Royal has stepped away from his signature “refixes” to deliver one of the most important projects of 2015. Cycles, in short, is a landmark EP with its combination of a pop mentality and the ever fluctuating “future” state of mind. The level of production quality reflected here is a testament to just how much he has grown as an artist and come into his own sound since his monumental refix tape. He fearlessly has charged ahead and experimented with a slew of refreshing sounds and ideas. He even utilized his own vocals on here, while also calling on Desktop. and Axel Mansoor for strong features that round out the record nicely. It’s hard to not get excited about the future of music when spectacular releases like this are becoming more and more of a common occurrence. Cycles is a crowning achievement of 2015 and Royal is going to end up being a household name in the very near future. That’s a guarantee.
[Conscious Pop] Royal – Cycles EP
[Dreamy] Royal – Passenger
Passenger
To start off 2015 with a bang, DC producer Royal released a sneak peek of his upcoming EP titled Cycles. Being the opener of the EP, “Passenger” showcases the extent of the diversity of Royal’s music. This tune has an overall feel-good vibe that is accompanied by a series of looping harmonizing vocal samples and uplifting synth. A light trap style is incorporated into the track, giving it a subtle drum beat without overshadowing it. It acts as the perfect sneak peek and first track to the highly anticipated EP, leaving you wanting more and guessing what the producer has to offer.
Make sure to grab a free download of this song off his website, and get your headphones ready for the January 26 as Cycles drops.
[Future] SoySauce – Broken Record (feat. Joni Fatora)
Broken Record (feat. Joni Fatora)
This song comes with a TON of great news for this on-the-rise duo. We finally found out that half of the group is none other than the king of “Conscious Pop” himself, Royal, they have an EP in the works (Lunch Money) due out in February, and a debut headlining show at U Street in D.C. coming up soon also! All of these announcements were an exciting addition to this spectacular release, featuring the light and airy vocals of Joni Fatora, who complements SoySauce‘s booming production on “Broken Record” nicely. SoyBoy and Royal already made a statement with their silverware inspired edit of Sir Sly, and this new original is setting up the Lunch Money EP to be a release you won’t want to miss. Catch more information on the SoySauce Sushi Party at U Street here and definitely go see them if you’re in the D.C. area!
[Electronica] Tegan and Sara – So Jealous (Royal Refix)
So Jealous (Royal Refix)
Who doesn’t love a Tegan and Sara remix? D.C. producer Royal just released an official rework of “So Jealous”, and it surely hits the spot. Stripping the original tune to bare bone, the producer incorporates a bold synth line, a trap beat and a drop so epic it’s comparable to artists like Slow Magic. The vocals from the original track fits perfectly with the loud and outstanding character the remix brings out. With an everchanging sound, we’re sure this might not define Royal’s caliber, but it sure raises the standard in this subgenre of electronic music.
We are excited to see what else the talented musician has to offer. He’s going to be one of the most exciting acts to watch in 2015, so stay tuned!
Sunday Night Soul [Vol. 15]
Sunday is finally upon us, and while that signals the end of yet another (hopefully productive) weekend, at least we have some glorious soul to help make the transition a little bit easier. February is nearly over, and considering that it’s one of the more passionate months of the year, we’ve had plenty of content to work with over the last few weeks. This week’s lineup is no different, as it’s packed with stellar offerings from the likes of Chloe Martini, Matt Miller, Joe Kay, Mar, Estelle, Abrina, LIZ, Hasta, and many many more. Check out the diverse selection below, and let the music take over your soul.
The Trap Dojo: Christmas Edition
Ho Ho Ho’s get ratchet this holiday season and The Trap Dojo has got the Christmas beats to make ’em twerk. This special edition of the dojo is chock full of seasonal goodies from old faces and new friends. Our first track is a remix of The Ronettes version of “Sleigh Ride”, infused with a whole lot of footwork by Wheez-ie that will be sure to put a smile on your face. The same track gets another, much more hood treatment later in the list from Trill.iam. Next up is an absolutely massive “Carol of the Bells” remix from Terravita, substituting some horns for the traditional bells following an incredible drop. Borgore and Carnage team up for this short but sweet version of “Feliz Navidad”. While the number of stereotypical trap samples they throw into the one minute long track is almost comical, this song packs a punch that will give your subwoofer a workout. Another newcomer to the Dojo, Tall Kid throws a really nice trap beat over Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want For Christmas” letting her smooth vocals dominate the track. Next, a pair of Dojo regulars, Team Bayside High and Ookay both released a couple Christmas tracks each. My favorite has to be Team Bayside High’s remix of DMX singing “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” that they released before the original viral video had even 300 views. Next, Natekodi turns “White Christmas” into an 8-bit Trap tune sure to bring back memories of unwrapping your first video game system. The rest of the list is full of trapped out holiday classics (the Apashe track is actually glitch-hop but who cares) that will keep your head nodding while opening gifts and sipping spiked egg nog from a double cup. From everybody here at The Music Ninja we want to say Merry Christmas.
And as always, download the whole list here
ie Sleigh Ride ($uper Bootleg)’
The Christmas Song (W3st Trap Remix)’