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[House] Robyn & La Bagatelle Magique – Love is Free (Moon Boots Remix)

Posted by Ash El Gamal - December 15, 2015

Robyn & La Bagatelle Magique
Love Is Free (Moon Boots Remix)

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As the TMN team works hard on putting together our end of the year lists, Moon Boots is a name fresh in our minds. The NYC deep house/nu-disco producer has made a name for himself this year providing us with both remixes and originals with endless replay value. To round the year out, he’s dropped a remix of Robyn & La Bagatelle Magique’s “Love is Free” injecting it with his groovy ethos. While the original is a hard-hitting, and fantastic, electro-pop tune, Moon Boots switches it up with a four-on-the-floor backdrop and a series of bouncy synths. It’s a remix that works equally well on and off the dance floor. Give it a peep above.

Electronic

[Event Review] ODESZA’s Dazzling Victory Lap at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium–SF, 12/10

Posted by Ash El Gamal - December 15, 2015

ODESZA
Memories That You Call (feat. Monsoonsiren)

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Since the release of their 2014 album, ODESZA have grown into an omnipresent force in dance music appearing at nearly every major music festival and making their way across the globe on an extensive headlining tour. This year has been particularly pivotal for the Seattle duo—they’ve dropped several massive remixes, continued to expand their live set (including a full marching band at Lollapalooza) and launched the Foreign Family Collective. Through Foreign Fam, they’ve helped introduce like-minded artists such as Big Wild and Jai Wolf to larger audiences. As huge fans, the Ninja staff have had the pleasure of covering the Seattle duo’s upward trajectory and interviewing them a couple times along the way.

In the last two years alone, the TMN writers have probably seen ODESZA a combined 20 times—my best guess for myself is 6. So, going into their show last week, I frankly wasn’t sure there was much more to see and, even if their performance hadn’t evolved, I would’ve admittedly left happy. Once again, though, ODESZA put together an awe-inspiring set fit for Bill Graham Auditorium’s grand stature. As the set began, members Harrison and Clayton emerged with their parallel MIDI and drum setup offering some words about their admiration for the SF crowd, who have shown out every time they’ve come to town. Musically, “Koto,” a gorgeous and low-key track, set the tone before the first high point hit with their remix of Sia’s “Big Girls Cry.” Granted a nearly 2-hour set, ODESZA was able to dig deep in their catalogue playing standouts from their oft-overlooked debut, Summer’s Gone, such as ”Above the Middle” all the way through the fan-favorite remixes of opener Hayden James’ “Something About You” and Zhu’s “Faded.” Continue reading →

[Alternative/Rock] Youth Lagoon – I’ve Seen

Posted by Jordan Coburn - December 15, 2015

Youth Lagoon
I've Seen

Soundcloud

Trevor Powers, aka Youth Lagoon, has been an indie favorite of ours since his first release Year of Hibernation back in 2011. Mastering the DIY, low-fi electronic ballad game, Powers created a work of art then that has gone down as an instant vinyl classic for the modern music generation. Following that up with his next release Wondrous Bughouse in 2013, Youth Lagoon showed us that he had some pretty complex composition skills under his belt and delivered an album that was full of playfully eclectic beats, sounds and vocals. Now in 2015, Powers has begun releasing another set of songs that could fall into their own genre entirely, the newest one being his single “I’ve Seen.”

Playing with elements of acoustic guitar and theatrical keys we hear a change in the rhythm sections that used to be dominated by distorted strings. Powers’s’ voice falls in and out of the track which is a dynamic that we’re very appreciative of because it gives us more time to listen to the instrumental mix of dry and wet strings and synths combos. This pulls Powers’s work up and into a new kind of experimental music for him. With these new sounds and his natural affinity for the piano, the track has started to take on something that resembles an early Radiohead, and here at TMN, that’s a pretty big deal. And we heard he’s on tour with Taylor McFerrin, who is also great. Catch that show if you can.

[Electro/Trap] Kygo – Stole The Show (iSHi Remix)

Posted by Matthew Bloss - December 15, 2015

Kygo Feat. Parson James
Stole The Show (iSHi Remix)

Soundcloud

As this writer pens this post from a wintery wasteland in Denver today, I couldn’t help but feel the bounce from Stockholm’s iSHi. Kygo’s original track “Stole The Show” has already made the viral rounds with its standard chart-topping Tropical-House gleam, but on his latest revision, iSHi rides an inverse wave and flips it into his own gritty blend of larger than life electro sounds and hip-hop infused cadence. Quickly entrenching himself in the minds of dance fans worldwide behind anthems like his Pusha T. featuring “Push It”, it’s clear to see why as iSHi manages to tastefully craft a tune that is completely his own brand of wobbly, boisterous dance music, while pitching out the vocals and keeping intact the perfect amount of original stem work so as not to alienate those Kygo diehards either. Step up your Tuesday for a moment with iSHi’s “Stole The Show” remix above.

Aaliyah – Are You That Somebody (VenessaMichaels Remix) [TMN PREMIERE]

Posted by Clayton Warwick - December 15, 2015

#2090
Are You That Somebody

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Once again, we find ourselves simultaneously feeling older than we rightfully should, while also relishing in the nostalgia that comes with hearing one of the most iconic songs from our high school years. Once again, it’s at the hands of decade-blending Producer/DJ VenessaMichaels. And, once again, we’re grinning ear-to-ear as we take in her latest interpretation of a 90’s dance tune.

The affectionately coined style of #2090 is just as it seems – a perfect illustration of this artist’s love of the 90’s and dance music of today. Her latest effort is a delicious, dancy, future bass interpretation of the Grammy-nominated “Are You That Somebody,” from Aaliyah. Amidst the well placed clicks, pops, and drips, we find surging synths, and artfully-crafted vocal samples from Aaliyah, Timbaland, and that unforgettable cooing baby from Perrey and Kingsley’s 1966 hit “Countdown at 6.” The combination is something that comes together effortlessly, as if elements from these two decades were made for each other.

Aside from those warm-n-fuzzies from the past, and the TMN HQ dance party we’re currently engaged in, we’re excited about this premiere for another reason – we’d bringing in VenessaMichaels as our next Resident Artist of the Month. She’ll be following up Flux Pavilion, and helping us ring in the new year with some exclusive content.

Chet Porter Talks Electronic Music, Porter Robinson and New Debut Original [TMN Exclusive Interview]

Posted by Ivan Chung - December 15, 2015

Canadian producer Chet Porter just released his first ever original track titled “Awakening”, and it’s as amazing as it gets. Its one-of-a-kind song structure is definitely something we rarely come across, and the ears pleasing sound almost resembles a hybrid between Porter Robinson and Tennyson. We had a chance to chat with the talented producer and talked about the inspirations behind this track and his musical influences. Check out the exclusive interview below, and give “Awakening” a listen after the jump.

TMN: First of all, congrats on releasing your first original single on Big Beat! We’ve been following your music for quite some time, and we gotta say this record truly showcases your unique sound as a producer. Can you tell us a little bit about how you started making music, and where that passion came about?

CP: Thank you! I started making music in high school, I played guitar in a band and on the side I’d just mess around on my laptop. Once everyone in the band sort of went their separate ways I still wanted to make music, so I just started digging and teaching myself more about how to create on my own.

TMN: For “Awakening”, the story-telling style of the song is very refreshing and it really caught our attention. Can you tell us the inspirations behind “Awakening” and why you chose this particular approach?

CP: “Awakening” was like the first song I wrote as Chet Porter, it’s sort of weird that it came out so much later than all of these other songs that were written after it haha. My approach to it sort of came from frustration and exhaustion: I was tired of writing these like basic house songs with a simple structure and not much character in them, so like unintentionally came up with the idea to write something more interesting than just a song, even though it actually is just a song. I got to pour a lot of ideas into it that I felt like I wasn’t letting myself do before, and now I think about song writing from a totally different point of view.

Continue reading →

Interview

[MP3 Playlist] Indie Dojo (December 2015 Round #3)

Posted by Allegra Azzopardi - December 15, 2015

Some people are better at certain things than others. That’s just the way life goes. Like the exquisite library of artists we’ve have accumulated in our indie dojos. While most of us only dream of being as talented as those we lend an ear to, we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves for not being able to belt a note or strum a guitar. If anything, we are AWESOME at listening to the Indie Dojos. Bonafide Pros. And without us bonafide pros, what is an artist really? It takes 2 to tango friends, and we are more than happy to let those with musical talent take the lead.