Author Archives: Dominic Powell

[Electronic] Oshi – Heal You (Redo) Feat. Jamal Woon & Courtney Bennett

Posted by Dominic Powell - July 22, 2015

oshi
heal you (oshi redo) ft. jamal woon & courtney bennett

Following along a trail blazed by the enormously successful Madeon a few years ago, the EDM world has seen an accelerated movement of ambitious young producers putting their stamp on the scene. From artists like Sam Gellaity to CRNKN, artists are touring shows and performing at venues where they normally wouldn’t be allowed entrance. One of our favorite artists in the 18-and-under category, Oshi, has released the first track from his upcoming EP today in “Heal You”.

When the London based youngster first appeared on our radars, we knew his novel, wavy sound would catch on. Fast forward many more releases and 50,000 followers later, and we have received his best work yet.

Oshi, making a name for himself through quality redos and flips, has toured with members of the Soulection crew and garnered attention around the world. Impressing fans with original works and edits of big names like Fetty Wap and Towkio, this producer is certain to continue his rise among a crowded field.

In his remix of “Heal You”, Oshi samples the currently unreleased work of frequent collaborator Jamal Woon. Oshi’s iteration somehow infuses the beautiful vocals of Courtney Bennett and Woon with a darkly haunting pitch modifier, giving it a hazy feel. The song seems to starkly contrast his previous works, that is, until the 1:05 mark when some of Oshi’s more familiar production techniques shine through. With an array of electronic samples, “Heal You” picks up the pace over the chorus and injects life into this slow jam of a remix.

TMN is excited to hear what Oshi has in store for us in the future, as an EP is clearly in the works. Fans can download “Heal You” here, as well as keep up to date on all of his new releases via Soundcloud or Bandcamp.

[Album Review] Tame Impala Ventures Into Unknown Territory With ‘Currents’

Posted by Dominic Powell - July 18, 2015

In exchange for their sometimes fickle loyalty, music fans of every background expect an unreasonable level of appeasement from performers. Demands include personal relatablity, a constant flow of tunes, selfless humility, and to be generally well received but not “too popular”. The music community does not necessarily expect longevity.

Even the most obscure and unorthodox genres get their time in the spotlight before receding back into previously held supporting roles; the artists that operate in and dominate these roles must too come and go. At the moment, the genre known as Future is being called to the stage; a delicate balancing act between gaining traction among the majority while keeping its compelling novelty ensues. Overall, Future has encountered relatively nonexistent pushback from the established main characters, who seem content to continue recycling the decades-old blueprints to success in their respective fields.

By redefining what can even be described as instruments, artists are incorporating 8-bit video game tunes, flipping ringtones, adding bizarre ambient noises, and continuing to blur the understanding of what we define as aesthetics. Producers of the modern day get away with this level of provocation because aesthetics as an idea is amorphous. Factors like exposure, maturity, and setting can lead to a harsh sounding guitar solo today being reinterpreted as a masterpiece tomorrow.

Under this fluid theory, every music fan can point back in time to a specific album or artist that gave them a different outlook on music as a whole. Whether it be the immortal first album of Kanye West, the discovery of Grizzly Bear’s folksy Veckatimest, danceable mashups by Girl Talk, Toro y Moi’s funky Anything in Return, Kid Cudi’s hijacking of the hip-hop scene, or the first time Skrillex blasted through the speakers at a party, passing through phases of music is a part of self-discovery that is both identifiable and incomparable. For a year – or perhaps a few years – listeners will continually recalibrate their ever-changing but never dying love of sound until said aficionados revert back to their audial comfort zone. This week, Perth’s pride and joy Tame Impala, the brainchild of Kevin Parker, has brought the majority back home to that comfort zone with its third release, Currents.
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[Chill] Kehlani – Jealous (Mr. Carmack Remix)

Posted by Dominic Powell - July 15, 2015

MR•CAR/ACK
kehlani, jealous (carmack remix)

Soundcloud

Mr. Carmack has always maintained a peculiar aura, even amidst his recent surge in fame. In many ways, he has intimated the qualities of a pseudo- ghost writer for progressive and future music as a whole (TMN has chronicled many of his releases here and here and here). Moreover, his guiding influence has been felt far and wide without direct connections to many artists, in large part, due to his staying power over the years. He may have been better suited to call himself Mr. Consistency.

To that point, Carmack is held in unanimous high esteem by his peers, despite lacking a level of popularity or notoriety (among general music fans) which would typically accompany the talent and reputation of works as great as his. By setting the bar within the Soulection crew and the music producing community at large, Carmack has been releasing tracks this summer at a break-neck pace.

Following up his #SongsFromScratch collaborative release under Adidas+YoursTrulySF with Kehlani last month, Carmack has revealed a remix to the songstress’ latest hit, “Jealous”. Kehlani’s massively popular hip-hop/soul track receives a complete revamp in this latest rendition; Carmack introduces a deep bass line and smooth vocal oscillation techniques, giving the remix a dreamy and ambient quality.

Fluctuations in the dynamic scheme and timely interjections of future elements throughout the tune keep the listener engaged with the instrumental aspects of the song and steal some of the attention away from Kehlani’s moving vocals – which is no small feat. “Jealous” really comes together at the 3:12 mark after Lexii Alijai‘s fast rapping third verse, when Carmack is able to merge the style of the original with his own distinct impression of the song.

Keep tabs on Carmack this summer: music festival enthusiasts can catch his sets at Camp Bisco in Pennsylvania, Hard Summer in L.A., and at the Canadian music festival Shambhala.

Photo credit: GL Askew II

[Future] Banks – Someone New (Esta Remix)

Posted by Dominic Powell - July 9, 2015

Banks
Someone New(esta Remix)

Soundcloud

This summer, the Soulection super-team has continued to release progressive tunes on a daily basis. With its recent announcement as a program on the new Apple Radio, the Soulection brand has become nearly synonymous with a new type of music altogether. Demonstrating an exceptional style and flair, this crew of producers have toured, coproduced, and pushed each other to create innovative music for the last several years.

L.A. based crew member Esta – who has worked with the likes of JMSN, Kehlani, Towkio, Alina Baraz and many more – released his newest remix, “Someone New” late last week. The original, an acoustic track from Banks.’ album Goddess, is a soft-spoken ballad often overshadowed by the mainstream success of singles “Warm Water”, “Brain”, “Drowning”, and “Beggin for Thread”.

With the additional support of Jose Rios creating an up-tempo harmony on the bass guitar, Esta injects new life into his energetic new version. In “Someone New”, Esta once again does a masterful job of crafting synthesized loops, especially within the bridge of the song. This rhythmic tune succeeds in feeling unique while still amplifying the passionate elements of the original.

Esta is currently on tour; fans can catch him at stops in Washington DC with Goldlink and New York with Sango later this summer.

[Future Hip-Hop] Galimatias & Goldlink – One Step Back (Gravez Remix)

Posted by Dominic Powell - July 9, 2015

Galimatias & Joppe ft. GoldLink
One Step Back (Gravez Remix)

Buy

Future hip-hop is a relatively new genre, engineered with the intent to blend the best components of the music world. Meshing lyrical content and melodic flow of artists with the unparalleled smoothness and texture of future beats is the perfect way to satiate all of the auditory senses in one track.

A couple days ago, Atlanta artist and HW&W collective member Gravez released his version of last year’s popular Soulection track, “One Step Back.” In his latest creation, Gravez has taken the noisy original tune and sparingly injected it with synths, the softly inarticulate crooning of Denmark’s Galimatias, and segments of low-pitched dynamics common in the future genre.

The idiophones and hi-hats dotted through this track add to a uniquely smooth quality that is juxtaposed by the fast rhyming vocals of Goldlink. “One Step Back” is a symbol of how contrasting styles can be combined to create a special tune; it is the divergence of styles creating a peaceful banger.

Gravez is wrapping up a tour with shows in Boston and San Francisco in mid-July. Check out “One Step Back” above and download the track here.

[Chill] Ta-Ku – Down For You Feat. Alina Baraz & Atu

Posted by Dominic Powell - July 9, 2015

Ta-ku
Down For You feat. Alina Baraz

Soundcloud

International fame and critical acclaim have attached themselves to everything Ta-Ku has released for an unprecedented amount of time. With a stacked resume containing the production of Songs to Break Up To in late 2013, the foundation of Create & Explore, releases under the moniker HWLS, and collaborative efforts with Street Dreams Magazine, Perth’s finest has been hard at work creating a multimedia empire off of his many talents.

His latest EP – appropriately titled Songs To Make Up To – exceeds all expectations in its depth and composition. The latest single from the 8-track EP is a re-composed version of the Atu produced track, “Long Time No See.” The redone version, dubbed “Down For You”, features the intoxicating vocals of Los Angeles singer Alina Baraz.

Baraz, who recently released her own album with Galimatias, harmonizes in the gentle introduction of “Down For You,” over a sparingly light sequence of piano keys, before beginning a dynamic ballad at the 1:15 mark of the song. The unique sounds of Atu are particularly noticeable, especially in the string progression and key resonance throughout.

Ta-Ku has joined together with Atu before, but the release of this sentimental gem by the trio has TMN hoping they plan on coproducing again in the near future. Listeners can purchase the entire album at the Future Classic shop here.

Future

[Electronic] Chimes – Pieces

Posted by Dominic Powell - July 8, 2015

Chimes
Pieces

Soundcloud

There are few moments more satisfying than discovering a new artist or collaboration. Today, we have an exciting EDM group out of London who goes by the moniker of Chimes.

Chimes, a new partnership between British producer Draper and vocalist Paul Aiden, is the latest summer project sure to garner widespread acclaim by EDM fans. Their newest single, “Pieces” is unrelenting excitement in the form of sound.

Waves of percussions and synths set over sultry verses are a few of the ingredients that go into giving this tune an infectious quality. The phrase “song of the summer” is a timeworn cliche, often overstated and inapplicable to the song it references. With that being said, “Pieces” has the potential to become a crowd favorite if it is added to the rotation of other touring producers as festival season continues to gain momentum.

Check out “Pieces” above, and keep an eye out for what else they have in store for the music community on Soundcloud.