Tag Archives: Alison Wonderland

[15 to End 2015] Ninja Dom’s Best of the Year

Posted by Dominic Powell - December 30, 2015

As a sweeping generalization, 2015 will go down as a year dominated by collectives. Future Classic, Hegemon, Moving Castle, Soulection, HW&W, Wedidit, Monstercat, and French Express pooled their talents together to commandeer the music scene this year. The technical aspects commonly associated with “Future” crept into the DNA of producers, becoming a topical theme across genres from the most obscure to the most mainstream.

In particular, and as one of the most recent additions to the TMN staff, it has been quite a journey both as a contributor and music fan since early April. Without the collaboration of the entire staff – the guidance of editors and advice of my fellow writers – year one as a ninja would not have been possible. Along the way I’ve covered tours, shot music festivals, and met some of my favorite artists, who have graciously exposed me to their own intricate webs of sound. That being said, below is my best effort to reduce thousands of great tracks released this calendar year down to a manageable number. Enjoy the tracks below, in order of release date, and see you all next year!

’Oceaán – Veritas (Young & Sicks Mixed Feelings)’

Stream Only

Although it has nearly been removed from all channels of the internet, this remix of Veritas is a fluid tune, incorporating contrasting techniques in a way that set it apart this year.

’OBESØN – Mon Amour’

Download

This is both my favorite song ever and the answer to the hypothetical question “if you could only listen to one song for the rest of time…”

’San Holo – We Rise’

Buy

Deserving of a spot on all lists, this has been the de facto party-starter and pregame anthem since it’s release in February.

’Alison Wonderland – Run’

Buy

The title track from AW’s debut album taps into the talents of fellow producers Djemba Djemba and AWE in creating this hooky, electronic masterpiece.

’Mura Masa – When U Need Me’

Buy

For an artist focused on quality over quantity, this is Mura Masa’s greatest creation to date.

’DIVERSA – Burning House’

Buy

Burning House is the most powerful release of Diversa’s, serving as a benchmark for the current wave of Drum & Bass producers to measure up against.

’Jamie xx – The Rest is Noise’

Buy

Jamie XX has been graced with near unanimous approval of his album In Colour; The Rest is Noise incorporates his most polished elements in a lengthy rainbow-colored instrumental.

’Tory Lanez – Acting Like (Prod. by Shlohmo)’

Soundcloud

Another up and coming artist out of the blooming Toronto hip-hop scene, Tory Lanez, enlists the help of Shlohmo in putting together this dark, rhythmic jam.

’Golden Vessel – Borrowed Time (ft. Tiana Khasi)’

Buy

Melbourne locals Golden Vessel and Tiana Khasi teamed up to create one of the most enchanting and soulful pieces of the year, bar none.

’Thundercat – ‘Them Changes”

Buy

As the most groovy track of the summer season, this was also an introduction and revival of the nostalgia-pumping funk genre, which used to dominate the charts.

’Tame Impala – The Moment’

Buy

Parker shows off his adaptability on this one; in cutting the downtrodden lyrical content against a synth-driven bridge full of cheery guitar riffs and rhythmic hand claps, the single is inextricably linked with the bridge in fellow Australian band Pond’s recent release, “Medicine Hat”.

’Moi Je – Fais Rien (PETIT BISCUIT Remix)’

Buy

Although the title literally means ‘do nothing’, it is nearly impossible to hear this remix by Petit Biscuit and not be tempted to move by the upbeat tempo.

’Khai – Do You Go Up’

Buy

This bubbly, minimalist tune is carried on the strength of its hook and the catchy vocals of its creator.

’SevnthWonder – Maria I’m Drunk (Ft. Deverano) (Travis Scott Cover)’

Buy

As the most notable track by the best up and comer out of 2015, this remix displays a vision and creativity beyond SevnthWonder’s years.

’Finding Hope – Wonder’

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With roots in the ambient genre, down-tempo is the most calming style of music. The deep, pleasant reverie continues through Wonder and does not end until the close of the song.

[Event Review] Alison Wonderland Throws Down at 1015 Folsom, 5/15

Posted by Dominic Powell - May 20, 2015

’Alison Wonderland – I Want U’

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Written and photographed by Dominic Powell

Alison Wonderland has made quite a name for herself since she began producing music in 2010. Before she developed her energetic and infectious stage presence, she was churning out remixes of her favorite songs from her bedroom, while developing a relatively modest following on Soundcloud. Five years after she first began creating content, AW has honed her production and singing skills, carving out a niche in today’s electronic music scene as arguably the most influential female singer/producer of the year.

AW’s rise to prominence has been put on full display this summer, with her debut album Run being heralded as an overwhelming success by any measure of the word. Upon hitting the road in March of this year, she kicked off a North American tour in support of her work, familiarizing herself with U.S. EDM fans around the country including an enormous set at Coachella Music Festival. At the tail end of her tour, we were able to catch AW again at the Lightning in a Bottle pre-party at 1015 Folsom, the most popular nightclub in San Francisco. Quoted as calling her album, “all bangers and no mash”, the same Australian slang perfectly sums up Alison Wonderland’s live sets.

’Alison Wonderland – Cold’

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Moving seamlessly between the majority of her original productions, AW’s energy and stage presence had even the staunchest wallflowers vibing on the dance floor. Midway through her set AW began mixing in familiar hits such as “Slasherr“, “Fall Over“, and “Do You?” with more of her recent work, including a gentle piano and string based tune co-produced by Lido which she deemed, “her favorite song”.

Towards the latter half of her nearly two hour-set, AW had the entire crowd jumping. In the midst of playing a quirky set list of “Backseat Freestyle,” “Take It To Reality,” Get Ready, and “Simon Says” in succession, it was clear to everyone in attendance that the young artist had come a long way from bedroom productions. Much to the surprise and enjoyment of the packed dance floor, Alison Wonderland ended her set with Drake’s universally popular “Know Yourself“, gaining a city full of raucous fans in the process.

After finishing off her extensive North American tour with a bang, AW’s headed back to Australia hopefully to work on some new material. Next time she’s in San Francisco, we certainly know where we’ll be but, in the meantime, check out some more pictures from the show below. Continue reading →

Coachella 2015 – Must See Acts [TMN EDITORS’ PICKS]

Posted by TMN Staff - April 8, 2015

The spectacle and legend of Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival seems to grow every year and, although it’s certainly reached a critical mass at this point, it proves time and time again to be worth the trip. After breaking box office records for consecutive years, Coachella continues blazing ahead in 2015 with a deep, diverse lineup and some of their most ambitious projects to date including their largest investment in art installations ever. With the first weekend kicking off this Friday, the set times for Coachella were finally let loose yesterday bringing up the regular scheduling conflicts and tough decisions. To make things easier for you all, we’ve decided to lay out our top acts to see every day chronologically. We hope this serves as a useful guide as you prepare for the whirlwind of emotion that is Coachella. Best advice we can give you all: keep good company, don’t sweat (figuratively, of course, perspiration is imminent) and most importantly be safe. Hope to run in to some of you ninjas there!

P.S. We didn’t forget the Do Lab! You can find our Do Lab picks on the final page.

Continue reading →