Kehlani - Undercover (Coucheron Remix)

I'm always intrigued by who pop artists have remix their tracks, it can be very telling (not necessarily of the artist themselves, but of their management). The best is when they find a remixer who not only fits the original artist's sound, but is also on the rise. It shows serious knowledge and allows for artistic progression. That is the case here with Coucheron getting the call to take on Kehlani's "Undercover."

You may remember Coucheron as someone I wrote about in my multipurpose post (TBT/show review) showcasing Louis La Roche's remix of Lemaitre's "Splitting Colors." His, at the time, forthcoming originals "Puzzled" and "Loud" caught my attention right away, as did his "CoCo" remix, largely for his brilliant blend of poppy funk, RnB and feels laden future bass. I had no idea who he was coming into the show, but by the end had found a new and reliable purveyor of quality productions.

It is that synthesis of sounds and styles that I'm so partial to, that makes Coucheron and his "Undercover" remix something I know I'll be coming back to all summer long. Right from the originally Akon lead line, the track oozes with a never-ending nostalgia, that somehow manages to remain fresh. The percussion and almost trampoline-like bass bounces lead the love Kehlani so craves in her lyrics. It's at times delicate striding through simple guitars riffs, while other times it devolves into an all kinds of epic future bass jam session. This is one of the coolest remixes you'll hear all summer, props going to Coucheron for the production, and Kehlani and her team for giving him the opportunity.
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Throwback Thursday: Lemaitre - Splitting Colors (Louis La Roche Remix)

Tuesday night was unbelievably busy on twitter, obviously as a result of the election, but I was tweeting almost exclusively about an incredible show at Velvet Underground, with Coucheron, Chet Porter and Lemaitre. The latter, I only came to know though one of my favourite remixes, from one of my favourite artists, Louis La Roche. His "Splitting Colors" remix features the classic touch that takes the Brit, Brett Ewels, and transforms him into the nu-disco/funk/French house producer that we know and love. It's bright, bleepy, poppy and powerful, and as a cherry on top it features steel pans. Those little riffs add another level of catchiness to the already earworming production; there's no denying its awesomeness. Of course seeing Lemaitre live is the impetus behind this post, and while I essentially went to this show because I never turn down a chance to see Chet Porter, I was beyond impressed with both Coucheron and Lemaitre. In fact it was Coucheron, who came out of the back corner, grabbing a guitar and absolutely shredding a solo on "Splitting Colors" in the video below.

Lemaitre themselves were an absolute joy to watch, as the duo of Ketil Jansen and Ulrik Denizou Lund went back and forth between multiple instruments seemlessly, showcasing incredible versatility. Their energy was immediately infectious, as they had the crowd jumping in unison, mere minutes into being on stage. They were tremendously positive despite the dark pretense of the American election results pouring in throughout the night, looming as a dark cloud in many minds. It didn't help that throughout his set, Chet came on the mic asking if Hillary had won yet, to which the crowd continually groaned, "No." That aside, it was an awesome night of music, from Coucheron's excellent opening set to the overwhelming love to and from local, Chet Porter, through to Lemaitre's powerful live performance. While there's no proper way to illustrate either Chet or Lemaitre's live sets, I've compiled a short list of tracks Coucheron played, with of course a few missing due to their unreleased nature.