Enlightened Listening for July 10

Back to our normal Spotify format for this week's edition of Enlightened Listening. The weather is still at its peak so I'll keep things short. My favourite labels had a big day here as All Day I Dream, This Never Happened, Anjuna, Afterlife and Night Bass all deliver the quality I've come to expect. There's another taste of Tensnake's forthcoming album in new single "Strange Without You." Prins Thomas appears twice, first alongside Lindstrøm and then again with an epic album in Træns (which I can't wait to get properly lost in). Like the latter, Low:r's EP will certainly help me power over the hills on my next bike ride, as will the equally awesome Ekcle track "Sosen Yahn." Filling out the rest of the playlist are strong singles from Good Times Ahead x Tony Romera, Goldroom x Moontower, and Jessy Lanza, as well as remixes from Yuksek, The Glitch Mob and Madeaux. Find each individual release linked below. Enjoy!

Roy Rosenfeld - Lift Of Love

Tensnake - Strange Without (ft. Daramola)

Good Times Ahead & Tony Romera - Let Go

Goldroom & Moontower - Guess I'm Jaded

All We Are - Not Your Man (Yuksek Remix)

Cut Copy - Cold Water (Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas Remix)

Jessy Lanza - Anyone Around

Le Youth - Waves

Prins Thomas - Træns

Yotto - Another Riff For The Good Times / Daydreaming

Alfa Romero - 1001 Nights

Ekcle - Sosen Yahn

Low:r - The Journey

Ilan Eshkeri & Shigeru Umebayashi - Saikuron (The Glitch Mob Remix)

William Bolton - High Fashion (Madeaux Remix)

NOY & Jordan Burns - Like Me

Top 100 Tracks Of 2018: 100-76

Starting today through Monday, I'll be revealing my list of the "Top 100 Tracks Of 2018." The following is my disclaimer, as I feel it important to preface this kind of list with some insight into its creation and the methodology behind it. While I spent a lot of time seriously pouring through this year of music, this is not a really a serious endeavour. No one was polled. Sales and streams are irrelevant. This is merely my fun way of sharing the tracks and artists that made my year better, in hopes they do the same for you. The rankings are not scientific or even fair, rather they are simply a reflection of how strongly I felt these tracks and how much praise I felt they deserved.

Unlike my previous lists (2017 and 2016 respectively), you'll see that I did my best to refrain from repeating artists, attempting to focus on one unique release. That said, the thread of disco/funk continues from last year, as once again it dominated my consumption. But once again you'll notice I touch on a variety of genres, while sticking to the brand of this blog, which is indeed a reflection of my personal preferences and ideals. While last year I noticed a relatively low amount of 'club' music, certainly in comparison to the amount of time I spent in clubs, that trend has seemingly reversed (on both counts). There's a lot of pop music but unlike last year, you won't find anything like London Grammar occupying the 8th spot. Everything is at least electronic adjacent, and like Bump In The Hump, I've in essence split EDM into electronic and dance, allowing for a slightly wider birth.

Finally, I will once again say that this is by no means an exhaustive list; there are without a doubt exceptional tunes that somehow failed to make the cut. However, onward and, in this case, downward, from tracks 100 to 76 we go. Find the Soundcloud playlist here and at the bottom of the page.

May 28 Disco Delights

Scrolling through my Soundcloud I found the usual onslaught of pop/rap remixes/bootlegs and clips of dubstep tracks, but I'm finding disco edits sprinkled in more and more. So much so that I've decided to share some of today's finds paired with a couple I never got a chance to showcase previously. Check out the playlist below, grab the free downloads where available and get your week off to a strong start.

Flight Facilities ft. Broods, Reggie Watts & Saro - Stranded (Late Night Tuff Guy Remix)*
Supremely smooth delivery from the legendary down under disco deity. Truly an awe-inspiring production from every angle. Each element plays its role perfectly, seeming organic and effortless.

Lindstrom ft. Ronika - Didn't Know Better (Remix)
Beautiful, bright and bouncy number that thrives through its drums and synth work pushing the original to new heights. When Ronika and the original return the anthemic quality kicks in, reminding us that Lindstrom is a leader in all things disco house.

T-Connection - At Midnight (Soul Bombs Rework)*
It's hard to make it through a disco set without coming across either SanFranDisko's edit or any other Soul Bombs production, but this version differentiates itself with a more high tempo, jacking groove. It is a filter fun fest that exploits the awesome bassline, punchy percussion and sweet strings.

Sister Sledge - We Are Family (Barry Harris 2018 House Remix)*
Yet another classic track retouched by Barry Harris. While it's called house, the heart remains defiantly disco. Great groove led by a funky fat bassline, warm chords, and pleasurable piano.

Peter Gabriel - Steam (Petko Turner Funky Edit)*
The prolific Petko continues to impress with each subsequent edit. Although the original is already funky, this version is even more so. It adds extra oomph focusing on drums while sneaking the horns in underneath the wall of thundering percussion. Turner's treatment of the vocals deserves an extra nod.

Philip Bailey & Phil Collins - Easy Lover (Mean Fiddler 12 Inched Regroove)*
Maybe it's just me but little can compare to disco edits of 80s classics. Like LNTG's edit above this too is satiny smooth. The cool and captivating core of the original remains relatively intact while extended for extra enjoyment and dance-floor filling fun.

* denotes free download

Top 100 Tracks of 2017: 75-51

Continuation of the list started yesterday: from 100-76, which also includes my disclaimer/preamble. Soundcloud playlist here and at the bottom.

#75: WRLD - Everything (ft. Ashdown)
One of only two DnB tracks on this list. It is delightful and spectacular sci-fi fun. The groove and its subsequent glitches are genius. It reminds me of Fred V & Grafix, which is saying something, and boy oh boy could I get into a set of this kind of liquid lusciousness.

#74: Falcons - Want Your Body
I can't count how many times I've heard this track, yet I still feel like it eludes my ability to properly characterize its quality. It's kind of sneaky, yet once it kicks in there's no avoiding its allure. The drum work is absolutely ingenious, propelling the production into a stratosphere unrivaled by any other tracks released this year. It is original and excellent, truly in a class of its own, but that's standard for Falcons.

#73: Ayo - Name Game
(As featured on EFYE) When a track doesn't need quality speakers to sound massive you know you've got something special. The bass Ayo's dropped here is quite simply the biggest thing in this whole list. In fact I'm fairly certain that if you play this on a big system, a hole in the time-space continuum is ripped open. Heed his advice and "play that shit again" and again and again.

#72: OAKS - Vibrations
Another almost old-school style track that takes me back to my early days exploring electronic music. It's got a great club churning groove that plays so perfectly with the synths and overall atmosphere. It's both wild yet some how still tempered in its tech house delivery. I swear I hadn't realized it until I played it live on Bump In The Hump, but I stand by my comparison to Boy 8-Bit, my favourite electronic artist.

#71: Jaxx Da Fishworks - Round Em Up
The typically house heavy BADLQQK crew had a huge year, and while there were several standouts, (particularly their RQQKIES) it was actually this breaks track that most caught my attention. Of course drums are the most important aspect of breaks, and boy do they ever do damage here. It's wobbly, warped and wicked good fun. And it's not just BADLQQK who had a big year, expect to see another track from Jaxx work its way into this list.

#70: Bicep - Aura
(As featured on EFYE) The unreleased Bicep track finally got its release after more than a year of magical teasing, and while it'll be remembered by most as a delirium-inducing demo, there's little better than having a full official release to play when and where we want. While I'll always be a sucker for their remix of "Tears I Can Afford," this may be Bicep at their best, navigating the line between a knock you off your feet, wall of sound and a feather-like tickling of your senses. Simply sublime.

Flume ft. Beck - Tiny Cities (Lindstrom & Prins Thomas Remix)

While 2016 saw seemingly infinite remixes (with wide ranging quality) of Flume and his album, 2017 has just garnered a genius, flamboyant flip of "Tiny Cities," from veteran collaborators Lindstrom and Prins Thomas. Stretching over 8 minutes, the remix leaves Flume's original development in dust, instead rebuilding with a foundation of fine tuned, disco house vibes. Oddly enough the track seems to overflow the 8:18 mark, ending abruptly, making me wonder whether this is the final product. The only two links on the internet are this soundcloud link from Lindstrom himself, and a youtube video posted to "Music Therapy 2," and neither have buy/download options. UPDATE JAN 8: The track now has a proper ending (running 10:26), however remains unavailable for download/purchase.

Whatever the case, this dance session is easily one of the best things to hit the internet today and deserves instant recognition. From the delectable drum beat at the beginning with each uplifting chord sequence, so brilliantly designed, to the flickering soloing synths at the 3:05 mark, each layer is crafted with the utmost quality and care. But the true culmination comes when each and every element join together in incredible harmony (in and around 4:20, 8:00). Beck's voice leads and bounces around so beautifully in the miniature metropolis Lindstrom and Prins Thomas have re-engineered. This is the kind of track that effortlessly overcomes the senses, easing you into a state of euphoria. It oozes with the feelings of triumph and warmth; the musical equivalent of the comfort of sleeping on a bed of clouds. I hope the ending to gets a resolution, and an official release. Fingers crossed. Until then enjoy the stream here or on youtube, and follow Lindstrom and Prins Thomas for more quality disco house tunes.

FOLLOW LINDSTROM: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW PRINS THOMAS: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW FLUME: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW BECK: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER