The musical stars have aligned with the result of the riveting original record “Aura” from three acts. Together Nick Gunner, Motoko and Red Comet created a stunning song that brings together various genres including, but not limited to electro and future.
Not only do we get the song, but a superb visual comes with it. In tandem they smash your senses with engaging tones and pull you in to the full experience, although song itself is an experience. When that’s the case you know you have something special on your hands, a song that takes you away on the adventure its masters crafted. In this case, you’re going to want to soak it in, so add “Aura” to your digital library today.
The party can now begin. All of the ninjas have come forth with their collections from the week and they are now compiled for you in this aural arsenal. Twelve free downloads from some of our favorite artists from around the globe have come together to help augment your party plans for the weekend. In this edition of the playlist we’ve got works from Restless Modern, KRANE, Godlands, WHIPPED CREAM alongside KTRL, SYN and many more talented individuals. If you can’t get your party on with these, then there’s a problem.
NYC-based duo Disco Fries are back with some serious fire. have put their spin on Steve Madden/5Towns Records’ signee Harlee’s “Venom.” Through their colorful rendition, they create an intoxicating and upbeat version of the ethereal ballad.
For those unfamiliar, Harlee has quickly become a buzzing and dynamic pop act. Kicking off her music career with the single “Holding On,” she followed it up with “Venom,” a hit that took off soaring the minute it went live.
It doesn’t come as a surprise that Disco Fries, who are widely recognized for bridging the gap between mainstream and EDM, gravitated towards Harlee’s single. Taking their easily-digestible yet versatile sound, Disco Fries put a seemingly effortless, jubilant spin on the powerful ballad while still complimenting Harlee’s impressive vocal range. Take a listen below and you’ll see why we felt compelled to share this one.
You may have been seeing bitbird artist Taska Black’s name quite a bit recently. The Dutch producer has been on a steady rise, seeing overwhelming success in 2017 with singles such as “Where We Go,” as well as his collaboration with fellow bitbird artists Droeloe and vocalist Cut_, “Running Away.” Taska’s most recent accomplishment is his release with soulful singer Ayelle titled “Dead Inside,” and just days ago he released the song’s official music video. Lucky for us, we were provided with the opportunity to speak with Taska Black and learn more about the inspiration behind his music and the video in addition to some sneak peaks of what 2018 will look like for him. Watch the video and check out the interview below, if you will like to get some help with the postproduction of your video so it looks like this, just visit https://www.tracyalchayeb.com/!
TMN: Rumor has it you’ve got some huge announcements coming up. Can you give us any hints as to what those will be?
TB: No one thing in particular but I’ve got lots of exciting things happening indeed. Exciting collaborations with bitbird artists and others outside as well. And I might also be working on what I hope is my debut EP…
TMN: How did you get into production? Did you have any classical training prior?
I started taking lessons in violin and piano when I was 4 years old. I never liked playing songs from sheet music exactly how they were supposed to be played so I started improvising my own melodies. When I was about 13 years old I got my first audio interface and Cubase to start recording my improvisations and that’s how I got into production. After years of experimentation I thought it was time to take things to the next level so that’s when I started Taska Black.
TMN: It’s huge to be approached by a creative mind such as San Holo’s. What was your initial reaction when he asked you to sign to his imprint bitbird?
TB: Actually it was me sending a mail to them 3 years ago to show them what I was doing. I loved what bitbird was putting out and San seemed to like what I was doing too. We started talking and that lead into more releases on bitbird. Both San and bitbird have grown a lot over these years and I’m super grateful to be part of the family and to have such amazing people around me.
TMN: What do you love most about the bitbird label?
TB: I think we’re doing something unique in the industry. bitbird really feels like a small family of people with their own vision and their own sound. That’s what San does best I think, supporting people who have their own vision whether it’s in classical music or EDM.
TMN: What can we expect for 2018? Do you have any cool collaborations coming up that you can tell us about?
Lots of new music. Some remixes and new original singles. I’m currently working on some exciting collaborations but unfortunately I can’t reveal any of that yet. I’m also super stoked to be playing my first shows in the US this year. Really looking forward to Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza Paris as well.
TMN: Congratulations on the release of your new music video for your single with Ayelle, “Dead Inside!” Can you tell us a bit about the plot or what inspired the creative direction of it?
TB: Thank you! I really saw this track as a chance to show my experimental side of music to the listeners. I had this vague line in my head “I’m dead inside” so I started building off that thought. When I finished the song with Ayelle we started talking to the director of the music video, Joris Weerts. We shared some ideas on how we wanted to approach the video and give more meaning to the song. I think the track really came to life when we combined both the musical and the visual aspect. The video shows how people are not easily impressed anymore in this saturated era of media and the internet. We wanted to make these feelings of depression heard in order to accept and deal with them, rather than to criticize.
TMN: How would you describe a Taska Black show? Are there any features of it that you feel are signature to “Taska Black,” such as visuals or live elements?
TB: We’re currently shaping the show both musically and visually and I’ve had the chance to test things out on the shows I did with San. I always like to play lots of unreleased music and edits of songs that I’m into. I’ll be doing DJ sets only for a while now but in the long run I really want to incorporate live elements in the show so we’re putting a lot of thought into that as well.
Connecting from Sweden to America, the BoTalks duo may be an unlikely pair geographically, but musically they’re perfect. They’ve also just begun, so getting on board early with this project before things really pop could make you the cool kid.
BoTalks just dropped their single “Fuck It” featuring Caroline Pennell and it’s absolutely magnificent. From its overall electro pop sound to the rich melodies to all the nitty gritty details, BoTalks went in on this. Mondays are usually tough, but this track is making it all better for us. We hope it will do the same for you and if it does, add a copy of it to your digital library.
Part R&B. Part alternative. Part electronic. Completely unique.
Comprised of Rahm Silverglade, a solo artist who’s also releasing material through Terrible Records, guitarist Mike Haldeman (who moonlights as a member of TMN-favorite Moses Sumney’s band), Jesse Blelenberg and Dillon Tracy, Altopalo is the breath of experimental fresh air you’ve been waiting for.
“Blur” is a wickedly wild ride, sandwiched up between a bizarre, yet ultimately comforting intro and outro. The musical influences and techniques vary widely, showcasing the depth of this young act’s abilities. Included in that set are spattering of guitar notes that perfectly jar against a backdrop of faded vocals, atmospheric hiss, and industrial percussion. While it is outside the norm, fans of the mainstream should be attracted to the eventual and warmly familiar R&B vibes.
The other offering on this two-track release is “Frozen,” which is delightfully avant-garde. A steady kickdrum is offset by a breakbeat-style piano sample, which provides an inventive soundscape for Rahm’s softly-sung vocals. The song saunters along beautifully with just those elements for quite some time, before coming together with more percussion, vocal chops, and sections of strings in a closing crescendo.
This is one of the more intriguing pieces I’ve heard in a while, the best part is — it’s the first offering from this burgeoning act’s full album, frozenthere. Be on the lookout for that.
Atlanta producer OTR has stepped away from dropping originals to release his official remix of “Scenes From A Midnight Movie” for the New Jersey creative Blood Cultures. This smooth remix is just what you need to end the day on the right note.
The original has been out for quite some time, pushing forth a retro indie sound, while OTR updates it and shifts the sound into his own territory. OTR’s aural move takes the track into a more atmospheric zone. It’s one of those tracks you can just throw on repeat and bask in it’s timelessness. Grab some headphones and see for yourself!
