NHYX - Technicolor

Soundcloud's The Upload comes through again. This morning, I was turned on to Parisian producer NHYX and "Technicolor," the second single from his forthcoming French touch EP. Following the dazzling display of "Soulclap," this new piece shines through its sublime strings and ever-growing groove. With a warm, wistful opening, "Technicolor" is a brilliant balm for your morning malaise, easing you ever so gently into the swing of things. There's no big payoff or head-turning twist, but it doesn't need that. Rather, "Technicolor" thrives through its subtleties, letting each swirl of the strings or bump of the bass play its part in the hearty whole. Splendid and salubrious, its reticent radiance is all kinds of invigorating. Tackle the day with "Technicolor" via Bandcamp here and follow NHYX below.
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Tommy Navarro - I Cried My Life Away (Superlover Remix)

While Soundcloud continues to torque everything towards their Go+ feature, recently making a high-quality stream option exclusive to said subscription (angering those who already pay for Pro Unlimited), they do still offer one quality free feature. Often padded by mixes, and more recently, a barrage of BeHoward submissions, The Upload often offers up some hidden gems. Today's scroll turned up a quality cut from Superlover, who lends his lush stylings to a 1964 classic from Tommy Navarro.

While I can't say I'm familiar with "I Cried My Life Away," and very little comes up when you Google it, I cannot shake the feeling that I've encountered it in one shape or another. I'm shocked WhoSampled doesn't have it in their library, as it seems rife for sampling, interpolating or extrapolating. Tommy Navarro's vocals have an undeniably familiar quality, especially in the longer, more emotional notes. And of course, the horn hits and their melody are just as sample-friendly. However, we're working with a remix in which the arc of the original remains largely intact as Superlover brings the track into the new century. Giving the groove a little extra electronic oomph and mixing in some movement-inducing effects, Superlover's remix has a fabulous room-filling warmth and easy-going allure. It's not likely to leave you floored, but its soul is can't miss as it infects you with its groove, which in turn guides you to the dance-floor.

Stream the Superlover remix of "I Cried My Life Away" below and get it via Bandcamp here.

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Jort Kroon - Playa Marimba

Once again I find myself drawn to a track selected by the algorithm behind Soundcloud's The Upload playlist. Almost immediately upon seeing the name "Playa Marimba," I knew it was something I had to check out. From Amsterdam's Jort Kroon, the track does indeed feature the magical resonance of the marimba, although not quite as much as I hoped. That said, the wait is more than worth it when wooden bars finally come in.

Featuring all kinds of organic instrumentation in a groovy medley that straddles several genres and backgrounds, "Playa Marimba" is a joyous jaunt that will make your Monday morning instantly easier. Unlike the opening to the workweek, there's no drag or dullness in the track at all, rather it's blithe and perky. As each additional element is added, "Playa Marimba" becomes brighter and more buoyant as it inspires jolts of energy as if you had ordered an extra shot of espresso. The combination of the electricity of the keyboard and the rhythmic drive of the percussion makes for a strong earworm foundation, but the real payoff comes when Kroon really starts to play with things. Shortly after the two-minute mark, we're greeted by a gorgeous amalgamation of energy and gambol. And it only gets further groovy and spirited as "Playa Marimba" rebuilds under the guidance of a newly introduced guitar in the second half.

Clearly a fun first production play by Jort Kroon, in what seems to be his first-ever original production, "Playa Marimba" is exactly the injection of uplifting, groovy energy we all need on a Monday morning.

JORT KROON · Playa Marimba

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Orbital - Chime (Pimms Bmore Remix)

Bristol and Brighton cross paths on my latest find from Soundcloud's The Upload feature. It sees the former's Freddy Pimms taking on the latter's seminal classic "Chime" by groundbreaking duo Orbital. Originally released in 1989, the Hartnoll brothers' acid house offering has received countless remixes, edits and covers from the likes of The Shapeshifters, Joey Beltram and others. Here Pimms relights its rave resplendence with a Baltimore breakbeat remix. While certainly taking place in the same soundscape, this new direction gives "Chime" a largely novel feel. The new bounce from both the bmore bassline and propulsive percussion keep the track feeling fresh and fun, while the familiar core of "Chime" grounds the experience in nostalgia. Personally, I find this mix particularly nostalgic as I have a fondness for both bmore and breaks - two of my earliest loves in electronic music. They work quite well with "Chime" and Pimms has certainly taken advantage of that fact. Get it free now here.FOLLOW ORBITAL: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
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Coldplay - Midnight (A fictional. re-imagination)

Something strange happened to me today as I dug through the internet, searching for something to catch my ear. After a general lack of success I took to Soundcloud's Discover feature The Upload, a tailored playlist of 20 "Newly posted tracks." While I turn there every once in a while, it often doesn't lead to much more than a handful of mixes and uninspired originals. And while that is largely true today, sitting in the 13th position was a remix of Coldplay's 2014 track "Midnight."

As it turns out this remix from Indian duo fictional. is the one and only production on their page. What's more, after searching Ayush & Sachin (the two names attached to the project) I experienced a strong feeling of déjà vu as the resulting search led me to Bengaluru-based metal band Orbitual. For some reason I feel like not only have I done this search before, but that I had also heard this re-imagination before too, which is indeed possible considering the timeline. And perhaps that's why I was drawn to it.

fictional.'s take on the Jon Hopkins co-produced "Midnight" has a faint, yet undeniable feeling of familiarity in it, however I cannot confidently say that it's because I was already familiar with the original. Of course it could just be Chris Martin's voice that rings the proverbial bell, but I can't shake the feeling there's something about the instrumental that I've heard before. Bigger and deeper than the original, fictional.'s re-imagining soars beautifully, countering the icy ambiance with a warm summer's night feel. Of course the flittering lead line still stands strong as the obvious midnight feel, and to say Ayush and Sachin have leaned into it would be an understatement. That said, it is the key to the mystifying nature of "Midnight." Stream below and look out for more of the mysterious duo, fictional.
UPDATE: Both Ayush and Sachin reached out last night, 1) confirming they have nothing to do with Orbitual, and 2) sharing their solo projects. Ayush is Zyther and Sachin is ZOANE.

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dipsmith - jubilee

I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again, there's just something about Aussies and the disco/house they put out that satisfies my soul. After another frustrating scroll through Soundcloud today I turned to their feature "The Upload" and was greeted by Sydney-based house output pig palace and their most recent release, "jubilee" from Newcastle duo dipsmith. Seemingly just their second release as they're still just starting to make waves, they ditch the exceptionally chill vibes of "better in time" for a more upbeat offering in this new sample driven production. Laying down a strong percussion backing from the get-go, the track grows and eventually explodes with splashy brass whitecaps pulling any willing dancer to the center of the floor, and from there the get-down is on. You can feel the blood pumping through it as the track bursts to life, even offering up live crowd sounds as it reaches its conclusion.
"jubilee" is exactly the kind of jackin disco house joint I was looking for and you can have it absolutely free via dipsmith's brand new Bandcamp here.

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