This week’s highlights are all about music for those late night pensive moments, the backing tracks to those times we lie awake lost in thought. It’s music like this that helps clear the mind and accentuate the experience. So delight your ears and feed your mind with some aural stimulation below.
When it comes to selecting and writing about songs for the Chill Dojo, it’s less about the technical side of things and more about music that makes you feel. 18-year old Dutch producer shak. captures that notion completely with a track that’s not only steeped in emotion, but shows production finesse far beyond his years. ‘Only Now’ from his upcoming EP, Slow Wonders, is an ambient masterpiece filled with smooth guitar progressions and hauntingly beautiful vocal echoes, savoured best in those moments when the mind goes wandering. With similar effect comes the next track from Chicago’s KR$CHN, who adds his downtempo flavour to the gorgeous Dreamcatcher EP from Emily Underhill. Apart from the incredible ambience and stunning use of the original vocals, the real treat here is the meticulously crafted drum patterns, which oftentimes emulates that of a beating heart, and will no doubt have yours racing in kind. Long time dojo favourite Sizzlebird was also on remix duties for the EP, providing his emotional brand of chillstep we know and love. Heavy bass and aggression are something that are easily paired together, and Koan Sound have quite an arsenal of tracks boasting this punchy style. Their latest Sancutary EP goes down a different path though, and it’s a breath of fresh air to hear big sound design mixed in an emotive way that yields a truly mellow experience. It’s a divine combination of layers and atmosphere across the whole release, but we’ve selected the two that resonated with us the most. Rameses B is no stranger to this style of production either, and he delivers another melodic slice of dnb heaven with some assistance from the angelic voice of Veela. We can’t get too wrapped up in the deep side of things though, so Druid Cloak helps kicks off a change to the playlist with a dose of funk from his Return to the Grove EP. From here onwards there’s plenty of smooth jams and upbeat dancey tunes to enjoy as always.
So don’t overthink what to do next because the week’s best chill music is right below. That’s a no-brainer. Peace out.
