As often happens when I get really busy I don't have a lot of time to organize or research the music marked I've for blogging. Here's what I have...
https://soundcloud.com/westwoodrecordings/fort-knox-five-funk-4-peace
Fort Knox Five return to their roots with a deep funk track featuring Mustafa Akbar (of Nappy Riddem). Listening to this brings me back to early Parliament days, particular the vocals. The underlying electronics are a bit more modern, with scratch bits and hints of Middle Eastern music mixed in, but that waiting guitar is just spot on.
https://soundcloud.com/davidstarfire/beats-antique-vesper-star-david-starfire-remix
This is David Starfire's remix of "Vesper Star" by Beats Antique (original here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxvNMDO8e48). The track comes off their 2016 album Shadowbox and has what I think of as the 'classic' BA style - sparse, minor key, crunk-influenced Middle Eastern sounds. The remix is a little bit faster, and a little more textured. I think both are good and it's worth highlighting that although the album containing this remix is nominally free, you can also buy it and your money will go to support music education for underserved students.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM2Xb23U46w
The Fluffy Clouds remix (by The Orb) of Pink Floyd's "Shine on You Crazy Diamond". I'm sure I've heard this before but I don't seem to have blogged it. I also don't remember what caused me to bookmark it some weeks back - probably a side discussion somewhere. The original is a tribute that the remaining members did for Syd Barrett and it's an emotional track. The Orb remix is very much "in the style of" but lightens things up a little.
https://soundcloud.com/dubvisionmusic/dubvision-x-afrojack-back-to
I've been really enjoying Afrojack's sets - I have another one marked to blog - but I haven't really talked about his individual work. Let me correct that here and now as this is hands-down the best anthem I've heard this year. A collaboration with DubVision (https://www.dubvisionmusic.com/) an Amsterdam-based producer, this track is solid EDM bouncy stuff, with the kind of uptempo melodies and encouraging lyrics that make it a perfect antidote to my gray moods and Boston's dreary weather.
https://soundcloud.com/motiofficial/was-it-love
Moti's "Was It Love" is in the same upbeat positive anthem vibe as the previous track. It's interesting to hear the two back-to-back as both are aimed at the same audience and using the same musical techniques. Moti's track relies much more heavily on the (male in this case) vocals and has a bit rougher production edge to it.
https://soundcloud.com/biggigantic/friends-feat-ashe
Big Gigantic is someone I've listened to off and on. Their stuff is often listenable but I don't seem to have picked out anything to blog. Let's change that with "Friends", which I particularly like. It's a nice click-snap track with a phat but muted horn section and orchestration that reminds me a bit of 1940s/50s big band sounds. The track is fronted by Ashe (https://www.ashe-music.com/) whose own style seems to be similarly smooth and a little more jazzy. The combination works - I like this collaboration better than I've liked either of their solo efforts that I've heard so far.
https://soundcloud.com/westwoodrecordings/fort-knox-five-funk-4-peace
Fort Knox Five return to their roots with a deep funk track featuring Mustafa Akbar (of Nappy Riddem). Listening to this brings me back to early Parliament days, particular the vocals. The underlying electronics are a bit more modern, with scratch bits and hints of Middle Eastern music mixed in, but that waiting guitar is just spot on.
https://soundcloud.com/davidstarfire/beats-antique-vesper-star-david-starfire-remix
This is David Starfire's remix of "Vesper Star" by Beats Antique (original here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxvNMDO8e48). The track comes off their 2016 album Shadowbox and has what I think of as the 'classic' BA style - sparse, minor key, crunk-influenced Middle Eastern sounds. The remix is a little bit faster, and a little more textured. I think both are good and it's worth highlighting that although the album containing this remix is nominally free, you can also buy it and your money will go to support music education for underserved students.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM2Xb23U46w
The Fluffy Clouds remix (by The Orb) of Pink Floyd's "Shine on You Crazy Diamond". I'm sure I've heard this before but I don't seem to have blogged it. I also don't remember what caused me to bookmark it some weeks back - probably a side discussion somewhere. The original is a tribute that the remaining members did for Syd Barrett and it's an emotional track. The Orb remix is very much "in the style of" but lightens things up a little.
https://soundcloud.com/dubvisionmusic/dubvision-x-afrojack-back-to
I've been really enjoying Afrojack's sets - I have another one marked to blog - but I haven't really talked about his individual work. Let me correct that here and now as this is hands-down the best anthem I've heard this year. A collaboration with DubVision (https://www.dubvisionmusic.com/) an Amsterdam-based producer, this track is solid EDM bouncy stuff, with the kind of uptempo melodies and encouraging lyrics that make it a perfect antidote to my gray moods and Boston's dreary weather.
https://soundcloud.com/motiofficial/was-it-love
Moti's "Was It Love" is in the same upbeat positive anthem vibe as the previous track. It's interesting to hear the two back-to-back as both are aimed at the same audience and using the same musical techniques. Moti's track relies much more heavily on the (male in this case) vocals and has a bit rougher production edge to it.
https://soundcloud.com/biggigantic/friends-feat-ashe
Big Gigantic is someone I've listened to off and on. Their stuff is often listenable but I don't seem to have picked out anything to blog. Let's change that with "Friends", which I particularly like. It's a nice click-snap track with a phat but muted horn section and orchestration that reminds me a bit of 1940s/50s big band sounds. The track is fronted by Ashe (https://www.ashe-music.com/) whose own style seems to be similarly smooth and a little more jazzy. The combination works - I like this collaboration better than I've liked either of their solo efforts that I've heard so far.