WHEEZ-IE FREE XMAS E.P

Happy Holidays 2012 <3 Wheez-ie (FREE EP)

Wheez-ie are breakbeat maestros, and have dropped this festive bootleg.  Is there anything better than a festive bootleg?  I'm not sure I can think of anything.  The second track is a hoover-fest.  Let's get in the spirit and, for Santa's sake, download this now for FREE!
Happy Holidays 2012 <3 Wheez-ie (FREE EP) by Wheez-ie

TRACKS OF THE YEAR 2012

1. HUXLEY - Let It Go

Released 13th February.  Hypercolour.

 

There's a lot to be said about simplicity in dance music.  On Let It Go, Huxley starts with a rolling, garage infused beat, a looped Boys2Men vocal (Huxley speeds up the Rn'B groups track, Can't Let Her Go) and a stunningly simple, yet staggeringly effective bassline.  It's when Huxley throws in a dual bassline, a joyous melodic synthy stab, on top of the deep groove that the track becomes magic.  The soulful vocal has a hypnotising effect; it's ridiculously catchy, yet effortlessly cool. I've read that this track was too commercial for some, but for me it should have crossed over even more so.  This is where British house music was in 2012 and, for me, this track wasn't topped.  Jus sayin'.

 

 

2. BARESKIN - Eyes

Released 22nd October. Hypercolour.

 

Another Hypercolour highlight from young producer, Joshua Thompson who produced a touch of techno-bass magic with Eyes.  The track has an acid bassline which toys with you for a while before dropping a sleek, melodic vocal.  It's a solid house shuffle, but it also fuses in some dark techno vibes.  A young talent to watch for 2013.

 

3. JULIO BASHMORE - Au Seve

Released 1st July. Broadwalk Records.

Au Seve is a track that did a fair bit of crossing over;  the hi-hat shuffle is instantly recognisable and enough in itself to induce pandemonium on the dancefloor.  There's an echo in parts of the track that sound so spaced out and distant, as if someone was shaking a snare drum in the background, yet the groove is so simple and fun, it sounds warm and loved up.  What a tune.

4. DRUMS OF DEATH - Let No Shadow Fall Upon You

Released 15th June.  Civil Music.





Old school vocal.  Breakbeats.  Piano Stabs.  Huge punishing techno thrown in for good measure?  Yeah, why the fuck not?  Here's to Drums of Death for producing a track that ticks all my boxes.  As does the ghoulish one's Blue Waves EP, which is pure throwback HEAVEN.

Blue Waves EP

5.  JUSTIN MARTIN VS. PILLOWTALK - The Gurner

Released 22nd May.  Dirtybird

Although The Gurner has had some quality re-works on the Ghettos and Gardens remix packages, it's still the original that does the business.  Deep, funky, senusal and soulful; this is a highlight from the album, and a really great song!



6.  Jessie Ware -110%
7. Mosca - Eva Mendes
8. Ejeca - Horizon
9. Breach - You Won't Find Love Again
10. Blawan - Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage?

TOP REMIXES OF 2012

2012 has had some serious tunes and some seriously exciting producers coming to the forefront.  I've particularly enjoyed the British contingent; producers like Huxley and Julio Bashmore and labels like Hypercolour and Wolf Music have crossed over and brought the British bass scene to new listeners.  I'm throwing in a few end of year lists throughout the month, which highlight the tracks I couldn't get enough of this year. 

 

TOP 5 REMIXES

1.  STORM QUEEN - Look Right Through (MK DON'T TALK TO ME DUB) Released - February
Quite simply, a TUNE. Released on Defected at the start of the year, MK worked his magic and produced his best work of the year IMO.  Old school, distinctive, and classy.  MK is the house master.


2. Jessie Ware - Running (DISCLOSURE REMIX)  Released - April
A massive remix that made 2012 Disclosure's year.  Uplifting and unique; the throwback chords and funked up rhythm make the track impossible not to enjoy. 


3. Maxxi Soundsystem - Stella's Way (HUXLEY REMIX)  Released - October
A bad-ass descending bass-line, subtle chords and a touch of class from Huxley.



4. JUSTIN MARTIN - Don't Go (DUSKY REMIX) Released - October
Dusky transforms the delicate, twinkly original with a deep, pulsating bass-line that fuses house and garage to maximum affect.

5.  JESSIE WARE - No To Love (GEORGE FITZGERALD MIX)
Released - November
Driving, peak time techno tinged bomb

Runner's Up

Lana Del Ray - Video Games (Joy Orbison Remix)
Kim-Ann Foxman - Return It (Populette Remix)

Shenoda - Moments (Huxley Remix)

Justin Martin - Ghetto's and Gardens (Bachelors of Science D&B Remix)
Justin Martin/Leroy Peppers - Riding Spaceships (Shadow Child 'In Search of 94' Mix)
Lana Del Ray - Ride (Photek Remix)

FRIDAY FLAVOURS. CLEAN BANDIT. SHADOW CHILD

CLEAN BANDIT A&E EP

Clean Bandit are a DIY electronic, instrumental group from London with a really fresh, unique sound.  A&E is fantastic swagger-pop; completely British sounding and delightfully eccentric.  All the instruments are played by REAL MUSICIANS (saywhat?!), there is no Ableton or Logic as far as I know and the vocalists are members of a community singing group who the core band members found.  Oh, and they also made this brilliant video themselves.  Lovely.

Out on December 9th, on the excellent BLACK BUTTER RECORDS

ZINC feat. SASHA KEABLE - ONLY FOR TONIGHT

Proving once again, why Zinc is still at the top of his game in providing dance-floor fillers, Only For Tonight is just that.  Although Zinc has his detractors for his slightly more commercial tracks, you can't deny the catchiness and simple joy gained from his wobbly, dance-floor bombs.  Sure to be everywhere; proper festive banger.

JUSTIN MARTIN/LEROY PEPPERS - RIDING SPACESHIPS (SHADOW CHILD 'IN SEARCH OF 94' MIX

If you've not listened to Justin Martin's Ghetto's & Garden's album yet, then please get on it.  It's a unique fun-filled journey through booty-bass, dn'b, dubstep, deep house and everything in between.  A remix album dropped in  October, which I featured on here.  It included the bumpin' house remix of Don't Go by Dusky which has topped a few charts recently.  Well, Justin Martin is set to drop another remix album pretty soon.   This remix by Shadow Child is going to be on there, but we will have to wait for the full track because this is only a snippet. The original was a slow booty bass burner, but Shadow Child has gloriously dropped a HUGE breakbeat line throughout, giving the whole track a mad, atmospheric old skool sound

FRIDAY FLAVOURS. WOZ. PHOTEK. GEORGE FITZGERALD

WOZ - Origin (FREE DOWNLOAD)

Fresh off the back of last months successful ZYLO E.P, Woz offers up a huge tune as a FREE DOWNLOAD.  Download Origin and get a taste of Woz's fresh, big-bass vibes.

Lana Del Ray - Ride (Photek Remix)

First off, I really, really like Lana Del Ray.  I like her drama, and her videos; her voice and style.  Ride is a track featured on the re-release of her Born To Die album, with a fucking brilliant video reminiscent of an 80s road movie.  There are several remixes floating around by high profile DJ's but it's, original dub-stepper, Photek's re-work that has caused the most of a stir.  He strips back the track with a simple piano line and gentle bass and makes it sound like it should have sounded to begin with.  

Jessie Ware - No To Love (George FitzGerald Remix)

George FitzGerald

Berlin based British DJ, George FitzGerald had added himself to the list of quality producers remixing Jessie Ware tracks recently. Disclosure's remix of Running got the ball rolling and now FitzGerald has produced a brilliant, Chicago-infused club banger. Ware's vocals are emotive and intense, and the production has a bumpin', techno darkness to it; it's going to be huge. FitzGerald is surely going to be one to watch in 2013, after cementing his name in 2012. He started out producing 2-step tracks for Scuba's Hotflush label, but his latest material, such as the huge Child E.P, has a depth of sound that embodies Chicago, garage and house.



No To Love remix E.P, out now on PMR, digital download.

C.R.S.T FREE DOWNLOAD

Downoad a quality FREE download from underground garage head TONY BLITZ, of C.R.S.T.  This is a bumpin' track with a brilliant vocal.  This is apparently a lost one from the 'vault'.  How casual.

THURSDAY FLAVOURS. MJ COLE. MK. SHADOW CHILD

Daley ft Jessie J "Remember Me" (MJ Cole Vocal Mix)

Do you remember the original Remember Me by Blueboy? Then this track is sure to put a smile on your face. The soulful Mancunian, Daley, re-works the original and Jessie J takes on the Marlena Shaw vocals. She sounds really, really good actually. Daley's cover is fresh, but the MJ Cole remix brings the fire! The piano snippets are inspired and the classic garage jingle and two-step are suitably old school. Proof, not that it were needed, that MJ Cole can do no wrong.
Release date-November 19th 2012

MJ Cole

Forward Motion (MK Reverse Remix)

Forward Motion was a massive deep, disco party track in 2011 from Hot Natured feat. Ali Love.  The track has now reappeared on another Hot Creations release, Benediction, as a B-Side, remixed by classic house head Mark MK Kinchen.  MK impresses me with his remixes because he always brings the classic houses sound that I love, without it being cheesy.  Check out his incredible Storm Queen MK dub remix featured on this blog:
http://soslk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/friday-heavy-rotation.html
On Forward Motion he drops a heavy, stripped back bass-line and keeps it simple, leaving Love's vocals to do the work.
Out Now on Hot Creations

MK.  Classic as hell.

Zoe Xenia + Cari Lekebusch 'Good Love' (Shadow Child back to '93 mix)

How about some more bass-work from the hard-working Shadow Child?  On his Back to 93' remix of Good Love, he works in some seriously classic chords.  I think this is what you would call a BOMB.