Galimatias – Blowback [TMN Interview/Single Release]

Galimatias
Blowback

LA-based Danish artist Galimatias has been featured many times here on The Music Ninja. Known for his decadent piano chords and swirling melodies, Galimatias makes some of the most soulful tunes out there today. Transcending genres, he effortlessly blends together aspects of soul, jazz, hip-hop, and R&B. Galimatias has always hit us with sultry, emotional tunes that can instantly set the mood.

To help kick off your week, I’m excited to share Galimatias’ new sinful single, “Blowback”. Paying homage to one of his main musical muses, Matias samples Barbara Lewis’ 1963 soul classic “Hello Stranger”. Subdued electronic elements overlaid on pulsating rhythms and tight R&B beats create some characteristically sensual vibes on this track. Galimatias throws in his own ad-libs and vocal riffs; part of his effort to incorporate voice as part of his musical arsenal. Lewis’ sensual crooning is not overpowered whatsoever– showing Matias’ mastery of blending together such different musical elements.

As a TMN favorite, Galimatias has been interviewed by us before. I was lucky enough to catch up with him again, as he enters the newest phase of his solo career. Listen to the track above and read up on the interview after the jump: Continue reading

Related items:

Galimatias – Voyage Mix.03 [TMN PREMIERE]

Voyage
Mix.03

As we wind down our month-long spotlight on Danish-born producer Galimatias, we’ve arrived on the portion most people have highlighted in their calendar. While we personally look forward to every piece of content our Resident Artist dials up with us, we know most people like to get their hands and ears on some exclusive music, which is exactly what we have for you today.

It’s been a full year since Galimatias put out his last Voyage Mix, and we’re sure a lot of you have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of only his third public mix. Well, today is your day.

Tracklist:

Sweetheart of Kairi – Approaching Farewell
Gallant – Intro
Sango, Dpat, Atu, Alina Baraz – Knew You x Show Me
Ukendt Kunstner – Boulevarden
Partynextdoor – Things & Such
Galimatias – Homegrown Galaxies (unreleased)
Galimatias – Plastic Snow (unreleased)
K-lone – Iris
Donnie & Joe Emerson – Baby
Jamie xx – Sleep Sound
Congi – Spoken Word (K-lone Remix)
Gavin James – For You (Bearcubs Remix)

Related items:

Galimatias Dishes on His Tour, Remixing Porter Robinson, and Sade [TMN RESIDENT ARTIST INTERVIEW]

Galimatias-Main-Photo-IMG_7373-1-e1445983853932

As we started planning this month-long spotlight on Danish producer Galimatias, we were anxiously awaiting this portion of his Residency. Knowing that we would soon enter a selective group of very few publications who have had a chance to talk with this quickly rising star, we relished in the opportunity. The only drawback to this exclusive chat was how difficult it would soon be to narrow our questions down to a reasonable amount. In all honesty, we could have dialed up at least twenty-five, but that would have been a tremendously long read. Instead, we went with what you’ll find below.

TMN: First off, thank you so much for being a part of our Residency program. It’s an absolute pleasure to have you. You’ve just come off tour and a wildly successful EP. Did you take a moment to breathe, or have you jumped right back into the studio?

Thank you, it’s been a while since I’ve had time, so yeah, I’ve been excited to get back to making music. It was a pretty short tour run, but being the very first live shows for me and Alina both, we had a lot to learn going into it. So, it was still a big process.

TMN: Speaking of the tour, we have to imagine that you had a few “Holy shit!” moments. Was there any particular show or fan interaction that made you step back in disbelief?

Oh yeah, the first show in Santa Ana was for sure the craziest experience. It was so packed that some people couldn’t fit into the room and were standing in the hallway. The energy was so raw and positive. It’s one thing to see the numbers on the internet, but getting out there and feeling the people behind it is a whole new world. Once Alina started singing, everybody was singing along. My proudest moment was when Nas shook my hand after the show and said he was down with it. He was one of the artists I grew up listening to.

TMN Let’s touch on Urban Flora. It’s safe to say that this whole project started from a simple Soundcloud message, correct?

Back when Alina was just starting to write, which is only about 2 years ago, she was looking for instrumentals and came across a track of mine. So she wrote what would become “Drift” and sent it to me on Soundcloud. I was blown away and we started talking about music. Already then, I knew she was very different it was apparent not just in her songwriting, but also in the way she presented it. She is the most beautiful girl, but used this pitch black square as her picture across all social media and I remember asking her why. But, that’s how she connected with the right people and built a fanbase that fell in love with her art and not her face. I don’t know who would make that compromise and not just utilize everything they have. It was very intriguing to me. That’s when I knew this girl is 100% about her music. She sent me some acapellas of songs she had recorded. With two acapellas, I would make what became “Make You Feel” and “Pretty Thoughts”. This was late 2013. We released all those 3 tracks on Soundcloud. I didn’t look elsewhere for people to collaborate with after that. I was so set on us making a project together. From then we would just send back and forth ideas until we had created the 8 tracks of the EP.

Continue reading

Related items:

[Chill] Alina Baraz & Galimatias – Pretty Thoughts (FKJ Remix)

Alina Baraz & Galimatias
Pretty Thoughts (FKJ Remix)

As with every great release, Alina Baraz & Galimatias‘s majestic Urban Flora EP has been receiving the official remix treatment from some of the most well-selected producers out–Pomo‘s take on “Fantasy” really struck a chord with the TMN staff and Stwo‘s rendition of “Maybe” was right at the top of our most recent Chill Dojo. Last night, we got another flawless re-work courtesy FKJ of Parisian label Roche Musique.

FKJ, aka French Kiwi Juice, has found a distinct niche in the realm of blissful electronic and his signature style couldn’t fit the airy vocals of Baraz on “Pretty Thoughts” any better. With its playful bounce and FKJ’s distinct warped, groovy guitar, this track oozes sunshine equally equipped to end a long day or start a new one.

Related items:

[Future Hip-Hop] Galimatias & Goldlink – One Step Back (Gravez Remix)

Galimatias & Joppe ft. GoldLink
One Step Back (Gravez Remix)

Future hip-hop is a relatively new genre, engineered with the intent to blend the best components of the music world. Meshing lyrical content and melodic flow of artists with the unparalleled smoothness and texture of future beats is the perfect way to satiate all of the auditory senses in one track.

A couple days ago, Atlanta artist and HW&W collective member Gravez released his version of last year’s popular Soulection track, “One Step Back.” In his latest creation, Gravez has taken the noisy original tune and sparingly injected it with synths, the softly inarticulate crooning of Denmark’s Galimatias, and segments of low-pitched dynamics common in the future genre.

The idiophones and hi-hats dotted through this track add to a uniquely smooth quality that is juxtaposed by the fast rhyming vocals of Goldlink. “One Step Back” is a symbol of how contrasting styles can be combined to create a special tune; it is the divergence of styles creating a peaceful banger.

Gravez is wrapping up a tour with shows in Boston and San Francisco in mid-July. Check out “One Step Back” above and download the track here.

Related items:

[Chill] Ta-Ku – Down For You Feat. Alina Baraz & Atu

Ta-ku
Down For You feat. Alina Baraz

International fame and critical acclaim have attached themselves to everything Ta-Ku has released for an unprecedented amount of time. With a stacked resume containing the production of Songs to Break Up To in late 2013, the foundation of Create & Explore, releases under the moniker HWLS, and collaborative efforts with Street Dreams Magazine, Perth’s finest has been hard at work creating a multimedia empire off of his many talents.

His latest EP – appropriately titled Songs To Make Up To – exceeds all expectations in its depth and composition. The latest single from the 8-track EP is a re-composed version of the Atu produced track, “Long Time No See.” The redone version, dubbed “Down For You”, features the intoxicating vocals of Los Angeles singer Alina Baraz.

Baraz, who recently released her own album with Galimatias, harmonizes in the gentle introduction of “Down For You,” over a sparingly light sequence of piano keys, before beginning a dynamic ballad at the 1:15 mark of the song. The unique sounds of Atu are particularly noticeable, especially in the string progression and key resonance throughout.

Ta-Ku has joined together with Atu before, but the release of this sentimental gem by the trio has TMN hoping they plan on coproducing again in the near future. Listeners can purchase the entire album at the Future Classic shop here.

Related items:

[Chill] Alina Baraz & Galimatias – Can I

Alina Baraz & Galimatias
Can I

When Alina Baraz and Galimatias team up together, you can be sure the result will always be gold. They’ve proven it in the past with such mesmerizing tunes as “Fantasy” and “Make You Feel” (along with a few others). Like their previous collaborations, “Can I” is a sensual slow-burner that will keep you completely hypnotized under its spell until the very end–that is only of course if you don’t have the repeat button on lock like we do. The pair continue to provide an auditory experience unlike any other, and we can’t wait to see what else the future holds for this dynamic duo. Stream the track above, and make sure to secure a copy when the single is available on iTunes on April 28th.

Related items: