KUU on Diplo & Friends

A new source of optimism arose in the beginning of this month. With little fanfare, KUU first appeared on the scene July 6th with the release of "Twisted Melons Mix Vol. 1." One week later they followed it with a remix of Madonna's "Ray Of Light." Their first proper introduction came a mere three days later as the new grouping of Riton, Shungudzo and Alex Metric (left to right above) released their debut original "How Could I Ever."

For more than a decade Riton and Metric have been making their mark through both solo and collaborative projects and have become staples of the scene, each garnering a Grammy along the way. Now working together with Shungudzo, KUU has the makings of a supergroup and with an appearance on this weekend's Diplo & Friends, we're getting a taste of what they've got in store. The hour long session has more than a handful of new KUU exclusives (originals and otherwise), classics from Happy Mondays, Rocker's Revenge, and Le Knight Club alongside a couple more recent releases.

An obvious fit for Ibiza, as it's where their name comes (KU Club which has since become Privilege Ibiza), KUU have captured the easy-going, warm and eclectic nature of the island, both in their productions and the mix itself. While that might preclude us from predicting just what KUU could do in the future, we can only imagine that it'll be house driven and, considering the quality of its producers, dutifully done. Highly accessible and utterly intoxicating, "How Could I Ever" is a brilliant start, and the other originals in the mix, "Riding In Your Car" and "Voices," seem equally exciting and inspired. Follow KUU at the bottom, find their Diplo & Friends mix via BBC Sounds here or stream via Mixcloud below.FOLLOW KUU: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

SOPHIE - Just Like We Never Said Goodbye (Qim Flip)

Casual fans will know SOPHIE for the equally massive tracks "Msmsmsm" and "Lemonade" from the hyper-kinetic album Product.  Bigger fans will know her widespread songwriting and production credits for the likes of Madonna, Charli XCX, and Vince Staples. To say that 2017 was a big year for her would be a vast understatement. She was on two of the biggest tracks of the year with Cashmere Cat and Lunice, as well as her own stunning breakout "It's Okay To Cry." And while we look forward to her album Whole New World, I can't help but share a remix of what was my favourite track from Product.

Qim's first release comes in the form a future bass remix of SOPHIE's "Just Like We Never Said Goodbye." The allure of the original is clear, while in stark contrast to the aforementioned cuts from Product. It is more of a standard song, subverting the psychotic stabs and fearsome flourishes that most have come to know SOPHIE for. It is at once bright and beautiful, yet also dark and haunting. While the unhinged club quality of SOPHIE is undeniable, this track has harnessed that energy, directing it into an incredible piece of art, which in my mind sets the stage for "It's Okay To Cry."

As I often say with remixes of this nature, you must tread lightly, in effort to both maintain the original's artistry and not debase its allure. Qim has done that quite well. The raw nature of his future bass flip works perfectly with SOPHIE's original. The new upbeat and optimistic drop is a more overt example of the heights achieved in the original, and yet it still plays perfectly with the careening chords and sub-bass that kept it grounded and sneakily sad. I find I'm still partial to a lot of future bass and the potential it holds, and it is generally the drums fills that seal the quality, to which Qim has delivered. The lead into the drops just always seems to hit my heart in the right place, making this a surefire second and third listen candidate. You'll have to get those on Soundcloud though as no download is currently available.FOLLOW QIM: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW SOPHIE: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER