Author Archives: Michael Serratore

Well it’s been a minute since we introduced you to the wonderfully alluring sounds of Kappa Kavi, and he’s piqued out interest again with a release that could easily be mistaken for a bonus track off Cashmere Cat’s Wedding Bells EP. ‘Chokoretu Rabu’ encompasses everything that has quickly made us fall in love with the young producer’s sound, and despite the similarities that can be drawn to other artists, there is plenty that makes this style distinctly his own. Oriental sampling and masterful pitch bending are again the heroes here, and they’re elements we’re likely to be hearing in plenty of playlists to come. Another young prodigy we promised you’d hear more of is Canada’s Tennyson, and he makes a swift return to the dojo as predicted with something that defies all expectations. In under 3 minutes he takes us on a journey spanning all seasons, from warm jazz to chilling ambient soundscapes, all woven together with deep and distorted vocals from Daughter. Genre bending and mind-blowing, this is one artist you won’t see boxed in to any form of labeling. When there’s new Bondax on the playlist though, you can be sure they’ll always bring some heat, and that’s exactly the review for their latest remix of Duke Dumont’s ‘I Got U’. Tropical vibes steadily build towards some trademark breakout funk that make us yearn for summer dancefloors, preferably in some form of island paradise. Sydney’s Kilter knows all about these summer feelings, and he gives the steel drums a slower treatment for a remix that is infused with an infectious care-free attitude. Sometimes a live edit works so well that it screams to be made into its own track, and that is the result of the latest release from our favourite bootleg champion DJ AA. Ellie Goulding and deep piano are a powerful combination of pure emotion, and we certainly couldn’t help being captivated by this one. London’s KAASI knows how to wield a similar weapon of beauty, and in case you missed this feature from last week, here’s another dojo reminder to check his latest downtempo delight.

As always the talent doesn’t end there, so make sure to get all the way through the list to make sure you don’t miss the gems spread throughout. Peace out.

Chill Dojo #76 zip

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There’s a big step between making exceptional remixes and building an entire song from scratch, and for a lot of artists it’s a daunting task to make every element of a track their own. This week, dojo favourite Dinnerdate took that leap with the release of his first original title, ‘Going On’, and boy did he get it right. The deep garage groove and lush percussive soundscape are the perfect reflection of this producer’s style, and tight vocal sampling completes the package for an excellent debut original. We’ve been bitten by the tropical bug again in this edition, and the main cause of this palm tree fever is a stunning remix of ‘Pictures’ from FlicFlac and Bearson. We’re putting this one up there with the likes of Kygo and Thomas Jack, and that’s enough to sum up how much we rate it. It takes only a few seconds for the sweet acoustic sampling to re-ignite those summer feelings and memories of late nights spend with the people that matter to us most. To make sure this continues beyond a fleeting moment, we’re lucky enough to have a new one from the man we just spoke about. Thomas Jack salutes the end to the Australian summer in the most fitting way possible, and though the sun sets on our favourite season for some parts of the world, this tune brings promise of a huge 2014 for this talented youngster. The partnership of Deepjack and Mr.Nu has been known for it’s ability to reinvent some classics with a new disco flavour, and their latest take on The Black Eyed Peas may just be their best to date. Perhaps it’s the memory of the pop group in their prime, but there’s a definitely an undeniable sense of nostalgia tied up in this re-work, and we can’t stop smiling for it. Always hot on the trail of a new chill jam, DJ AA has wasted no time in discovering the perfect vocal accompaniment for this one as well. Once again he’s worked some magic into this bootleg, pun shamefully intended. Funky Frenchman Prizm is not content with just magic though, and so he spices things up with some additional love and sex from Ciara and JT. Trust the French to know how to add another level of seduction with some irresistible production.

It’s hard not to feel the heat radiating from playlist #75. We’re forecasting good feelings ahead. Peace out.

Chill Dojo #75 zip

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It’s always an exciting week for the Chill Dojo when new Snakehips hits the blogosphere. Couple that with the fact that it’s a remix of The Weeknd no less, and you better believe it caught our attention immediately. It’s been too long since our last hit of that signature sound from the UK act, and luckily this track is everything and more. If that’s not enough, it comes with the promise of more music to come which is no doubt the best news we’ve heard all week. More music to our ears for edition #74 was a new dose of funk from La Felix, backing up his outrageously infectious remix of DCUP’s ‘Don’t Be Shy’ with another spin on his latest catchy release ‘Someone Told Me’. There was certainly high expectations riding on this one given his previous effort, and it’s safe to say he’s raised the bar once again. Don’t sleep on the original either, cos the groovy Australian sure knows how to make a jam you won’t soon forget.  Another name that’s been missing from the dojo for a while is London’s MJ Cole, so consider this edition a reunion with his trademark flow. Those keys just ooze a smoothness and summer vibe we can’t get enough of. Rhye’s ‘Open’ has seen it’s fair share of mellow interpretations in past playlists, but it would be hard to argue against Wiley Webb’s as the chillest so far. The masterfully crafted tempo combined with the sensual ebbs and flows make for the perfect addition to any bedroom soundtrack. It’s time for a generous helping of beats now as we introduce Sydney’s Paisley as a new name amongst our ever growing list of favourite beatmakers. It’s not a decision made in haste either, as one listen to his arsenal of laid back dopeness will more than prove he can hold his own. Better still, he releases new material at a Mr.Carmack-like rate. Yes, that is a legitimate measure of frequency, and if you’re not convinced then we have a new one from the maestro himself too.

It feels like a second Christmas with all these big names returning with more chill greatness. Don’t wait any longer to unwrap the goods. Peace out

Chill Dojo #74 zip

 

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In what sounds like a glorious clash between Cashmere Cat and Wave Racer, the intriguing young producer Kappa Kavi begins this week’s proceedings in the best way possible. ‘Yama – No – Kami’ is a hard one to describe, and that’s what makes it such a good listen. Hit play and let the oriental flare and pitch bending take over your ears for the next 5 minutes. And when that’s done, the candy continues with the best news all week, Ryan Hemsworth doing the remix duties on ‘Streamers’. Great things happen when friends come together, and if the result of this friendship is more amazing edits of each other’s work, then we are pretty damn happy it exists. We were spoilt for choice with incredible releases this week, and smooth Frenchman Darius absolutely took our breath away with the sultry delight of the Romance EP. Peep the three tracks we’ve featured below and it won’t take long for you to feel the same. ‘Hot Hands’ still has this listener very much under its spell. Ellie Goulding’s voice can often have the same effect, and when combined with the efforts of duo J-Art & Madan, it becomes a dangerously captivating weapon. Tropical tunes are always are winner with this dojo. They fuel our desire for that endless summer feeling, and this week the two Frenchman keep that flame burning bright. UK talent Maths Time Joy has been a common name in the playlist for a long time now, but ‘Atlantis’ is no doubt his biggest statement to date. It’s slow, soothing, spellbinding, and that’s just in the 40 seconds before the vocals kick in complete the whole experience. We are well and truly infatuated with this sound. Many feel the same way for that authentic hip hop sound, and Australian artist Coin Banks combines with a Vanilla beat to bring the vibes that only slick verses and chill production can create. ‘Hold on, We’re Going Home’ spawned a flood of covers in 2013, and none nailed it quite as well as that from duo ASTR. Not satisfied with merely enjoying their work on its own, Tim Gunter has sought to expand on the magic and weave his own special touch into the mix. The result is a track taken to the next level of chill, and that certainly had our attention.

It’s very hard to describe music that can mesmerize you with such intensity. Luckily, all you have to do is hit play. Peace out.

The Chill Dojo #73 zip

 

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Around this time of the year the blogosphere gets inundated with love-making playlists curated especially for that one day in February. There’s no point adding more of the same, so we’re going to stick to what we know best and just bring you the best chill songs discovered the week. What you choose to use them for is completely up to you.

One thing did manage to steal our hearts this week though, and that is this incredible edit of an enchanting indie original courtesy of Tennyson. The young Canadian flaunts production skills far beyond his years, injecting serious vibes and a feline persona that could easily be taken as a nod to the work of Cashmere Cat. In any case, one point of no contention is that those keys are absolutely killer, traveling express from the ears to the soul in an instant. Fans of Myst should have no hesitation pointing and clicking to play this next track. NJ producer Au5 deviates from his usual heavy style with an ambient tribute to the cult videogame series, but you don’t need to be in any way familiar to enjoy the pure tranquility flowing from your speakers here. One thing just about everyone has heard about though is Flume’s remix of ‘Hyperparadise’ and this week GANZ’s flip on the track is proving to be just as popular, building an insane amount of views and for good reason too. The original has likely been on heavy rotation in your library ever since its release, and this fresh take certainly commands the same replayability. This week also saw a free compilation released from Pilerates Records containing plenty of chill material to beef up your playlists. Electric Mantis grabbed our immediate attention with his lush composition ‘Ticking and Tocking’, which is just as beautifully hypnotic as its name suggests. Meanwhile Trill Scott Heron has done a number on another one of his tracks, saturating it with his future sounds like only he knows how. Denmark’s Galimatias continues to prove why he’s a favourite in our eyes, combining with Joppe and the lyricism of Goldlink for a hip hop experience of tomorrow. The production here is next level with an undeniable beat to match, and we sincerely hope this kind of soul food will be generously served all through 2014.

So who really cares about that one day in the year? This kind of music has us falling in love every day. Peace out.

Chill Dojo #72 zip

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Make sure you’re wearing a thick coat for the start of edition 71 as dojo favourite Dinner Date brings us a new tune that’s so chill it’s frosty. Hauntingly beautiful percussion and guitar guide us through this wintry delight until the last minute where the melody comes into its own. You’ll want to have a toasty fire going while this one plays cos the cold runs deep. Continuing with the theme, next up is a super catchy take on RHCP’s classic jam ‘Snow’ from young Belgian Lost Frequencies. There’s a real tendency for producers to transform RHCP tracks into “festival bangers”, so it’s refreshing to hear a remix that avoids this temptation and takes things down a more mellow path, which is arguably a much more suitable style.  Ironically, this chill gem was discovered as a feature in a mix called ‘Sets on the Beach’, a new weekly playlist from DJ AA that is another essential destination in your weekly dose of relaxation. This next one is from there too, and much like our first two features it comes with the danger of frostbite. Washington producer Royal delivers a simply glorious remix of ‘Dirty Paws’, breaking down the indie hit into breathtaking downtempo ebbs and flows that you can’t help but sit back and marvel. And if you thought we couldn’t go any deeper, UK artist KAASI will push the limits of what is possible with some incredibly smooth vibes. We’re too busy dancing to keep descibing how good this song is, so just play it already. The body moving continues with this next feature from Melbourne duo Dividem who deliver a chilled cover of the 4 Strings dancefloor classic. The boys have certainly toned down this club anthem from it’s past glory days, but we’re happy to trade the sweaty nightclub scene of the original for a bit of laid back head-bopping goodness here. But if the cold has been a little too enduring so far, Wave Racer will turn things around with a blast of heat straight out of a blistering Australian summer. ‘Streamers’ is everything you love about the Sydney artist and more, so get set to bounce to this jam if you’re lucky enough to catch him on tour soon.

There’s plenty of warmth throughout the rest of the playlist as well, so get amongst it. Peace out.

Chill Dojo #71 zip

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