in this list. Like "End Of The Road" earlier, I'm a bit at a loss with this one. It's got a lot of the same energy and cinematic quality to its drum delivery. However this one seems to tickle me more. I don't think you can listen to it without smiling, it's just so effusive in its energy. The way Murlo plays around in its movement is truly magical, like a jungle's plant life all joining together in a dance.

#48: Tennyson - Melonpan
A truly gorgeous, cinematic cut that screams Tennyson. It's unique and magical in its delivery, like an epic cartoon opening sequence. Its opening half is enough to captivate, but its second half will have you in tears, especially the utterly euphoric and triumphant finale. Every time I hear this I'm reminded of the time I saw them live and the fact that I need to do so again.

#47: Sigma - Dilemma
This one really shows how out of touch I am when it comes to turn of the millennium hip hop and R&B, as I just found out this is Kelly Rowland. I was absolutely familiar with the sample but didn't know whose it was. But hey, good music is good music and this is certainly that. Building upon one of the best selling singles of all time, Sigma have really done a great job with this one. I just checked the various remixes of this and none can hold a candle to it. Its energy is intoxicating and it's just so much fun.

#46: The Chemical Brothers - Got To Keep On
It's truly amazing that The Chemical Brothers can continue to make such incredible records. No Geography is great and while I thought about including other cuts this, like "Go Crazy" earlier, is just the perfect exemplar of the album. It's got wicked, raw sounds and pristine beautiful ones too. It's anthemic and full of energy, but nothing beats the sweet release shortly after the 3:40 mark. It's just so satisfying.

#45: Boston Bun - Don't Wanna Dance
Another one of those ones I came across in a Magic Tape, and again it's got some serious sorcery to it. The groove is genius and boy has Boston Bun done a brilliant job building it out. The piano backing lays it all down, but it's nothing without the vociferous vocals or fantastically fat drop with its perfectly placed puntuations. Clean and super strong, I see a lot of staying power in it. Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't give props to Mighty Mouse's masterful remix.

Top 100 Tracks Of 2018: 25-1

Continuation of the list started Friday: from 100-76, which also includes my disclaimer/preamble. The middle sections can be found here: from 75-51 & 50-26. Soundcloud playlist here and at the bottom.

#25: Bicep - Opal (Four Tet Remix)
A match made in heaven and speaking of heaven, this may be its soundtrack. It is epic resounding resplendence, brilliant bleepy beauty, a sweep you off your feet soaring success. Like a journey deeper into your unconscious mind, things get both more murky and more clear at the same time. If there's any track in this list that is best suited for a spiritual awakening it is this. Turn off all your lights, lie on the floor and let Four Tet transport you to his higher plane of existence.

#24: Bunji Garlin & Busta Rhymes - Drop It
(As featured on EFYE) I can't think of any track that can quite compare to the dueling fire flows in this, except for the other time these two locked horns on "Differentology." As I said the first time I wrote about this, it's as though Bunji and Busta both go super saiyan at the same time murdering everything in sight. That said you cannot leave out 1st Klase who's production is pure perfection, doing not just the big things right, but paying attention to the little details in the bed squeak, panning and more.

#23: The Night - Set Me Free
No, this is not Nero, but I don't care, it's genuinely gorgeous, funky fun. I'm not sure I'll ever properly get over Alana Watson's voice, she is an absolute sensation, especially atop this dazzling display. The whole track flows like a fantastic voyage aboard the world's most luxurious yacht with a continuous, never ending party. It is flashing lights and flights of fancy, free of fear and devoid of despair. It doesn't get any more upbeat or outrageously uplifting than this ringing resplendence.

#22: Planningtorock - Beulah Loves Dancing
I cannot help but 1) grin ear to ear and 2) sing along to the lyrics, whenever this one comes on. It is exceedingly catchy, heavenly, heartening and brilliantly built. The way the strings play is gorgeous and groovy and the way the electronic bits slide around them is truly sensational. Add in the story elements, and their roles in Powerhouse, and you've got the best track on one of the best albums of the year.

#21: Kevin de Vries - Aratak
Apart from perhaps #7 in this list, there may be no more powerful track released this year. Seeing Monika Kruse drop it with the Eiffel Tower in the background only adds to this incredible intensity, as does the way she played with it. That Cercle set is when I really fell for it, but there's no discounting the unreal alien design and fantastical flare of the studio version. Afterlife as a whole had a fantastic year, but this big build and even more epic release makes for one of the best tracks of the year.

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
FOLLOW JIM-E STACK: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Top 100 Tracks Of 2017: 25-1

Continuation of the list started Tuesday: from 100-76, which also includes my disclaimer/preamble. The middle sections can be found here: from 75-51 & 50-26. Soundcloud playlist here and at the bottom.

#25: M-City J.R. - Addicted To My Ex (Taylor Thomas x KGTO Remix)
Of all the remixes in this list, there is no original that I'd be less likely to listen to (save for "All Star," although I certainly did when it came out in 1999). That being said this is one of the top 10 remixes of the year. It combines the loco lyrics that made the original so strange yet alluring, with a brand new ballsy delivery. Whether you have an ex like this or not, you'll certainly be flexing those trap arms when the dope drops screech in. It is absolute madness, especially in the fantastic "aahh" samples.

#24: Caveman - Life Or Just Living (Lil Hank Remix)
(As featured on EFYE) No track in this list invokes as warm a feeling and sure smile as this one. It was my introduction to Lil Hank and while I love "Pupperino" and "A Young Puppo Is Born," it remains my favourite of the bunch. It features Hank's delightful drum delivery and playful warmth that can only come from such a good boy. You can always count on him pick you up at your worst moments, and that's exactly what this track does. It is so supremely buoying that it feels as though you're bounding weightlessly across the Sea of Tranquility. Yet it's not alien at all, it feels just like home.

#23: Sinjin Hawke - Monolith (Overture)
Album openings are tricky. I'm not a fan of innocuous intros that do or say nothing. And dropping the best track right from the get go isn't really appropriate either. Sinjin is able to avoid that issue, while seemingly confronting both flaws, head on. The orchestral warm-up sets up the explosive fire of the album, while giving way to the "Wolves" vocal sample. And while there's still another track from First Opus to come, this was certainly in the conversation for best track on the album. It features all the elements that make First Opus my album of the year. It is big and bold, yet sprightly and spirited. The way the drums and vocals work and play together is utterly intoxicating.

#22: Oliver - Go With It (ft. Chromeo)
Chromeo always stir up something deep inside, but maybe I just better leave the lyrics to them. I too "feel some type of way" when they play next to me, "and I'm not tryna hide it/.../and I'm not gonna fight it." Yes, I absolutely love this, but I suppose we're here for why. It is of course uber funky and fun, combining the electro grooves of Oliver and vivacious vocal play of Chromeo. Each iteration of the synths are strong and self-assured. No matter what kind of day you're having, you'll be strutting when this comes on, any annoyances or aggravations will roll right off your shoulder.

#21: Everything Everything - Night Of The Long Knives
Last summer I had the pleasure of taking in Everything Everything live and was immediately blown away. Jonathan Higgs' potent voice spun circles around my head both in spite of and because of the mystifying lyrics (see "No Reptiles"). This led to their album Get To Heaven becoming one of my all-time favs, I just couldn't get enough. When the follow-up, A Fever Dream, was released I spent the whole day listening to it on repeat, particularly this lead track. It has everything I'd come to love about Everything Everything, and more. Higgs' voice is even more powerful, the drums/guitar/bass even more magnificent, and the lyrics even more mystifying. Just try to play this a couple times without being swept up, joining in the with the singing. This Thanksgiving I was still riding so high on this track that I literally walked around the house all night singing "shame about your neighborhood."

Charts and Recent Favourites

Charts can countdown the top tracks or they can quite simply be a collection of recommended tracks, a al Beatport. Everyone's done one, even Obama. Of course that means you can't possibly listen to all the tracks on everyone's chart, but like mixes, the DJs behind them can become trusted taste-makers. That being said, I've been inspired to make my own 'chart' or playlist of recent favourites after having enjoyed nearly all the tracks in Boy 8-Bit's aptly named Boy 8-Bit's "Want You" To Buy These Chart. Note that like his chart, it's not necessarily all brand new productions, but rather productions new to me.Not much to say about the tracks except that they are all super strong productions, generally on the more relaxed housy side. Just some good clean fun. Also note that the final three tracks are only available via Soundcloud's annoying GO feature, but I've linked them via Spotify below.

1. Four Tet - Scientists
2. Jim-E Stack - Deadstream
3. Flight Facilities ft. Emma Louise - Arty Boy (Swindail Remix)
4. Sébastien Léger - Model D
5. Boy 8-Bit - Want You (Mason Remix)
6. Tale Of Us & Vaal - Monument (Barnt Remix)
7. D33J - Wisp (ft. Baths)
8. Hercules & Love Affair ft. Sharon Van Etten - Omnion (Joe Goddard Remix)
9. Joe Goddard - Home (Eric Kupper Remix)
10. The xx - On Hold (Jamie xx Remix)

Best Free Xmas MP3s

By now I'm sure everyone's done opening their gifts and have taken advantage of some great deals, and since there's nothing better than free, I return after a two day hiatus, bearing the gift of free music.

Arriving today on soundcloud was this wonderful rework of Disclosure and Lorde's "Magnets" from rising star, Dom Dias. It's a really nice peeled back version that glides out of your speakers; it's a little less bass heavy than the previous tracks we've heard from Dom, but the production value is most certainly on par. The ebb and flow of the synths are greatly complimented by a bouncy and fluttering bass drop; the atmospheric sounds of the loons and gusts of wind evoke a live performance at your cottage. The real magic and brilliance lies in the superb drum 'pattern,' which is in scare-quotes because after listening multiple times, I'm still not sure I can pick up on it but damn it's sounds good.

I'm not sure where MDK was when he wrote "Snowdown," but since this has undoubtedly been the Christmas without snow, it's either a cheeky joke or some kind of dark magic that conjures the white stuff when played; some kind of so called snow-dance. MDK brings his unmistakable style to the holiday spirit, great bright, bleepy and bouncy electro drum and bass, that is taken to the next level with his expert ear for sound effects. The sleigh bells, "Santa's getting funky," and laughter samples always make MDK a force to be reckoned with but "Snowdown" reaches a higher level, grab this crowd-pleaser and make sure it finds its way into your New Years Eve playlist. Daktyl delivered on Christmas day putting his mark on Odesza's "Light." Even with the ridiculously massive year he's had this track could be his best of the year. Everything that we've come to expect from Daktyl has been packaged super nicely in this mix; his production value and effect sampling is unparalleled, most notably with the rattling sound that evokes a spray-paint can. His unbelievably ear for atmosphere supports the beyond beautiful vocals from Little Dragon. The spinning and whirling of effects on the drops is what sets Daktyl apart and he seemingly delivered his most dynamic production to date. Shlohmo brought a whole sack of freebies, with Chet Faker, Jim-E-Stack, Baauer and Jacques Greene dropping remixes of Shlohmo's Dark Red EP. Whereas the above three tracks were bright and warm, the four remixes below are far more dark and brooding. All of the mixes have contrasting feels and bring different things to the table. Of course the Chet Faker mix of "Remains" stands out in large part due to his intoxicating vocals, but it's the overall technological vibe and feel from the heart monitoring beeps and incessant typing that sends countless shivers down your spine. Jim-E-Stack's clicky and otherwise delicate mix is truly a "Slow Descent" into the mind of his genius, it sounds as though it could have been plucked right out of Jamie xx's In Colour. Both Baauer and Jacques Greene take on "Ten Days Of Falling," and although their style of productions are so different they both found a way to get the best out of Shlohmo's original. Of course Baauer's mix is more bass heavy and trap inspired, it is the massive atmosphere that shines through, there's no room large enough to hold all that is Baauer and his brilliance. Greene however seems to always find the perfect balance; his productions always evoke an epic journey though his finely tuned and crafted sounds. I nearly forgot about this gem from Ryme, because I've had it in my super secret exclusive folder since the summer, but if you've been fortunate enough to catch one of their amazing sets you very well could have heard their masterful remix of Anna Lunoe's "Satisfaction." Their use of 'simple' effects pan, reverb, delay, echo and flange make this an absolute club killer. The beat and rhythm is never lost and always succeeds in surrounding and propping up it's listeners. Get your shuffle and drop this one into your New Years Eve playlist, where you'll undoubtedly take your BADLQQK to a whole new level. We end with my favourite look for Skrillex, abandoning his quest for creating the heaviest, grimiest tracks, is when we get the most creatively beautiful tracks from his undoubted genius. This haunting and bewitching collaboration with Tennyson and White Sea, is perhaps better suited for Halloween as the synth work reminds me of Wendy Carlos' theme from the Shining. However it is the light yet powerful piano chords that, when combined with the vocals, makes this track inescapable. Just try listening to it once, I have a hard time believing you'll be the same; it'll change you for the better.