A-TRACK. ANOTHER KILLER REMIX

A-track sure knows how to nail a remix.  This time it's French electro wizard Surkin getting a make-over.  This track features on the Surkin's USA Club Remix album and has an 80's vibe, big synths, and a heavy bass.  A quirky electro banger with A-class production.

FRIDAY FLAVOURS

Every Friday, or possibly another day (it's a surprise),  I'll be posting up a couple of tracks that have stopped me in my tracks and have been played to death on my playlist's.  Today is a bit of a house tinged selection.

First up the Disclosure remix of Jessie Ware's new single Running has been causing a storm.  The original, produced by Julio Bashmore, is a deep, dark affair with excellent production and vocals from Ware.  This remix however (currently released on 12'' via PMR records), ups the energy with a deep house vibe, and instantly gets heads nodding as Ware's vocals are chopped and caressed in equal measure.  I wasn't too familiar with Disclosure, but they have some seriously good productions under their belt and have an effortlessly cool sound.

Next up, I can't get enough of the MK remix of Storm Queen's 2010 top-seller Look Right Through.  This was released in Feb on Defected records as part of a second instalment of releases of this track, which also features Dimitri from Paris and Aeroplane.  It's the MK (aka house legend Marc Kinchen) that really hits the right notes with me though with it's old school sound.


And just one more for the road, Mark Knight's latest installment on his Toolroom records Alright, is also tinged with an old school feel and is pure dance-floor magic!

Huxley

With Let it go (hypercolour), Huxley reminded us why simple, well made house music can be so spectacular.  With it's thick descending bass-line, its crisp garage inspired beats and inspired Boys II Men sample, Huxley created an anthem that gets more shatteringly addictive on every listen, and quite simply should never end, ever.  This guy is going to be everywhere in 2012, with his Out of the Box EP due to drop in may and already getting tons of great feedback on soundcloud.
 


He has recently recorded a FACT mix, which is a journey through quality house music still available here.

Huxley - Let It Go (Original Mix) [Hypercolour] 
The film in the video is called Cafe flesh and is a pornographic science-fiction film.  It looks shit.

RackNRuin April Radio 1 Mix

One of the most exciting UK bass labels at the moment has got to be Black Butter Records. Based in London, the label features the cream of current nu-jungle, dubstep and bass artists such as Cinematic, Woz and RackNRuin aka Matt Scott.  Check out rackNruin’s already classic Soundclash ft dubstep vocalist of choice Jessie Ware, a track that has gone some way to creating nu-jungle. 

This sound takes its cue from 90’s jungle but slows it, chops in some sub-bass, garage, electro or in Soundclash's case a tasty organ lick and some garage influenced breaks.  Also crucial to this sound is Warrior One's Fyah (released on Black Butter).  Check out the soundcloud for a load of free downloads, updates and mixes.  This is a seriously exciting label. RackNRuin recently did a BBC mix for Annie Nightingale which showcases some serious riddims including his recent collaboration with Foamo, Gorgon City.  Track listing is below.



Tracklist:
1. Adiyam & Lady Chann — Darkness (RackNRuin’s Darker Mix) 2. Foamo — Sherlock 3. Sway Sway — Level Up (Fake Blood Remix) 4. DJ Zinc — Juicy Fruit 5. The Milk — Broke Up The Family (RackNRuin vs Hostage Remix) 6. Gorgon City — The Truth ft. Janai 7. Rudimental — Deep In The Valley (Woz Remix) 8. Gorgon City — Odyssey 9. Wiley — Skankin (The 2 Bears Remix) 10. Subfocus — Out Of The Blue (XXXY Remix) 11. Gorgon City — The Crypt ft. Navigator & Rubi Dan 12. RackNRuin — Slow Down 13. 14th — Take Me There (RackNRuin Remix)

Hervé - Ghetto Bass: Mixtape Volume 1

Download the new  Hervé mixtape here Hervé - Ghetto Bass: Mixtape Volume 1 .  No one does it quite like Hervé when it comes to bass filled party jams.  This mix is an all killer, no filler ride featuring cuts from his Cheap Thrills label and fresh Hervé edits and remixes.  Typically mixing genre's for fun like in his his Ghetto Bass compilations, this mix serves up bass, house, nu-jungle, garage and dubstep. 

FULL TRACK LISTING
Vince Did It - 'So You're Alive' (Hervé remix) - kill pop
Beyoncé - 'Countdown' (Hervé remix) - SONY
Moonbootica - 'My Hot Dope' (Hervé edit) - cheap thrills xclus
Loops Of Fury - 'I Need' - UNITED AND ANARCHIC
Ginuwine feat. Missy Elliot & Timbaland - 'Get Involved' (Adam F & Hervé Stadium Kaos remix) - MoS
Stanton Warriors - 'Shoot You Down' (Hervé remix) - PUNKS
Death Rose Cult - 'Badman'- UNSIGNED
Knife Party - 'Tournequet' - EARSTORM
Adam F & Sonic C - 'In The Air' - 3BEAT
Zinc - 'Sprung' - RINSE
D1 - 'Ace Of Spades' - CHEAP THRILLS XCLUS
Baxta - 'Work It' - CHEAP THRILLS
Rack N Ruin - 'Slow Down' - CHEAP THRILLS
Jack Beats - 'End Of Love' (DJ Kutz remix) - DECONSTRUCTION
Pixel Fist - 'Let Yourself Go' - UNSIGNED
Machines Don't Care - 'Take Me Away' - CHEAP THRILLS
Afghan Headspin - 'Drop The Bass' - CHEAP THRILLS
Kenna - 'Chains' (Machines Don't Care remix) - CHEAP THRILLS

REVIEW. BURIAL-KINDRED EP

Burial's first non-collaborative release since 2011's Street Halo has come at a time when James Blake, SBTRKT, Mount Kimbie and Jamie XX, to name but a few, are innovator's in the kind of broken dance sound that he paved the way for back in 2006.  Burial proves here with the 3 tracks on Kindred that, despite this fruitful time of sensitive male electronic artist's, his releases are still relevant.  Understatement.  This release has created gushing praise all over the internet.  People write essay's about him for gods sake.
All this is of course because the guy really is that good. 
First track on the EP, Kindred is the most familiar sounding Burial track, with it's vinyl crackle, clipped melody and hypnotic two-step beat.  A dirge of a bass line appears and takes us somewhere a bit darker. You're strapped in and hooked.  Over it's 11 minutes, the elements of this haunting opus separate and then put themselves back together almost like pulling apart and replacing the many mechanisms and cogs inside of a watch.


Loner is altogether more danceable, albeit, in a staring into a k-hole kind of way.  It's less 2-step, more dark house, with a static gloom and an anguished vocal.
Ashtray Wasp, apart from being the coolest song title since I can remember, is the EP'S mouth-drop moment.  Musty house beats, broken diva vocals,  a static ambiance running throughout; a story being told.  There's a different state of consciousness that runs throughout this EP that is pure Burial.  It's difficult to put into words, but it attaches itself to your senses and stirs your soul.  The second half of the track breaks away into a sparse high-pitched vocal, a few touches of piano, a crackle , an exit.

A classic bit of two-step garage

Just because I've just bought this on vinyl.  Sweet.  The best remix of the best Whitney Houston song.