Every so often when it's a monday, I can find myself a little thrown off by the fact that the weekend is over and there's an entire week ahead before the glorious times that come between thursday and sunday, but then, after some thinking, I realize there's a solution... pounding, pounding techno music. And so, I make sure to go out and find the most banging, face crushing tracks I can find, and proceed to play them as loud as possible at myself. Only then is it possible to forget, at least for a little bit, that today's a monday. So, naturally, that's what I did this morning, and here are some of my best finds...
Mumbai Science are on some of that other shit. These belgian youngsters simply have a sound carved out for themselves that's unlike anything out there. Its somewhere in between techno and electro that escapes exact definition, but whatever it is there's no doubt that it's freaking LARGE. Their newest EP came out today, and it's already received support from Boys Noize, Tiga, and Crookers just to name a few. That should tell you pretty much everything you need to know about it. Here's one of the two songs on it, but be sure to grab the full thing off of beatport.
download: Mumbai Science - Researchers (Original Mix)
Dark and deep analog vibes pulse along all the way through this one, making me feel a bit like I'm lost in the basement of a berlin discotech every time I listen to it. Our friends over at Volta Bureau came out with this remix a couple months back and it managed to slip under our radar a bit, but I don't know how because it's absolutely incredible. Honestly, comparing this with their hit "Alley Cat", it's amazing how versatile these guys are. Definitely a group to watch in 2012 if you aren't already. This song is honestly too good, I'd feel guilty giving it away for free - make sure to buy it off of Beatport.
[Stream Only]: Pat Lok - No Shame (Volta Bureau Remix)
I recently came across a band called Computer Magic, and I've completely fallen in love with their sound. It's a dreamy, retro-styled approach to electronica that makes me think of summer days and summer haze. Play this one on the next sunny day. Be sure to follow her soundcloud for some more jams.
download: Computer Magic - Grand Junction
Lastly but definitely not least, more Grum is always good for you. I feel like listening to this song is pretty much exactly what doing cocaine in the 80s must have been like........
download: Keenhouse - Ari-es (Grum Remix)
A warm mix of UK style bass with some fizzly, floating synth pads, this next track is one of the purest and undeniably good things I've come across in a while. I first came across it in Friendly Fires' Resident Advisor podcast (which was absolutely ace) and immediately had to stop listening and refer to the tracklist to find out what exactly I was hearing. Scope the full release from Hot Chip's Greco Roman label on Beatport here.
Download: Hackman - Your Face Pulling My Hair (Original Mix)
Maceo Plex doing what he does best here; slowed-down, sexed-up house replete with some throbbing analog synths. Another top release from a 2011 that saw him rightfully entering RA's top 100 djs list at #5. Oh and that reminds me, be on the lookout for our upcoming top 50 tracks of 2011 list that should be coming out in the next few days, I don't want to give too much away but you can definitely expect some Maceo Plex on there. Also be sure to check out the Eats Everything remix of this track.
Download: Laura Jones - Love In Me (Maceo Plex Remix)
Our friends over at Volta Bureau sent us this dance dub of their single "Hope" the other day and needless to say I was immediately smitten with it after just one listen. Clean, swinging percussion, some dreamy piano cuts and a massive, analog-sounding synth line to top it all off. What more could you ask for? For all things Volta Bureau be sure to head over to their Facebook Page.
Download: Volta Bureau - Hope (Volta Bureau Dub)
Can't wait for this release. I'm sure this is a track that will be destroying Miami all spring this year.
Disco disco disco. It lives on, I tell you. Check these next two jams if you don't believe me. The first comes from our good friends Volta Bureau. "Hope" is the D.C. based trio's debut single, and if it's any indication of the group's future, good good things are to come from these guys. Give the song a listen and support it in full here, then check the accompanying video below for additional coolness.
Volta Bureau - Hope (Stream Only)
The second is a killer dance floor filler from Bit Funk. Upbeat synth stabs and a fat fat bassline center around a wonderfully ironic vocal sample...and the whole thing's free. You have no excuse, download this. Bit Funk - Rap Music
Goddamn, Shazam. That's really the only thing I could think when I heard the Perth based producer's latest remix attempt, this time tackling Pase Rock's "Nights". A bit slower than his usual stuff, maybe, but certainly just as stellar. Run into the moonlight and groove to this one. Pase Rock - Nights (Shazam Remix)
Browsing Beatport DJ charts almost always provides me with excellent tunes I probably would never have stumbled upon anywhere else. Take this Poolside remix for example. The dudes responsible for the perfect daytime/nightime/anytime jam "Do You Believe" serve up this little number, decked out in nostalgic 90's chords and intricate percussion. Check beatport here for the remix and it's accompanying dub.
James Curd pres. Ziggy Franklin - Alien (Poolside Remix) (Stream Only)
My beatport journeys also coughed up this one from Alfabet, the collaboration between Tom Trago and Awanto 3. I literally cannot stop playing this song. I know this gets said often in the music blogging world, but if you don't at least nod your head to this, I think you have a problem. Oldschool house stabs build into a drop of some of the fattest percussion I've yet heard, seeming to suck you in with each kick. Definitely worth the $1.50 charge here.
Alfabet - Waus Mucic (Stream Only)
Since you may not be satisfied with only two of those songs above being downloadable, I'll leave you all with my opening set for the Justin Faust show in Saint Louis. Plenty of good tracks in here, and it's all available for download, so no complaining. Justin Faust Show Opening Set by Bright & Shiny
Now that we're in the middle of the summer, I've noticed a strange phenomenon taking place. The more pool parties I go to and long days at the beach that I spend (with subsequently longer nights) the more and more addicted I find myself getting to the big room, hands-in-the-air house sounds of artists like Avicii and Swedish House Mafia. Everyone's already heard every song by either of those a million times though, so today I'm gonna focus on a couple newer, lesser known jams that still fall into that same category. All of these songs are selected to be the soundtrack for any summer situation, be that a sun soaked pool party during the day, the depths of a bumpin' dancefloor in the middle of the night, or some sort of festival setting like the picture above. Enjoy.
We're a little late on this one, but you know what they say right, better late than never? Anyway, this track 'XOXO' is a ridiculously massive BOMB from Russian house group Swanky Tunes. Listen to the drop at the 1 minute mark to see what I mean. This is straight up the catchiest song I've heard in a long while. Show the group some love and grab it off beatport HERE. Swanky Tunes - XOXO (Original Mix)
Every part of this song just shouts 'fun in the sun' to me. The vocals from CSS are so darn catchy, add that up with the magical stylings of Californian producer Dillon Francis and you have yourself a summer anthem. Keep your eyes out for the official release sometime this week. CSS - Hits Me Like A Rock (Dillon Francis Remix)
It should be no surprise to anyone that Laidback Luke absolutely crushes this remix.. So I'm going to take this opportunity to talk about the artist behind the original, GTA. They're a duo based out of Miami who are relatively new and completely unheard of, but mark our words within a year or two they'll be one of the biggest names in house. Everything they've done so far is completely massive, I was talking to Sir Real one time and he even went so far as to say they're gonna be the next Swedish House Mafia. I honestly wouldn't be that surprised, have a look at their soundcloud here to see why: http://soundcloud.com/wearegta. Check the release for this remix on beatport here too GTA - U & I feat. Zashanell (Laidback Luke Remix)
This mashup manages to take the new Britney Spears single and transform it into something that's not only listenable, but actually ridiculously catchy and huge. I know it's hard to believe, but have a listen for yourself below: Britney Spears - Till The World Ends (DJ Dan Liu 'Troucid' Mashup)
I know this track is waaaay old and most of you already have it. But recently I've sort of rediscovered it and completely fallen in love with it all over again. Why doesn't deadmau5 make music like this anymore?? We may never know. For those of you who don't have it already, grab it below before you do anything else, this is a straight up classic.. Medina - You & I (Deadmau5 Remix)
These last three are more on the downtempo side, perfect for lounging around by the pool or straight relaxing wherever you may be..
Newly formed, Washington DC based group Volta Bureau have come up with a chunk of pure auditory gold on this track. No joke, I've listened to it like 10 times today already. Summer vibes if I've ever heard them. For everything you'd ever want to know about the group, check this article (definitely recommend reading it, it's quite interesting): The Washington Post on Volta Bureau Volta Bureau - Love Cubed
We posted a Fred Falke remix of this track a little while ago that was pretty great. This is probably one of the few instances in the world though where someone else's remix actually manages to top the Falke effort. Newcomer producer out of LA, Baby Monster (funny ass name..) completely takes this track to a new echelon. See for yo' self below Wolf Gang - The King And All Of His Men (Baby Monster Remix)
On a different note, I wanted to quickly let you all know about a really cool website/company that one of my good friends is working for and helping to develop. It's called Findthebest.com and basically it helps you compare the prices and qualities of different things so you can find the best one. You might be asking yourself, "Augustus, what does this have to do with me?" Well, if you're in the market for any number of music related things this site is really great for helping you find the right stuff. For instance if you're trying to become a producer but aren't exactly sure which music software to get, you could use the service to compare the best music editing softwares (click the link to check it out). Or if you're in need of good headphones (this is aimed at all of you out there who have been listening to today's post out of your laptop speakers, shame on you) you could go there to find the Best Headphones. Have a look, I promise you'll find it helpful.
Last but not least this one is for all of the Radiohead fans out there. Radiohead will always have a special place in my heart because they were one of the first bands that really pushed me to be embrace music off the beaten path and often electronically inspired, which probably ultimately led to me being able to love house music so much. Genius producer Gigamesh takes the classic 'Everything In Its Right Place' and subtly twists it into a total dancefloor beast. Listen to it from the very beginning, the first drop is soooo satisfying. Radiohead - Everything In Its Right Place (Gigamesh / DiscoTech Remix)
