Tricky is back with his eleventh studio album, 'Adrian Thaws' (which actually is his true name). The new LP, which will be released on the artist own label, False Idols, seems to be, once again, a change of direction in his lengthy carrer. At least, that's what the first single, 'Nicotine Love', suggests, as it's a dark visit into deep house territories and, with minimalistic lyrics and a few samples repeating in the background. Think of it as a kind of electronic tango affair.
Tricky, once a part of Massive Attack, decided to call the new record his own name as a statement: it's like there is still this part of him we don't know yet, like he still has lots of things to tell and show us. The album was recorded in London, right in Tricky's home studio and is packed with vocal collaborations from the likes of Mykki Blanco, Bella Gotti, Tirzah, Nneka, Oh Land, Blue Daisy and Francesca Belmonte, the latter singing in the new single.
Listen to 'Nicotine Love', and stay tuned for more news about this talented and uncompromising artist. And while you're at it, check Andy Stot strange and vaporous remix of one of Tricky's 'False Idols' songs.
We fell in love with Sam Smith since we've heard his great track 'Nirvana'. His voice is instantly recognizable and he has been featured in several top singles like Naughty Boy's ubiquitous 'La La La' and Disclosure's 'Latch'. But he has also been building his own career, delivering wonderful songs that are both larger-than-life and intimate. It's easy to project ourselves into his lyrics: everyone who as ever loved and been loved will discover a personal past or present story in his words. That is Sam's most wonderful ability: writing simple yet true and universal love songs, many of which tell about undisclosed feelings, unrequited love and pain for wanting the unobtainable. Sonically, 'In the Lonely Hour' lingers in several pop subgenres, offering r&b aesthetics, acoustic cuts, electronic ballads and soul ramblings. Some songs are more upbeat, others are pure confessional whispers that make us blush, as if we're not meant to listen to them. It's one of the grand albums of the year, that's for sure, and it certifies Sam Smith as one of the most interesting and promising young artists in the music industry at this moment.
îGusGus - Mexico
The Icelandic group GusGus have released their ninth album, 'Mexico', once again on Kompakt label. After the acclaimed 'Arabian Horse' and the minimalistic '24/7', Daniel Ágúst and friends have created an album that resides somewhere in the middle of those two last LPs. The new record is still an adventure through techno and deep house sonic topographies, but it is also reminiscent of their early work. Their music always sounded avant-garde, whether because of their menacing and dark grooves, imaginative basslines or massive beats; at the same time, there was this omnipresent sexual tone in most of their songs, something one still manages to find in 'Mexico'. Some tracks are so raw, acid and nonchalant that it's impossible to fight the urge to jump into the dancefloor and just do nasty things against strange and sweaty bodies. Albeit not as immediate as 'Arabian Horse', it's a strong evidence that there isn't quite anything like GusGus in the music scene and that they are still a relevant act after almost 20 years in the business.
îRonika - Selectadisc
Veronica Sampson sure loves the 80's. Under her moniker Ronika, she has crafted a debut album that trully serves as an ode to that milestone period of music history and one can only thank her for such a sugary treat. 'Selectadisc' is a fun and electrifying record, one filled with synthetic props and pop melodies where icon figures like Madonna and new artists like La Roux seem to be master influences. Throughout fourteen songs, Ronika takes us into a retro world composed of rainbow chorus and neon flashes; it's hard not to get lost in it and just feel young again, as most of these songs have a genuine feeling of naivety and umpretentious joy. Some of the tracks have been previously released, some of them dating from 2010, but they add perfectly to the overall mood of the album, which is a cohesive ride down memory lane: synth-pop, disco and funk, all are presented with skill and sophistication. Also worth mentioning is the vocal collaboration with jazz singer Charles Washington in two songs. If you want to have fun after a hard day's work, listen to 'Selectadisc'.
îGlass Animals - Zaba
Glass Animals are an English four piece band composed of Dave Bayley, Drew MacFarlane, Edmund Irwin-Singer and Joe Seaward. They are longtime friends and started producing music a couple of years back. Since then, they talked with Paul Epworth and he decided to help them produce their debut album: 'Zaba'. Glass Animals are a indie rock and trip-hop act, which means they might have easily slipped into uninteresting and monotonous compositions; but they eluded the clichés of those genres and crafted a nice and inventive LP. There are strange landscapes: from dark and shadowy tropical forests to urban jams, but all the tunes in 'Zaba' sound experimental and outlandish, riddled with small effects that suggest an unpredictable fauna and a constant sense of danger. The vocals are whispered, as if one should be quiet to avoid waking up some lethal creature. This is a mystical voyage into a world that is not free of perils, and it demands your attention and surrender to its laws. In the end, you'll love 'Zaba', it's freshness and daring structures making you come back again and again.
îJoakim - Tropics of Love
Joakim Bouaziz has always been difficult to categorize. He hasn't a predefined musical style, his remixes are always unexpected and his original songs have an experimental aura that transcends genres. In his fifth album, 'Tropics of Love' all of the above statements are true, even if it is one of his most immediate recordings (maybe the previous 'Nothing Gold' was an easier listening). There are glances of balearic, leftfield, disco, synthpop, electronic, ambient, pop, downtempo and all in between. The whole album can be devided into three sections, each one introduced by an interlude track, and all of them sound different: the first is more exploratory and user friendly, the second ventures into strangeness and disjointed landscapes and the third is the most ethereal of them all. Luke Jenner, Akwetey and Guillaume Teyssier lend some vocal contributions to a few tracks. It's not an easy ride, that's for sure, but as with all of Joakim's work, you'll like this album not for what you can expect from it, but for what you discover throughout the journey. From the start to finish, every song in the album will be sonically diverse and as unforseen as the attitudes of a person with multiple personality disorder.
Our friends Paradisko have recently released another great remix for their first tune 'Chewing Gun'. After the great versions of the original song by Xinobi, Digits and Mighty Mouse, it's time for Georgian duo Rotkraft (pictured above) to redesign it.
As you already may know, Paradisko are a new Turkish duo (Hemi Behmoaras and Hakan Özkan) and their single has already getting support by artists like Moullinex, Grum, ATTAR!, Fabrizio Mammarella, and many others, which showcases how talented these guys are and suggests their future will be rather promising.
As for Rotkraft, George Japaridze and Lasha Margiani have been making a name for themselves thanks to awesome remixes for the likes of Goldroom, AIMES and Phoenix, also releasing their own music. They love to create nu-disco, chill out music, always with a tinge of retro and tropical tones. Their recently released song Red Wine features vocals by Saint Kitten and is a compeling electronic cut with an extra acidic flavour. For Paradisko, they decided to strip "Chewing Gun' from its vocals and keep the synthetic bits, slowed the whole thing down and crafted a immersive journey into a neon cybernetic madness. Oh, and it's a free download! Thanks, guys!
Check the remix and also remember the original song right below.
One of our favourite acts from 2013 is releasing a deluxe version of one of our 2013 favourite albums. We're talking about St. Lucia, the project of Jean-Philip Grobler (currently residing in New York, but born in Johannesburg, South Africa), a young but brilliant musician. He began relasing the first singles as St. Lucia on Neon Gold on 2012 and imediately garnered attention and a great dose of positive critics thanks to his youthful, summery and joyous songs and lyrics. By the end of 2013, he released 'When the Night', a gorgeous album riddled with cool vibes and strong tunes, high production values and great lyrics. It was everything we were waiting for and even if 2013 Summer was already gone, it took us back to those hot days and nights, to the beaches landscapes and to the yellow, orange and red gradients of the sunset.
After that, Groble hasn't stopped. He helped labelmates HAERTS on the release of their own singles, has done some remix work for the likes of Lady Gaga (?!), Charlie XX, and Atlas Genius and also was featured on some tracks by other artists, like The Knocks and French Horn Rebellion.
Now, he decided to release a deluxe version of 'When the Night', which will bring three new songs to broad daylight. The first taste comes in the form of "Forgiveness', a track that follows a simmilar pattern to 'Too Close', another track from the original album. It starts slowly, swirling around with melodic and breezy compositions, until it breaks into an epic jetstream of hot air and pure grandiosity. It's a fascinating journey with female backvocals evoking sweet caresses and playful games near the sea. The other two tracks will be 'Cold Case' and "Out Tonight'.
St. Lucia's talent is undeniable, as it is his ability to transform any simple song into something simultaneously intimate and legendary. It's a hard thing to do nowadays and he surely deserves recognition for his work. Go on, have a listen and let yourselves become addictive to St. Lucia's bright and promising world, and don't miss his sstrange video for "September', one of the most wonderful tracks in 'When the Night'.
It's easy to fall in love with Belgian Beni's clean and addictive house music. He has a focused vision of what makes a track irresistible, something that truly made his debut album, 'House of Beni' (released on 2011), such a compelling journey through house, techno and electro sceneries. Add to his craftmanship a wise selection of artists to provide inventive vocal works like Sam Sparro, Nomi Ruiz, Sean deLear, and others, and it's guaranteed you'll have a great time.
His new track, called 'Protect', sees him veering more into deep house territory. This time he goes straight for your hips and legs, making you dance to the jarring bass and the spacious rhythm. It's an effective tune, starting gently but increasing in dimension during its five minutes, easily becoming a toughtful exploration of energies and synergies which sustain the delicious vocals of Antony & Cleopatra (London based duo comprised of Anita Blay - better known as Thecocknbullkid - and Alexander Burnett). This recent duo has already been featured on Lancelot's EP 'Givin' It Up', which provided two wonderful songs, also aimed at the most vibrant dancefloors. The outcome of this new collaboration between them and Beni is really great and left us hooked right after the first listening.
Beni's new single will be released on Australian label Modular, one that keeps treating us with fresh, ingenious and gripping music over and over again; they rarely let us down. It will drop with another song, 'Can't Hide', on July 11. Listen to it right away, and don't forget to listen to Beni's previous work.
Talking about Portuguese musicians is always a joy for Portuguese blog Opus Sound, so today we're sharing with you Moullinex's newest remix for Glen Check. Hailing from Seoul, South Korea, Glen Check are an indie band that seems to love the 80's a bit too much, as their sound is teeming with vintage synthesizers, retro basslines and lavish rhythms. Their second album, 'YOUTH!', came out on november 2013, via Sony Music. Now, their single 'Pacific', taken from that LP is getting the remix treatment by a few artists like Justin Faust, Les Loups and brilliant Moullinex.
Discotexas frontman Moullinex (Luís Clara Gomes) has been quite active lately. His debut album, 'Flora', was critically acclaimed and is still present in our minds and cd players. He's released several mindblowing remixes for artists like Kraak & Smaak, Midlake, Rebeka, Munk and Xinobi, and his dazzling take on Röyksopp & Robyn's new single 'Do It Again' garnered him even more attention.
For 'Pacific', Glen Check's brand new single, he has strenghtened the funkier side of the track, throwing it one more decade into the past, right into the 70's, and the result invites us to succumb to the dancefloor laws; it's something that wouldn't sound awkward on Moullinex's album or even in Daft Punk's 2013 ubiquitous 'Random Access Memories'. It's a rare talent, the one displayed by Moullinex, to effortlessly bend any track's charater to his will and sound fresh and compelling.
And Moullinex will recently be featured on compilation album 'T(h)ree vol 3 - From Portugal to Japan and South Korea' with his song alongside Portuguese Best Youth (Ed Rocha Gonçalvez and Catarina Salinas), 'In the Shade', an exotic and magic ride into an orange sunset ocean. Pure bliss!
Check Moullinex's own vision of Glen Check's 'Pacific' and remember his remix for Röyksopp & Robyn's 'Do It Again'. After that, make sure you don't miss the funny video for 'In the Shade', filmed near Lisbon's Ponte Vasco da Gama.
Golden Bug (French Antoine Harispuru, now residing in Barcelona, Spain) has never been an artist concerned about how others might regard his music, and although he is mainly connected with nu-disco, italo and electro, his songs always seem to swap subgenres in the blink of an eye. Only one thing remains certain: he does whatever he wants and his music has an inherent daftness that perspires in tunes like 'Washing Machine', 'Flamingo' and 'Barbie's Back'. After his 2008 debut 'Hot Robot', he started Paris based label La Belle, remixed several artists (Clap Rules, In Flagranti, Whomadewho...) and released a few songs. Now, he's finishing his new album, 'V.I.C.T.O.R.'.
After 'One Way', it's now time for the new single 'Wrong Thing' to make us dance: featuring Lou Teti's vocals, it's once again a paradigmatic change of sound, venturing closer to raw techno and acid than most of Golden Bug's previous tunes. There's a bleak aura surrounding the whispered words, as if the whole thing was a dark descent into someone's subconscious and unspoken thoughts...
As for the remixes, Remain and Jupiter Lion offer different approaches on the original track, but Belgian duo Villa (pictured above) provide the highlight version of it. Trang Thung Thang and François De Meyer almost undress the song from its vocal elements and add some sweetness to the unsettling ambience of 'Wrong Thing', making it an electro devouring tour the force that builds up gradually, while keeping focus on the dancing quirkiness of Golden Bug's own signature. It's quite engaging and worth your while.
Villa have also released a few original tracks on Yuksek's label Partyfine: 'If I' and 'Exotic to Hell' both showcase Villa's ability to make our feet move uncontrollably and deliver some gorgeous pop inventiveness. Their latest single, 'Flying Panties', is a brash and vulgar flirt with heavy basslines which will be featured on soon to be released Partyfine's best-of CD.
Listen to Villa's take on 'Wrong Thing' right now, will you?, and as a bonus enjoy 'Flying Panties'.
It's not the first time that Moscow based Stanislav Loukoianov (also known as 5 Reasons) recruits the voice of American Patrick Baker. The two musicians have previously combined efforts to deliver the single 'Night Drive in Moscow', from the Russian's first EP, and now and then, they both remix each other's original songs.
This time, our beloved Patrick Baker (pictured above) lends his soothing and mellow vocals to 5 Reason's new track, 'Tales of Love'. It's, as usual, a chill out tune, the perfect soundtrack for a summer afternoon by the pool or for drinking cocktails on the beach. 5 Reason's lush and warm rhythms are like soft silk veils that cover our sweaty bodies; meanwhile, Baker whispers love rhymes at our ears, his velvet voice feeling like smooth hands massaging our skins with sunscreen or coconut oil. Really, it's that good!
Also recall that Baker was recently featured on Lane 8's EP 'The One' and Rogue Vogue's 'Until the Dawn', once again invigorating deep beats and glossy electronic landscapes with his down-to-earth vocal approach. As for 5 Reasons, he has remixed Satin Jackets and James Tambiance with precise craftmanship and slowly is building a name for himself.
'Tales of Love' is out now on newly formed label Palm Off. After listening to the new single, don't miss 5 Reason's remix for Patrick Baker's single 'Control'.
After the critically acclaimed single 'Chandelier', which definitely put Sia up in the mainstream stardome and made her reach an audience that might had never listened to her work, it's now time for a new song to display just how good she is, both as a singer and a songwriter (something she expressed throughout her all career, actually). Unfortunately, becoming famous seemed to have taken its toll on Sia, when after the success of her fifth album 'We Are Born' (2010), she became addicted to alcohol and drugs and almost commited suicide. But that's all behind her back now, as she's determined to conquer the world through her wonderful and powerful voice.
'Eye of the Needle' is the second single of the recently titled new album '1000 Forms of Fear', which will be released on July 8th. It's her sixth LP and it sees Diplo and Greg Kurstin handling the production. It's a more subtle song, far from the excesses of 'Chandelier', but it still makes it perfectly clear why many other famous singers have songs writen by Sia (Rhianna, David Guetta, Britney Spears...).
The album will feature twelve songs, including the already released two singles and 'Elastic Heart', the song that Sia wrote and performed, alongside Weeknd and Diplo and that was featured on 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' soundtrack, which is, in itself, a brilliant piece of music.
Listen to 'Eye of the Needle' and watch the magnetic official video for 'Chandelier', featuring 12 years old dancer Maddie Ziegler in a stunning performance.
Once again, Opus Sound recommends you five albums you absolutely should listen to. From funk and pop to rock and house music, whatever fancies your ears, we cover it.
Here is this week's selection:
îChromeo - White Women
It's no secret that Chromeo always had a passion for women and their music has, since the very beginning, flirted with romance, the ladies' irresistible power and the sexual side of a relationship. Sometimes, their lyrics can come as sexist at a first glance, with physical love overwhelming the emotional one, male weakness as an excuse for his common uncompromising flirtation, women objectification and lustful anxiety for the female round silhouette transpiring onto every song (and videoclip). But a closer look shows that this rethoric can actually be the goofier side of Chromeo criticizing society's view on women (specially in much of the music industry) and the preconceptions of the female and male roles and sexual behaviours.
As for the new album, 'White Women', expect what Chromeo have been delivering for the past ten years: retro and cool vibes, electro-funk, greasy vintage synths, swaying rhythms, cocky attitudes, but this time with a more clearer focus on the production and some nice vocal collaborations (Solange, Toro y Moi and Ezra Koenig).
îAlpines - Oasis
Being a relatively new act, British duo Alpines seems to know its way through blissful music production, captivating songwriting and classy singing. Catherine Pockson and Bob Matthews are close friends, work colleagues and do almost everything together. That degree of closeness surely helped to shape their music, which has, since 2011, been rippling through the social networks like gentle drops of water on a lake. Their debut album, 'Oasis', is finally out. Imagine AlunaGeorge's music less fragmented and Jessie Ware's coolness and mesmerizing presence being merged together, and you'll have a slight idea of what Alpines sound like. They're not exactly r&b, but they don't quite stray far from it; they're not retro, but there's a nostalgic note on their songs; they're not balearic, but still you could linger by the swimming pool listening to their music and feel freshened up; they're not pop nor house, but sometimes they experiment with those genre's languanges. It's hard to pinpoint what Alpines truly are, because their music can easily be universal and yet so singular. One thing is certain: you'll love their ethereal ramblings.
îHercules & Love Affair - The Feast of the Broken Heart
After their successful self-titled debut in 2007, Hercules & Love Affair released a less rewarding follow up in the form of 'Blue Songs'. It lacked the surprise element that made their single 'Blind' (sang by Antony Hegarty) a massive hit which drew upon the 70's revivalism to sustain a homage to dance music, but it displayed a new promise for Andrew Butler's project: the house fever that was becoming more and more evident. In 'The Feast of the Broken Heart', H&LA fully embodies those musical blueprints and creates a modern and hypnotizing dance album, one where the hard and deep beats sound butch and powerful, fun and addictive. Its vocal contributions sure add to the songs character: Gustaph, Rouge Mary, Krystle Warren and John Grant, all of them make use of their artistry to ensure each of these club tracks becomes a truly self-sufficient song that also works out of the dancefloor.
Go on. You won't find any other house music album as awesome, raw, addictive and gratifying as this one.
îArchive - Axiom
Archive might be one of the most underrated and undisclosed alternative rock bands of all times. Which is sad, and at the same time, remarkable, actually. Sad because their music is inspiring, demanding, dauntless and wonderful; remarkable because they exist since 1994 (20 years, now...) and still are an underground act (and they don't give a fuck about that). One of their most brilliant features is being able to convey a wide range of emotions throughout an album and even in only one song, hitting us hard with the anger of pure noise textures and, in the next second, comforting us with soothing and fragile love songs. 'Axiom' is their ninth album and most ambitious work to date, as it's the OST for a forty minute short film also created by the band.
If you're new to Archive, we recommend you first listen to albums like "You All Look the Same', 'Noise', 'Controlling Crowds' and the latest 'With Us Until You're Dead'. 'Axiom' is a good album, but it only becomes complete alongside with its visual counterpart (released on some cinemas since May 30). Anyway, you should definitely check it out, because it still is a bold statement by a brilliant band.
îMoto Boy - Keep Your Darkness Secret
Swedish musician Oskar Humlebo, better known as Moto Boy, has just released his third album, titled 'Keep Your Darkness Secret'. After the self-titled debut in 2008 (an album so retro that it sounded more 80s than most of the 80s classics themselves...) and the sophomore 'Lost in the Call' in 2010, this third LP is the natural next step for his sound: a more mature, darker jurney into the pains of love.
Moto Boy's music always had that magical appeal of the doomed lover, certain that his feelings won't be returned but also that he won'te be able to just not love. His ballads are aimed at the heart and most people will easily identify themselves with the feelings sang by Humlebo. And sure, it's mainly a sad album (because it touches on subjects like unrequited love, damage, absence, sacrifice and the toll of love and time), but sometimes it also goes back to promissing times when young and undamaged people still believed in happiness.
But if you love a haunting voice singing love laments over a piano slow crying, you'll feel in rapture while venturing into Moto Boy's world. Don't miss it.
Belgian Renaud Deru (pictured above), better known as ATTAR!, delivers a dark and ingenious remix for fellow country act Arsenal. The song, 'Black Mountain (Beautiful Love)' is taken from the band's sixth album, 'Furu' and is proppeled by the vocals of Tim Bruzon. It's a gentle song in which downtempo electronic patterns meld with soft rock structures. While the outcome sounds interesting, ATTAR!'s take on the original sure provides stronger reactions.
Receiving lots of attention with his current moniker ATTAR!, Deru has already been in his share of projects, of which the most successfull was the nu-disco infused Mustang act (alongside Andy Faisca). Now part of the Eskimo Recordings team, he has already released two great singles: the disco and house flavoured hit 'The Fool' and, most recently, the highly synthetic and robotic '45 Days', which features vocals by Santana and Induce. Both tunes make us look forward for future releases.
As for this remix, ATTAR! keeps it simple and dark, using a deep and slightly acidic bassline that will make you dance in no time. There are dry snares and clap effects throughout the track, devising new directions for the vocals, which now sound menacing and sinister. It's a rather acomplished feat to simply steal a song's positive aura and dress it in bleak electronic garments.
Check the remix and don't miss ATTAR!'s latest single while you're at it.
One of Swedish label Sincerely Yours' most treasured and acclaimed acts is the elusive duo jj, composed by Joakim Benon and Elin Kastlander. Their history goes back to 2009, when they released their debut album, simply titled 'jj nº 2', a collection of gentle and pearly songs that garnered them lots of attention and a bunch of great reviews.
One year later, they released 'jj nº 3', which repeated the same formula: subtle songs that craved both for sadness and joy, in which hazy electronics stood by balearic rhythms and dream pop structures. After that, they made some sporadic appearances and collaborations with artists like Ne-Yo and Adrian Lux, and in 2012 they offered a free EP, 'High Summer' in order to celebrate Midsummer, the longest day of the year.
Now, jj have a new single and announced their third LP, which will be called 'V'. It will be, once again, released on Sincerely Yours, on August 19. As an appetizer, they have just revealed the first single: 'All White Everything'. Starting a capella, Elin's voice sounds fragile and candid, until balearic beats come in her rescue and morph the song into a floating canopy of stars, feathers and dandelion seeds. It's a soothing tune, one that will make you feel cozy and anxious for warmer days.
Spanish producer Henry Saiz is about to release a second LP, after his last year opulent debut album 'Reality is for Those Who are Not Strong Enough to Cronfront Their Dreams', an audacious double LP which wide range touched several music subgenres: techno, progressive house, downtempo, tech-house and even balearic.
Actually, his new work, titled 'Reality Addendum' (out June 19), is a collection of b-sides and bonus tracks that were left out of his first album. One might thought it will be a lesser release, but if the first single, 'White Rhythmic Mirror', serves as a herald, it only bears good news. In fact, listening to the album preview suggests a more focused and equally great work, playing with new sounds while keeping the tribal atmospheres that permeated the first LP. As for the mentioned track, it's an languid tune that slowly builds into a proto-balearic dream where sand grains flow in an endless and effortless zephyr.
Like other Spanish producers that also use shamanic textures and precussion in their electronic landscapes (John Talabot, Pional...), he takes us in a breathtaking journey into new worlds of beauty. Saiz is an impressive artist whose work we've only recently discovered, but that has already captivated us.
Listen to 'Reality Addendum''s first taste, and stay tuned for the album release. Also recall his excelent remix for Igor Cold's track 'Far North Maps'.
In less than a month, the über-cool La Roux (Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid) have unveiled two tracks from their sophomore album, 'Trouble in Paradise'. After the mellow but effective single 'Let Me Down Gently', it's time for 'Uptight Downtown' to stir things up a bit.
La Roux's sound is less electronic and takes a step further in the use of live instruments, which make the tracks feel more organic and tangible. The result, in this case the new single 'Uptight Downtown', is an up-tempo song, riddled with guitar riffs that woudn't sound strange in a Niles Rodger's tune. It has a pop structure, but also has some funk and soul quirckiness that trully make it remarkable and fresh, but still imediately recognizable as a La Roux track. Sure, the 80's vibe isn't so dominant, but all that has made them famous in the past is present: breezy vibes, careful songwriting and pure pop inventiveness.
A few days ago, the official videoclip for the previous single 'Let Me Down Gently' has surfaced, and it shows Elly in a minimalistic visual approach, far from the artifices of previous videos. Also, a remix of the track by the talented Prins Thomas was made available.
Check them all right now, while you wait for 'Trouble in Paradise' to drop (on July 7).
We've told you about Paradisko in an earlier post, when this Turkish duo were about to release their 'Chewing Gun' EP. After a good response to their single (which was remixed by artists like Mighty Mouse, Xinobi and Digits), they are currently working on a second EP, on which we'll give you more info in a near future.
Meanwhile, Hemi Behmoaras and Hakan Özkan have just created a sleek mixtape for French webzine/label Essential Night. Almost one hour in lenght, Paradisko entry for the 'Bruit Essentiels' series delivers exactly what we'd expect from an act that has its genetic code rooted in house and nu-disco aesthetics. Crafted with precision, their effective selection and mixing of deep house cuts and groovy tracks result in a mixtape that sounds wonderful and might easily become addictive.
It features songs by Kraak & Smaak, Round Table Knights, Elekfantz, Karma Kid, Dan Solo among others, and if you are willing to forget your daily problems for an hour, then be sure to click play and raise the volume of your speakers. You won't be disappointed.
Here's the tracklist, by the way:
Elefanktz - Diggin' on You Rodriguez Jr. & Andid - Roads Kraak & Smaak (feat. Stee Downes) - How We Gonna Stop the Time (Monitor 66 Remix) Karma Kid - Like I'm on Fire Harry Wolfman - Booty Call Mr. Belt & Wezol - Miracle Boogie Filtered - Music Takes Me High Dan Solo & Future Feelings - I Feel Nothing (Bufi Remix) Round Table Knights & Animal Trainer - Pique Alex Metric & Oliver - Hope Henry Saiz - Love Mythology (DJ Blu Remix) Final DJs - Night Driving
With another week just starting, Opus Sound decided to sugest some relatively new albums you should listen to, in what we expect to become a new feature of the blog. It also represents a new way for us to tell you about some great music that might have slipped under your radars.
Here is this week selection, in no specific order:
îTruls - TRVLS
It's quite hard to believe that such a big guy is able to produce a wonderful falsetto like the one displayed in 'TRVLS' eleven songs. Truls Heggero, a young Norwegian singer, has come to our attention thanks to his massive 2013 single 'Out of Yourself', in which his amazing sweet voice sounds as admirable as it is contagiously fun. His debut album is an enjoyable blend of r&b, dream pop and synthpop, filled with songs that flow seamlessly through a wide spectre of emotions, from contemplative sadness to careless joy. There are moments where chord instruments mingle with synthetic matrixes and easily become larger than life, and by the end of the album you will probably be feeling positive and cheerful.
Even though it has its hits and misses, it's a great start for Truls, a singer you should definetly check, if you haven't already.
îColdplay - Ghost Stories
'Ghost Stories' might be a decisive album for Coldplay, one that will make some longtime fans to lift their eyebrows in confusion and, at the same time, will reach for new audiences. Also, it represents a return to their more quiescent side from early records. The grandness of the last two albums 'Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends' and 'Mylo Xyloto' have been put aside, as the band decided to dive into a more intimate and personal sound, kind of a voyage through a aurora borealis where time stands still and deep thoughs about love and the end of it are weighted in total lack of gravity.
After listening to the whole album, we've to say it's quite a beautiful endeavor even if Coldplay's trademark sound is diluted and some ambient, experimental and even electronic elements become more proeminent. We suggest you listen to it, not because it's their best album nor will its songs be highly featured on their canon, but because it's the band's most risky step yet. And, for a well-established act like Coldplay, that should be aknowledged and appraised.
îChet Faker - Built on Glass
You won't be going for an easy listening with Chet Faker's debut, 'Built On Glass'. He likes to play with dissonance as much he loves to shuffle samples in order to create a fragmented sound, one that is rooted in r&b, soul and downtempo electronica. With him guiding your hand, you'll never know what's around the corner, so expect drowsy jazz laments showing up after experimental cuts, and almost bare naked interludes side by side with unforseen danceable tracks.
Chet Faker has surely devised one of the most demanding albums of the year, but also one of the most rewarding. He carefully texturizes the layers of sounds to support his fragile voice and while sometimes his musics sounds scarce, it has many details you only will discover after a few listenings. For those who like artists like James Blake, Nicolas Jaar or How To Dress Well, you might just fall in love with Chet Faker's strange soundscapes.
îRAC - Strangers
If 'Strangers' was a movie, it surely would be an ensemble film. RAC (Remixing Artists Collective) is the music project of André Allen Anjos, a Portuguese musician now resinding in the USA. As RAC he (along with his partners at the time, Andrew Maury and Karl Kling) has become known for the vast repertoire of remixes for other artists like Bloc Party, Foster the People, Lana Del Rey, Penguin Prison, Phoenix, Gigamesh, Teophilus London, Moullinex and many, many others.
Slowly, he started to produce his own music, which kept his trademark sound (vintage samples, hip-hop details and indie pop aesthetics). Through the years and the remixes, he sure has made a lot of friends, so it's only natural his debut album is heavy in collaborations: Kele Okereke, MNDR, Body Language, Penguin Prison, Tegan & Sara, St. Lucia, YACHT, Katie Herzig and Tokyo Police Club are the most sounding names who lend their vocals to the sugar covered pop songs. Check 'Strangers' if you want to have have fun; you won't regret it.
îEno & Hyde - Someday World
It's not everyday two big names of the electronic music history become together to create a full album, but that's just what experimentalist and ambience master Brian Eno and influencial Karl Hyde (from electronic seminal duo Underworld) have done. The result is 'Someday World'.
The two artists (who had previously worked together in a song called 'Beebop Hurry' in 2011 Underworld's compilation album) jump into the up-tempo music kindgom to deliver a focused voyage into a dimension where several genres are fused together, resulting in a urban landscape which is not confined by any kind of time and space boundaries. Eno's usual atmospheric ramblings are refrained by Hyde's electronic expertise, and both artists find their rightful place in this intrincate work. The whole album is a cohesive journey, and while there aren't many standout moments (perhaps the record's major fault), Hyde's vocals make sure the LP has character and lives to the high expectations.
