THE BEST MUSIC: NEW & OLD
Mac DeMarco is a fucking genius. A lovable, goofy genius. He’s released a new album, and here it is. My picks, Nobody, K, All of our Yesterdays.
As a side-note, I just have no idea how high you have to be come up with these videos.
Want more Mac? So do I. He’s playing at All Points East in Victoria Park later this Summer, and I’ll see you there. Rest assured, the man puts on a show.
Something a bit different for you this Sunday. A couple of tracks by Chelou.
First up, Halfway to Nowhere is produced by Maya Jane Coles and set to the weird and wonderful magical world of animator Andy Baker.
And to follow, a bit less garden, a bit more intergalactic, another cracker.
You can catch Adam (Chelou) finishing up his European tour in his Camden hometown at the Jazz Cafe in a couple of weeks. Snap ’em up.
Bonus track: Ross From Friends in on the remix action, taking it down a notch
It’s my birthday week and I’m having a couple of celebrations. Friday I’m headed to the Choose Love x Dance For Refuge Easter Fundraiser in aid of Help Refugees at Mick’s Garage. Come with me and see Ben Gomori (obv) and headlining, Man Power.
Here is a remix by the Man himself. It’s a brooding house journey with some latin infused pianos and a large touch of the Nuits Sonores about it. And that can only be a good thing.
If you want to find out more about Man Power, his bio is pretty jokes, find it here. Also on the line-up: Brassica, Iona and MLE. It’s gonna be a party.
Look, what more can I say about this guy. Harrison BDP, the master of the organic-infused bassy roller, has put another EP out and it’s top.
Okay, so I will say this: imagine you are an octopus. Imagine you are going to a little underwater cave party. And because you are underwater, you don’t just hear the music, you feel the music. And because you are an octopus you have 8 limbs, and each limb is covered with sensitive little suckers, you really feel the music. Well, if you’re that octopus, the track you want to hear/feel is Missed the Boat. Proper thudding undersea tune that.
More Harrison BDP 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.
A beauty for you afro-funk heads. Danvers on editing duty, giving a bit of extra punch to Yaaba Funk’s Oman Foa. Really tasty.
A little fun fact for you: their name comes from an album called “Yaba Funk Roots”, the only album ever released outside of Africa by Captain Yaba, a musician from northern Ghana. Have a bit of that.
Shout to Ben Gomori for the release.
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
*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 