Enlightened Listening for February 7

After an epic six hour edition of Enlightened Listening last week, we've got a tight hour this week. It features an easy-going poppy intro moving through deep-house and disco before closing with club cuts and bass/g-house bangers.

Just before going to bed last night I caught the first new Bearcubs in a while and immediate fell for its sublime subtlety, which reminded me of SBTRKT. "Overthinking" is followed by another return from hiatus in Jack Garratt's "Time." Moving and beautiful it is exactly the kind of song that recaptures the love and passion Garratt incited in his fans. Captivating vocals continue to rule the roost as Amtrac glides in with glorious glistening groove "Accountable."

Phaeleh then follows with a touch of two-step which borders brilliantly between easy-going and energizing. Much like "Unity," Rylan Taggart's EP on This Never Happened is as enjoyable lying in bed as it is in the club. Staying hot Mat Zo is back on Anjunabeats with percussion-led affair "The Next Chapter."

The page then turns as disco enters via my favourite track of the list in Alan Fitzpatrick's fantastic Fully Charged Mix of Patrice Rushen. More piano power comes in as Yuksek graces Glitterbox for a gorgeous take on Risk Assessment. Bridging the gap between the hard hitting house still to come and the aforementioned disco, GRiZ gets funky with a club mix of "Could U" on Night Bass.

Finally it's time for fire and VOLAC brings us there, even if slightly understated, with the bumpy ride that is "Baby Boy." Stumbling towards the end of this Enlightened Listening, Walker & Royce get sneaky with their sick remix of "Loaded." Finally it's time to pay the tab as BIJOU makes it rain with menacing cut "Benjamins." Find everything via playlist below with individual links at the bottom. Enjoy!

Bearcubs - Overthinking (ft. narou)

Jack Garratt - Time

Amtrac - Accountable

Phaeleh - Unity

Rylan Taggart - Sail

Mat Zo - The Next Chapter (ft. GQ)

Patrice Rushen - Haven't You Heard (Fitzy's Fully Charged Mix)

Risk Assessment ft. Jemeni G - Remember Me (Yuksek Remix)

GRiZ - Could U (Club Mix)

VOLAC - Baby Boy

Destructo & Yo Gotti - Loaded (Walker & Royce Remix)

BIJOU - Benjamins (ft. Wifisfuneral)

Bump In The Hump Sneak Peek: Jordan Astra - All Blessings (Mikey Palermo Remix)

On a tear behind the decks recently, playing Destructo's Friendship, opening for Dillon Nathaniel last weekend and set to open for Walker & Royce this weekend, Mikey Palermo is absolutely on fire. However his talents reach further than the wheels of steel, as I can say for certain the man has big stuff cooking on the production side for 2019. Our first example of this coming in his take on Toronto/Melbourne artist Jordan Astra. "All Blessings" sees Mikey in his wheelhouse, adding funky tech grooves to the catchy hip hop flow. Just like his genius "XO TOUR Llif3" bootleg from December of 2017, this is Mikey at his best. Stream below and follow Mikey's rise with socials at the bottom.Tonight's episode of Bump In The Hump plays host to many more Toronto talents in Vincent Caira, Art Department, Memphis and the debut release of newly formed duo COREKT (Duskope and Brock Edwards). There's house, funk, future bass, techno, dubstep and more. Don't miss it live from 7-9 PM EST via Radio Humber or find it cataloged after the fact on Mixcloud here.

FOLLOW MIKEY PALERMO: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Sweater Disco @ Spring Awakening 2018

Mix master Michael McReynolds, better known as Sweater Disco, first caught my attention with his absolutely wild mashup of A-Trak's "Head Will Roll" and Nomak's "Korean BBQ" (stream/download here). It's edits like this that highlight his (re-recorded) set from Spring Awakening. Describing his sets as "non-wack tunes played non-seriously" this hour long adventure is just that. Ranging from all varieties of house, with touches of trap, techno, throwbacks and freakouts, there's more than enough dance madness to go around. Find the tracklist in the description, and stream via Soundcloud below.I'm always one for a an experimental or left-field opening but boy does the Henry Wu selection seem inspired, especially in contrast to the depths of the tech house follow up, "Synchronise." The grooves and masterful movement just keep coming as the next 15 minutes bounce along brilliantly. The next piece I cannot help but notice and call attention to is of course the incredible Chris Lake/Walker & Royce collab "Dance With Me."

Things get further twisted as we work our way into Don Rimini's daft "Loop Da Loop" and DJ Ze MigL's mental "Push 2 Shove." The wild and weird fun then seems to peak as in the next couple minutes we get a four pack of Sweater Disco's own crafting with a barmy, bass heavy edit of Lil Pump "Movin" followed by two of his trademark mashups, capped by a presumably forthcoming collab with Lvndo.

Now if you think you've heard the best of Sweater Disco's top notch edits, I can just about guarantee your jaw will be on the floor as a dance circle builds around it. For 10+ straight minutes we're treated to five fire flips in a row. Masters At Work vs Sven Lochenhoer, M.I.A. vs Edwin Osterwaal and Kanye vs Ardalan/Justin Martin, all absolutely kill one after another. It is a delirium inducing dance delivery that stays sick right up until the last loop of DJ Icey's "Analog City." An unquestionable music odyssey, one worthy of revisiting as the summer progresses.

FOLLOW SWEATER DISCO: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Bump In The Hump Sneak Peek: fvde x coldtvrky - Passage

This past weekend I was doing my usual bouncing back and forth between social media when Dyzphoria made a simple, wordless tweet, sharing "Passage." I'm not sure why I clicked it, as I often pass these kinds of posts without a thought, but boy am I glad I did. While this collaboration between fvde and coldtvrky is not new, it instantly hit me with its tremendous tuning, lush laid-back delivery, and uncommon exertion of excellence. It's the kind of track that's more than just a mere collection of sounds and melodies, it's an artistic and dramatic arc. The dynamism delves deep into your heart, churning your very core, and as its champion, Dyzphoria, has stated several times, it is criminally slept on. The drops and their playful progression are one thing, but the mastery comes in the final movement that makes "Passage" earn its name like a badge of honour. There's no way you can listen to its entire arc without feeling changed; it is an experience you must seek out again and again. So while I normally limit Bump In The Hump to brand new music, I simply must share this tonight. Stream and enjoy below, add on Spotify here, download via iTunes here, and follow fvde and coldtvrky at the bottom.Joining "Passage" in the journey through Bump In The Hump, is your usual hit of new disco and jacking house courtesy Spacedisco,  along with a smattering of future bass, followed by a touch of techno and bass house. We then look ahead to another busy weekend with shows from Laidback Luke, thook, SkiiTour and Walker & Royce. We then wrap the show up with trap, dubstep and all out bangers in the Fire Finale. Listen live from 7-9 PM EST via Radio Humber and stream afterwards via Mixcloud here.

FOLLOW FVDE: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW COLDTVRKY: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

8 tracks that annihilated The Hoxton for Rezz's EP release party

Taken from Rezz's twitter via Will Selviz

Last night The Hoxton played host to Rezz's Something Wrong Here EP release party. Arriving shortly before 11, I was immediately astounded by the number of people already there. The place was packed the whole night, with a fervor rarely felt, save for the biggest acts, and it's quickly becoming clear that Rezz is one of those. I can honestly say I've never seen a crowd more ravenous for any artist ever, the anticipation throughout the night was incredibly palpable, and rose to near dangerous levels as the crowd was egged on by openers, Melissa Calavera and Cosella.

Both did a great job grabbing the crowds energy, guiding them to the dancefloor, and riling them up for Rezz. While opening the club up can be a thankless task, Melissa Calavera did a marvelous job, maintaining a deep groove, slowly amping up the energy; to great success I might add, as from front to back there was no shortage of people dancing. Cosella continued this trend, with veteran poise and professional mixing despite the now raucous crowd. He was the victim of a stage charger, who twice jumped up, ambushing him in an attempted a selfie. The rest of the crowd was acutely aware of this trespasser and when she tried to escape from security for the second time, she fell over, causing the crowd to cheer.

While the largest cheer of the night was reserved for Rezz (and rightfully so, as it was her night), Cosella captured the attention of many with his unreleased and bootleg tracks, accrued from his undeniable networking acumen. His unique blend of booty, ghetto and tech house had the whole club reeling with tracks like his remix of Destructo's latest "Catching Plays" and bouncy bass numbers from Yolanda Be Cool, Walker & Royce, and Noise Frenzy. As I tweeted last night, I'm always fascinated to see how DJs handle the switch over between sets, and while continuity is perhaps ideal there's plenty of ways to play it. The hand off between Melissa and Cosella was well done, not losing anything, later Cosella chose another route, leaving the stage early, killing the audio, creating a vacuum of anticipation.

The manic masses roared "Rezz! Rezz! Rezz!" even cheering when her drinks were put on the decks. It was almost as though people were expecting the Beatles to come out, there was absolute hysteria. People were on the verge of tears as dozens grabbed for their phones in hopes of recording something historic. That's when things really got lit. Rezz's trademark 'hypno-goggles' turned on alongside her mesmerizing visuals on the three screens surrounding her. The contrasting bright lights and incredibly dense, dark bass drops had people in absolute awe. Early into the set, her track "Edge" came on and the crowd sang along despite the lack of vocals.

Part of what makes Rezz so alluring is her unwavering ability to command the expectations of the crowd while deliver her daunting darkness. She's done a great job curating her sound and style, leading her fans into the dark abyss, while maintaining a bright, bubbly exterior. She truly is a force to be reckoned with. Her sets have become legend, playing almost exclusively her own content; something that you need to see/feel to believe.

I've complied a small sampling of the most commanding tracks from last night, below. Enjoy and be sure to keep an eye on all of last night's performers as they're all going places. FOLLOW REZZ: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW COSELLA: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW MELISSA CALAVERA: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER