Enlightened Listening for July 30

It's the Friday of a long weekend, so without further ado, I present this week's Enlightened Listening. Sorted from light, light-hearted and groovy to heavy, deep and banging, the 16 releases feature countless trusted names, several pre-album singles, and yes, a trio of awesome Anjuna offerings. Finally, I will note that, while not in the playlist, the two tracks I wrote about earlier this week, "Don't Tread On Else Matters" and "Only One," are just as highly recommended as the rest of these fine productions. Stream now the new music playlist below with each individual release linked at the bottom.

Pusher - Back In Time

Wave Racer - Look Up To Yourself

Parcels - Comingback (Single Version)

il:lo - Cesta

Bob Moses & Elderbrook - Inner Light

Powel - Chapek 9

Amtrac - MIDI Ceremony

Franky Wah ft. AETHO - Should Have Seen It Coming (Yotto Remix)

CamelPhat & Yousef - April (12" Version)

Jerro - Presence

Kiimi - Ritual

CHVRCHES - Good Girls (Prospa Remix)

Baauer & RL Grime - Fallaway

Cerdin - Evocation / Pretend

Mozey & Rusko - Tings

Hudson Lee - Reflex Angle

Enlightened Listening for March 19

Another Friday means it's time for another Enlightened Listening. This week's edition clocks in at just under four hours, running 55 tracks deep. Centred around albums from Dezza and OVERWERK, there's a trio of utterly infectious cuts from Jacques Greene, Todd Edwards and Folamour, as well as BIJOU's banging return to Night Bass (my favourite EP there in many months). Staying with the heavy stuff, the final four releases in the playlist, while diverse, each overflow with energy and bristle with bass. Returning to the top, the playlist opens with three-way collab "Ride Or Die," which I can almost guarantee will appear across year-end best-of lists. Boys Noize and Chily Gonzales is a potent pairing in itself, while Kelsey Lu's vocals are simply sublime. Finally, filling in the gaps are a fistful of remixes, including an immersive epic from Volen Sentir, and a trio of EPs from EMBRZ, HNTR and Afterlife. Stream the playlist, ordered for maximum flow, below and find each individual release at the bottom.

Boys Noize & Kelsey Lu - Ride Or Die (ft. Chilly Gonzales)

Japanese Television - III (Remixed)

Lime - Babe, We're Gonna Love Tonight (Jacques Greene Remix)

Todd Edwards - The Chant

Folamour - The Journey (ft. Zeke Manyika)

Lost Desert & Hermanez - Jinx (Volen Sentir Pure Magic Healing)

EMBRZ - Together Till It Ends

Dezza - 44° North, 63° West

OVERWERK - Vessel

Yotto & Stephan Jolk - New Era

HNTR - Mind Games

BIJOU - 187 Proof

Eleganto - Voltage Control

plusol - Oracle

Baauer & Omega Sapien - DDOKBOKKI

Ivy Lab - Suzuki / Paradise Pistol

Anden - Breathe

The Brooklyn based Cuppernull brothers, Tom & Pete, aka Anden, just dropped a new EP on Yotto's Odd One Out imprint. While both tracks deliver powerful progression, it ought to come as no surprise that I vibe more with the b-side.

Thriving through the duo's dynamic drum delivery and booming bass throbs, "Breathe" bristles with an infectious energy that slowly but surely sweeps you off your feet. Even better in the extended mix, Anden's world-building here is simply stunning. Like chefs in a cosmic kitchen, Tom & Pete play with the ingredients ingeniously, adding a pinch of piano here and a dash of acid there, swirling it all together with their spellbinding synths. Baking in the breaks and flavouring it with effects, the resultant musical meal is hearty, healthy and full of essential nutrients.

Delicious from the first taste to the last drop, sink your teeth into the sonic sustenance that is "Breathe" below, get the Rewind EP here, and follow Anden's socials at the bottom.

Anden · Breathe (Extended Mix)

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Yotto's Birthday Beats

Finnish producer, label head and force to be reckoned with, Yotto is celebrating his birthday today and instead of us getting him presents, he's gifted us with two new productions. The first, and seemingly only official release, comes from his label Odd One Out as he remixes Toronto's AVIRA. While the original "Love Me" blazes a trail of destruction through its dark drops and taught, tension-driven torturous builds, Yotto chooses the side of light. Immediately uplifting and utopian in its arc, the Yotto remix is utterly resplendent delivering divine synth builds and buoyant rave-worthy drops.On the other side of things, Yotto posted a track entitled "Wannabe Radio Edit" to his Soundcloud page in the early morning hours. With no description, nor any promotion on his socials, it's unclear whether this was actually meant to be shared or made public. That said I'm in love with it and the newfound disco/synthpop direction. Like his "Love Me" remix above, Yotto sparkles sublime here in the warmth of "Wannabe." The mixture of the tickling topline, the blissful bouncy bass and slew of subtle effects is pure musical magic. It is where I "Wannabe." Here's to hoping this sees an official release soon, but either way, it's a hell of a treat! Enjoy these birthday beats and be sure to follow Yotto below.

UPDATE: "Wannabe" has since been removed from Soundcloud. Likely wasn't supposed to be public.

Yotto · Wannabe Radio Edit

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Enlightened Listening for August 14

The weeks continue to fly by and the mountains of new music continue to grow. This week's edition of Enlightened Listening features a pair of triumphant returns, several sensational singles, numerous killer collabs, another inspired slice from Hudson Mohawke and Sable Valley's massive debut compilation.

Kiesza's Crave marks the diva's first album since her traumatic 2017 car accident, and it's clear that she's come back stronger than ever. After going without an original in 2019, Marie Davidson is back to her old tricks with the sensational "Renegade Breakdown." Following the brilliant Brassica Crystal Sea EP last month, Feel My Bicep's followup Field Day delivers the kind of quality we've come to expect from the London label. More trustworthy labels follow as Ben Böhmer delivers another exceptional cut to Anjunadeep, and Lane 8 joins Yotto and his label Odd One Out.

Once again teaming up with Voicians, No Mana's "The Same Way" delivers electro ecstasy. Two dope, deep collabs follow that with "Love You Feel" and "Love Die" as the playlist heads into house. Upping the summer feels, Ibranovski's "Surfboard" and Goddexx's "Ask Me What I Need" are sure to make you move, while remixes from Plastic Plates and Youngr follow up with fabulous funky versions of "So Afraid" and "Discopolis 2.0," respectively.

Despite clamouring for more of Tiga and Hudson Mohawke's hardcore romance, the latter delivers the next best thing in his remix of twst, a track we first heard in their mix for Annie Mac. Another highly awaited release follows that as we get the final three quarters of Murlo's Primed For Primal. We're in full screw-face territory now as QUIX and Juelz link up for calamitous collab "Chicane." Finally it's fire on fire on fire with Sable Valley Summer Vol. 1 which is jam packed with weapons from RL Grime, Cozway, Holly, Jon Casey and more. Enjoy it all via playlist below and find individual releases at the bottom.

Kiesza - Crave

Marie Davidson & L'Œil Nu - Renegade Breakdown

DeFeKT & Extrawelt - Field Day

Ben Böhmer - Zeit & Raum

Yotto & Lane 8 - Buggy

No Mana - The Same Way (ft. Voicians)

Tom Budin & HI MOTIVE - Love You Feel

Good Times Ahead, Dave Nada & Tittsworth - Love Die (ft. KLA)

Ibranovski - Surfboard

Goddexx - Ask Me What I Need

Amtrac ft. Alex Metric - So Afraid (Plastic Plates Remix)

Lifelike & Kris Menace - Discopolis 2.0 (Youngr Funkopolis Bootleg)

twst - Are You Listening (Hudson Mohawke Remix)

Murlo - Primed For Primal

QUIX & Juelz - Chicane

Various Artists - Sable Valley Summer Vol. 1

Enlightened Listening for July 10

Back to our normal Spotify format for this week's edition of Enlightened Listening. The weather is still at its peak so I'll keep things short. My favourite labels had a big day here as All Day I Dream, This Never Happened, Anjuna, Afterlife and Night Bass all deliver the quality I've come to expect. There's another taste of Tensnake's forthcoming album in new single "Strange Without You." Prins Thomas appears twice, first alongside Lindstrøm and then again with an epic album in Træns (which I can't wait to get properly lost in). Like the latter, Low:r's EP will certainly help me power over the hills on my next bike ride, as will the equally awesome Ekcle track "Sosen Yahn." Filling out the rest of the playlist are strong singles from Good Times Ahead x Tony Romera, Goldroom x Moontower, and Jessy Lanza, as well as remixes from Yuksek, The Glitch Mob and Madeaux. Find each individual release linked below. Enjoy!

Roy Rosenfeld - Lift Of Love

Tensnake - Strange Without (ft. Daramola)

Good Times Ahead & Tony Romera - Let Go

Goldroom & Moontower - Guess I'm Jaded

All We Are - Not Your Man (Yuksek Remix)

Cut Copy - Cold Water (Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas Remix)

Jessy Lanza - Anyone Around

Le Youth - Waves

Prins Thomas - Træns

Yotto - Another Riff For The Good Times / Daydreaming

Alfa Romero - 1001 Nights

Ekcle - Sosen Yahn

Low:r - The Journey

Ilan Eshkeri & Shigeru Umebayashi - Saikuron (The Glitch Mob Remix)

William Bolton - High Fashion (Madeaux Remix)

NOY & Jordan Burns - Like Me

Enlightened Listening for June 12

After last week's Bandcamp edition of Enlightened Listening we're back to our usual home on Spotify. This week's nearly eight hour long playlist features a staggering 85 tracks including 45 from one massive charitable compilation CARE4LIFE which supports the NHS. Said compilation includes big names Daniel Avery, The Chemical Brothers, Luke Solomon, Damian Lazarus, Joe Goddard, Jamie Jones, Pete Tong and so many more. It closes with a a killer DnB cut from 3Strange and the playlist itself does too with a Special Request vs Paul Woolford remix of CLIPZ. Otherwise you'll find that this week's playlist is largely funk and disco driven with amazing offerings from Roosevelt, Cavego, Chromeo and a handful of others. Somehow Ejeca is back with another new EP, just as Tensnake, Tinlicker and Yotto each stay hot with a trio of sick singles. Rounding things out there's standout remixes from Jacques Greene, ABSOLUTE. and Lonely Boy and an epic vocal techno EP from Charlotte de Witte. Find each individual release linked after the Spotify embed below. Enjoy!

Amtrac - No Place (Remixes)

Ejeca - Polar Nation

WhoMadeWho - Synchronicity I

Yotto - Tarantia

Tinlicker - Sleepwalker

Tensnake - Simpansi

Roosevelt - Sign

Cavego - Dovregubben

Kapote - L.O.V.E. 2020 (NYC Tribute)

Chromeo - Quarantine Casanova

Flevans - Realisation (Remixes)

Haska & Salif Keita - Madan (ABSOLUTE. Edit)

Charlotte de Witte - Return To Nowhere

Various Artists - CARE4LIFE

CLIPZ ft. Ms Banks, Ms Dynamite & Jaykae - Again (Special Request vs Paul Woolford Remix)

Yotto - Nova (Cassian Remix)

Aussie Cassian has been lending his incredible abilities to many a track as of late, taking on Bob Moses, Hayden James and Rüfüs Du Sol in recent months. Today he's offered up a massive mix of fantastic Finn Yotto's enormous "Nova." Just as the original seems to take place in the ever expanding reaches of outer space, Cassian's take on "Nova" is too an interstellar odyssey. The down under talent turns down the brightness, flipping the solar sheen into a nocturnal nightmare through bounding bass strides. However, this is not to say that the original is a simply all sunshine and weightlessness, but there is no denying that Cassian has keyed in on the explosive energy that drives "Nova," giving it a fearsome fuel injection. A fantastic and far reaching remix, this cataclysmic convulsion is truly captivating. Unleash it on the dance floor via Yotto's Odd One Out imprint with download from Beatport.FOLLOW CASSIAN: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
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Enlightened Listening for July 26

It's that time of the week, however the moment passed me on a busy day and I was unable to get this edition of Enlightened Listening posted on its proper day. Adding further insult to injury, I've got a massively bruised thumb so typing has been difficult. That said, the music goes on and you can find an epic playlist of new tunes below. Highlights include: Above & Beyond with Seven Lions; an 8-track album from Hot Since 82; remixes of Elephant Heart's "Lenguas" from Justin Jay and Kotek; the final two parts of Kotek's Sonoglyph Pt. 1 EP; a four-pack of fantastic singles from Bakermat, Friendly Fires, The Knocks & DJ Shadow; and DnB from Sub Focus and Bensley via his Muskoka LP. Enjoy!

Enlightened Listening for June 21

For the longest day of the year we've got one of the longest editions of Enlightened Listening, clocking in at over 7 hours with an astounding 81 tracks. It opens with four exceptional albums including two we've been building up to here in Hot Chip's eccentric electronic odyssey A Bath Full Of Ecstasy and Mark Ronson's masterful pop presentation Late Night Feelings. Both share singles that I've been rinsing out like crazy and are instant inclusions in the album of the year conversation. Those two are joined by the final and gut wrenching end of Cassius, Dreems, and Shinichiro Yokota's delightful collection of dance joints I Know You Like It. Those four account for 48 tracks and without question some of the best pieces of music (vocally, lyrically, sonically, melodically, etc) you'll hear all year.

There is no let down following those massive albums however, as The Niceguys follow with a fourpack of uplifting funk from Westwood Recordings. Staying grooving but building towards bigger numbers, Rudimental and The Martinez Brothers combine for a magical piece in Faith Mussa-aided energy in "Sitigawana." Another exceptional collab follows in the fantastical feels of Lane 8 and Yotto's "I / Y."

Even more epic we go as Pryda offers up the kind of extended, intoxicating genius we've grown to expect from one of the world's most trusted names. The lead track "Illumination" is truly inspired, however the other five tracks are no mere tag-alongs as each holds the same Pryda power. 

After what seems like forever we finally have 1) new music from Afterlife and 2) the Ae:ther ID I'd been waiting on since Afterlife Voyage 013. The 20 track compilation once again proves Afterlife is perhaps the pinnacle of top notch techno. Adding another legend to this already epic list, The Chemical Brothers share a sensational dub version of "Eve Of Destruction." Staying dark and bass driven, Poppy comes in next with a desolate and dire number in "Choke." Finally we close the playlist with a trio of takes on Duke Dumont's "Red Light Green Light," which will have you dancing all the way through the weekend. Stream all the new tracks below and find individual released linked after the playlist. Enjoy!


Hot Chip - A Bath Full Of Ecstasy

Cassius - Dreems

Shinichiro Yokota - I Know You Like It

Mark Ronson - Late Night Feelings

The Niceguys - Sunset Avenue

Rudimental & The Martinez Brothers - Sitigawana (ft. Faith Mussa)

Lane 8 & Yotto - I / Y

Pryda - PRYDA 15 VOL I

Various Artists - Realm Of Consciousness Pt. IV

The Chemical Brothers - Eve Of Dubstruction

Poppy - Choke

Duke Dumont ft. Shaun Ross - Red Light Green Light (For Club Play Only, Pt 6 / Remixes)

Enlightened Listening for March 8

We've got an extra funky Friday full of releases for this week's edition of Enlightened Listening. There's a couple cool albums of the groovier house variety, opposed by the despair driven darkness of Gesaffelstein's first album in over five years. There's also excellent EPs from Jon Gurd and Joe Goddard, as well as some sick singles from Don Rimini and Juelz, plus a couple sublime remixes from Folamour and Joris Voorn. Stream via Spotify playlist below and find descriptions at the bottom. Enjoy!

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Energy Fantasy (Folamour Remix)
Fantastic opening track. The drum work dazzles beneath bright and beautiful, soaring synths.

Birdee - Then Came The Sun
There are no holes in this album. Full on funky fun with awesome vocal driven and instrumental tracks alike. Big bold beats like "Love" and "Rumours" and more spacious, slow-burning sensations like "Meant To Be" and "Don't Give Up Your Love."

Locked Groove - Sunset Service
A lot like Birdee above, the funk is strong with this one; however, the energy is kicked up a notch, as immediately noted in "Pudding." Verging on classic rave vibes, there's no shortage of dance energy at the core of these tracks. They can be dark and dirty like "Zillion" or bright and ethereal like "Out Of Orbit."

Yotto - Walls (Joris Voorn Remix)
The typical top notch brilliance of Voorn is on full display here. As always, the extended offering allows the ease of "Walls" to breathe its beauty into your soul.

Jon Gurd - After It All
Like Folamour above, the drum work throughout this EP lays a fantastic foundation for the swirling synths to dance around. While it opens skyward in its projection, After It All gets deeper as it progresses.

Joe Goddard - Pull The Plug
My most anticipated release of the year so far. Each track is exceptionally designed, delivering some seriously sick grooves. "Sacred Heart" is both hypnotic and brilliantly bumping. "Max De Fool" builds on this hypnotism, turning further towards techno before Kool Keith cuts the chord with a wild get-down and fulsome flow on the title track. Finally, the fire inducing, furious drum opening of "Broken" will have you on your ass when the beat finally drops. Unreal.

Don Rimini - Homeboy
Bleepy shuffling brilliance. Not an all time stunner, but a surefire party starter.

Gesaffelstein - Hyperion
Expectations are dangerous. Expecting an artist to craft the same kind of tracks they did nearly a decade ago is foolhardy. No, this is not Variations, Conspiracy or even Aleph, but yes, it is still Gesaffelstein. His genius is still there; just like any of us, he's changed/evolved/grown over the years. Admittedly, I was not big on any of the singles, especially after the first few listens, however they've grown on me and now I'm quite the fan of both of the features. Of course I'm here for HAIM, and The Hacker/Electric Youth collab is incredibly intriguing, but the three track finale is perhaps the best bit of this whole endeavor. It's a bit soundtrack-ish, but hey, he's always had those proclivities and if you're not a fan of quality soundtrack stuff like John Williams, Wendy Carlos, Alan Menken and others, you're kind of missing the point...

Juelz - Closure (ft. Ruby Chase)
Finally, Juelz gives us our first taste of his Shanghai Nights EP, due out May 3rd on Fool's Gold. His club capabilities are on full display as he blends trap and future bass better than I've hear in a while.