When I think of Munk, my first thought isn't subtle electro house. When I think of French touch godfather Etienne De Crecy, my first thought isn't subtle electro-house either. Yet somehow, the two of them have managed to cobble together a fantastic............subtle electro house number.
Munk's remix of 'No Brain' is a dark and dirty affair, despite its predominently understated and minimal beat and bass. The low electro ripples and murmurs ride in the back seat whilst a series of short melodies take centre stage, making the beat fresh and inventive at regular intervals. Though this kind of short, sharp change could become annoying if overused, Munk has applied restraint and a delicate touch to make each one familiar but unique.
The most interesting of these 'mini riffs' is the one that begins at 2.18 though. It's hard to describe, but it sounds like the twisted reworking of some sort of childrens theme. It should be so happy and bouncy, yet its sinister and eerily intriguing. Its the audio version of a clown, they're meant to make kids smile with joy, but they just end up making most cry with fear.
Great remix of a top track and well worth the pennies in your digital pocket.
The rise of nu-disco from internet blogs to flirtation with the charts is well on the way. With such enthusiasm for the sound, Toomy Disco has just released a corking example with 'The Wait', and its a track that will get stuck in your head from first listen.
A smooth bassline pounds the rhythm with hypnotic ease. On top are a sumptuous selection of drums, horns, synths and violins - all blended together with an easy listening vocal sample. It's a beat that doesn't demand your affection, it just takes it and you love every minute it's got it!
This song really knocked my metaphorical socks off upon hearing it. Everything about the track matches up perfectly, not one note sounds out of place or poorly used. It's a great tune, and just another fantastic example of why nu-disco is quickly becoming the new darling of the dance scene.
A download link is included in this soundcloud file.
Louis La Roche has unleashed another banging nu-disco banger with his remix of Burns & Fred Falke's 'You Stopped Loving Me'
Cutting out the vocals and stripping back the beat to the main riff with some subtle drums, Louis La Roche has managed to create a lounge-like sophisticated dance number.
I personally was not that impressed with the original which I felt to be too boisterous and uninspiring, lacking the creativity that you expect from producers of the calibre of Burns and Fred Falke. This version is far more what I had in mind when I thought of the reworking of Luther Vandross' classic track.
A great remix with some really nice production values.
Is it tech-house? Is it deep-house? Is it even a sub-genre at all? Could this not be the traditional sound of the original house movement? Any way you look at it, it matters not one iota! This untitled piece by Oni Ayhun is all about the laid back beat with some absolutely beautiful melodies placed delicately on top.
The intro may lead you to think you are about to enjoy a quite aggressive tech-house affair. You'd be wrong though as the euphoric, warped synth notes firmly state that you are heading for some trippy leftfield house for the next eleven minutes and ten seconds. The low bass ripples perfectly compliment the heady highs that this tune creates.
Well worth checking out this hidden gem. It's perfect for both the club and a listening session in the headphones.
Back in October, we were lucky enough to interview Jerry Bouthier and he promised us faithfully that JBAG would shortly be releasing their excellent debut single 'X Ray Sex'. Well Jerry has followed up on his word, presenting us with the original mix plus a special bonus remix by French trio Jolie Cherie.
Original Mix The amount of praise I could lavish upon this single would result in an 2000 word essay. For me, this has been the stand out dance track of the year, and one which I was eagerly awaiting like a kid at Christmas.Adeliciously seductive bassline instantly snags your attention, before a crescendo of instruments spoil you rotten with eargasmic entertainment. The hook and drop are both top notch, ramping up the energy whilst at the same time remaining effortlessly chilled and cool. This track will get you dancing without a shadow of a doubt.
JBAG are definitely one to keep your eye on for the future. They already have a string of great remixes floating about on the internet (as well as on Jerry's mix CDs - 'Kitsuné BoomBox' and 'Kitsuné x Ponystep', and judging by the quality of X Ray Sex, they are bound to keep the hits coming. If you only download one track all year, make it this one!
Trying to remix X Ray Sex is like inventing new Coke. You can try and tinker with the original all you want, but you will never be able to top it. That's why Jolie Cherie have gone well beyond new Coke, straying so far from the original that they have become Pepsi, and have thus established their own identity.
That complicated analogy should now have sparked your interest in hearing the remix. Jolie Cherie have elected for a rather more traditional big room feel, whilst still working to an electro pop framework. The "big chords" are out in force, pumping up the atmosphere and feel good vibe eminating from the track. Louise Prey's superb distorted vocals are still present and used to great effect, helping to cement the song as a peak-time dancefloor destroyer. Jolie Cherie had a tough job remixing X Ray Sex, but they managed to create their own mark on the track, and have turned out a strong addition to the EP.
And the award for the most creative use of a Beyoncé sample goes to.....Kingdom! His track 'Fogs' manages to build an entire song, based solely around a few seconds of chopped up vocals and distorted bass from her 2009 single 'Sweet Dreams'.
From the first second, Fogs displays the originality and uniqueness that we have come to expect from a Kingdom song. Taking the sinister and dark edge, the beat is somewhat simplistic but the production value and variety of sounds keep the song interesting. It's filled with the quirky electro stabs, echoed hand-claps and a deep, sinister bassline.
Whilst not really being a song to dance to, Fogs is a great track to own. You listen to it alone, appreciating and enjoying its individulaity. Fogs would be wasted in a packed club. Most people wouldn't 'get it', they would rather hear Sweet Dreams blasting out instead. And for that reason, it is probably best that tracks like Fogs remain somewhat hidden gems that take effort to find - it makes the reward even sweeter. Buy Kingdom - Fogs at 7Digital
Kingdom is an artist who seems to be producing music for a genre of his own. His diverse use of instruments and the playfully experimental way he arranges his songs means he is churning out banger after banger. This track is the first of two that I want to share.
His remix of 'Thrill Seeka' takes a completely new angle on what is at heart a frantic dirty electro-house tune. All the energy and pace of the original is sapped away and replaced by a lonely, deserted landscape of a track. This is no bad thing though. The song is sectioned off into different drum beats and a variety of other percussion sounds are then thrown in on top. This is followed by a series floor-rumbling low bass ripples. The result - a refreshingly original track which doesn't play by any conventional rules.
Even the cheesily high pitched vocals offer no detraction. Rather than ending up sounding like some 14-year-old bedroom producer, just speeding up an original vocal track, the vocals used for Thrill Seeka work brilliantly as a compliment to the harsh & sparse drum beats. Echoey, moody, stirring - an impressive result considering how they are still at heart some cheesily high pitched vocals! Buy Kanji Kinetic - Thrill Seeka (Kingdom Remix) at 7Digital
Seb Legrand has created a beautifully understated gem of progressive house with 'Deja'Vu'. A sparse and deftly understated track, the drums and keys work in perfect harmony to create a luscious tune coming straight out of left field, catching the casual listener quite off guard.
The drums have an air of sophistication to them. They provide an enjoyable surging and pacing, whilst avoiding a 'noise clumping' effect. Legrand then begins chucking a whole host of melodies and synths into this progressive melting pot. The infusion builds up and up until you are clinging on for the drop.
The drop however never really materialises. Instead of an Axwell-esque overt slamming of the piano and kicking of the 'big drum', Legrand gently lowers the track again before beginning a subtle rebuilding, safely landing the listener back down for the final time.
The echo effect on the vocal noise is a pretty touch to a very neat package. Whilst not as in your face as some progressive house, you will struggle to find a track more lovingly crafted than this. Buy Seb Legrand - Deja'Vu at 7Digital
We all know that Dubstep is on a massive slide in terms of buzz. Whilst new talent will continue to enter the genre and shape it in fresh new ways, a sudden overt interest in 'one wobbly style' has torn the scene apart from the seems - scattering artists to all corners of the genre.One such corner is the fast paced, emerging sound of 'future garage'.
Future garage is collecting the hype like it's going out of fashion. And releases like Jack Dixon's latest EP show why so much attention is destined to be centred on this new musical movement.A review isn't even nessecary, this sound is familiar yet new.
I'll let you decide how to describe the music - because at this point I'm not even sure of the traits of this rapidly evolving genre!
Southern Fried Records - where are you?!?!? Shinichi Osawa's brilliant album 'SO2' was released back in June in Japan. In Europe and America however, fans are still in the dark as to a possible release, with no hint as to whether Osawa's terrific follow up to 'One' will ever actually make it to these distant, foreign shores.Before we all go to our rooms and sulk though, let's just give the track 'London' a moment of our time. London is a sumptuous piece of electronic perfection. Sharing the euphoric traits of Osawa's previous track 'Dreamhunt', it takes the listener on a perfectly chilled voyage. Soft synths complement slightly distorted vocals, whilst low & undercut drums provide a sturdy beat.Though the English capital is given a name-check, it is unclear what exactly the LDN has to do with the track at all. Maybe Shinichi felt homesick there, or maybe he just associates this sound with the city. Either way, it's by far and away the stand out track on SO2 in this humble bloggers opinion.Enjoy. Buy Shinichi Osawa - SO2 from YesAsia
