Enlightened Listening for February 28

I'm not certain but this is likely the largest edition of Enlightened Listening ever. Stretching across nearly 80 tracks and over six hours, it features five albums and has its fair share of groovers and bangers.

The first two albums, Daktyl's UNREALITY and Caribou's Suddenly, have had me waiting with bated breath and show off both artists' incredible and thoughtful craftsmanship. The same can be said for the third album in the playlist, Tycho's Simulcast, although I can't say I was aware of its immanence. As to be expected with Tycho, it is utterly gorgeous and warm, preparing us for the long summer days that lie ahead. Turning more electronic and jacking up the funky groove meter, Wajatta's (the combination of Reggie Watts & John Tejada) sophomore album is sensational and sure to inspire more than a smile or two. Equally uplifting and groovy, Yuksek's feature-laden NOSSO RITMO will be undeniable at beach parties everywhere.

Speaking of outdoor events, I hope Sébastien Léger is one of the artists TBA at the All Day I Dream event in Toronto July 18th (here). His third EP for them is another amazing one, as mystical and moving as ever. Picking up with a more driving beat, Colyn comes through Rose Avenue Records with two powerful cinematic numbers. Even more driving, HUNTER reconnects with Roshin for fat joint "Floating." The enigmatic genius of Prins Thomas follows that up with a gritty growler in "Graut" which also receives a wicked and warped remix from Fango. Bridging the gap from the techno to the DnB that's still to come are two unreal originals from HomeSick in "Ampgain" and "Closer."

Immediately capturing my attention, J Majik lives up to his name with a godly remix of Joris Voorn's "Messiah." Flames erupt as Brookes Brothers and Kove follow that with the irresistible Kathy Brown led "Burn." Things really get lit with the return of 13 who is followed by a record I cannot say enough about, SBK.'s "One Man." I know we're still just in the second month of the year but I'm positive it will be in my best of the year list. Another man who is sure to find himself in year end lists is Apashe who delivers another ridiculous single ahead of Renaissance. Turning towards house, BROHUG brings us to the final true banger of this playlist, unhinged heater "Party Out."

Making the transition from house to disco both in the playlist itself and in a single track, CastNowski's "Deep Down" is fabulously funky fun. Next up in that same vein is Mercer who drops a dope bass-line on Bob Sinclar's "I Feel For You." Moving more organic, Duck Sauce's "Get To Steppin" leads us right into our finale, The Shapeshifters' follow up to "Life Is A Dancefloor," the sublime "Second Chance."


Daktyl - UNREALITY

Caribou - Suddenly

Tycho - Simulcast

Wajatta - Don't Let You Get Down

Yuksek - NOSSO RITMO

Sébastien Léger - Secrets

Colyn - Concepts Of Love

HUNTER - Floating (ft. Roshin)

Prins Thomas - Graut

HomeSick - Closer

Joris Voorn ft. HÆLOS - Messiah (J Majik Remix)

Brookes Brothers & Kove - Burn (ft. Kathy Brown)

13 - Atomic

SBK. - One Man

Apashe - Work (ft. Young Buck)

BROHUG - Party Out

CastNowski - Deep Down

Bob Sinclar - I Feel For You (Mercer Remix)

Duck Sauce - Get To Steppin

The Shapeshifters - Second Chance (ft. Kimberly Davis)

2020 Grammy Predictions

As you likely know the 2020 Grammy nominations were announced yesterday, and instead of waiting until the day of to make my predictions, I've decided it'd be more fun to get them out of the way, forget about them and then surprise myself with my picks while I have a laugh at the eventual ceremony January 26th. Once again I'm going to do my usual shtick of making predictions for categories I know/care about, and again I'll be doing my 'who should win' and 'who will win' double pick scenario. Check out how I did last year, here, and check back here on the day of as I'll be updating with results.

***Update: Results noted with ✓ or X ***

BEST DANCE RECORDING

Bonobo - Linked
The Chemical Brothers - Got To Keep On
Meduza & The Goodboys - Piece Of Your Heart
Rüfüs Du Sol - Underwater
Skrillex & Boys Noize with Ty Dolla $ign - Midnight Hour

Who Will Win: Skrillex & Boys Noize X
Who Should Win: Rüfüs Du Sol X
Reasoning: Skrillex has never lost when he's been nominated in this category and while I don't think "Midnight Hour" should win, I think the academy will 'play it safe.' However, this one strikes me as the least likely winner of Skrillex's now four nominations. Lately the winners have been more towards the typical dance pop side of things so there's a real possibility of Skrillex being upset by "Piece Of Your Heart." With that in mind, you have to go back more than a decade for something like "Linked" or "Got To Keep On" as a winner, and if it were either of those two The Chemical Brothers strike me as far more likely. All of that said, I give "Underwater" a real shot, and find it the most deserving because of its enrapturing beauty, mystifying vocals and stunning sound design.

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM

Apparat - LP5
The Chemical Brothers - No Geography
Flume - Hi This Is Flume (Mixtape)
Rüfüs Du Sol - Solace
Tycho - Weather

Who Will Win: The Chemical Brothers ✓
Who Should Win: The Chemical Brothers ✓
Reasoning: Much like last year, this is an incredibly tight category, and truthfully I wouldn't be surprised if any of the latter four took it home. Apparat's album is nice, but there were less than a handful of tracks that stood out to me. I will say the same for Flume's mixtape too as it's just not for me, however I can easily see the academy going his way once again. Having lost to Flume in 2017 with what in my eyes is a better album, I once again see Tycho coming up short. This leaves me torn between two undeniably excellent albums, both with singles in the category above. I've sided with the academy going to The Chemical Brothers based on name recognition and legacy, something they've done the last two years. I also feel they are the most deserving if only by a slim margin. That said Solace boasts a spectacular soundscape and beautiful breadth while remaining tight and true.

BEST REMIXED RECORDING

Madonna - I Rise (Tracy Young's Pride Intro Radio Remix)
Miley Cyrus - Mothers Daughter (Wuki Remix)
Jorja Smith - The One (High Contrast Remix)
Mild Minds - Swim (Ford. Remix)
Marie Davidson - Work It (Soulwax Remix)

Who Will Win: High Contrast X
Who Should Win: Soulwax X
Reasoning: What a category! For the first time in a while we've got five remixers making their first appearance. That's right, neither High Contrast nor Soulwax have ever been nominated! This only makes this already incredibly unpredictable category even more so. I feel like there's a good chance Tracy Young can capture the title, as Madonna is a name voters can latch on to and her remix is quite slick. I'm really happy for Wuki, but I'd be pretty surprised if he won as the academy has not gone for something quite so banging in years. The Ford. remix has a shot but I'd put it as the least likely, both because of name recognition and its fit in the academy's recent voting patterns. Those two criteria would lead me to believe High Contrast will take the title, while I would love to see Soulwax and Marie Davidson get some well deserved recognition.

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL

Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
John Hill
Finneas
Ricky Reed

Who Will Win: Finneas ✓
Who Should Win: Ricky Reed X
Reasoning: There's a not a single holdover from last year's category which is an oddity, but Auerbach, Hill and Reed each have been here before. It's pretty rare that a first time nominee takes this crown, but I see Finneas taking the title for his inextricable role in the success of Billie Eilish. However his relatively small catalog (for which he is nominated) has me worried about this pick and could easily see Auerbach taking the title. That said, it really ought to be Ricky Reed for his work with Lizzo, Maggie Rogers, Maren Morris and SZA among others.

***OTHER, MORE UNINFORMED PICKS***

Best Music Film: Beyonce ✓
Best Music Video: Gary Clark Jr. X
Best Comedy Album: Dave Chapelle ✓
Best Reggae Album: Koffee ✓
Best Rap Album: Tyler, The Creator ✓
Best Urban Contemporary Album: Lizzo ✓
Best Alternative Music Album: Vampire Weekend ✓
Best Pop Vocal Album: Billie Eilish ✓
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Lil Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus ✓
Best New Artist: Lizzo X
Song Of The Year: Billie Eilish ✓
Album Of The Year: Lizzo X
Record Of The Year: Billie Eilish ✓

Enlightened Listening for January 18

Something, something, new year, new music. Yeah yeah, these intros can be formulaic and really, do you even bother to read them? It's about the music, which you'll find below. This week's Enlightened Listening has a couple killer remixes, the first release from Dr. Fresch's new label, and fire EPs from both Aylen and Masayoshi Iimori. Read brief descriptions below and enjoy your weekend. Cheers!

Tycho - Epoch (Luttrell Remix)
Your new alarm/wake up call. You can see the sun bursting over the horizon and feel its warmth. The already beautiful original gets a top notch touch up from one of techno's melodic masters.

Mark Ronson ft. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart (Martin Solveig Remix)
The remixes just keep coming, only further showing the strength of the original. Solveig pairs his production with Cyrus' voice brilliantly, letting each lead, and the whole thing grow organically.

Bob Sinclar - Electrico Romantico (ft. Robbie Williams)
The longevity of Sinclar is stunning, and so is this. Poppy, uplifting and funky. I think this is my favourite track on this list.

Mishap - Motions
The first in a long run of bangers in this list. A really strong example of the hybrid nature of bass driven tracks we're seeing these days. Dubstep, trap and do I hear some Pink Floyd "On The Run"?

Noizu - Dance
Rolling raucousness, acidic punches and dark dirty vibes. Noizu remains one to watch; whether it be on CONFESSION, OWSLA, or BlackBook like this, he always brings bangers.

Aylen - Routines
Always on top of the sound design game, Aylen seems to have made XXL the home for his weird, and wickedly effective house tracks. Both tracks are weapons, but in this case I'm more for the a-side.

London Elektricity - Funkopolis
I still remember the first time I heard London Elektricity, and while I can't say any of his productions have captured my attention the way "All Hell Is Breaking Loose" did a decade ago, this comes close. These two share that same kind of cool, almost soundtrack style delivery. Funky and full of energy.

Various Artists - The Remedy Volume 1
You cannot go wrong with 1) anything Dr. Fresch touches or 2) a compilation that includes the likes of BIJOU, Tony Romera, Gerry Gonza and JAXX DA FISHWORKS. If g- and bass-house are your things, best keep your eyes and ears locked on The Prescriptions Records.

Masayoshi Iimori - Euphoria
While Aylen and Iimori work in different genres, I cannot help but see similarities in both the quality and wildness of their productions. Both are liable to batter your brains with any given release, and certainly that holds true with this three track tumult. It'll surely leave your head spinning and your body moving. If you're still on the fence, let me say that "FMW" gives me a Boys Noize vibe and what could be wrong with that?

2017 Grammy Nominations

Every year, when The Grammy nominations come out, I debate whether a post about them is worth my time, or whether I'll just be promoting the garbage pop that does not need, nor deserve, any more promotion. I eventually come to the conclusion that there are enough deserving artists nominated to warrant a post. So here I go, I'll list the nominees from each category relevant to this blog, give my two cents, then write in my own nomination. I'll also place my bets on who should win from those nominations, and who I think will actually win, but I'm almost always wrong, cause you know, I'm obviously not on the same level as those in charge of the Grammys. See last year's predictions post.

Song Of The Year

• Beyonce - Formation
• Adele - Hello
• Mike Posner - I Took A Pill In Ibiza
• Justin Bieber - Love Yourself
• Lukas Graham - 7 Years

Why is "I Took A Pill In Ibiza" on this list? Isn't it too old to be included? I definitely remember Benzi playing it in his Get Right Radio 2015 mix. Anyway, it'd be hard to argue with any of these tracks being nominated for this category. Must say I'm not sure I've ever heard "7 Years," but there's always at least one track per category that I'm clueless about.

Who Should Win: Formation

Who Will Win: Hello

My Write In Nomination: Flume - Never Be Like You

Best New Artist

• Anderson .Paak
• Chance The Rapper
• Maren Morris
• The Chainsmokers
• Kelsea Ballerini

What constitutes a new artist? While I'm not sure who Morris or Ballerini are, the other three have been on my radar for at least at least two years. This is a group of heavy hitters, and perhaps one of the best/most deserving list of nominees, despite my disdain for anything Chainsmokers. But that's why this is the Grammys, and that's why I write a blog about underappreciated art, not pop refuse.

Who Should Win: Anderson .Paak

Who Will Win: The Chainsmokers

My Write In Nomination: Flume

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

• The Chainsmokers - Closer (ft. Halsey)
• Lukas Graham - 7 Years
• Rihanna - Work (ft. Drake)
• Sia - Cheap Thrills (ft. Sean Paul)
• Twenty One Pilots - Stressed Out

Best? This is really the best? Or most poppy... How about we call a spade a spade? I've never heard a track more widely hated than "Closer" and "Work," what's with all the mumbling? I can at least stomach, and understand its appeal. No question Sia had a massive year, and I like Sean Paul so I get that.

Who Should Win: Cheap Thrills

Who Will Win: Closer

My Write In Nomination: Flume - Never Be Like You

Best Dance Recording

• Bob Moses - Tearing Me Up
• The Chainsmokers - Don't Let Me Down (ft. Daya)
• Flume - Never Be Like You (ft. Kai)
• Riton - Rinse & Repeat (ft. Kah-Lo)
• Sofi Tukker - Drinkee

Okay, we're really starting to get into the good stuff here. I've got huge love for Bob Moses, and their nomination is perhaps the best thing the Grammys did with this years nomination. Again, with the Chainsmokers though, yet another track that I just don't get; it's rather awful, but not as bad as "Closer." Here's where I'll also address the reasoning behind Flume being my write in for each of the previous categories. I feel Flume is perfectly suited for music award shows, specifically the Grammys. His productions are poppy and easily accessible, yet far from mindless drivel. His near clean sweep of the ARIA Music Awards were well deserved, as Skin is a true work of art. Rounding out the category I'm blown away by the last two nominees, for different reasons. I absolutely love "Rinse & Repeat," but had never heard Drinkee until today.
Who Should Win: Rinse & Repeat
Who Will Win: Never Be Like You
My Write In Nomination: Pusher - Clear (ft. Mothica)

Best Dance/Electronic Album

• Flume - Skin
• Jean-Michel Jarre - Electronica 1: The Time Machine
• Tycho - Epoch
• Underworld - Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future
• Louie Vega - Louie Vega Starring... XXVIII

Why is this category dance/electronic while the above is only dance? The Grammys usually do a good job with the album category, and this year is no exception. That is to say there's usually one odd ball, and it certainly seems to be Louie Vega. There's no questioning Flume's inclusion here, nor the triumphant return of Jean-Michel Jarre and Underworld, but it seems like the Grammys are leaning a little bit too hard on prior accomplishments and name recognition. Apart from the inclusion of Bob Moses above, Tycho's appearance in this category is the Grammys greatest success.

Who Should Win: Tycho

Who Will Win: Flume

My Write In Nomination: Machinedrum - Human Energy

Best Remixed Recording

• Soul Pacific - Cali Coast (Psionics Remix)
• The Silver Lake Chorus - Heavy Star Movin' (staRo Remix)
• Paul McCartney & Wings - Nineteen Hundred Eighty-Five (Timo Maas & James Teej Remix)
• Ry X - Only (Kaskade x Lipless Remix)
• Bob Moses - Tearing Me Up (RAC Remix)
• The Chemical Brothers - Wide Open (Joe Goddard Remix)

This category is almost always way out there. Sometimes it's full of popular mixes and other times it's like this, littered with mixes and artists I've never heard of. Once again we see the Grammys going for name recognition, with the obligatory inclusion of Kaskade and RAC. The Paul McCartney track is really weird, seems like voters just went "Oh that guy was from The Beatles, he can do not wrong," WRONG! The Psionics remix has 159 views on soundcloud, seriously. SERIOUSLY, what is up with this category? At least Bob Moses, Chemical Brothers and Joe Goddard got nods, but I'm basically at a loss for this one.

Who Should Win: Joe Goddard

Who Will Win: RAC

My Write In Nomination: Manila Killa - All That's Left (The M Machine Remix)

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical

• Benny Blanco
• Greg Kurstin
• Max Martin
• Nineteen85
• Ricky Reed

This is always a funny category for me, because it's always a bunch of names basically nobody knows, with the exception of Diplo, who for some reason was not nominated this year, despite being a perennial contender. So now, I'll give a little backstory for each unknown. Blanco's credits this year include "Love Yourself," "Cold Water" among various productions for Vance Joy, Selena Gomez and Passion Pit. Kurstin was responsible for many Adele, Sia, Ellie Goulding, and Tegan & Sara tracks, including "Hello" and "Cheap Thrills." Max Martin may even be more prolific than Kurstin, authoring tracks from Starboy, and Dangerous Woman, as well as the likes of "Can't Feel My Face," "Hands To Myself," "Love Me Like You Do," "Into You" and "Can't Stop The Feeling!" Nineteen85 is best known for his work with Drake, producing "One Dance," "Hotline Bling," and DJ Khaled's "For Free" with of course, Drake. Ricky Reed's credits include productions for Meghan Trainor, Robin Thicke and Twenty One Pilots.

Who Should Win: Max Martin

Who Will Win: Greg Kurstin

My Write In Nomination: Shaun Frank

Winners will be announced February 12th on CBS, but most of these categories will be announced earlier in the day with little to no fanfare, because as is likely obvious by now, The Grammys still have disdain for electronic music and clearly do not consider it that highly. But the question then is, do electronic music fans even care about the Grammys? And therefore does it matter what they do?