Louis Futon was unofficially the remix king of 2015, crafting some of our favorite renditions of songs from Gallant, Phony Ppl, G-Eazy, and ODESZA, among others. Returning with his first release of the new year, the gifted producer takes all that he learned from those experiences and teams up with fellow Philadelphia native ROZES to create one of his most impressive original masterpieces to date in “Wasted On You.” Despite the dismissive nature of its lyrics, the sensationally vibrant single is guaranteed to lift your spirits, no matter your mood.
The track is the eighth release through ODESZA’s Foreign Family Collective, of which the duo had this to say about the unique collaboration:
We’ve always been a fan of Louis Futon because of his incredible ability to excel in any genre he produces and this track is no exception. With vocals by the very talented ROZES, “Wasted On You” is a euphoric anthem that fuses distorted synths, airy vocals and pulsing percussion work.
Kick your weekend off the right way by streaming the tune above, and if you like it (we know you will), make sure to support the artist and grab a copy from iTunes as well.
Speculation around the status of Kanye West‘s upcoming album, SWISH, has been swirling pretty constantly since the turn of the new year when Yeezy decided to drop his underwhelming Nike dissing, Jumpman-esque single “Facts”. So when Kim Kardashian West teased the prospect of new Kanye music every Friday late last night, it’s safe to say all his fans had a mini freakout. Comparisons were instantly drawn to Ye’s revolutionary “G.O.O.D. Fridays” series back in 2010 which sent the internet into a frenzy leading up to the release of his much herald album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. While last week’s release seemed more like a throwaway teaser, this brand new single from Kanye seems like the real deal. While Kanye has never been known to mince his words, what makes “Real Friends” special is that it seems to come from an honest and vulnerable place, as he struggles to maintain relationships and questions how many genuinely trustworthy individuals he really has in his life. Packaged with the brand new single also comes a snippet for (what we presume to be) next week’s release, titled “No More Parties In L.A.” which is produced by Madlib and includes a feature from Kendrick Lamar. From the sound of it, things are only about to get better from here.
When evaluating lists like this, it’s always important to remember the subjectivity in music. The songs here are not just what I would say are the “best” of 2015 or even necessarily my favorites, but the ones I had the most attachment to for one reason or another. Music is the closest thing we have to time travel in that it can evoke emotions unlike any other and effortlessly bring us back to moments long forgotten. This compilations of songs serves almost as a walk through memory lane, and choosing just 15 tracks to represent my 2015 proved to be a daunting task. Alas, I was able to finally narrow down my choices, so I hope you all enjoy my picks even if you don’t fully agree with them (which let’s be honest, you won’t). Finally, if you are curious about what didn’t make the cut, I’m going to shamelessly plug this massive Spotify playlist I compiled that includes pretty much all of my favorites from 2015.
’Kendrick Lamar – These Walls ft. Bilal, Anna Wise, Thundercat’
There’s no question that To Pimp A Butterfly is a classic album, so choosing just one standout single was definitely a challenge, but “These Walls” proves to be equally thought provoking as it is groovy.
Speaking of “Them Changes”, Thundercat played an integral part in 2015’s funk revival, with Flying Lotus laying the groundwork for this tune with the Isley Brothers-sampling instrumental.
Featuring two of the most remarkable talents I discovered in 2015, “No Less” makes for one of the smoothest listens of the year, accomplished through a superb blend of dulcet vocals and acoustic guitar work.
One of the more unconventional pairings of the year, Snakehips and Tory Lanez found an incredibly creative middle ground between their drastically different sounds.
Pro Tip: Gallant’s “Weight In Gold” might have been the most heavily remixed track of the year, but I’ve found no version is more apt for shower acoustics than the Louis Futon remix.
Beach House have a gift for crafting music that’s perfect for those times when you need to just close your eyes and drift away deep into your mind’s abyss.
Shlohmo’s Dark Red serves as the soundtrack for the most epic space voyage you could ever imagine. Lock yourself in a dark room and let the music take hold. Related items:
Capping off the biggest year of his career, The Weeknd decided to play the part of Santa Clause tonight and drop off a few Christmas gifts for all his loyal fans in the form of two new singles. The first track, “Low Life”, finds the Canadian crooner teaming up with Future, who’s had a pretty memorable year all his own, while the second is a remix of Jeremih‘s “Pass Dat” off his most recent project, Late Nights: The Album. Both tunes fit right in Abel’s wheelhouse, as his vocals sound right at home on the hazy, trapped out instrumental provided by Metro Boomin on “Low Life”. On the other hand, we couldn’t have asked for a more natural fit for a remix of Jeremih’s laidback stoner anthem. Stream both tracks above and stay tuned for more from The Weeknd as we head into 2016.
The duo of Deebs and Jarell Perry proved what can be accomplished when two immensely creative forces collide together with the release of their collaborative Shift EP back in May. After taking their talents on tour across much of the West Coast and Canada, the pairing’s bond has only grown stronger since then and today we bear witness to the latest fruits of their labor in the form of the music video for their standout single “Relapse”. The stunning visuals serve as the directorial debut for fashion photographer/podcast host, Yoshino, whose previous work has been featured in publications like Elle and Flaunt Magazine.
The video starts off solemn and colorless, but signs of fracture start to show as the song builds towards it climax. Almost without warning, everything shatters into a sea of pixels, syncing up perfectly with the song’s urgent synths and Jarell’s ominous vocals. The visual piece serves as the best example of datamoshing that we’ve seen since Kanye West notably used the trippy glitchy effects for his “Welcome To Heartbreak” video back in 2009.
When asked about his vision for the track Perry had this to say about the inspiration behind the visuals:
I’ve seen a lot of close friends, particularly women, deal with limiting beliefs about who they are and who they can be outside of a toxic relationship. It’s a battle they are fighting with themselves, and for me it was important that the visuals represent that tension (and liberation) in a more unconventional way.
If you still somehow haven’t heard the duo’s Shift EP, do yourself a favor and grab a copy on iTunes. Look for new material from Deebs and Jarell to emerge soon, and for those in the L.A. area make sure to catch the latter with starRo at the Lyric Theatre on February 5th.
With the holidays right around the corner, we’ve decided to put our Ninja Claus hats on and give some lucky Chicagoans an early Christmas present! In the spirit of the season we’ve teamed up with React Presents to award TWO PAIRS of tickets to see legendary producer Just Blaze this Friday at The MID, where he’ll be supported by Jahlil Beats and local acts like Stefan Ponce,Zebo and Barragon. The rules are simple. All you need to do is fill out your email address below along with your first and last name and hit submit. Entrants must be 21 and over to enter. Winners will be notified by email with instructions on how to obtain their tickets. Please remember to bring a valid photo ID with you to the event in order to redeem your prize.
If you would like to find out more info about the show or purchase tickets yourself, make sure to head over to the official event page and follow React Presents on Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud to keep up with all the latest news and announcements!
Fresh off their contribution to Hebinomichi‘s Vol. 3, London based production duo TIGERBLOOD are back at it again with their brand new single “Rumours”. Featuring vocals from Ampersand himself, the addictively upbeat future bass tune deals with the dangerous velocity at which unsubstantiated gossip can spread and the helpless feeling you get when you realize a lie has spun so far out of control that there’s nothing you can do to contain it. It’s no rumor that TIGERBLOOD have shown tremendous growth with each release since the dawn of 2015, so it’s only fitting that they save their best for last as the year comes to a close. Nab yourself a free copy of the track above, released via Los Angeles label Modern Filth. Stay tuned for more from TIGERBLOOD who currently have plans for new original material well into 2016, along with official remixes for Daktyl and Sky Cathedrals.
