Jessie Ware - Save A Kiss (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Remix)

We're just 10 days out from the release of Jessie Ware's fourth full length album What's Your Pleasure?, due Friday June 19th on PMR. Last night she made a green screen appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden performing the album's latest single "Save A Kiss" (which you can watch here), while earlier in the day Orlando Higginbottom, aka Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, lent his touch to the James Ford/Midland production.

Turning the lush string-driven disco affair into a catchy club cut, TEED's eclectic quality works wonders throughout this electro-tinged, anticipatory offering. There is no let down over the course of this five minute mix as TEED's new bed bears down brilliantly from start to finish. There is no big pay off per se, but rather plenty of pleasing points throughout. TEED's playfulness constantly pushes "Save A Kiss" to the edge of pure groove power without ever actually abandoning the emotional, optimistic quality of the original. And it is this masterfully crafted middle ground that makes this mix so intriguing as it can be enjoyed both as an energizing earphone offering or mid-set dancefloor firestarter. It oozes with excellence and gives me a bit of a Robyn vibe, and I can't imagine anyone being upset about that. Get the genius TEED remix of "Save A Kiss" now here and pre-order What's Your Pleasure? now here.FOLLOW JESSIE WARE: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW TEED: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Jack Burton - Heartbeat

Sometimes cool stuff just falls in your lap. I always try to give at least a little background to an artist when I cover a track of theirs. However this time I simply cannot as Jack Burton seemingly has no social media, nor even exists at least as Jack Burton. An avatar of the Kurt Russell character from John Carpenter's Big Trouble In Little China, this account delivers disco cuts from the cocky, wise-cracking Burton. His second remix in as many months, here he takes on Robyn's "With Every Heartbeat."

Appearing in Soundcloud's The Upload feature, and titled simply "Heartbeat," I entered with no expectation but was indeed enticed by the groovy disco opening. Neither the bass nor guitar riffs are spectacular, but certainly strong enough to keep one waiting for something as captivating as Robyn's irradiant vocals. Of course they are the keystone to this disco edifice, but to say that they do all the heavy lifting here would be wrong. Jack Burton's instrumental is so dutifully done that he succeeds in combining the two parts in perfect harmony. The two flow together terrifically, each making the other more enjoyable. Stream "Heartbeat" below, get it free via Hypeddit, and enjoy his "Boys" edit here.FOLLOW JACK BURTON: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Enlightened Listening for April 19

Is there such thing as a not good Friday? As long as there's new music to enjoy, I don't think so. This week's Enlightened Listening includes the completion of a number of projects we've previewed here before including Peggy Gou, Myd, and Dean Grenier & Pilo's collaborative Take Form EP, plus a slew of my favourite names dropping dope records which I'll guide you through below.

Things get started with Four Tet who just graced the Mojave stage at Coachella this past weekend. "Teenage Birdsong" is a smooth, catchy little number that plays through an immense amount of instrumentation, especially considering its tight three and a half minute run-time. Next up, Prospa deliver a dope dance groove which just capture Annie Mac's Hottest Record In The World today. Peggy Gou then follows up the single "Starry Night" with sublime sensation "Han Pan," more in line with "It Makes You Forget." I have a strong feeling this one will be not just one of my songs of the summer, but of the entire year. Club Cheval's Myd then makes good on the rest of his Superdiscoteca EP with two more top notch tracks, my favourite being the cascading brilliance of "The Bouncer."

Next up Purple Disco Machine comes through with an absolutely massive compilation in collaboration with Glitterbox which brings together Purple Disco Machine originals, remixes and a number of awesome offerings from the likes of Hatiras, Mighty Mouse, Bob Sinclar and more. Staying with various legends, the next release is a match made in heaven: The Black Madonna remixing Robyn's "Between The Lines." Again with The Black Madonna, she, Horse Meat Disco and Maya Jane Coles have all been supporting ABSOLUTE.'s brilliant remix of Steve Lawler "Narna." Finally we wrap up this week's selection with two top notch techno EPs starting with the aforementioned Take Form from Dean Grenier and Pilo, before being swept off our feet by Kevin de Vries' Vertigo. If you need a single track to sell each EP look no further than the title tracks of each. Stream below and enjoy your weekend!

Four Tet - Teenage Birdsong

Prospa - Intended

Peggy Gou - Moment EP

Myd - Superdiscoteca

Various Artists - Purple Disco Machine & Glitterbox Present: Discotheque

Robyn - Between The Lines (The Black Madonna Remix)

Steve Lawler - Narna (I Am Happy) [ABSOLUTE. Remix]

Dean Grenier & Pilo - Take Form

Kevin de Vries - Vertigo

Best Tracks Of 2018: Honorable Mentions

It's getting to be that time of year. Seems most publications have either already unveiled their year end lists, or are at least in the process of doing so. I'll push back a bit, in that there's still good music coming out and certainly some of it deserves spots in these year end reflections. That said, I still aim to have my Top 100 Tracks of 2018 list out in 2018, along with some kind of album showcase. But since the Top 100 is still in flux (at least in terms of placement), I've found that I've got a nice 18 leftovers which deserve at least the title of Honorable Mentions. So without further ado, here they are, sorted in alphabetical order by original artist, with brief descriptions after the Soundcloud playlist/jump.

The Magician - Magic Tape 85

If you enjoy a mix of all things funky and electronic The Magician's Magic Tape series is always worth a listen, with this latest edition a prime exemplar. Magnificently mixed, this hour long 85th iteration sees the whiz bring an incredibly keen focus on current releases alongside the awesome alchemy these tapes are known for. Most every track is released in the last month with a few still forthcoming in an A-Trak remix of "In Arms" and originals from Dom Dolla and Boston Bun (via 1001tracklists).

More than the nuts and bolts, The Magician picks tracks that fit perfectly together, combining in a powerful progression. The steps each track change signifies is part of the greater movement that he is authoring. It's all too easy to get swept up in Jengi's vital spirit in "Ice Tea" and move to an even more scintillating substance in Cavego's "Vår I Øyer." The twisted takeover of the beyond brilliant "Beulah Loves Dancing" puts takes the mix back down to earth, but boy does the dance spirit remain, as it does throughout. That three track opening is a microcosm of this Magic Tape, especially as it begins to rebuild immediately with the massively funky march of Jarami's "No Chance."

The ups and downs come and go, but all the while the big picture moves ever forward. Huge, full bangers hit in the middle of the hour as Prospa and Cousn slam the speakers. In perhaps the best move of this whole mix The Magician moves from "Juggle" to the Weiss dub of "Missing U" dragging the tape out of the dark by the light of Robyn. That is all to say the following four tracks are unreleased, ending finally with the Moon Willis remix "Hear The Music." So truly whatever your appetite, Magic Tape 85 has the funk to fill it. Enjoy and follow The Magician's socials for more below.FOLLOW THE MAGICIAN: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Enlightened Listening for October 26

What's the allowance on special Fridays for releases? Seems like we've hit our quota, but boy is this one wicked. It marks the returns of Robyn, Handbraekes and Mat Zo to Anjunabeats. On top of that there's incredible albums from Savant, Adriatique and G Jones, and superb singles from Erol Alkan, SG Lewis, Krafty Kuts/Dynamite MC and Plump DJs. Finally a remix from Yung Bae rounds out this week's Enlightened Listening. Enjoy it all via playlist below and individual released linked at the bottom!

Robyn - Honey

Savant - Slasher

Mat Zo - No Words

Adriatique - Nude

Booka Shade - Sacred / Cyril's Garden

Erol Alkan - Silver Echoes (Shorter)

Handbraekes - #3

The Knocks ft. Method Man - Goodbyes (Yung Bae Remix)

G Jones - The Ineffable Truth

SG Lewis - A.A.T (ft. Drew Love)

Krafty Kuts & Dynamite MC - Light It Up

Plump DJs - Big Apple

Throwback Thursday: Röyksopp & Robyn - Do It Again EP

Yesterday Swedish singer, songwriter and producer, Robyn broke a long silence unleashing "Missing U" on Annie Mac's show on BBC Radio One. With additional production from Metronomy's Joseph Mount and Teddybears' Klas Ahlund, it is as triumphant a return as one can conceive. It shines spectacular, overflowing with warmth and, as with any Robyn led track, leaves you shaken to the core.
With that in mind, I figured it great excuse to throwback to my favourite work from her, perhaps the greatest collaborative EP ever, Do It Again with Norwegian duo Rökysopp. The 5 track 2014 release is beyond brilliant, both from a pure musical standpoint and of course a vocal/lyrical point of view. The massive, and indeed magical opening number "Monument" is an uber cool creation. Oozing with atmosphere and luxuriant with love it straddles the line between electronic epic and performance art. The drum work, billowing belly of bass, and sax solo make it unlike any production I've ever heard, but my favourite bit has to be Röyksopp's treatment of Robyn's vocals.

Drifting away from this dreamy musical masterpiece, the second track "Sayit" is a club killer. Raucous and raunchy it is the black sheep of the EP, yet sets up my favourite track, the undeniable earworm that is "Do It Again." Also club tilted, it is a sensational stomper that again showcases stunning production and Robyn's resplendent vocals. The rave atmosphere so easily sweeps you off your feet, that you're powerless to its playful potency. At the time of its release I was working a landscaping job and I would often follow its titular task and play it on repeat for incredible lengths.

The fourth track "Every Little Thing" is again a stunning success. Like its predecessors it's overflowing with instrumentation, much of it mere backing but undeniable in its impact. Once again going back for a more expansive, live performance feel, rather than a club cut, it leads into another epic bookend "Inside The Idle Hour Club." Expansive and atmospheric it is a loving, let us down easy kind of finale, full of warmth and poise. Do yourself a favour and give Do It Again a play if you haven't already.FOLLOW ROBYN: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW RÖYKSOPP: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER