Airport

I Follow Rivers (Oohs and Aahs Remix) - Lykke Li (2011, online only)

As they put it on their Soundcloud page, “The Oos & Ahhs strike again with a dark, hard-hitting interpretation of Lykke Li’s “I Follow Rivers”. The remix takes you on a tumultuous deep sea journey through wobbles, waves, and arpeggiators; a cold reflection of the perilous depths of infatuation.”

It’s the closest thing you will hear to dubstep at a 120bpm tempo; but more importantly it’s just a really decent remix.

Sandwiches - Detroit Grand Pubahs - Funk Y’All (2001, Intuit-Solar)

I know you wanna do it

You know I wanna do it too,

Out here on the dance-floor

We can make sandwiches.

Crystalline - Björk - Biophilia

The soon to be released first single from Björk’s upcoming album Biophilia, which is due out late September.

It’s very… interesting, especially the surprise Aphex Twin style freakout at the end (sounds like she’s still working with Mark Bell). Interesting in a very good, very Björk way. I really can’t wait for this album to come out. 

Wildfire (feat. Little Dragon) - SBTRKT - SBTRKT (2011, Young Turks)

One of the most hyped up-and-coming producers in the UK bass music scene, SBTRKT is dropping his debut album in a couple of days. And it’s an absolute killer, a meticulously structured LP that strikes a perfect balance between infectious pop and dark UK bass sounds. You can stream the whole thing for free online too.

Raiders - Owl Eyes - Raiders (2011, Wunderkind)

An awesome track by Aussie singer-songwriter Owl Eyes. It’s been stuck in my head for days.

Tetris - Doctor P - Tetris (2011, Circus)

I’m compiling an electro/dubstep set for a largeish houseparty this weekend, and it’s beginning to look like cuss words are going to outnumber all other lyrics…

Anyway, this kind of track would normally piss me off a bit, but I can’t picture anything that would go down better near the end of a houseparty set.

Magnets - Digitalism - Idealism (2006, Kitsuné / Virgin)

Blood On Our Hands - Death From Above 1979 - You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine (2004, Vice / Last Gang)

Listen to this track. Then answer this: how many people do you think make up the band? Listen again. Yep, it’s just a bass guitar and drums. But goddamn they make one almighty racket of awesomeness.

Formed along with Sebastien Grainger, Death From Above 1979 was Jesse F. Keeler’s first band, before he went on to form the electro outfit MSTRKRFT. And although the two bands make what appears to be completely different music on paper, they’re really quite similar when you think about it; they both make hard-hitting tracks that are almost impossible to not dance to. But as much as I love MSTRKRFT, there’s something deliciously raw about DFA1979’s music that you just can’t quite achieve with synthesizers and drum machines.

Death From Above 1979 broke up after the release of their first and only album in 2006. However, they just announced a reunion tour, and will be visiting Australia for the recently announced Parklife 2011, along with Keeler’s other band MSTRKRFT. Don’t miss either of them, they’ll both put on a hell of a show. But DFA1979 will doubtless be something special.

45:33 (Part 2) - LCD Soundsystem - 45:33 (2006, DFA)

45:33 was originally commissioned by Nike as a track to accompany a jogging session as part of its Nike+ Original Run series, which also included entries from Simian Mobile Disco, De La Soul and A-Trak. LCD Soundsystem front-man James Murphy originally stated that it had been refined after several runs on the treadmill, but he later admitted that this was a complete lie, and that he actually doesn’t jog at all. He continued, saying that he wanted to make a long-form record like E2-E4 by German composer/musician Manuel Göttsching, and that he just used the opportunity provided by Nike to do it.

45:33 was doubtless the most critically acclaimed in the Nike+ series. From the “hyper-tasteful jazzy house piano line” of the beginning, through Someone Great in its original, instrumental form, and onto the driving, funky fourth and fifth sections (complete with typically James Murphy tongue-in-cheek vocals) it’s an absolutely awesome record. If you don’t have this one, go out and find it immediately; as with anything by LCD Soundsystem you won’t be disappointed.

4h30 - Danger - 09/17 2007 (2010, Ekler’O’ShocK)

09/17 2007 is the third EP released by french electro producer Danger. Like his previous two EPs 09/16 2007 and 09/14 2007, 09/17 2007 is a concept album with a clear physical setting in mind, this time a sprawling metropolis. While talking about the release Danger had this to say about 4h30 in particular:

For this track, I imagine myself walking down a dark alley, alone, while a group of cyberpunks dressed in a Madmax style stare at me, I see Harrison Ford investigating (Blade Runner), and Maurice Dantec.

Hopefully the rumors of an impending LP release are true, we may be hearing quite a bit more Danger material quite soon. But in the meantime you can check out the exclusive mix he did for inthemix a couple of weeks ago here.

Mirage - Pryda - Mirage (2011, Pryda Recordings)

It’s a big year for Eric Prydz. The debut of his EPIC live show was just a couple of months ago, and the debut of the first live show under his Cirez D moniker is at South West Four in August. In the meantime, he’s hosting a string of club nights with Annie Mac at Amnesia in Ibiza, and hosting his own stage at this year’s Creamfields in London. That’s all before the actual music releases: imminent releases from both his progressive house guise Pryda and his techno alter-ego Cirez D were confirmed not too long ago. We’re going to have to wait a little longer for the new Cirez D material, but his twentieth Pryda EP, Mirage, was just released today.

Eric Prydz is one of the most consistently acclaimed producers in electronic music, but even so this EP has to be one of his best— from the effervescent title track Mirage, to the driving, bass heavy Juletider, and the swirling, impelling With Me, each of the three tracks are absolutely top notch.

NY Excuse - Soulwax - Any Minute Now (2004, PIAS)

Soulwax (also known at 2ManyDJs while spinning records) teaming up with LCD Soundsystem’s Nancy Whang to create one of the raviest electro tracks you’ll hear. Just try and stay in your chair, I challenge you. And ignore the fact that ‘raviest’ most probably isn’t a real word…

The Bay (Erol Alkan’s Extended Rework) - Metronomy - The Bay (Erol Alkan’s Extended Rework) (2011, Because Music)

Erol Alkan is back with another top form remix to get your toes tapping, this time of Metronomy’s The Bay, from their latest album The English Riviera.

It feels so good…

Lindesfarne I / Lindesfarne II  - James Blake - James Blake (2011, R&S)

Lindesfarne is the next single from James Blake’s sublime debut album, being released along with Unluck in a few days time. The single features a cut down edit of the work, which originally appears in two parts on the album, tastefully compressing a quite out of the ordinary musical opus into something radio-friendly, which is probably quite necessary if he’s hoping for much radio-play.

However, I still prefer it how it is featured on the album. The first two and a half minutes are almost completely acapella, featuring only Blake’s digitally altered and layered vocals, sonically screwed to the point that it can be hard to hear what he’s singing. But it all comes together in a starkly beautiful way. Then the second part comes in, with its muted pops and clicks providing a rhythmic framework for Blake’s water-like vocals, now also accompanied by a hushed acoustic guitar. The whole album is fantastic, but Lindesfarne I & Lindesfarne II have to be among the most musically explorative, and in the end, the most beautiful tracks on the LP.

Also, check out the video for the track, directed by Martin De Thurah.