I Want You

I have been enamored with Rotkraft since the first note I ever heard by the magical team.  This track is extraordinary. Just listen to the use of those choir-like samples weaning over this confident and unruffled beat. Each note is precise, calculated, and comes off as organic and natural. The tempo is perfect for a glass of scotch. Enjoy!

I Want You - Rotkraft (right click to save as)
Rotkraft

Select Sundays: Aperture

Similar to xxyyxx, Photay seems to be a young musical prodigy. I mean, I can't tell because I can't find much biographical information about Evan Shornstein except that he's still in college. This track is just, well, it's just beautiful modern background music. Perfect for a little nuevo camping right?

Aperture - Photay (right click to save as)
Photay

Vinyl Saturdays: Dance To The Music

I remember buying this record brand new while venturing around Los Angeles with some fellow record junkies back in 2003. I was completely stoked to discover and buy this track. I'm not sure if I knew what it was about this track I liked so much then, was it the funky disco groove, the tidbits of brilliant electric guitar, or the perfectly clipped sample. Those are the reason I love this track now.
As I listen to songs that are coming out now, 10 years later, I see that this track is still current, in fact I could mix this right in our out of the legendary Daft Punk's new track Get Lucky in a set. Enjoy!

Dance To The Music - Soularis (right click to save as)
Solaris

Changes

I recognized this track right away as it pulls some heavy inspiration from Pnau - 'Baby'. This rendition starts out much more organically, and selectively builds to quite the pinnacle. Check out that saxophone, I've listened to the track three times during the composition of this post and each time that sax starts jamming I can't keep still. Enjoy!

Changes Feat. Wad Ad - Faul (right click to save as)
Faul | Wad Ad

Fun Punch

This track pays homage to that earlier style of Daft Punk laced with banging bass lines, hard hitting beats, and an amazing electric guitar solo. I love the energy of this song, and how it brings so many colors and upbeat feelings. Enjoy!

Fun Punch (Calling In Sick Remix) - Bag Raiders (right click to save as)
Bag Raiders | Calling In Sick

Jasmine

I have a friend named Jasmine. This song is sometimes like my friend and sometimes not. This track as a dark and swampy bassline, which is un-Jasmine like. Though this song has an overall electronic feel to it, there is distinct R&B roots, with plenty of hand clapping. I love the meld of inspiration that shows through in this track, and how well it all comes together. Enjoy!

Jasmine - Jai Paul (right click to save as)
Jai Paul

All God's Love

This track is deep. I love the vocal filter, and how the standout of the track is the melody and not the lyrics. The bassline has a bit of the tech-house attitude without being too tech-y. I also enjoy the sharp synths that layer precisely over the aforementioned vocals.  The track gains a strong momentum and stays interesting all the way through. Enjoy!

All God's Love Feat. Antranita - MAD!(right click to save as)
MAD! | Antranita

Singing In The Rain

I'm not sure if this remix was made in order to create this commercial, but I am sure that this remix is awesome. There's a modern twist on an old classic, and it's done with great taste. Enjoy!

Singing In The Rain - Mint Royale (right click to save as)
Mint Royale

Vinyl Saturdays: I'm Feelin' High Tonite

This track has aged extremely well. The fact that this song is 11 years old and could still be played in a club today sure says something. I love the whispery vocals that start off the song, but I love it more when the seductive female vocal sample "I'm feeling high tonight" shows up. The song is over 10 minutes long, which means there's plenty of solos and jamming. Enjoy!

I'm Feelin' High Tonite Deep Mix - S.O.E. (South Of The Equator) (right click to save as)
Matthias Heilbronn presents S.O.E.

The Shining

Today marks 2 years of this blog. We've posted 615 posts, 7 mixtapes, and a few wordy posts about things that felt important enough to write about.  I love everything that has to do with this blog, the digging for music, writing my thoughts and feelings for a song, choosing a picture to share alongside the track, and most of all sharing songs that get me feeling good.

This track is heartfelt and beautiful. I'd probably play this song at the end of a powerful speech in a dramatic movie. You can see it now, main characters smiling in slow motion, everyone feeling the energy of something great all together, and it sounds real good too. Enjoy!

The Shining - Badly Drawn Boy (right click to save as)
Badly Drawn Boy

Too High

This track surpasses expectations at about the 2:30 mark. Have you been sitting on the side of the dance floor, head in your hands cause you were "too high to dance"? If so then you may have been the inspiration for this song! There's many elements to this song, painting a yin and yang picture of the chaos and beauty that internally occurs when nobody is watching on the dance floor.  There's darkness and light, the different tones used and the movements that the song roams through is a perfect descriptor of the perfect dance floor. Enjoy!

Too High (The 2 Bears Remix) - Gramme (right click to save as)
Gramme | The 2 Bears

Lesson 1

This track is so cute to me. I love the French language lesson sound byte about love, you are beautiful, you are nice. This track puts me in a fantastic mood when I hear it. The smooth and round synth combined with the progressive sound builds are perfectly spaced. Enjoy!

Lesson 1 (Original Mix) - L'Equipe du Son (right click to save as)
L'Equipe du Son

All You're Waiting For

There's an infectious up-down to this song, bob your head or raise your hand. I get excited when I hear the beginning of the chorus:

"Hey wait a minute, just a minute I was ready for the flight. Got my bags packed waiting on the driver curb side."

I also discovered this amazing music video mash up featuring this track and footage from Sedmikrasky (Daisies) by Vera Chytilova. I have never seen this movie, however I just may have to after this fantastic combination. This reminds me of the Phoenix Lisztomania mashed with footage of the 80's brat pack films, of which I must have logged over 1,000 views simply from my IP address. It's amazing that there were even spin offs of the mashup, this one with over 400k views! Enjoy!

All You're Waiting For Feat. Nancy Whang - CLASSIXX (right click to save as)
CLASSIXX | Nancy Whang

When U Love Somebody

One of my inspirations, and amazing mixtape composer Steph Lund closed her latest mixtape for ETMPT with this track.  I've admired Steph's ability to curate amazing tracks from different areas of the music world in a cohesive and interesting journey of sound. This track starts strong, has amazing hooks, and is strong enough to finish a 1hr set of equally amazing tracks. Enjoy!

When U Love Somebody - Fruit Bats (right click to save as)
Fruit Bats

Vinyl Saturdays: Chicken Dinner

This track walks a line, I'm not quite sure labeling it Drum and Bass is 100% appropriate. Though, the track does have elements of D&B. I enjoy the bassline a great deal. The drums may have been programmed, but I could imagine a talented drummer playing this piece live which is impossible in most Drum and Bass songs. There is a beautiful and colorful expedition that the song travels, that I find interesting and thought provoking. Enjoy!

Chicken Dinner - Ronnie And Clyde (right click to save as)
Ronnie And Clyde

Enjoy Your Life

I finish every post the same... "Enjoy!"
So when a disco track so funky that it comes with an extra serving of funk shows up and says "you just wanna enjoy your life" I found myself turning on the repeat function. The instruments are classic disco, electric bass, shaker, drums, amazing electric guitar riff, brass, and violins jumping in for that added zing. Aside from the insanely infectious and extremely danceable aspects of this song are the lyrics, which I mentioned earlier. They are delivered with the utmost of female swagger, inter-dispersed with those zinging violins. Enjoy!

Enjoy Your Life - Rayko (right click to save as)
Ray

Puma

"Now I've been working for free" If there is anything shittier than working for free then I don't know about it. This song celebrates those who can relate to that experience, and find a reason to celebrate the fact that though we have all suffered this crap, right now we're dancing! The track is uplifting, positive, and fun. People bond over many things, and suffering the same suffer is pretty high on that list of things. Enjoy!

Puma (Original Mix) - Xinobi (right click to save as)
Xinobi

Misses

Credit: Ellie Fox

Three very powerful words, "I miss you". I'm sure the words may be overused by a few people, but that's because of the sheer power. Hearing the repetition over the rather dancey and upbeat melody sounds really good while the other vocals sadly sing the verse. I also rather enjoy the sharp and quick bassline, as the song sounds swampy enough without a bunch of very long and resonant bass notes. Enjoy!

Misses (Mickey Remix) - Girls In Hawaii (right click to save as)
Girls In Hawaii | Mickey

From the Dust... We Ran to Greet the Dawn

Nine times out of ten I'm playing some instrumental post rock style playlist after a long weekend of too much fun and excitement. I have always enjoyed a beautiful instrumental, where the lyrical chorus is written in my head and changes with every listen. This track brings plenty of emotion and style along its journey. I especially appreciate the sprinkled xylophone use mainly in the lower register. Enjoy!

From the Dust... We Ran to Greet the Dawn - Hammock (right click to save as)
Hammock

Runaway

The way that "runawaaaay" is looped continually reminds me of that old style Daft Punk or maybe Alan Braxe even, well, someone from France that's for sure. What else is for sure is that this track hits hard and keeps rocking from start to finish.  It never gets old, the build up with synths piling on top of the vocal loop and then the drums start to layer on top of that and the energy just builds and builds until the piano breaks it all. Enjoy!

Runaway (Calling In Sick Remix) - Grum (right click to save as)
Grum | Calling In Sick

Select Sundays: Never Forget You

We've featured The Pipettes before, so you'll understand if I did a brief double take when I first heard this song. Did The Pipettes bring on a new singer? (As they're prone to do.) No, the Noisettes are another U.K. group with similar Motown influences. This track is from their 2009 album, Wild Young Hearts, and they have a new album I'm excited to check out. Basically any name with "-ette" at the end has to be good right?

Never Forget You - Noisettes (right click to save as)
Noisettes

Vinyl Saturdays: The West Wind Circus

Usually when I'm out digging through records I take a chance on something I've never heard of. This Helen Reddy album was that chance not too long ago. I had no idea who she was, or what she sounded like. But I was interested in finding out, so I brought her home with me.
The album is not my favorite, It's not cohesive with her style bouncing around without a base to foot back to. This song caught my ear on the second listen. I re-listened a few times, and really started to appreciate it. The song is dark and eerie, with sadness, loss, and mystery. I also appreciate how this song has a larger dynamic range, the quiet parts are quiet and the loud parts are loud. Enjoy!

The West Wind Circus - Helen Reddy (right click to save as)
Helen Reddy

Funny Feeling

This big room sounding track embraces the fun and emotion of what's huge right now in EDM. We all want that funny feeling, like when you climb the rope in gym class, or "slowly kiss her" as the song suggests. The hard hitting synths and drums may force your hands in the air and shake your body up and down. Enjoy!

Funny Feeling Feat. All Dom Wrong (Panic City Remix) - The Soundmen (right click to save as)
The Soundmen | All Dom Wrong | Panic City

Stuck In My Head

This white-boy-spoken-word style track talking about remembering the past actually reminds me of the past. This track with the speaking, the wild electric guitar, and the lower beats per minute than house but higher than hip hop takes me back to the turn of the century where songs like these from overseas prospered. Enjoy!

Stuck In My Head - Grafton Primary (right click to save as)
Grafton Primary

Gravediggress

I had never seen the term "gravediggress" before this song, a concept that most likely paints a different picture for everyone.  The huge standout here is the two female vocalists. There are such different voices that work in conjunction to create the eerie and dark track. I also appreciate the minimal use of instruments and the beatbox percussion that doesn't scream out at you saying "look we're beatboxing here instead of drumming".
I also think this hook is dying for an interesting electronic remix. Perhaps one exists that I haven't yet discovered. Enjoy!

Gravediggress - CocoRosie (right click to save as)
CocoRosie