Author Archives: Matthew Bloss

[Dance] GEMOLOGY – First & Last (Glastrophobie Remix) [TMN Premiere]

Posted by Matthew Bloss - January 2, 2015

GEMOLOGY
First & Last (Glastrophobie Remix)

Back in September we had the blissful opportunity to debut the first ever release (and one of our favorite singles in 2014), “First & Last” from Natasha Chitayat and Joanie Wolkoff’s stirring synth-pop project GEMOLOGY. The tune, with its schooled instrumentation and clinging assortment of eclectic electronic sounds was a sitting duck for remixers across all genres to try their hands at, and the first entry into GEMOLOGY’s remix catalog comes from another TMN mainstay; German born Glastrophobie, in the form of another welcome ‘TMN Premiere’. The clearly schooled dance-smith equips the tune with a delicate balance of the original’s alluring hook with another pattern of airy uplifting synths that wouldn’t seem out of place on a Kygo remix. Furthermore, Joanie Wolkoff’s vocals echo across as initmately as ever amongst Glastrophobie’s sonic sound kit; sounding as close as a shared conversation across a pillow. It’s lovely to see a tune’s original soul kept intact while also shifting cadence and mood simultaneously, which to us solidifies Glastrophobie’s grasp on a developing and unique sound. Stream Glastrophobie’s remix of “First & Last” above, and check out more sounds from the budding artist here.

[Dance] Bondax – Dusk Funk

Posted by Matthew Bloss - December 31, 2014

Bondax
Dusk Funk

Soundcloud

Lancaster’s hottest electronic pair George Townsend and Adam Kaye, or Bondax as the rest of the world knows them, have been steadily pioneering and fine-tuning a radiant brand of funk and R&B infused house music over the course of the last few years behind incredible original singles “Baby I Got That”, “Something Good” and “Gold”. While they swept a global smattering of house-heads off of their feet with an utterly unique take on dance groove, Bondax’s output tapered off a bit during the tail-end of 2014 with an immense World Tour and incredible mixtape Bondax & Friends which dropped back in November consuming much of the pair’s collective studio time. But, alas as New Year’s Eve approaches, they’ve dropped a previously unreleased single “Dusk Funk” on us to kickstart things a bit. The tune is an engaging slice of funk fueled house instrumentation, with all the same Bondax perfection we’ve come to love. So as this writer is a bit short on words today, we’re going to let you listen for yourself to “Dusk Funk” below.

Thanks so much to everyone who has helped make 2014 one of TMN’s absolute best. We’ve made a lot of new friends along the way, kept most of our old ones and look to expand and fluorish even further as we shift gears into 2015. Feels.

[G-House] Malik Mustache & Bashh – Slow Boom

Posted by Matthew Bloss - December 23, 2014

Malik Mustache & Bashh
Slow Boom (Original Mix)[Xmas Gift] [FREE DOWNLOAD]

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So rarely do we get the chance to feature tracks from some of our favorite underground dance labels, simply as many imprints who conduct a majority of their business via exclusive Beatport distribution deals only put out about a 2-3 minute preview clip through Soundcloud as opposed to a complete stream; thus necessitating a need for DJ’s or hardcore fans to purchase music through said online retailers. So basically, (after the brief independent music survey) every time a smaller collective with whom we’ve had our eyes on (or ears in this case) releases a free tune, it comes across as this writer’s duty as TMN’s resident voice of niche house genres to share with our inquisitive readership. Today’s foray into the more future echoes of house comes from the Brazilian artist duo of Lekko Antoine & Marcio Neto, or Malik Mustache as they’re more readily recognized in the confines of dance music. Emanating from the unexpected underground hotbed of São Paulo along with the likes of Vintage Culture and more rising artists, Malik Mustache’s latest collaboration with Bashh features an utterly tasteful bouncy analog bassline from which much of G-House builds its vivacious foundations on, as well as a pitched down cypher which waltzes in on top of an acicular synth progression. As the late Mac Dre would say, this one’s had us “feelin ourselves” all afternoon. Snag a free digital download here, which is part of an entirely free LP, Xmas Gift, from G-Mafia Records and stream “Slow Boom” above.

[Deep-House] MOSIS – Do That EP

Posted by Matthew Bloss - December 19, 2014

It’s been a few months since we’ve checked in with genre-blurring producer MOSIS who last regaled us with a leaned back shot at the club floor, “You&Me” and for his latest release, a double A-side EP Do That, he’s teamed up with one of our favorite underground house imprints, Night Supply Records. MOSIS’ titular track “Do That” leads things off as perhaps the budding beat maestro’s most directed house track in a surprisingly comprehensive catalog. Featuring a two-step melody layed over the top of a neatly trimmed four-four kick-drum and swelling pads, the tune’s primary tool functions as a chopped and shuffled vocal loop before giving way to a clean, funky and highly danceable bass line. “Do That” certainly tips its deep-house hat to the sounds and foundations of U.K. garage and jack as well, giving off the shiny diverse playability so many dance artists aspire for.

Behind “Do That” lies “Moves On You”. “Moves On You” get its listener to their feet through a sonic fusion of bold, deep groove and the accessibility of ‘club-house’ tunes from the likes of Disclosure and Hot Natured. For an artist whose work has already been supported by the likes of Zeds Dead, Two Fresh and option4 it’s hard to say where MOSIS’ ceiling of potential ends, but we’re hoping for as many stellar releases as we can get from the always busy artist. After gifting loads of free tunes for the last year, we’re pretty eager to see Night Supply move into the more commercial side of things, recently signing a new distibution deal with the almighty Beatport to bring their tunes to a worldwide audience. Purchase a copy of MOSIS’ Do That EP from Beatport here, and stream both tracks in their entirety below to stoke those Friday dance hankerings before the night hits.

’Do That’

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’Moves On You’

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[Synth-Pop/Soul] Rose Quartz – Leaving Now

Posted by Matthew Bloss - December 16, 2014

Rose Quartz
Leaving Now

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Every so often, with the amount of quality music being pushed out every day throughout the world, an incredible track can unfortunately slide right under our nose for weeks at a time. Such was the case in regards to brooding avant-pop troupe Rose Quartz and their latest single “Leaving Now”. “Leaving Now” marks a slightly darker departure in tone from the bubblier chillwave aesthetic that has come to attach itself to the Rose Quartz brand; oozing an air of sophisticated sensuality and soul that we haven’t fully had the chance to experience yet as listeners of the artists formerly known as FLASH/LIGHTS. Lead vocalist Ethan Converse’s sultry croon and directed songwriting carries more weight than ever, fully justifying the band’s recent expansion from a two-piece into a full-fledged live quartet, while the tune’s subdued analog instrumentation plays slightly closer to dancefloors and nearer to our hearts in the process. As Rose Quartz prepares for their first EP release, Axis of Love, since March’s Flashlights –itself a brief collection of singles recorded under the moniker- they’ve also been prepping a US tour through March which you can check out the dates for below. We’ve been leaning on “Leaving Now” for our Rose Quartz fix until the January 6th release of Axis of Love, and you can bet your bottom dollar we’ll keep you up to date before then.

12/31 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge NYE

02/04 – Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom #

02/05 – Pioneer Town, CA – Pappy and Harriet’s #

02/06 – San Diego, CA – Casbah #

02/07 – Santa Barbara, CA – SoHo Music Club #

02/09 – El Paso, TX – Lowbrow Place #

02/10 – San Antonio, TX – Limelight #

02/11 – Austin, TX – The Parish #

03/05-07 – Savannah, GA – Savannah Stopover Music Festival

# = w/ Generationals

[Pop/Synth-Wave] Coleman Hell – VENA EP

Posted by Matthew Bloss - December 10, 2014

There’s nothing quite like a complete, polished, subduing and intoxicating release to soothe out our days here at TMN. Alas, Toronto based chameleon producer Coleman Hell has touched down with a debut extended play, VENA. A suffuse collection of warm, synth soaked pop gems, VENA lifts off with “Venezuela”; itself a low-end pushing, falsetto fueled anthem which more than establishes an air of sophisticated fluency and thought out instrumentation for the five track EP’s duration. Its sophomore entry, “Heat of the Night” may very well be the crown jewel of Coleman Hell’s debut opus. Hell’s breathy, raspy reverberations drive much of VENA, but his vocal work on “Heat of the Night” reaches its warm hand into our soul like only a lover could.

The EP’s midpoint, “Fortress” rides a hand plucked electric bassline, soulful incantations and clicky percussive elements to serve as the superlative break before segueing into a slightly more upbeat groover, “All the Monsters”. Coleman Hell’s clearly been around a DJ set or two as well, with an impeccable arrangement of tunes serving as a welcome storyline to the VENA saga. “Monsters” wonderfully brings its listener to Summer rooftop parties with its feelgood production, leaning on a loopy lead synth to serve as a driving focal point for not just itself but the EP as a whole. “Red Rover”, which features a lovely vocal contribution from his fellow Sideways crew member La+ch closes the 20 minute sonic excursion with a bullet. And while the saxophone may have been a bit overdrawn in dance music over the last couple years, Coleman Hell brilliantly drops an arpeggiated alto-sax melody amongst a sea of soft synthesizers to balance each aural aspect with the careful precision of a brain surgeon.

Already with an acclaimed mixtape, Stark Raving, and now a worthy EP entry into the Coleman Hell catalog, his debut full length is currently being prepped, rinsed and scoured for an early 2015 release; which quite honestly we can’t wait for. Hell’s sticky blend of pop accessibility and worldy wise production structures have our interest piqued almost more than any other new artist at the tail end of 2014. Watch for more new music from Coleman Hell here on TMN and stream VENA in its entirety below.

’Venezuela’

’Heat Of The Night’

’Fortress’

’All The Monsters’

’Red Rover (Feat La+ch)’

Soundcloud

[Pop-House] Listenbee – Save Me

Posted by Matthew Bloss - December 9, 2014

Listenbee
Save Me

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The muscle behind Kiesza’s viral tune “Hideaway”, NYC based imprint Lokal Legend, have dropped their latest release on us from Listenbee, “Save Me”, and it’s got us bubbling fizzy all over the office this morning. With his debut, Listenbee’s already got us brewing up comparisons to Robin Schulz, using an army of clean acoustic guitar noodling over a peanut-buttery thick four-four kick and melodious percussion to induce that warm and fuzzy feeling only the perfect groovy house track could elicit. To say we’re impressed with Lokal Legend and Listenbee’s brief output would be a bit of an understatement, and we’ll be over here salivating for more from both entities in the near future. For now, stream “Save Me” from Listenbee above, and cop the free download in exchange for a soundcloud “follow” here.