Paris Dub 1 (feat. Paris Brightledge) - Paranoid London - Paris Dub 1 (2012, Paranoid London Records)
No-one really knows too much about Paranoid London, but when that 303 bass-line kicks in, you’ll stop wondering about that, and just get lost in this fantastic acid house track.
White Noise (feat. Aluna George) - Disclosure - White Noise (2013, PMR)
With the release date of their debut album getting closer and closer, Disclosure yet again whet our appetites with their first single of 2013, collaborating with fellow British up-and-comer Aluna George. Given their shared trajectories into the limelight it was only a matter of time before the two collaborated, but thankfully the results more than live up to the hype.
White Noise sees Disclosure cement the sound that has been getting them so noticed over their last few releases — a blend of timely UK bass and timeless house music, all crafted with notable attention to detail and an ear for melody — and Aluna George’s sassy vocals fit with the duo’s production like a glove. Get set to hear this catchy bass line quite often these next few months.
Flutes (A JD Twitch Optimo Remix) - Hot Chip - In Our Heads (Extended Edition) (2012, Domino)
Sasha’s remix of Hot Chip’s Flutes is easily the most talked about re-working of the track. However, Optimo’s JD Twitch also created an excellent remix of it, which has been lurking around in the middle of In Our Heads’ Extended Edition disc all this time (it definitely slipped past me at first). JD subtly extracts the track’s most danceable elements while cutting the more indie pop aspects, resulting in a smooth, impelling dance floor filler, which will mercilessly drill the track’s looped vocal riff into your head for days.
Housecall - Boston Bun - Housecall (2012, Ed Banger)
Bangin’ electro house from Ed Banger newbie Boston Bun, Housecall combines snicker-inducing vocal samples, and a seriously deep, rolling bass line, tasked with the sole purpose of destroying dance floors.
Faded (Preview) - Jacques Greene - VSE07 (2012, Vase)
Although it was only started a few months ago, Jacques Greene’s new label Vase has hit the ground running, touting the long awaited release of Koreless’s Lost In Tokyo, as well as fine works from Arclight and Jacques Greene himself, and a record from The Weeknd producer Zodiac in the pipes.
Keeping up the momentum, Greene has just announced a new compilation EP, VSE07, which will include tracks from Samoyed, Arclight, Zodiac, Ango, as well as featuring the Canadian producer himself. You can preview Greene’s contribution Faded up above, via his official YouTube channel.
Latch (Feat. Sam Smith) - Disclosure (2012, PMR)
British production duo Disclosure are one of this year’s great success stories, and with the recent announcement of a debut LP in the works for next year, it looks like their star is set to keep rising. The brothers from Surrey just uploaded said album’s lead single Latch to their SoundCloud, and yet again displaying excellent taste in collaborators, invite newcomer Sam Smith to lay down powerful, emotive vocals over the duo’s trademark blend of club-friendly house and iPod friendly pop-bass.
Latch is due out November 8 on PMR.
Fetch - Les Sins - Fetch / Taken (2012, Jiaolong)
The man behind Toro Y Moi, Chaz Bundick, has created a new outlet for dancier music in Les Sins, and will be releasing a single under the name on Caribou’s label Jiaolong in the next couple of days. Check out the deliciously funky Fetch above, or head on over to his SoundCloud to hear the single’s flip-side Taken.
Prism - Jacques Greene - Ready (2012, 3024)
Jacques Greene’s Prism is a captivating, beautifully dark tech-house number. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head all week.
Gloss - SBTRKT (2012)
From the release of Gamelana earlier this year, we know the masked producer has been back in the studio. Although SBTRKT has been vague as to what end he’s working towards, Gamelana and his latest release, Gloss, bring hope for a new EP or Album to follow up last year’s self-titled LP.
Always favouring mystery, SBTRKT never gives much warning when releasing a new cut. When Gloss appeared completely unannounced last week, it was definitely a pleasant surprise. A warming haze of melodic synth and percussion, the track is distinctly lighter and more hopeful than his previous work— It’s an up-lifting analog track that emulates summer. It may sound a bit flat for those more partial to tracks full of variation like Pharaohs or Wildfire, but Gloss is the ideal chill-out track for those who can appreciate SBTRKT’s new direction.
Stephanie Finnimore
She Wants To Move (DFA Remix) - N*E*R*D - She Wants To Move (2004, Virgin)
While trawling through Spotify on my way to create a novelty playlist (“Songs which have dogs barking in them”, if you must know), I suddenly stumbled across a DFA remix that I was previously unaware of. I’m unsure how to describe just how elated this discovery made me, but the feeling is probably akin to a small child finding their Christmas present stash, or a labrador coming across food on a table, accidentally left at an accessible distance.
For those who are not in the know, DFA remixes are widely acclaimed as the best in the game. Yes, James Murphy and the people who gave you LCD Soundsystem also do awesome remixes. Indeed, one wonders where to place the line between ‘remix’ and ‘cover’, as DFA often put so much work into recording new bass lines, percussion tracks and whatnot that it’s hard to simply call it a ‘remix’. But one thing is certain: their remixes are all infectiously funky and irrepressibly danceable, without fail.
Their take on N*E*R*D’s 2004 hit She Wants To Move is no abberation. The new synth solos lend the track a distinct essence of house party, the fresh bass line doesn’t care in the slightest whether you previously felt like dancing or not, and if there was a lack of cowbell in the original, DFA have definitely turned that around now.
