Even though it’s only been a few weeks since we’ve heard something from Monsieur Adi, it feels like a lot longer, but maybe that’s just because we are usually so smitten by anything he puts together. Lucky for us, he’s recently remixed “Make it Better”, the newest single from The Knocks, and it stays true to his form in all of the best ways. The original version is pretty fun with it’s whistled melody throughout the tune (which work great with the high pitched vocals), but as he always does, Monsieur Adi takes it to another level, one that, thanks to his gratuitous but never overdone use of great synth lines, is a little deeper, but one that always remains bright.
The Knocks – Make it Better(Monsieur Adi Remix)
My first exposure to the African dance sounds of Amadou & Mariam was at last summer’s Bonnaroo festival. On day 2, there was an entire tent devoted to the music of Africa and even though I didn’t want to go see the husband and wife duo from Mali, who are both blind and met at Mali’s Institute for the Young Blind, my friends dragged me along, and boy am I glad they did. It was by far one of my favorite shows of the whole festival, and perhaps the most high-energy performance I saw that weekend. They do a great job of incorporating traditional Mali sounds with a modern dance beat and “Sabali”, the opening track from their album Welcome to Mali is a perfect example. It starts out with the more traditional sound but soon erupts into a great modern dance tune that grows and spreads as it goes on. When you find out that this track was produced by Damon Albarn, it makes even more sense. Make sure to catch this duo live if you ever have the chance.
Amadou & Mariam – Sabali
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One of my most favorite albums that I’ve picked up as of late has to be the soft but powerful sounds of Gemini, the debut album of Jack Tatum, better known to many of us as Wild Nothing. And it seems I’m not the only one who is feeling this somewhat nostalgic but fresh album. It’s already been named in many mid-year best album of the year lists and has been working its way up mine as well. The lead track “Live in Dreams” is a great representation of the sounds on this album. It’s sort of an updated take on late 80s rock but it just draws me in. Give it a listen and see what you think.
Wild Nothing – Live in Dreams
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It’s happened yet again, just as I was about to give up on my inbox, I got to this gem from Our Husband, the project of Aussies Nathaniel Morse and Freya Adele. The song is called “Villages” and it is now playing for the fifth time in a row. I think what I like most about this song is the way it builds up its layers, each more beautiful than the last. It starts out with the main guitar riff, then in comes Nathaniel’s powerful voice, followed by an even more soothing guitar, only to be topped by Freya’s beaming wordless chorus that’s welcoming despite coming out of nowhere. And while reverb is often totally overused for dramatic effect, in this case, it’s just the right amount to add to the song without trying to cover up any impurities.
Our Husband – Villages
If “December Sunset” is any indication, then Pink + Blue, the debut album of LexiconDon, is not to be missed. I can’t say I know much about the history of Alex Koons and Fabian Ordorica’s project, but based on this track alone I can say that I can’t wait to hear more. “December Sunset” is bright (most overused word on dailybeatz.com) and fresh and we all know that I like a song that adds layer upon layer. But instead of just dropping a multi-level beat on you and expecting you to buy into it, they actually let you hear it build up so you can fully appreciate everything that you’re hearing and how all the pieces work together. And judging by some of the pictures on their myspace page, their live shows don’t look boring either.
LexiconDon – December Sunset
If you are in the mood for something a little more retro, check out this great throwback remix from Keenhouse.
LexiconDon – December Sunset(Keenhouse Remix)
Just because a track is a few years old, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t see the light of day once it’s time has passed. And such is the case with “Midnight Love”, the house/lounge track from Tennishero, the Swedish duo of Jens Anderrson and Alexander Berg. I would say that compared to it’s percentage of the world’s population, Swedish music is WAY disproportionately more awesome than you would expect based on the numbers alone. “Midnight Love” is the type of song that has a great beat, but that knows it can make you want to dance without trying too hard. The type of song that would fit perfectly within an Aeroplane DJ set. You know what I’m talkin bout.
Tennishero – Midnight Love
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How bout some ambient Australian electronic tunes today? I recently caught this track by accident and at first thought it was kind of too abstract for me, but then it got really pretty. Really, really pretty. It’s from Tantrums which, much to my surprise, was actually made up of two chicas, Jade McInally and Sarah Phelan. It’s just that typically this sort of electronic music is made by men, so it was pretty cool/refreshing to see some ladies jumping into the game. You can get this and a ton of other tracks (whose weirdness or lack thereof I can’t speak to) on the New Weird Australia Volume 4 compilation. Could New Weird Australia be the Australian counterpart to Ann Arbor’s Ghostly International? Based solely on this song, I would say yes. Make sure you wait to get to the pretty parts if you are feeling a little adventurous.
Tantrums – Beat the Happy Pavement
Whenever I hear about 19 year olds who are awesome DJs/producers, first I’m really happy for them that they’re well on their way to mastering an art at such an early age, then I hate them for potentially how much more successful they could be so many years younger than I am, then I feel old, then I go back to liking their music. Today, that 19 year old is Mick Match aka Mix Chopin out of the great Canadian city of Toronto, Ontario (a mere 4 hour drive from where I have lived my whole life, yet I still haven’t been there). His music is a little disco, a little funk, and a lot of awesome. And I promise, it’s way WAY less cheesy than that last line. Sometimes you just have to let the words flow, no matter how terrible they may be. I should probably shut up now and redeem myself by playing these songs for you. I think we’ll be hearing more from this guy in the future.
Mix Chopin – Levitate
Mix Chopin – Bliss
