THE BEST MUSIC: NEW & OLD
Look, I’ll just go ahead and say it. I LOVE Elder Island. They just don’t know how to make average music. I’m seeing them live tonight and I couldn’t be more excited. They are touring ahead of the release of their new album, Omnitone. Here are singles number 2, 3 and 4. Don’t say I’m not good to you.
If you’ve had the good fortune to see a Krywald & Farrer set you’ll know what they are all about. As Percolate front-men Jack Farrer and Edward Krywald-Sanders have had it pretty good over the last few years, and it’s not hard to see why when they release re-rubs of this quality. Souped up afro-goodness. Upbeat, funky, disco-laced good times.
And here is the original by Burkina Faso’s own Amadou Balaké.
Today is a big day. Bonobo has released his first track since Migration in 2017. Ibrik picks up where Migration left us. It is characteristically wandering and delicate, with Middle-Eastern inspired percussion and brass weaving in and out. Picture perfect.
In case you need a reminder of why Bonobo is one of the best producers of our lifetime (whoah, he went there) here is North Borders – released in 2013. It is just one album from incredibly rich and deep discography. Explore and enjoy. And if you ever get the chance to catch him live, don’t miss it.
This one is hot off the press. Canadian producer Caribou has released a track out of nowhere, and it’s free to download. More upbeat and danceable that his usual fare, I think you will be hearing it a lot in 2019. For extra points, the track samples the original MJ Thriller. Listen and download on this link.
https://caribouband.bandcamp.com/track/thriller
Bonus track album: I’ll never miss an opportunity to post this. Can’t Do Without is 100% likely to get goosebumps going and the rest of the album ain’t bad either.
For more Caribou, check out this post.
A breezy new release coming at you today from XXXY. Soulful samples, glistening synths and a feelgood bouncy beat – it’s all there to assist you in gliding into the weekend.
Bonus track: some moodier house XXXY for if you end up running in the rain
*GUEST POST*
Likelihood is that a few of you might be feeling a little blue right about now, so, in the spirit of getting through January, check out this fella from Mali, Boncana Maïga, who’s been a big deal in the latin-soul scene for c. 40 years. This EP is more on the afro-funk end of things, so, stick it on and bounce your way through the opening salvos of 2019. Weirdly the final track, Petroci, was written as the soundtrack for an oil company of the same name from the Ivory Coast. We hate oil companies, but, boy do we love afro-funk eh.
Enjoy,
Winston
Look, I love the Pogues as much as the next man. But you know what I also love? House music. The ‘Christmas Music’ genre isn’t laden with house bangers, so it’s great that Confidence Man has had a crack at it. It may not nudge itself onto your auntie’s playlist just yet, but hey.
Shout out to Ben Gomori for the tip, and – MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone.
Who doesn’t love 13 minutes of Afro goodness. It comes at you courtesy of a new release by Italian producer De Gama (Stefano Gamma).
We got brass. We got beats. And we got riddims. Clue is in the title really. Smile, and groove on.
Shout out to Ben Gomori for the tip.
If you’re liking this and you’re not a Spotify-head, I have a Soundcloud profile. You might like it.
Today’s post is a direct rip from Resident Advisor’s Top 100 mixes of the year article. Lazy much? Anyway, it’s sick, and the description is good, and I thought, ‘why try beat it?’ You can find it here. I’m new to Peach, and I like.
“”I don’t think I’ve been ever very good at the chill thing,” Peach admitted when her Discwoman mix was published in October. No matter: her sets happily exist in a space well outside the chill zone. DISCWOMAN 55 was as bright as it was tough, with dreamy breakbeats, 135 BPM rave, the odd dollar-bin oldie and loads of great new music. This was Peach doing what she does best.”
If you like what you hear, Peach is playing a few dates around the UK over the next couple of months.
Lucky reader, I have 3 of the highest quality house tracks going for you today – all courtesy of KiNK. Strahil Velchev is the face of the Bulgarian electronic music scene. In my mind he is almost uniquely talented in taking massive, experimental steps in his production and yet still making music that is super listenable. No, I want to go further than that – he makes unfamiliar music that reaches out and grabs you, lifts you onto its shoulders and takes you on a wild beautiful ride. That’s what I hear anyway – let me know what you think.
First up Pocket Piano.
And now Dusky’s remix of Perth, followed by a KiNK remix of Jimpster.
HARRY'S MUSICAL EMPORIUM 