THE BEST MUSIC: NEW & OLD
Bringing you an italo-infused chuggy house number from London-based producer and DJ Joseph Ashworth. I mean this in the best way possible – it sounds like the kind of track that would have been used to soundtrack a 90s motorbike racing game. Love it.
Shout out to Ben Gomori’s Turned On podcast for the tip.
There has always been one established Hunter remix – a garage re-rub courtesy of MJ Cole. I’m not a big garage-head, so it has never quite the job for me. So imagine my delight when I came across this:
François Kevorkian and Eric Kupper have turned an undeniable stone cold classic into a balearic dream. Enjoy.
Bonus track: and here is that MJ Cole remix for you
Tame Impala have released their new album, Deadbeat; their long-awaited follow-up to The Slow Rush. Inspired by the Australian ‘bush doof’ (outdoor rave) scene, Kevin Parker has reimagined his sound for the dancefloor. While this sounds like an exciting prospect, in general, the release underwhelms – in particular, singles End of Summer, Loser and Dracula are all relatively quickly forgotten.
That said, tucked away as the penultimate track on the album, Afterthought gives a hint of what the album could have been. It fuses Parker’s song-writing strengths with a catchy, melodic baseline. It’s just a shame that this approach appears to have been afterthought…
If you enjoyed that, I’m playing a set at Stokey Karaoke on 29th November where I’ll be leaning into an indie electro vibe. Expect Tame Impala, La Roux, TEED and more. Get in touch for details.
17 years on from its original release, Empire of the Sun have released a remix package of their biggest track, Walking on a Dream. The TEED version caught my attention, but the EP takes you on a tour of various genres (and levels of quality) with Wiz Khalifa, Axwell and Kaskade getting in on the act, amongst others.
If you enjoyed that, I’m playing a set at Stokey Karaoke on 29th November where I’ll be leaning into an indie electro vibe. Expect Tame Impala, La Roux, TEED and more. Get in touch for details.
TEED’s new album is Always With Me is out 5th December. I’ve been enjoying the singles so far (especially Desire and The Echo). It’s very much worth checking out what Orlando has to offer, as always. New name, same quality.
I think I’ve identified a trend of dance-music duos releasing soulful, electronic albums this Summer. Well, I can name two. Dam Swindle have added their names to the list alongside Chaos in the CBD, with the release of their third full-length album, Open.
I’m a big fan of almost everything Dam Swindle put out (see here, and here). And that’s no different for their new album, Open. But that’s not to say that it is more of the same from the Dutch duo. This album is wide-ranging and exploratory, with touches of synth-wave, ambient and soul. Chuck it on and play it front-to-back. You won’t regret it, I promise.
Bonus album: here is that Chaos in the CBD record I mentioned
You’ll know Shanti Celeste for her dance floor energy, but in this mix for RA she’s stripped it back, slowed it down and flipped it over. Trust me, it’s nice. And it has plants.
Bonus track: always love an appearance from Little Dragon (@45 mins in the mix) https://open.spotify.com/track/47LapIOjkAaeaC2uk7xwAO?si=d5cc434fa23d48c2
As I write the sun is just starting to break through the gloom of Winter. What better way to greet it than with some delicious afro from Saint Wax owner, Gledd. The EP is named after, and features the sounds of, a city in Eastern Tanzania. You can practically feel the heat radiating off these tracks.
Bonus track: here’s one more for you, because why not? https://soundcloud.com/saintwaxrecords/gledd-ye-sabor
One last look back at the year that was. Soundcloud playback never gets the same recognition as Spotify wrapped, but boy does the algorithm deliver.
You can find HME’s top played of 2024 right here. Expect some familiar names from the worlds of house and disco, and maybe some new ones too. Enjoy.
Right yes yes Happy New Year Happy New Year now let’s get on with it.
My first post of 2025 is my top played song of 2024. And it happens to be a song from 1995. Fairground. The dulcet tones of Mick Hucknall, a truly anthemic chorus, plus an arresting samba beat (originally Sergio Mendes’, via The Goodmen). Lovely stuff.
Shout out to the team at Balearic London for reawakening my love for this one on the dancefloor.
Some screwed up electronic disco for you on a wednesday morning.
If you prefer your screwy disco on a saturday night, then swing by Herne Hill’s Off The Cuff on Saturday night. I’m opening under the name Diamante Python. DM me for details.
HARRY'S MUSICAL EMPORIUM 