X&G ft. josh pan - Gravity (Far & Few Remix)

Clean, meticulously crafted bass music seems to really be capturing attention at the moment, and perhaps one of the best offerings in the last couple years came when X&G combined forces with josh pan. Their dynamic powerhouse "Gravity" offers that at times sparse yet still crazy commanding chords with some of the darkest, most virile design. Repackaged by Far & Few this week, the track's cosmic force is hellaciously hot, burning brighter than a super nova. Its immense magnitude invokes utter powerlessness and sheer awe as the work of beings too big for our imaginations stir the interstellar soup. "Gravity" is violent and oppressive through sheer effectiveness in the delivery, not at all an intolerable wall of sound. Likely to rip a black hole on the dance floor, Far & Few once again deliver a smash success, one which you can acquire free via Hive here. Follow their socials below!FOLLOW X&G: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
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A November To Remember

I've spoken/written about it being club season ad nauseam lately, so I'm here put an end to that with one fell swoop. This November is going to be one to remember; as you can see above, there are at least a dozen artists I'll be making my way to the clubs to see. So read along below as I do a quick detailing of the 5 Ws, setting up the massive month of music ahead. I'll include links to tickets, Facebook event pages and most importantly, music to whet your appetite. Hope to see you out!

NOV 3 - Trippy Turtle w/ Henrik The Artist @ Velvet Underground
November starts off with a bang, with perhaps my most anticipated show of the whole month. I've been waiting for Trippy Turtle to come for years and even more so for Henrik The Artist, who I've gushed over several times on this blog. In my eyes there is no better Jersey Club bootleg artist than Trippy Turtle nor is there a more kawaii chiptune composer than Henrik. Over the past while, I've found my feet more glued to the floor than ever, but I'm confident the craziness that these two will conjure from the speakers will have me back bouncing up and down like I were a teenager again. The Velvet Underground is perhaps the perfect venue for such a wild and wacky show (RSVP/Tickets).

NOV 4 - Great Good Fine OK @ The Garrison
To be honest I can't remember where/when I first heard GGFO, but I do know that the song I first heard, "By My Side," immediately gripped me. Jon Sandler's falsetto vocals are stunningly beautiful and play perfectly with the sublime synth pop construction of their songs. They're funky and groovy and I can't wait for their vibes to wash over me in the comfy confines of The Garrison (RSVP/Tickets).

NOV 11 - RL Grime w/ graves & Kittens @ Danforth Music Hall
Trap titan RL Grime brings his Nova Tour to the big stage, with support from graves and Kittens. Other than TNGHT, no one has made a bigger or longer lasting effect on trap than RL. All evidence (his most recent releases "Era" and Halloween VI) suggests this is going to be absolute madness. Add to the bill rising stars and badasses in their own right, graves and Kittens, and you can see why this is a can't miss event for those that demand the best booty and brain shaking bass (RSVP/Tickets).

NOV 17 - Pete Tong @ UNIUN
Now most people know Pete Tong as the inimitable voice behind BBC Radio One's Essential Mix, but less know about his mixing and production abilities. While he skews more towards baleric, which doesn't really suit Toronto mid-November, he is of course incredibly versatile, dabbling in all things electronic and dance. Even if he breaks out just one of his Classic House orchestral pieces, the trip to UNIUN is well warranted. Expect the atmosphere to be warm, friendly and fun (RSVP/Tickets).

NOV 18 - Mura Masa w/ Lunice @ Danforth Music Hall
Both of these amazing artists dropped their debut albums this year, and both are incredibly well respected in the music sphere, just take a look at the long list of features on either album. While both craft incredibly infectious club tunes, the mix of dirty dusters from Lunice and clean crisp cuts from Mura Masa makes for one of the most magical nights in recent memory. Even though this will be the 3rd time seeing Mura Masa in around a year, this is without a doubt one of my most anticipated shows in that same time frame. These a truly two legends, and an absolute can't miss event (RSVP/Tickets).

NOV 23 - Ekali w/ josh pan & Y2K @ Velvet Underground
This month of madness gets capped off with perhaps the most mayhem one bill can handle. By now you better know about Ekali, and to be fair, I've covered just as much josh pan and Y2K as Ekali on this blog. It is however Ekali's Babylon tour and he's got his own stage production set up, although it will likely have to be scaled back to fit Velvet's smaller stage. And while it's a shame (visually), the intimate atmosphere will only improve the onslaught of energy. Each of these three have dabbled in a diverse range of sounds/styles, so I'm not sure what to expect, except the unexpected (RSVP/Tickets).

As above, I'm aiming to attend each of these six shows (health permitting, as my body often fights me following back to back late nights), and as usual I'll likely be live tweeting. Follow me @OggieJames, catch coverage here and on Bump In The Hump, and perhaps I'll see you in the clubs!

hyleo x sakuraburst - Galaxy Cutter

After cutting myself away from the internet for two days, I opened my browser this morning and went right to Soundcloud to quell my craving for new music. Now I should say that I don't often click on the first track in my feed, because it's usually either a literal promoted track (that I've already heard or don't want to hear) or some other 'promoted' track (that's been reposted way too many times). However today was different. That first track was a 'playlist' from the UK's sakuraburst, used to promote his track with hyleo, "Galaxy Cutter." I'm surprised that I've never written about sakuraburst here as I've enjoyed his stuff since his Purity Ring "Begin Again" remix and more recently his collab with Josh Pan. But their qualities aside, "Galaxy Cutter" is a track unlike many, if any, I've ever encountered. It's complex in its arc, at once banging and beautiful, funky and full of fire, godly, glitchy and there's a guitar solo to boot.
"Galaxy Cutter" comes in sweet, soundtracking a sublime ceremony. It feels like waking up in a new video game landscape; your eyes are bleary, battered by chiptuned bleeps and buzzes. The carefree chords bounce brightly, while the drums whip you up into a frenzy. Then there's the first of many fiery flourishes, that while wickedly wild, still satisfy even the most reticent and reluctant raver. The entire atmosphere of "Galaxy Cutter" is epic. It's got a gravity of its own, buckling under its own beauty, before bursting into a blaze of bass. The final piece, and killer capstone, of this great wonder is the guitar at 3:35, and it's role as God sticking his finger in this primordial soup, stirring it to perfection. This track truly has it all: cutting emotional intensity, utterly exciting breaks and drops, and masterful musicality. Become the blind watchmaker and get "Galaxy Cutter" for yourself from Bandcamp, here.

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josh pan re-uploads two tracks

First off, I want to apologize for incorrectly capitalizing josh pan's name in all of my previous posts. I always try to follow what the artist has put forward in terms of stylization, but between the many social media platforms there's often inconsistencies, and my default mode is to capitalize proper names. But that's all beside the point of this post, which is to showcase two new old tracks from the man himself.

Late last night josh took to his secondary souncloud account to post what he's called "old bootlegs & things." First was a bootleg of Brandy and Monica "The Boy Is Mine." It shows off serious vocal chops and pan's penchant for the piano. He maintains much of the original R&B vibe while reupping it with a deeper, darker, futuristic jazz feel. It's unlike anything I've come across, but that's just josh pan. The second shining example of josh's genius is his remix of Janet Jackson's "If I Was Your Girl." It too has a futuristic jazz club vibe, just a little brighter and more fluid than "tbim" above.

Upon first pressing play I thought "damn this is pretty cool," and let it play out. I then went on to look at twitter, reply to a text message, and talk to my cat, all while letting "if" glide along in the background. Nearing the end of the track I awoke from my multitasking mania and wondered what this brilliance was that I had been listening to. There is no better indication in my mind as to when a track is truly meritorious, it is equally as enjoyable when paying the utmost attention as it is when it's in the background. Download both for free via ToneDen, follow his second account here, and others below. FOLLOW JOSH PAN: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

3 videos that encapsulate Destructo's Halloween set at The Hoxton

Once again The Hoxton played host to one of the wildest nights imaginable, seeing the like of legends, Felix Da Housecat and Destructo take the decks, with support from Sita Abellan and Cosella B2B with Maddmon, last minute fill-ins for Josh Pan who was unable to cross the border without his passport. I truly have no idea how many times I've been to The Hoxton. I've seen countless crazy, ratchet and lit shows, but this one was certainly one for the books. I had been lamenting The Hoxton's new LED screens and the fact that they take up so much room onstage, which meant a lack of room for VIPs and hype crews. This didn't stop Destructo who kept inviting people (mostly and almost exclusively girls) on stage, despite security constantly sending them back down. Being a Halloween themed event, there was not only a lot to see, but it meant that people were really letting lose. Destructo led this charge and established this ethos early. Apologies for the audio quality, this was my first night with my new phone and haven't perfected my abilities yet, at least the video is better than it was with the last phone.

Destructo played to, and with the crowd for nearly two hours, which meant he had an extended playlist that included a number of his own tracks, "Technology," "Dare You 2 Move," "Higher," "Catching Plays," and a number of new and exclusive tracks, including a forthcoming track with Snoop Dogg.

Perhaps the best video to illustrate just how crazy the night got is this one where the stage became totally overloaded with fans, leaving security utterly helpless. But as Destructo kept saying, as long as you leave the DJ equipment alone, you can do whatever you want.

As Destructo himself said when he played Vindata and Wax Motif's "Crazy," Toronto is "f*cking crazy," and he loves playing here. He prefaced that by saying, while most DJs say that no matter what, and where they are, he truly meant it. We can be confident he spoke the truth since he professed his love for Toronto in a recent interview with TRC. I can only hope that we get to see Destructo here again soon, and that next time, Josh Pan remembers his passport. Pan has vowed to "make it up to [...] Toronto."

12 tracks for the last weekend in August

With summer drawing to a close, it seems people are rushing around trying to take advantage of whatever time is left under the empowering and freeing summer sun. This being the last weekend August, I too am feeling the push to post up lakeside and relax. So before my family and I head to the cottage for this last stretch of summer, I've compiled a list of 12 new tracks that will make your time pass that much more enjoyably. Even better, the majority of these tracks are up for free download. The first three or four tracks are rough, raw and hard hitting trap numbers from big names Masayoshi Iimori, Slumberjack, San Holo and Josh Pan. Slumberjack and San Holo are back with new originals, while Iimori and Pan build on their already inimitable styles with two massive remixes. After taking on Kanye West earlier in the week, Josh Pan now takes on Amerie's "1 Thing." Following that is a brilliant bootleg from German producer, Bibo of classic Skylar Grey "Love The Way You Lie." The next four tracks are extremely bright, futuristic tracks from Italian, Mordecai, Frenchman Offramp, Pluto and Ye. and Sweater Beats. The following track from Bonnie and Clyde is somehow able to combine many of the styles from the previous tracks. "Tonight" is part future bass, part house, part trap, part tropical; a blissful balance between pop and bass.  The duo of Los Angelenos, DJCJ and Bloodtone rework Kevin Gates' "Really Really" to perfection, calling me back to Dr. Fresch's "Gangsta Gangsta." Rounding things out in the best way I know how, with UZ's joint remix with MYRNE of his own "Trap Shit 16." It's always awesome when an original artist remixes their own work but the touch of MYRNE takes it to the next level, as a true work of art. Follow through for all of the download links and get your own copy of the tracks above.

Kanye West - Touch The Sky (Josh Pan Rehab)

Enigmatic producer, Josh Pan just dropped what could be his best bootleg, in what he's calling his 'rehab' version of Kanye West's "Touch The Sky." And that's saying something, considering Pan's prolific "It G Ma" opus remix. This one may be a mini-opus; a higher concentration of thoughtful production, perfectly suited to the manipulated lyrics. From the atmospheric opening with Yeezy testifying "Imma touch the sky" and the following vicious explosion, the track oozes with an ominous intensity. It's no surprise that Kanye and Josh Pan would be a perfect pairing, as they are both consummate artists, and unique personalities. "Touch The Sky" is the symbiosis of music and lyrics, amplifying each other. If a track could truly make someone fly this would be it.Get your free piece of sky here.

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Yung Bae - Bae 2

I simply cannot get enough of Dallas Cotton's triumphant return to his Yung Bae persona, in the form of the absolutely awesome 12 track, Bae 2 EP. The Portland prodigy has successfully combined disco, funk and vaporwave, by slapping some nu-/post- and future vibes all over a slew of collaborations with the likes of Swindail, Flamingosis, Luca Lush, Josh Pan, and Yung Aloha. I'm always taken aback when artists, particularly electronic artists, are able to create such a cohesive arc through an extended list of tracks, but that's exactly what Yung Bae has achieved. Bookended by thoughful intros and outros, Bae 2 is a tremendous, loving album, that warms the heart and invokes a throwback dance party of the ages. Personally, my favourite track "Ain't Nobody Like You," really gets me going, with the brilliant use of Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me." Available for the incredibly low price of two dollars, you'd be a fool not to get yourself a copy. SUPPORT YUNG BAE: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER