Enlightened Listening for January 24

After last week's Enlightened Listening leaned towards experimental cuts through a couple cool albums, this week we're treated to tons of top notch techno alongside some dope DnB and deep house.

Opening the playlist is the brilliance from Four Tet's forthcoming album Sixteen Oceans (due out in March). He's followed by an epic and gorgeous track from Endrik Schroeder, which receives an equally enamoring remix from Marco Passarani. Staying with remixes, Blende graces the groovy NICOLAAS cut "XXO." Closing out these first five tracks is my favourite of the whole playlist and perhaps my favourite new release of the year, a fantastic take on Pointer Sisters classic "Automatic" from Tensnake. Playing perfectly with the already awesome original, Tensnake's contemporary touch is simply sublime.

While we've had A-Trak and Chromeo cross paths a couple times, we've never been treated to a track like the next one. The Brothers Macklovitch are now a real thing and we get our first taste with a deep take on Raphael Saadiq. Another reworked classic follows that as warner case takes us all the way back to 1987 via a cover of Mr. Fingers' "Can You Feel It." Turning towards house, OCULA offers up an inspired five track EP in Summit. After that brief house hiatus, things turn techno with a couple absolutely killer EPs from Kölsch and Hidden Empire, the latter truly taking you on an Odyssee. They are followed by the massive debut EP from HUNTER (Siegel) and his new jet black techno turn.

Turning towards legends, Booka Shade bring a couple new cool moving cuts with their Dear Future Self EP before Paul Woolford dons his Special Request moniker for two equally intoxicating and inspired remixes of the one and only Erol Alkan and his "Spectrum." But now it's time for bangers, so let's head to Night Bass for the dope title track of Jay Robinson's LSD EP. That's followed by the sensational standout Ibranovski remix of "Better" from Valentino Khan's House Party (Remixes) EP. Finally we close with two DnB EPs. First Jake Robertz mesmerizes us, ultimately turning us to stone with Medusa. Said stone is promptly pulverized by three immensely powerful collaborative cuts from René LaVice and Future Cut. Stream everything below, find individual releases linked at the bottom and enjoy!

Four Tet - Baby

Endrik Schroeder - Everyday Of Your Life

NICOLAAS ft. Chela - XXO (Blende Remix)

Tensnake - Automatic

Raphael Saadiq - So Ready (The Brothers Macklovitch Remix)

warner case - Can You Feel It

OCULA - Summit

Kölsch - Shoulder Of Giants / Glypto

Hidden Empire - Odyssee

HUNTER - I Might Forgive I Don't Forget

Booka Shade - Dear Future Self

Erol Alkan - Spectrum (Special Request Mixes)

Jay Robinson - LSD

Valentino Khan & Wuki ft. Roxanna - Better (Ibranovski Remix)

Jake Robertz - Medusa

René LaVice & Future Cut - Nine Strings / Eyes

5 Tunes To Wake Up To

There really is nothing like waking up your senses to some smooth grooves and with that in mind, I've put together a playlist of 5 tracks I'm playing non-stop right now that fit this category. Enjoy!

Mura Masa - Second 2 None (ft. Christine And The Queens)
I could've gone with any of Mura Masa's album but "Second 2 None" really got me when I heard those pans live on a big system at WayHome. It's incredibly beautiful and perfectly produced.

Pierce Fulton - Life In Letters
That piano makes me feel like a god within the first 5 seconds. How's that for a wake-up call?

Late Nite Tuff Guy - Do I Believe In God (LNTG Muscle Mix)
Been absolutely rinsing out Joe Goddard's disco mix for Annie Mac during Glastonbury (stream here), and this may be the peak cool it hits. As if Prince wasn't funky enough already, this is seriously sublime.

Kraak & Smaak ft. Joi Cardwell - Just Wanna Be Loved (Blende Remix)
Blende sure knows how to bring the bouncy beauty, and with Kraak & Smaak's delightful disco this is a can't miss, despite me doing just that for three years.

A-Trak - Believe (ft. Quavo & Lil Yachty)
Almost at a million plays on Soundcloud should be a sign as to just to how good this is. Oh yeah, and those three on one track? Come on, it really doesn't get much hotter than this extremely cool cut.

blende - Back To Summertime (ft. Mattie Safer)

London's Johan Blende, otherwise known as blende, nails the mood of the moment with his track "Back To Summertime." Of course that's what most publications are writing about, proclaiming this or that the song of the summer. I don't want to fall into that trap, so I'll just address it here, then let it rest. I feel more inclined then ever to find warm, bouncy and uplifting music, rather than dark moody bass bangers, and of course "Back To Summertime" fulfills that desire, both musically and lyrically.

blende has built this track around Mattie Safer's vocals, getting groovy right from the start. It's a kind of freeing funk, that only requires a mere toe tap but might just lead to being enveloped in ecstasy. I cannot help but think of Chromeo, perhaps my favourite purveyors of electro funk. Obviously blende's production shares a lot of similarities, especially in regards to the guitar work, but it's the the overwhelming warmth and fun that ties the two together so tightly.

There's a lot of promise in "Back To Summertime," both musically and thematically; and I'm certain that between the original and the accompanying remixes (from Cavego and This Soft Machine), blende will be bouncing out my speakers all summer long. Stream and/or download the EP here. FOLLOW BLENDE: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
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