THE BEST MUSIC: NEW & OLD
This is a pocket-sized beaut from Red Bull Studios in 2014. Riton (then new on the scene) presenting a bouncy house number. Two stars of the show here: Meleka and her vibey vocals and that cheeky little Italo squelch on the bassline. It’s a jump-up feel-good kinda track. Don’t overthink it – just enjoy.
I posted some more Riton a couple of weeks ago – check it out here.
Been busy all week earning that cash to get by? I know how it is. Relax, unwind, and chuck this funky beauty on the player. Perfectly paired with some sunshine on a Friday afternoon and a crisp drink.
Highlight is the second track Je Vulesse – no idea what it means, but I like it.
Sports and music have a long and mixed relationship. For every iconic theme tune (Grandstand, MOTD, Champions League) and huge tournament track (hey there Waka Waka, Three Lions, World in Motion) you get an utter lemon (looking at you Ant & Dec). But with sports properties constantly seeking to attract new and younger audiences, reaching them through music is always going to be an attractive option.
Which brings me to this – F1, meet the Chemical Brothers
Will core F1 fans like it? For the most part, probably no. Will fans of the Chemical Brothers like it? They’ve done a pretty good job of weaving F1 content into an authentically Chemical Brothers feel – so yeah. But these two questions kind of miss the point. Through this collaboration, F1 will get their IP in front of a few million young(ish), potential new fans, and create a positive association. That type of positive brand equity is exactly what they’re trying to build, and where the impact will be most felt. Which is great (as long as you don’t pay too much attention to the ‘World’s Fastest Remix‘…)
Bonus track: so I’m big into the Chemical Brothers and I’m pretty psyched about the new album No Geography which drops April 12th . Until then, here’s a previous post and a tasty remix by Riton.
Jackson Almond describes himself as a Northerner. He releases his tracks on WotNot Music. The rest you’ll have to do yourself.
Anyway, Open Your Head is a tasty EP. Smooth house with some obvious afro influences. My two picks are Common (Dauwd-y fare with some crashing piano drops and tasty Romare-y samples) and Ee Ye.
Bonus track: for you, my loyal reader, you get another taste – on this number Frits Wentink meets Laurence Guy. Not a bad matching if you ask me
“I don’t think you realise how successful I am. I’m like a shipping tycoon, full of promise and cum.”
Lyrics that alternate between the disturbing and the surreal. A funky base line that forces you into a swagger. Baxter Dury is onto something here.
Shout to Winston and Alo for the tip.
Some feel-good electro-piano-pop made right, by the misleadingly named German producer DJ Kaos. There’s nothing to hate about this one. It’s reminiscent of Breakbot. And that can only be a good thing. Put your feet up and enjoy.
RIP Keith Flint: frontman for the band that used to your scare your mum and dad. He must also be the pioneer of the punk/monk haircut.
You know this album, everyone knows this album. For me, it was one of the first that brought me into electronic music. A big loss.
*GUEST POST*
There’s nothing like a split-second silence to focus the mind. A crushing, perfectly placed blank is a technique common to classical composers, yet woefully under-used in electronic music. Having recently gone ‘agile’ at work, I’m not disciplined enough to keep my nose out of other people’s business. It’s fun but not productive. At all. This tune has been on repeat as deadlines loom and it’s proving pretty effective.
Amy Richards, EDM expert
#fraud
You know how every once in a while you come across a track that is just so good, so perfect in that moment, that you have it on repeat for as long as it takes for it to feel like you’ve known it all along? I’ve had that here. This EP is CCFX’s only. They are a combo between two Washington based bands: synth pop duo CC Dust and post-punk group Trans FX. Hence CCFX, y’see. Anyway, The One to Wait is dream-pop at its absolute finest. Goosebumps.
HARRY'S MUSICAL EMPORIUM 