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.
Kieran Hebdan or KH, more widely known as Four Tet seems to be in the process of unloading a whole host of previously unreleased content. Last year we were treated to his track "Only Human," an incredible weapon which featured the finally cleared sample of Nelly Furtado. Today we're getting more of that kind of quality, albeit seemingly uncleared. At the time of writing, Hebdan has posted seven tracks, ranging from alternate versions of his own productions to bootlegs like that of "Only Human."
The first, and likely most exciting track, "LMB KH version" also found fame in his 2018 Essential Mix. The drumline early on in the track reveals it to be his beautiful take on Destiny's Child's "Lose My Breath." Ridiculously resplendent and overflowing with luster, it is exactly what we've come to love about Four Tet/KH. The following two tracks revert back to the Four Tet name as "Angel Echoes" get a VIP version with an upped tempo, while "128 oceans" seems to be a demo from his recent album, Sixteen Oceans. Another KH hit comes next as the percussion again runs rampant in "KH my money's gone." I'm not clear on whether this is a remix or where the sample is from, but it seems this has been played in sets or mixes before as there are a couple comments indicating anticipation around its release. Like the Destiny's Child before, this is another epic, powerful and acid touched offering, which removes int from the following three releases. These last three "Filter drums 132," "Raga to midi W" and "MTS guitar demo" are more generally ethereal and largely unfinished. However this does not preclude them from being brilliant in their own right as "Filter drums 132" has a real sweep you off your feet quality, while the latter two showcase thoughtful, introspective qualities which would make them perfect for mediation and yoga.
Each of these seven tracks is available absolutely free, and in the event that more are released, I will update below. Otherwise, enjoy and be sure to follow Four Tet's socials below for more of his magic.
UPDATE 2: The content dump continues into its second day. Eight new tracks have been added bringing the grand total to 16. He's since tweeted that "SoSick KH VERSION" was the last of them and to be quick with the downloads as they may be taken down. Enjoy while you can!
Last week, duo Cloverdale unleashed their Eat That Remixes, with their own VIP version coming early enough that I was able to slide it into last week's episode. We'll once again return to that east coast well for one of ASUR, AWAL or dope's remixes, all of which can be copped absolutely free below.In another absolutely jam packed two hour, all Canadian extravaganza, we've got a handful of Radio Humber first plays, as well as some of our most played artists including CastNowski, Tennyson and Memphis. There's more free downloads than you can shake a stick at, plus one of the best sample driven productions in recent memory as KH (Keiran Hebden) aka Four Tet flips Nelly Furtado's "Afraid" into garage genius. All that and more live from 7-9 PM EST here or after the fact on Mixcloud.
Fridays never fail, and while last week was a tough one to follow, we're once again greeted with a solid selection of new releases. For this edition of Enlightened Listening, I've opted to focus on single tracks, despite a number of the tracks selected appearing on larger releases. Stream and read below.
Barry & Gibbs - I Feel Your Love
The duo's run of originals continues with a brilliant, sample-driven party starter. Groove ready! KH - Only Human
Kieran Hebdan (aka Four Tet) has been rinsing this Nelly Furtado 'remix' for quite some time. Incredibly hypnotic, it's sure to turn any dance-floor into a tribal rave ritual. Tennyson - Melonpan
The awe-inspiring genius of Luke & Tess is once again on full display, spinning their way into our hearts with this beyond beautiful number. A truly sublime soundscape. DROELOE - Only Be Me (Duskus Remix)
The kind of track that warms the cockles of your heart. Reassuring resplendence. My favourite track of the bunch, it is incredibly accessible yet not so drenched in pop that it becomes one of the masses. Sébastian Léger - Sablier
Fluttery and floating, Seb stays high in the sky with this one, offering up another progressive piece. Donae'o ft. Belly - Chalice (Chase & Status Remix)
These four minutes fly along, as Chase & Status built a brilliant bed for Donae'o and Belly to do their work. Killer, ominous vibes. Skene Music - Almost Acid
Seems John has wiped his Soundcloud and Spotify catalogs clean, perhaps with acid? Sorry. If this is his new avenue, I'm totally here for it as the progression and movement here is sick. Almost as sick as the drops, ugh. Heviicide & Circuit FreaQ - Headbanger
Bursting at the seams, this is one wild number. Electric and explosive, of course it lives up to its name. Tony Romera - Grimey
Mean and menacing, do not take Tony Romera lightly. He comes at you from every angle: tying your shoes together, hitting you over the head with a steel chair and punching your kidneys, all at the same time.
Bump In The Hump is back on Radio Humber's main feed, 96.9 FM, for good starting tonight with the season six premiere. As always the focus remains on the newest releases from across the country, regardless of genre. Join me in discovering what our Canadian producers have cooked up every Wednesday. Stay tuned for more new interviews and guest mixes on My Mixtape, Fridays at 11 PM.
As a sneak peek at this week's episode I've got the new intro that'll be kicking off each hour. As usual the first minute is comprised of some of my favourite cuts from last season. This time it includes: Ramzoid, CastNowski, Botnek, Autoerotique and Kastra's remix of Nelly Furtado. Stream below.As always the tracklist, with links to each track, can be found on this blog, posted as the episode goes live at 6 PM EDT. For streaming after the fact, each episode is posted to mixcloud by the next day.
I've always had my choice of quality tracks to play on Bump In The Hump, but the trend of me having to cut some out each week continues. I really do agree that we're in a golden age of music (Colin's take on FUXWITHIT convinced me), and I think this show is the perfect example of that. It is always a mix of the biggest names, garnering millions of plays, and bedroom artists, just making beats. Electronic music is the most flexible medium, allowing magic to arise in infinite ways.
Last night locals, Harrison, Allie and Clairmont The Second all took the stage at Queen Street's Velvet Underground. The party follows the release of Harrison's debut album, Checkpoint Titaniumwhich features both Allie and Clairmont The Second as guest vocalists. Both openers took advantage of The Velvet Underground's small space, injecting the audience with incredible energy. Much like the last time I saw Clairmont The Second (with Tennyson at The Great Hall basement), the energetic performer took to the crowd, literally bringing his vivacity to them first hand. This was one of the themes of the night, the local, community and family feel that was ever present.
It was a special night for Clairmont who was celebrating his 19th birthday, with his crew/family there documenting the whole night, which was also the last of his tour (which saw him play 5 cities in as many nights). Many of the attendees were well versed in Clairmont's songs, singing along while riding along his dynamic delivery and flow. By the time Harrison took the stage, the crowd's energy hit a boiling point as the headliner was joined by a guitarist for a dreamy, illusory intro, at once grabbing the audience's attention and energy. He then proceeded to bring up both Allie and Clairmont for their respective tracks, "Vertigo" and "It's Okay I Promise."
By this time the crowd's energy (and perhaps inebriation) was absolutely overflowing. Dance battles were breaking out with Harrison's tracks making people faint into their friends arms. There was one particular patron whose signature move was miming a trust fall not just into his friends but into random, unsuspecting guests. This boisterous bumping was perhaps commanded by Harrison who at one point took to the mic to tell us "If you're looking at me, you're doing it wrong. Dance! Dance with yourself." This was really taken to heart by the crowd who were absolutely eating up everything Harrison brought to the table.
The who's who of Toronto electronic artists were there in support of these three fast rising talents. Sighted in the crowd were Pusher, Chet Porter, Grandtheft and Ryan Hemsworth, who also took the stage alongside Harrison, first to play their collaborative effort "Vanilla." After that success, the two played what seemed to be an impromptu B2B set which lasted a good 15 minutes until Harrison took the decks back for himself, playing popular tracks such as his remix of Nelly Furtado's "Turn Off The Light," "Right Hook" and album title track "Checkpoint Titanium." Just before the clock struck 2AM, Harrison once again invited Hemsworth to join him on stage where they declared their desire to play until security kicked them off. Despite the now dwindling numbers, the two continued to command the crowds attention dropping the likes of Shiba San's "Okay," Riton's "Rinse & Repeat," and new Mr. Oizo and Siriusmo, "All Wet."
Overall the night had the distinct feel that these young artists are the future of the Toronto scene. Harrison's combination of sound and style, new and old, and live performance are clearly forward thinking and provide a truly enjoyable experience. Even twitter account @HungoverFromFun addressed this fact, calling the three performers "the future of Toronto." Expect your friends to become familiar with the names Harrison, Allie and Clairmont The Second as the three continue to strengthen their stranglehold on the Toronto scene and expand into the mainstream consciousness.
For this week's installment in my Throwback Thursday series, it's with great pleasure that I take a stroll down memory lane to enjoy Alex Metric's magnificent remix of Bloc Party's "One More Chance."
Lately, I've been enjoying Bloc Party's triumphant return to the world of music, through their new album Hymns. It's also spurred some nostalgic re-listening to much of their masterful back catalog, especially my favourites: the raucous "Hunting For Witches," the undeniably awesome "Banquet," the torturous beauty of their cover of Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right," the inescapable groove and funk of their version of Chromeo's "Needy Girl," and of course the topic of this post, the injection of energy that is "One More Chance."
My first foray into Bloc Party came back when I used to like "How I Met Your Mother" before its disastrous and alienating final season. During the season one finale their track, "This Modern Love" plays through one of the more dramatic scenes. As is the case with television and film the music can play an integral part, invoking the nostalgic feeling whenever you hear it. In fact, there are only five tracks in my iTunes with over 100 views, and two of them hold this sentimental value, of course, "This Modern Love," as you'll see below, and the incredible power of Blonde Redhead's "Elephant Woman," as it appears in the film, Hard Candy.
But back to Alex Metric and his remix of "One More Chance." I was inspired to write about this track in part, as I said above, because of Bloc Party's new album, but also because we are nearing the five year anniversary of Alex Metric's Essential Mix. The first time I heard Alex Metric was when Pete Tong premiered his collaboration with Steve Angello "Open Your Eyes" as essential new tune and declared that it need a festival named after it, it was so large. And quite rightly so, I believe it to still be one of the best tracks to open up a set, and even one of the best tracks of all time. The chords, the uplifting nature, the acid tinged twist, and then the insanity inspiring drop complete with whirling effects and tremendous tweaks, that in turn team up for syncopated psychosis, make it a force to be reckoned with, even after more than five years. But I'll let Pete and the chune speak for themselves below:
Once again I've fallen off track, this post is supposed to be about his "One More Chance" remix. Put bluntly, Alex Metric's Bloc Party remix is all of the best parts of his repertoire. It's got the necessary electro elements, punchy piano, sweeping strings, heart throbbing basslines, and masterful vocal usage, that is only amplified by Kele Okereke's inimitable style and grace. Metric adds, subtracts and manipulates elements the way a mad scientist conjures an invincibility potion, and boy did it work. "One More Chance," sounds as good and fresh as it did when it first came out. It's like he says in his Essential Mix intro: it's his past, present and future, filtering the attitude and feeling of big beat, the anything goes ethos, no genres, just good music. That philosophy run through his remix of "One More Chance," and is precisely what makes his Essential Mix, one of my favourites of all time.
The storytelling inherent in his mix is only made possible through his incredible tracklist. Whether it's old school funk from Chaka Khan or Colonel Abrams, genius combinations like The System and Daft Punk, brain busting remixes like Style Of Eye's dub of "Open Your Eyes," the freshness of Light Year's "Zzafrika" remix, the acid of King Cosmic and Djedjotronic's "Hot Mess" remix, the arching progression of Marc Romboy and Stephan Bodzin's "Triton," the awesome exclusivity of Yuksek's remix of Katy Perry's "Peacock" so brilliantly mixed with LCD Soundsystem's "You Wanted A Hit," the obligatory inclusion of New Order's "Blue Monday," his production credit on the Infadels' "Black Sky" leading to the fearsome finale of Toto's "Hold The Line" and fitting Beatles "The End." His mix hits on a cylinders and delivers in so many ways. It is perfect listening for just about any situation, doing school work, pre-drinking or after-partying. The blog "Blah Blah Blah" has a full tracklist and download link attached that you can find here. Highly recommended listening, that I'm sure you'll find inspires you to search for more Alex Metric of your own.
