Author Archives: Matthew Bloss

[Event Review] Tanlines & Mas Ysa – Denver, CO

Posted by Matthew Bloss - July 10, 2015

All photos courtesy of Aimee Zawacki

Living inside of the blogosphere bubble can provide its users with an absurd number of inspiring positives; usually before many other consumers even have the chance. This adage was on full display last weekend as a buzzing gaggle of Ninjas took in an intimately moving performance from both Canada’s fastest rising avant-pop export Mas Ysa, and NYC experimental-pop darlings Tanlines.

First and foremost, we’ve had a rapidly expanding soft spot for the one-man musical stylings of Thomas Arsenault (who by the way was the biggest sweetheart in the world) and his Mas Ysa project, and had been anxiously awaiting his first ever Denver performance on our favorite foot-high stage in the city. With no local openers slated on the bill, we were coaxed into arriving near the opening of the Larimer Lounge doors to make sure we didn’t miss one minute of one of our most anticipated sets of 2015. Then, there he was. Arsenault slunked onto stage -shrouded in drapey black fabric, black hair already lacquered with backstage sweat, and as barefoot as a hobbit- straight into an enclave of Roland drum machines, MIDI controllers, vocoders, and synths. With the grace of a lofty gazelle, Mas Ysa gently worked into an opening cut; a cover of a yet to be identified Lower Dens single, and while Arsenault’s content doesn’t scream and demand its listener’s attention like so much of today’s most saturated pop music, the young Canadian commanded the small room’s attention with a relative ease usually reserved for already established veterans.

Standing inside of a shelter of machines, mic in hand, Mas Ysa moved through a few more cuts from his forthcoming debut LP Seraph, including a minimal and Nicole Miglis-less version of “Gun” and a stunning reimagining of “Arrows” (check out our feature on the tune here), with a subtly endearing physical presence that felt part Chris Carrabba and part Ian MacKaye, while we were musically transported from more streamlined vocal synth-pop as on “Look Up” to more baroque, melancholy affairs utilizing Arsenault’s slick grasp on the gritty techno and nuanced electronic indie contained within the structures of songs like “Sick” and “Running”.

’Mas Ysa – Look Up’

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Read the rest of our event review and check out some more photos from our evening with Tanlines & Mas Ysa after the jump!

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[Club/Deep-House] The Shapeshifters – The Chase ft. Kisch

Posted by Matthew Bloss - July 8, 2015

The Shapeshifters
feat Kisch

Soundcloud

It’s been a few years since we had the pleasure of featuring former chart-topping (see: 2004’s “Lola’s Theme”) house music veterans The Shapeshifters, so when we caught wind of their latest original single, “The Chase”, it felt like high-time to bring them back to the hallowed grounds of TMN. “The Chase” jumps out of the gate behind a smattering of pounding drums, a hypnotic bassline, and some seductive vocal chops before giving way to a soaring complete vocal from Kisch and a gigantic, bouncy topline that pulls the tune straight into club-house paradise. The London are gearing up for their ninth consecutive year at Pacha Ibiza along with a run at Space Ibiza’s Glitterbox alongside Fatboy Slim and Tensnake, and you can be sure “The Chase” will be worming its way all over the island in the coming months; while also signaling the duo’s place near the top of house music royalty.

“The Chase” sees official release on July 10th exclusively through Traxsource, but until then, listen above from your friends at The Music Ninja.

[Funk/Disco] Midas Hutch – 100%

Posted by Matthew Bloss - July 7, 2015

Midas Hutch
100%

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While an unfortunate majority of the music industry’s ebb and flow is governed by strict genre guidelines, and what’s ‘hot’ at the moment; certain artists eschew a majority of outside media stimuli when formulating their sonic concept, thus making whatever they are doing a true expression of said artist’s self. And it’s those artists from which many of us find our true inspiration. Midas Hutch -who based off a brief catalog including the TMN-premiered “Try Me” is without a doubt one of those aforementioned artists- cleverly plays on a keen sense of nostalgia with his latest single, “100%”, while delivering a sound that plays equal parts heartwarming revival and contemporary freshness. A cover of Caprice’s 1985 single of the same name, Midas Hutch lays down a rolling set of electric guitar licks on top of what sounds like a gaggle of Roland 909 drum machines and some tasteful piano for a refreshing taste of the young producer. Furthermore, we haven’t heard a vocoder so seductively utilized like that since Zapp & Roger’s timeless “I Want To Be Your Man”, and if it gives you the pelvic thrusts too well… we’re not responsible.

We’ve heard rumblings of Midas Hutch’s first slate of originals being released later this Summer, and you can be sure we’ll keep you Ninjas in the loop, but until then; stream “100%” above and check out the retro visuals below.

[House] Après – This Ain’t Love Feat. Andrea Martin

Posted by Matthew Bloss - July 6, 2015

Après Feat. Andrea Martin
This Ain't Love

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Since we first heard worldwide dance tastemaker Annie Mac’s Sunset Mix ( staying true to her altruistic nature, the proceeds of which are going to the Kids Company charity) there was one song that stuck with us like a syrupy sweet cocktail on a sunny beach. That song, as we quickly found out, was freshly trimmed house cut “This Ain’t Love” from U.K. club stalwart Après. “This Ain’t Love” which features a more than worthy and appropriately soulful vocal contribution from fellow Englander Andrea Martin, is the kind of classic house floor filler that gets us out of bed and to our keyboards on those dreary Monday mornings.Which is even more impressive considering the Kent based producer is still in the process of studying for his music technology degree.

While we might be a little behind the party on this tune, it’s thick bassline, punchy kicks, and classic house led grand piano line beckoned a post from this humble writer. “This Ain’t Love” will see release from Love & Other Records later this month, and you can be sure that we’ll be on the lookout for more from Après in the near future.

[Tech-House] Whitney Fierce – The Night Air (Human Movement Remix)

Posted by Matthew Bloss - July 2, 2015

Whitney Fierce
The Night Air (Human Movement Remix)

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It’s only Thursday, but with The United States of America’s birthday only a couple days away, gosh darnit if it doesn’t feel like a Friday. And, for our intuitive readers who’ve followed us for over a few weeks, you may have noticed that near the end of the work and school week, we like to inundate our pages with tunes more suited to the club floor. So as the weekend spirit has already affected this writer and a few others here at TMN, we thought we’d get the ball rolling a little early and put on our boogie shoes now. And who better than to help aid these feelings along than one of our absolute favorite Australian exports, Human Movement? Last landing on these pages in May with “Stranger”, the pair of Blake Gilray and Edward Macdonald have been steadily supplying us with some of the grittiest club rompers we’ve had the pleasure of consuming all year. Today, Human Movement’s come through in the remix department with a wobble-infused take on Whitney Fierce’s “The Night Air”, and it was exactly what we needed to kick things off. Their remix, out on Rock It Science Labs, pulls the original into their more aggressive sector of club music with dark, sweeping pads, crunchy snare and a lovely house cadence. Quite simply, we can’t stop bumping this one. Join us and stream Human Movement’s “The Night Air” remix above.

[Indie/Electronic] Mas Ysa – Arrows

Posted by Matthew Bloss - June 30, 2015

MAS YSA
Arrows

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While Mas Ysa –the solo creation of musician Thomas Arsenault- has been a music project with whom this humble writer has been enamored, we unfortunately haven’t covered his eclectic catalog nearly enough. The Canadian bred producer and vocalist embraces cutting-edge electronic music, from house & techno to neo-wave and synth-pop, but carries a songwriting sensibility to dabble in both dancefloor gems and harrowing ballads; oftentimes blurring the line between the two. After a recent chain of emotive, downtempo pop singles including “Look Up” and the Nicole Miglis (of Hundred Waters acclaim) featuring “Gun”; Mas Ysa’s latest release foray gleams more uplifting and dance directed than most of an already sterling library. “Arrows” tumbles through a wide spectrum of of sounds and feelings, with Arsenault claiming: “’Arrows’ is sort of a Euro club banger, but also a very personal love song. It comes out of me wanting to make a universal, club-ready track but unwittingly giving into emotion.”

This one’s landed beautifully between club ready romp and heart-wrenching ballad; further signalling Mas Ysa’s unique ability to toy with a lofty range of worldly musical influence. “Arrows” is the latest single to crop up off of a debut long-player, Seraph, due out July 24th on Downtown Records, and if Mas Ysa’s latest body of work, the Worth EP is any indication, we might have another contender to this year’s best album battle.

Check out Mas Ysa’s impending U.S. tour dates with another pair of TMN darlings Tanlines, and stream “Arrows” above.

6/30 Covington, KY – Madison Live *
7/01 St. Louis, MO – Firebird *
7/02 Lincoln, NE – Vega *
7/03 Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge *
7/05 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge *
7/07 Vancouver, BC – Electric Owl *
7/08 Seattle, WA – Neumos *
7/09 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios *
7/11 San Francisco, CA – Phono Del Sol *
7/13 Los Angeles, CA – Bardot
7/14 Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory *
7/15 Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar *
7/17 Austin, TX – Red 7 *
7/18 Dallas, TX – Club Dada *
7/19 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s *
7/21 Atlanta, GA – The Earl *
7/22 Ashville, NC – The Mothlight *
7/23 Washington, DC – U Street Music Hall *
7/24 Philadelphia, PA – Voyeur *
7/25 Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair *
7/27 Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right^

* w/ Tanlines
^ w/ Wish, Michael Baharie & Kelsey Lu

[Electronic/Chill] Soma – Uncertain

Posted by Matthew Bloss - June 30, 2015

Soma
Uncertain

Soundcloud

With the crazy amount of music submissions that come across every facet of our Ninja collective’s e-mail and social media accounts, it can unfortunately become quite easier to stop searching and just let it come to us. So, on those rare occasions from which we manage to hunt down and fall in love with a completely new tune from an artist or band shrouded in mystery, well… it always holds a special place for us. The latest entity to preoccupy this place in our heart is brand new project Soma, and their lush, breezy, two-step led single “Uncertain”. “Uncertain” walks an envious line between fragments of pop, chillwave, trap, R&B, house and even soul for a debut single rich in both its concept, sound and potential.

While not much has been uncovered in regards to Soma -whose only webpage is a secret portal that requires a password and their lone social account being a Soundcloud which lists Soma’s location as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Philadelphia- we’re slobbering like a Pavlovian Pitbull for more from the brand new project. You can be sure we’ll stay on top of Soma as everything develops, but in the mean time, we’ll be grooving to “Uncertain”.