Author Archives: Ash El Gamal

[Chill] Atlas Bound – Landed on Mars (Feki Remix)

Posted by Ash El Gamal - August 17, 2015

Atlas Bound
Landed On Mars (Feki Remix)

Atlas Bound‘s “Landed on Mars” is easily one of the strongest releases of the year–a go-to if you’re in need of something to soothe the soul. Naturally, the Sydney duo’s silky, stripped-down sound has lent itself to countless remixes but Feki may have just dropped the best yet with his take on the hit single. It’s a full re-imagination on which the Brisbane producer’s signature style, established on TMN-favorites like “Nothing Lasts Forever,” shines without losing site of the original’s emotional allure.

Feki crafts an airy atmosphere at first keeping the vocals in-tact while layering a high-pitched backing version to match the mood, adding a slightly playful element along the way. As the lush instrumentation picks up, a vocoded loop introduces a completely new facet to the song before the track hits a jazzy, piano-driven interlude once again taking advantage of the un-altered vocals. That break bridges perfectly back into a textured, percussive groove that culminates all the song’s moving parts into an overwhelmingly uplifting closing.

This tune’s the type to pick you up after a long day or week. Get lifted with Feki’s latest, which was released through the up ‘n coming LA-based label Next Wave Records, and grab a free download here.

[NEW] Odesza – Light (feat. Little Dragon)

Posted by Ash El Gamal - August 17, 2015

ODESZA
Light (feat. Little Dragon)

Soundcloud

It feels like every week Odesza have exciting new material to set the interwebs ablaze–whether it be enormous remixes, releases through their Foreign Family Collective or even fan videos of yet-to-be-released songs from their acclaimed live sets. This week proves no different as the Seattle production duo announce the upcoming release of a deluxe edition of their 2014 album In Return. Along with that announcement, they let loose a brand new original track featuring the Swedish electro-pop geniuses of Little Dragon.

The unconventional, yet enticing, crooning of Little Dragon’s Yukimi Nagano feels like a natural pairing with the shimmering instrumentation of Odesza. “Light” slightly tones down the intense percussion we’re used to from the duo, though, rather gliding beautifully and relying more on the radiant elements of their sound. Even with a more stripped down approach, the chorus proves irresistible as Odesza inject just enough of the enormity we’ve come to expect from them. It’s a truly mesmerizing collaboration that we hope results in more new music between the two pioneering acts.

The deluxe edition of In Return is out on September 18th via Counter Records and can be pre-ordered here.

[Groove] Dornik – Stand in Your Line (Jungle Edit)

Posted by Ash El Gamal - August 17, 2015

Dornik
Stand In Your Line (Jungle's Edit)

Soundcloud

With a grueling touring schedule since the release of their fantastic debut album last year, Jungle have been relatively quiet in the last few months save for some phenomenal remixes of their tracks by top producers. Last week, though, they put out an edit of a track from a fellow-UK artist named Dornik. The original version of “Stand in Your Line” is a slow-burning, electronic-tinted R&B jam showcasing Dornik’s abilities as a songwriter, vocalist and versatile producer. Jungle keep those silky vocals intact while transforming the backdrop to reflect their signature groove-filled, yet soulful, style. The end result finds what was initially a gorgeous, laid-back song become a sunny anthem that we could easily imagine getting down to at one of Jungle’s awesome live sets.

For us, the real icing on top of the cake with this one was discovering Dornik, who’s self-titled debut album, which dropped ten days ago, is a true diamond in the rough that flawlessly traverses electronic funk, soul and R&B with a distinctive retro-’80s tint. If you’re a fan of artists like Shamir or Gallant, we’d definitely recommend giving it a peep–you can grab a copy here or stream via Apple Music//Spotify at those links.

[Alternative] Lionlimb – Turnstile

Posted by Ash El Gamal - August 16, 2015

Lionlimb
Turnstile

Soundcloud

On this laziest of Sundays, few tunes can fit the mood much better than the latest single from Lionlimb–a collaborative project from Stewart Bronaugh and Joshua Jaeger, members of Angel Olsen‘s band. “Turnstile” combines a taste of vintage 70’s psychedelia with smooth backing piano and an equally carefree vocal tone, which inject the perfect splash of chillwave texture. With wah-wha’d electric guitar solos sprinkled through out, it couldn’t match the waning days of summer better truly immersing the listener in a blissful radiance.

“Turnstile” will be featured on their upcoming debut 7″, which drops on Sept. 18th via Bayonet Recordings.

[Electronic] Vindata – Through Time and Space (EP Stream)

Posted by Ash El Gamal - August 15, 2015

’Vindata – Wide Awake Ft. Kenzie May’

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LA production duo Vindata are veterans of the electronic music scene who have maintained a refreshing sound through the genre’s various twists and turns. With backgrounds in hip-hop production they were onto elements of the EDM Trap sound long before the sub-genre existed but, at the same time, were pioneers in straight electro music as well–I can still recall blasting their remix of Band Of Skulls’ “Fires” out of my dorm room 5 years ago. Over the last couple years, they’ve been particularly prolific with both originals and remixes (their take on Odesza’s “Without You” being a personal favorite) culminating in their latest EP–Through Time and Space.

The project spans, and builds on, their various sonic explorations proving a fascinating combination of sounds cataloguing their journey as artists thus far. The EP opens with the booming “Spirals,” a straight electro banger that long-time fans will appreciate. Following that enormous intro, as its name promises, the EP takes the listener on a journey with upbeat, R&B-influenced cuts like “Own Life” and “Gypsy” to more chilled-out, atmospheric tracks like the closer “Can’t Say No.” The track “Wide Awake” stands out as the catchiest tune with its beautifully screeching chorus but, as with all the songs, its emotional power is accentuated in the context of what is a truly cohesive project.

Through Time and Space is out now via OWSLA— you can stream it in full below and grab a copy over at iTunes here.

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[NEW] Neon Indian – Slumlord

Posted by Ash El Gamal - August 14, 2015

Neon Indian
Slumlord

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After releasing his 2011 chilllwave masterpiece, Era Extraña, Neon Indian fell nearly completely silent before returning a few months ago with a higher fidelity sound on the infectious “Annie.” Today, he officially announced the long-anticipated follow-up to that influential album along with yet another spectacular single.

“Slumlord” affirms Neon Indian’s emergence from haziness with a sublime electro-groove accompanied by his airy vocals. Rather than a complete departure from the vibes of Era Extraña, the track feels more like a progression on which fans should still be able to recognize his distinctive style. Similar to his chillwave contemporaries, such as Toro y Moi and Washed Out, Neon Indian appears to be building on the sub-genre’s underlying approach to create something altogether new and equally enjoyable. Get your dance on with this one above–VEGA INTL. Night School drops October 16th and can be pre-ordered here.

14 Unforgettable Sets from Outside Lands 2015 [Festival Review]

Posted by Ash El Gamal - August 13, 2015

It’s been nearly a week since we first stepped into Golden Gate Park for Outside Lands, but with the return to the daily grind it feels like even longer for most of us. This year’s festival, yet another record-breaking one by attendance, featured all the amenities that make OSL special–amazing food, craft beers, a star-studded comedy lineup, the beautiful backdrop of Hellman Hollow and of course a top-notch bill of musical performances. With its rapid expansion came some growing pains as well, though, and our main gripe was the inaccessibility of the Heineken House, which featured some great DJs, due to overcrowding. At the same time, the greater depth of the lineup made the previously overlooked Panhandle stage the place to be and when the crowd came together at shows, the energy was unbelievable.

In the stupor that follows music festivals, it can be easy to allow your precious experiences to fade in the rearview of your memory bank, but there will always be sets that you’ll never forget. We’ve recounted 14 sets that have been stuck in our minds all week and also tried something a bit new with this review by asking random fans to review our favorite sets. If you were in attendance this year, we hope this brings you back and, if not, it might just make you want to check out OSL next year.

All images by Ninja Dominic Powell. All writing, unless otherwise noted, by Ash.

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