Ready For The Weekend (Get Retarded)

I come bearing gifts of the best kind: wonderful music hand selected for the shenanigans of the weekend. Happy Friday.

Calvin Harris has had a massive 2011 so far. After taking a bit of a break since the release of his last album, he stormed back in 2011 with the dropping of Awooga and primetime performances during WMC, and now he's got another total bomb of a track: Bounce. The song, a collaboration with Kelis, has all the trademark Calvin Harris elements we've come to know and love him for - catchy melody, lots of fun, completely sick. It isn't released yet, but we've gotten our hands on a preview (192kbps, but NOT a radio rip) copy that should hold you over till the official release. Grab it while it's hot.
Calvin Harris ft. Kelis - Bounce (Original Mix)


Next up we have a remix we got in the mail from 19 year old Florida producer DallasK. The track, a remix of Nero, goes from big room progressive house into a bass-heavy, dutch fusion of a drop that can only be described by the word 'madness.' Seriously, the first time I played this track and the drop came blaring out of the speakers at me I probably looked like I had lost my mind to anyone watching I was dancing so retardedly.
Nero - Guilt (DallasK Remix)


Hardwell has been really taking over recently, with a string of massive releases following up his Zero 76 collaboration with Tiesto. Today I have two of Hardwell's newest and most epic tracks to date, and they're literally both so amazing I'm not really sure which to start with. Martin Solveig's most recent EP Ready To Go (vocals by Kele of Bloc Party), was definitely solid but for some reason I never reeally felt it that much. Hardwell managed to figure out what the track was missing and transforms it here into a piece of progressive house so flawless it's mind blowing. Encoded, the other Hardwell track I have for you is an original that's equally as bomb but has more of a dutch/techy edge to it.
Martin Solveig ft. Kele - Ready 2 Go (Hardwell Remix)


Hardwell - Encoded (Original Mix)


What can be said about Skrillex that hasn't already been said. The dude is a lunatic or a genius depending on how you look at it. His music has a power and style to it that's unlike anything else out there right now. This track hits HARD. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Skrillex - Do Da Oliphant (Original Mix)


The synths on this one are utterly amazing. Soooo nice.
Human Life - Wherever We Are (Original Mix)


Jaymo & Andy George, two of BBC Radio 1's dope house djs, have put together a track here with a beat so twisted and strangely dance-inducing it sounds like it could've been made by some italians named Crookers. It's sick to see that these guys are as good of producers as they are DJs. I'm sure we'll be seeing some more massive releases from these two soon.
Andy George & Jaymo - Midnight (Original Mix)


And finally I'll leave you guys with a track by one of our favorite producers out of England right now, Julio Bashmore. Throw this on at the end of the night when you're trying to unwind. Straight gorgeous.
Julio Bashmore - Craboon (Original Mix)



Stay Classy,
Augustus

Get Demented

Today's playlist gets increasingly demented after about the fourth song, so come prepared with an extra diaper and two tabs of acid. And don't say I didn't warn you. Seriously, I'm faced with a moral conflict right now between my obligation to blog the most insane tunes I can wrap my manic hands around and my responsibility as a human being to protect my fellow humans from this phenomenon that people are calling "techno music." I can't believe you sick freaks even look at this website anymore, this music is deplorable and bad for your dental health.

Let's just get this one out of the way first. The track people have been calling "ID" between breaths of fog machine fog and man musk was leaked today and it has a new name: "Levels." Our boy Avicii has outdone himself again, with a track that sounds polished, professional, and most certainly well beyond his 21 years. It still sets my soul soaring after having heard the instrumental for the last three months on a semi-daily basis. What can you say? The dude knows what the people what and just how to give it to 'em. [EDIT: Avicii has spoken; this is his personal live edit and the original mix is still due to be released]
Avicii - Levels (Live Edit)


There's nothing Sir Real likes more than hearing seemingly disjointed, atonal beats which coalesce into a melodious banger right before his very ears. Not much else to say about this one except that this track has been a set staple for the likes of Boys Noize and Bart B More all year. Starski is on point.
Starski - Sunstruck (Original Mix)


The first and last thing Don Diablo did right on his new track "Animale" was getting Dragonette on the vocals. Dunno what it is about her voice, but ya girl currently holds the highly coveted top spot on the prestigious "Sir Real's Favorite Shit List" in the "Female Dance Music Vocalist" category. Oliver does some serious work on this track, plucking a most evocative and tantalizing vocal phrase from the original and planting his vision around it. It starts off solidly, moving in a french house sort of direction before Oliver goes off on a mawfucka and turns the track into a massive disco track of anthemic proportion.
Don Diablo ft. Dragonette - Animale (Oliver Remix)


Junior Jack kkiillss it on this track, which feels like the perfect homage to his French Touch predecessors, Thomas Bangalter and Guy de Homem-Christo. No one can take a tiny keyboard sample, screw it up and throw a FAT bassline under it quite like those Daft Punk fellas, but Jack gives them a run for their money on this thumping mix.
Junior Jack - Thrill Me (Original Mix)


This is where shit starts to get weird. Found this track over at the insanely-on-top-of-their-shit GDD... it's almost like blogging is those dudes job or something, damn. Anyway, Finger Prince are a couple of crazy kiddos from Botswana who know how to make techno JUST how I like it: with some funk and a large serving of "HOT DAMN."
Boy 8-Bit - Yard Birds (Finger Prince Remix)


French blog-household names Para One, Surkin, and Bobmo have combined to form a The Marble Players. Their first track, "Playground," is 100% USDA approved techno music. It's surprising to hear this sort of thing out of three artists whose music was so much a part of the blog house movement, but also refreshing as hell.
Marble Players - Playground


So long story short, this is a track from my favorite DJ set to date: Sven Vath's Essential Mix at Cocoon. Back in the day, I figured I was just listening to some strange German man play house beats, but it so turns out that what I was listening to was in fact techno. I don't know where I'm going with this because beatport claims this song is electro house (what do they know anyway?), but the point is that I've always had a soft spot in my heart for freaky techno, especially when served masterfully by the hands of a middle-aged German wizard on four hits of acid. Listen to Sven Vath's epic mix here, and for all you crazy fucks who actually enjoy it, download here.
Gabriel Ananda - Ihre Personliche Glucksmelodie (Freeform Five Remix)


Since 1993, Jori Hulkkonen has been producing sickeningly crazy techno music, but I just found him and this song yesterday so don't believe a word I say. And don't ask me to pronounce his name or I will punch you in the mouth. However, I will say that Jori and the Roland TB-303 are clearly very good friends.
Jori Hulkkonen - Opportunities (Original Mix)


When I played this song to my roommate his first response was to tell me a story about how he and some friends stumbled into a club in Vienna where this sort of music was being played and promptly ran out of the place fearing for their sanity. I simply replied that I intend to spend some time in Vienna as soon as possible. Hallucinogenic drugs can have devastating and long-lasting effects on one's psyche. When this beat drops around the four-minute mark you had better make sure you're somewhere where improper behavior is encouraged.
Dinky - Acid In My Fridge (Visionquest Remix)


Representing the District of Columbia (Bright&Shiny's home), Pleasurekraft brings us a smashing tech house track that's sure to get asses shaking. Believe me, this music may sound underwhelming to you as you sit at home listening on your MacBook Pro's speakers. But when played by the right person in a dimly lit warehouse filled with people who love to dance, this shit will have a serious impact on the well-being of all involved. And I don't know how many of our readers are DJs, but let me spell this out for you: THIS TRACK IS FIRE.
Pleasurekraft - Corpse Reviver Number 2 (Original Mix)


Finally, the track which inspired the theme of this post: Funkerman's remix of Moby's "The Day." This is demented tech house at its finest, fit for playing only in the darkest and dankest clubs of Berlin's underground. It scares the living shit out of you, but not before forcefully compelling you to dance uncontrollably and without regard for human life. Funkerman's debut album is set to come out this year and I for one will be waiting with bated breath to see what other sorts of madness this man can stir up.
Moby - The Day (Funkerman Remix)



SIR REAL

Don't Stop The Music

Surprise!!! You may have seen my name tossed around here a few times, but I come to you now as a new writer for the Bright & Shiny team.
What this means for you all: More good music, more often. These friends of mine, that I'm sure you have come to adore, introduced me to electronic music so you should find that my muiscal tastes are very similar. On that note, let's get down to it. I've got some goodies for you today.

Marlon Flohr and Ralph van Hilst, better known as Bassjackers, released this banger a few weeks a ago and their dutch house sound is on point. But it here on beatport and check out some of their monster remixes if you haven't already.
Bassjackers - Mush Mush (Original Mix)


My friends Beau requested this one at a party and it rocked the dance floor. Basically, people lost it. I don't know much about the Brooklyn-based DJ/Producer Gustolabs , but this Avicii edit wll get anybody dancing.
Avicii - Fuck The Music (Gustolabs Re-edit)


The Magician, formerly one-half of Aeroplane, has been doing quite well for himself in his solo efforts and this Yuksek remix is no exception. Well placed piano stabs come in around the 1 minutes mark and compliment the vocals very well. I can't get this song out of my head.
Yuksek - On a Train (Magician Remix)


This one comes off of Scream & Shout Recordings from newcomer(s)? Damn Stupid. Little is known about them, but coming from a label that includes the likes of Deniz Koyu and Bodybangers you can be sure they're not messing around. This electro number, 'Goodbye Girl', includes an apparent, but very effective sample of 'Animal Rights' and hits hard.
Damn Stupid - Goodbye Girl (Original Mix)


I love the funk. Zapp & Roger, a soul and funk band from the 70's and 80's, are best known for hits like 'More Bounce To The Ounce' and 'Computer Love'. Their orginal 'Do It', however is the one that gets the special treatment from Australian Jacob Farah, or Jasper. A more upbeat rhythm and wonderfully choped vocals make for a great combination. According to his soundcloud, Jasper "lives by the ethos to music 'to make music is to make people smile". It also says he enjoys picking Smurf berries with the Smurfs in his downtime... Interesting.
Zapp & Roger - Do It (Jasper Remix)


The Legendary Erol Alkan spices up this Metronomy original with a catchy bassline that you can't help but groove to. Sure it may get a tad repetitive, but it feels soo good.
Metronomy - The Bay (Erol Alkan's Extended Rework)

I also strongly suggest you check out Identity Festival because Erol and some B&S favorites (Kaskade, Chuckie, Avicii, just to name a few) will be terrorizing over 20 U.S. cities this Summer.

Some old school Siriusmo just because he's amazing.
Siriusmo - Blaue Sonne


I leave you with this track off of Hey Champ's new EP 'Anything At All' that comes out tomorrow. The trio teamed up with Eliot James, who has produced for Two Door Cinema Club and Bloc Party, and they have come up with something special. Oh and they're giving it away on their website and here.
Anything at All by Hey Champ

- Jimbo

Don't Go

It's Friday. We so excited.

So I was droppin by Wolfgang Gartner's facebook page the other day and happened upon this massive, technically unreleased bootleg. Apparently, he left a CD at a show a while back. I guess someone happened upon it, popped it into their computer, pressed play, and immediately decided it needed to be spread to all reaches of the globe via the internet. Good choice.

Where's Your Cannon At (Wolfgang Gartner Bootleg) - Tom Staar, Basement Jaxx

"Together", the result of a collaboration between two absolute legends of the house/french house scene DJ Falcon and Thomas Bangalter, is the quintessential feel good house track. It's quite timeless, and if you don't have it somewhere in your music library, you best educate yo'self. Le Castle Vania and Computer Club recently gave it a little sprucing up, adding in some electric synth-work and a little extra punch. Though I prefer the original, there's no doubt that this one's quality. Here's to the summer.

Together (Le Castle Vania's + Computer Club Summer Bootleg Mix) - DJ Falcon & Thomas Bangalter

TWR72, aka The Walk & Rogerseventytwo dropped this bad boy earlier, presumably in anticipation of the release of the their next EP. Classsic 90's piano rave stabs and vocals throughout, with an acid bassline that kicks in about halfway.

TWR72 - Summer of 91 (Acid Version)

Aussie house up and comers Light Year did a post for GDD the other day that I was more than happy to check out. Among some other choice tunes, they put up this one from Oliver $. This is a serious old school vibin' groove-tune; it's simple, but entirely captivating and is guaranteed to get your head bobbing. My only problem with it is that the vocal sample kinda take away from the rest of the song at parts...but that's why there's a dub version.

Oliver $ - Doin' Ya Thang (Original Mix)

Boys Noize Records first label compilation, BNR Records Vol. 1 dropped on beatport earlier this May; I strongly recommend checking it out. It's chock-full of great tunes, including a couple from PUZIQUe, the musical marriage of Boys Noize himself and D.I.M. "Don't Go" happens to be one of those tracks, a song that I'd forgotten, but after some revisiting, continue to love as much as ever. Jam.

PUZIQUe - Don't Go (Original Mix)

Also, be on the lookout for some mixes I'll be throwin' up here in the near future. Have a Bright & Shiny weekend everybody.

-PK

Or Is It?

Once again, sorry for the lack of content flow, I promise we'll get back to the steady stream of wonderful music you've come to know and love us for soon enough (meaning, as soon as we're all done with school for the year, which is really soon). We'll start things off with the latest from the half-robot German known as Boys Noize. This newest remix doesn't adhere to his typical pounding german techno style, but rather uses the elements he's known best for as subtle, but awesome, compliments to an overall more acoustic feeling song. The result is really fantastic; I hope this is an indication of what we'll see if Boys Noize decides to start producing for more non-electronic acts.
Charlotte Gainsbourgh - Trick Pony (Boys Noize Remix)


Young gun producer Ekstra gives Adele's Rolling In The Deep a monstrous remix treatment here; the opening lures you in with gorgeous vocals and complimentary piano stabs, only to completely floor you at the drop. Every song I hear from this dude is better than the last one. This kid is the future.
Adele - Rolling In The Deep (Ekstra Remix)


Ever since their new album dropped, I've been stuck in a Holy Ghost! phase. I just can't get enough of their retro and groovy style. Their newest release, a collaboration with Black Van (producers Kris Menace and KoweSix), lives up to the sort of garage funk-band style they've established for themselves. The EP comes with a couple versions, including an Aeroplane remix, but it's the Holy Ghost! Edit that really takes the cake. Everything these guys do is pure quality, James Murphy clearly chose right when he took them under the DFA wing a couple years ago.
Black Van ft. Holy Ghost! - Moments of Excellence (Holy Ghost! Version)


Turbulence by Laidback Luke & Steve Aoki started off as one of the type of songs I could tell that at the outset I wouldn't enjoy (after all it has Lil Jon obnoxiously screaming all over it), but after hearing it blaring out of a proper soundsystem at a Steve Aoki show earlier this spring, I realized that those doubts were misplaced and the track was a proper anthem, Lil Jon and all. The remix package came out recently and of them all one remix stood out to me in particular, and that's the Sidney Samson effort. Mr Samson takes all the energy from the original, adds a touch of dutch flavoring and some acid house, and the result is absolute lunacy. Totally massive.
Laidback Luke & Steve Aoki - Turbulence (Sidney Samson Remix)



Our friends the Dublin Aunts seem to be really stepping up their game recently. We at Bright & Shiny have long known these dudes bring the funk, but this is  (in my opinion) way above anything else we've heard from these guys. Feel-good, sun-splashed house music. Gotta love it.
Dirty Laundry - Mexico (Dublin Aunts Remix)


EDX has been one of the titans of progressive house for a while now, but I'm not always the biggest fan of his stuff since sometimes it can be too formulaic or cheesey. With that said, this remix is totally gorgeous and I fully endorse it. I love the deadmau5-ey spacious feel on this one.
Dinka - Elements (EDX 5un5hine Remix)


I thought TAI's Big Bass Drum EP was solid, but ultimately it left something to be desired. Etienne de Crecy seems to have found the missing elements on this remix, taking the original to new heights with the addition of well put together builds and a ridiculously filthy drop.
TAI - Big Bass Drum (Etienne de Crecy Remix)


This is what's been waking me up in the morning recently. Lot's of energy and a riff that'll be stuck in your head all day.
Goose - Black Gloves (Original Mix)


Afrojack released 2 tracks worth noting recently. First off Selecta is an electro house track with strong dutch house influences, a style that afrojack seems to be favoring more and more recently. Definitely a massive track, as per usual from Mr. Afrojack. Second up is Pop On Acid, which he released for free on his facebook page recently. It's basically Pacha On Acid, the Afrojack classic, redone 2011 style with a little more edge. Nothing completely groundbreaking, but still definitely worth grabbing.
Afrojack & Quintino - Selecta (Original Mix)


Afrojack - Pop On Acid (Original Mix)


And finally to close things out I bring you a track off of Lone's impeccable Echolocations EP. Resident Advisor gave the whole EP a 4.5/5 - they virtually never give anything above a 4. I'd have to agree with them, the 6 track EP is essentially perfect, I'm completely in love with every song on it.  The track I'm bringing you today, Dolphin, is an ethereal and sublimely beautiful electronica track with a sort of oriental feel to it. Honestly I'm not really sure how to explain it because it's unlike anything I've ever heard. Buy the whole EP here if you have a soul and/or any respect for good music.
Lone - Dolphin (Original Mix)



*Also, in honor of reaching our 500th+ fan on facebook, we will be giving away free Bright & Shiny stickers (swag) to the first 10 people who ask for them, so head over to our facebook page and drop us a line if you want one!


Stay Classy,
Augustus