Author Archives: Matthew Bloss

[Nu-Disco/Synth-Pop] Tundran – Kimono [TMN Premiere]

Posted by Matthew Bloss - December 2, 2015

Tundran
Kimono

It’s pretty safe to say that whenever independent dance label PRMD Music signs an artist, they’ll be pretty special. Of course with their track record of being home to the likes of Avicii, Cazzette and iSHi, as well as the recently established sub-label ICONS, it’s clear to see why we’ve put so much stock in them. While much of their roster operate within the larger sounds of dance music, their newest act, Tundran, falls into an entirely different mold. Tundran is the indie-dance, disco and pop infused musical pairing of fellow Swedes Felix & Jakob who have professed their sound “…as a stepson of Fleetwood Mac, or maybe that weird cousin to the early Daft Punk… Definitely related to Earth, Wind and Fire too.” With a sonic aesthetic so tightly wound and only one single (which caught on like wild-fire) released under the Tundran moniker, the duo’s musical prowess plays lightyears beyond what their modest catalog would suggest. Tundran’s latest release “Kimono” is yet another polished piece of their expanding production puzzle, blending delicate vocals with warm and nostalgic instrumentation that already has us conjuring up comparisons to the subdued reverby shades of Day Wave with the kind of technical indie precision of Holy Ghost! “Kimono” is a consummate example of pop structuring; rolling itself out upon a delicate backdrop of airy pads before rolling guitar licks and a simplistically sticky kick-clap drumline opens up the perfect amount of room for those airy vocals to permeate and round out the entire movement.

We’ll surely be keeping our eyes, and ears for that matter, towards Tundran as we wind down 2015, and we have a strong bet that 2016 will be a year with the name ‘Tundran’ emanating from countless music critics’ tongues. Enjoy “Kimono” above as a shiny new ‘TMN Premiere’ and try not to get lost in a hazy sea of electronic-indie-pop bliss. Forgive us while we swoon for a moment.

[Deep-House] Thousand Fingers – Take Me Down (Loulou Players Remix) [TMN Premiere]

Posted by Matthew Bloss - December 1, 2015

Thousand Fingers
Take Me Down (LouLou Players Remix)

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From the moment Jérôme Denis -or Loulou Players as we’ve come to know him as both an artist and label boss- unleashes that pulsating, subterranean kick-drum, which came careening through our monitors with the amount of force of a raging waterfall, we knew we were in for a proper underground house romper. Taking the stems from Thousand Fingers, (whom you most likely have heard via his other project as one-half of the almighty Paradisko) and his debut single “Down”, Denis has added another brilliant official remix to a burly and pristine dance catalog. Both Loulou Players and Loulou Records‘ entire stable have for years displayed a fondness for the rough-n-tumble analog bass sounds associated with the most thumping tech-, deep- and G-House, and that aural aesthetic shines through brightly on his revamping of “Down”. Loulou Players rides a distinct line between dark atmospherics and accessible, contagious bounce; tactfully pinning a cathartic bassline to Thousand Fingers’ wonderfully malleable stems which both keeps the original’s soul intact while reshaping it into an underground monster. And who can resist that pitched down, and desolately hypnotic vocal loop? Not us. We’ve been hearing Thousand Fingers’ original record and this thumping remix in the clubs for months, and it was high time we got to bestow it upon our lovely readers.

Thousand Fingers’ debut EP Down is set to release on December 14th via High Above the Ground, which includes the aforementioned Loulou Players remix, Thousand Fingers’ original and another revision via Mexican techno bender Mijo. For now however, you can stream Loulou Players’ remix in the form of a ‘TMN Premiere’ before anyone else.

[Club/House] Martin Solveig – « +1 » (feat. Sam White) (Blonde Remix)

Posted by Matthew Bloss - November 30, 2015

Martin Solveig
« +1 » (feat. Sam White) [Blonde remix]

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We’ve been right in tune with Bristol’s hottest house pair, Blonde, and their steadily expanding slate of releases for over a year now -and for completely good reason. Since the moment they stormed onto the underground dance landscape with the backing of vaunted dance imprint FFRR, we were hooked on their bouncy, future-tipping take on that epic, U.K. club-house sound. Today, the U.K. power-house (get it?) returns with a tasteful remix of Martin Solveig’s most recent single “« +1 »”, and within its first four-bars we knew we were consuming another beautiful Blonde tune. A peanut-buttery thick kick-drum bursts from the shadows immediately while Blonde’s recognizable pad work and carefully cut vocal chops fill in the rest of the intro. Of course, we wouldn’t be writing about this one if there wasn’t more, and oh is there. Blonde wraps a craftily swung deep-house bassline around understated shuffling hi-hats and booming sub-bass for one of the stickiest hooks you’ll have the pleasure of consuming this month, and when the deft duo lets that original vocal out to play, it’s all hands on deck. Kick off the last day of November with another one of Blonde’s wonderfully executed remixes above, and try not to shake your hips.

[G-House/Future] Public Enemy – Bring The Noise (Felon Bootleg) [TMN Premiere]

Posted by Matthew Bloss - November 19, 2015

Public Enemy
Bring The Noise (Felon Bootleg)

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I’ve got to say, nothing quite riles the morning vibe like some hip-hop flavored house music; which luckily for us the London house trio of Archie Ward, George Renwick and James Levey, or Felon as we’ve grown to know them, delivered the perfect remedy for a bit of Thursday afternoon hip-shaking. A few months back we had the distinct pleasure of premiering Felon’s pounding deep-house remix of Toyboy & Robin’s “Save Me Now”, and today the club-made triumvirate is back with another thumping revision; this time a bootleg of genre-defining hip-hop pioneers Public Enemy and their biggest single “Bring The Noise”. Felon checks all of the typical G-House boxes with their latest remix: a pitched down and powerfully recognizable rap vocal, clear emphasis on an insanely catchy and pounding analog bassline, and darker atmospherics, while simultaneously sprinkling a classic house shuffled hi-hat and kick-clap percussion line, and an airy breakdown which all wonderfully flirts with their shifting sonic terrain.

It’s apparent that Felon has long since outgrown their hit “Isla” and have been adding a different piece to their production puzzle with every passing release, and their Bright Young Things collective, who’s expanding roster features a few more TMN favorites Sebastian Carter & DE$iGNATED, has shown off even more of the trio’s tastemaking ability. As our expectations for Felon’s consistent dance quality continue to rise, they just keep knocking them out of the park. But, as the Reading Rainbow’s Levar Burton would have said: “You don’t have to take our word for it!”, so decide for yourself and stream Felon’s “Bring The Noise” bootleg above.

[Deep-House] Alcala – What I Want [TMN Premiere]

Posted by Matthew Bloss - November 17, 2015

Alcala
What I Want

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DJ turned producer Daniel Alcala, who’s become much more recognizable simply as Alcala, first started gaining notoriety over a decade ago cutting his teeth as quite the crafty decksmith, while opening for the likes of Fake Blood, Matt Darey, Viceroy and Yolanda Be Cool. However, Alcala’s star didn’t truly start to shine until a steady output of remixes for artists like Crystal Castles, Givers, Royksopp, Kavinsky, Dragonette, Nightriders and M83 began worming their way through a number of dance industry corners, eventually finding their way to the top of multiple online charts in the process. Today, we’ve got our hands, or rather ears on Alcala’s latest original, “What I Want”, and as the snow and gloom in this writer’s home city of Denver settles in, it’s proving as the perfect atmospheric pick-me-up. “What I Want” rides the contemporary house backbone of a thick, syrupy bassline, shuffling hi-hats, rising pads and deft vocal chops for its first half, but during an excellently executed break we’re hit with the kind of classic house piano that would make Marshall Jefferson crack a smile, bringing the entire track together in a clean, cohesive and utterly groovy design.

While Alcala’s remixes are the tunes nabbing the rising artist millions of YouTube views, we’re quite in tune with his latest body of work for which our latest TMN Premiere take its name, the What I Want EP which is getting set for a November 20 release. But, until the full extended-play is unveiled stream its title track “What I Want” before anyone else above.

[Denver Giveaway] TMN Presents: Brothertiger w/ Sunboy @ Lost Lake – 11/20

Posted by Matthew Bloss - November 17, 2015

Brothertiger
Beyond The Infinite + Denver Ticket Giveaway!

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It’s no secret around the TMN squad that Brooklyn multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter and producer John Jagos and his Brothertiger project have captured a large piece of our hearts over the years. For the past few months, Brothertiger has been dropping a smattering of excellent singles in the lead-up to his third full-length LP, Out of Touch, and to accompany that impending album, the Brothertiger team is smack in the middle of a North American tour. Needless to say, our needle is red-lining with anticipation as this Friday we’ve teamed up with our friends at Lost Lake Lounge and Radio 1190 to present this Friday’s tour stop in beautiful Denver, CO. If you haven’t been following our coverage of Brothertiger in the past few months, do yourself a favor and become acquainted with “Beyond the Infinite” (from the player above), “Wake” and his latest remix of ONANON’s “Drifting” to get up to speed. For fans of any corner of alt, pop and everything between, Brothertiger should without a doubt be one of your go-to acts for consistent production prowess. Brothertiger’s carefully thought-out, art-house R&B disguised in reverb-heavy pop structuring has long since become one of our favorite musical aesthetics in recent memory, and we’re absolutely ecstatic to have him headlining one of our favorite intimate venues in the Mile High City. Rounding out the bill is Denver’s Sunboy, representing one of our favorite independent creative collectives, Moon Magnet Studios. Sunboy’s unparalleled sound blends heavy electronics, delicate analog instrumentation, and intoxicating vocals that sound somewhere between Kevin Barnes and Soft Bulletin era Wayne Coyne; and after getting to catch the four-piece’s recent supporting slot for Gardens & Villa, they’ve quickly become filed under our ‘artists to watch’ tab for 2016. Make sure to get there early for this one Ninjas!

If you haven’t caught on yet, we love giving our readers a chance to come groove with us at every ‘TMN Presents’ showcase, so we’re giving away not one, but TWO pairs of tickets for this Friday’s show. Entering our contest is as always, beyond easy. Just “like” The Music Ninja on FB, click on this post header if you’re still on the TMN front page, then comment below with your favorite Brothertiger song, and boom, that’s it! And of course we want as many people as possible to come dance with us, so for our friends looking to secure their spot, tickets are only $10.00 and can be purchased at the link here as well.

There are a few rules, of course:
– The event is 16+ Be sure to tell all of your friends to increase chance of winning!
– You are responsible for your own transportation.
– You must bring a valid form of ID to pick up your tickets at the Larimer Lounge door.

Check out our preview mini-playlist, start commenting below and best of luck ninjas!

’Brothertiger – Beyond The Infinite’

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’Brothertiger X Rose Quartz – Pleasure & Pain’

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’Brothertiger – Lovers (Modern Rework)’

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’Sunboy – Burnout’

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’Sunboy – ABCDNA’

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[House] Allen French – Rosie

Posted by Matthew Bloss - November 13, 2015

Allen French
Rosie (Original Mix)

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San Francisco made Allen French has been programming dance sets under various monikers for the better part of the last decade, and that type of deep, personal club experience has clearly attached itself to his brief, but sophisticated catalog. While only releasing original music as Allen French for the past year plus, the now L.A. based producer wields a sound that would take most artists a much longer time to develop; fusing the kind of classic house soul and energy that was heard in Chicago’s mid-80’s Warehouse years, with a sprinkled air of contemporary edge to forge a sonic palate completely his own. The latest from French and first release on the aptly named French Press Records, “Rosie”, takes its listener on a fervid arc as its foundation is gradually built upon the usual house layers of thumping kick-drums, scuzzy synth builds and rolling bass, but is lifted further through its live instrumental elements including stabbing bongos and a flitting flute hook. That vocal should sound pretty familiar as well, taken from Alan Lomax’s original prison tune “Rosie”, and while we honestly never could’ve pictured that timeless vocal taken to the dance hall, Allen French pulls it off effortlessly. Just beautiful stuff really. But rather than read about, do yourself a solid and listen to “Rosie” above.