Tag Archives: Downtempo

[Downtempo] Beacon – Running Out

Posted by Jordan Coburn - February 9, 2016

Beacon
Running Out

Thomas Mullarney III and Jacob Gossett first crossed paths in Brooklyn back in 2011– a meeting that would eventually birth the electronic downtempo duo Beacon. The duo has produced multiple studio albums and brings an electronic sound that’s deep and vocals that are soultry. In a way it’s like they’re pioneering their own dark R&B genre, using synths that are reminiscent of produers like oOoOO and beautifully reverberant vocals, which are always done by them. Thankfully they’ve released another full length album with Ghostly International, Escapements, and they’ve got one of our favorite tracks by them so far on there, “Running Out.”

“Running Out” commences with, simultaneously, an insanely deep bass synth and insanely airy vocals. It’s a juxtaposition that’s become quintessential in their work but still takes us aback, because it’s done so well. The first half of the tune the vocals are really taking the stage, but about half way through the song the tact of their electronic producing makes a showcase, the vocals disappear, and it leads up to a pretty epic balad chorus that’s backed with all of the intensity of their rhythm and beat design.

The rest of the tracks on the album put on a similar display, but we really just had to bring this Beacon track especially to you, because we think it’s especially awesome.

Electronic

[Downtempo] Finding Hope – Wonder

Posted by Dominic Powell - November 18, 2015

Finding Hope
Wonder

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With the clocks swinging forward earlier this month and daylight gone by the end of the work day, ever-present summery house music has begun to lose some of its topical appeal. As setting changes, so too does inspiration.

Enter the sound of winter: downtempo. With roots in ambient, drum and bass genres, downtempo is a more calming style of music. Conceptually, it is comparable to productions by Diversa and Explosions in the Sky.

The latest great downtempo track to grace our Soundcloud feeds, “Wonder”, comes from San Antonio artist Ashton Davila. Formerly of the name Audile, Davila now goes by the pseudonym Finding Hope. Similar to classics of the genre like “Can Do It”, “Mon Amour”, and “Nimrod”, Wonder builds slowly into a powerful melody at the :55 mark. The deep, pleasant reverie continues through a beat breakdown a minute later and does not end until the close of the song.

When I was writing Wonder, it started out as a soundscape and progressed from there… My main focus was fusing the organic elements with the electronic/dreamy side of things. – Davila

Fans of Finding Hope – including us at The Music Ninja – will be keeping tabs on his future productions via his Bandcamp and Soundcloud pages. Listeners can also download “Wonder” at toneden.

Drum&Bass

[Electronic] SOHN – The Wheel (Mazde Remix)

Posted by Jordan Grammer - September 5, 2014

SOHN
The Wheel (Mazde Remix)

Soundcloud

Mazde is a sensational upcoming producer from Germany. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because he brought us this absolutely sublime Disclosure edit that I’m sure even had Flume sweating. The twenty year old has been hard at all work all summer on this new edit of his and the finished product has arrived and it was well worth the wait. SOHN has become a household name in the past couple years and his staying power is solidified even more with this crafty production by Mazde, adding on the alt-indie single’s downtempo backing and bringing it to the forefront with some excellent production chops. This wunderkind just got picked up by the guys over at Stoney Roads, so you can guarantee that his efforts will exponentially grow in both quality and quantity from here on out.

[Trip Hop] kuma – Beneath the Flowers

Posted by Ivan Chung - August 12, 2014

kuma •ᴥ•
Beneath The Flowers

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Ever come across a tune so amazing that you feel good about life after listening to it? Here we have “Beneath The Flowers,” a re-work by kuma sampling Lupe Fiasco‘s hip-hop classic “Daydreamin’.” The LA-based producer took Jill Scott‘s vocals from the hook and turned it into something beautiful and tranquil. With the lo-fi styled beats and pitched-down samples, the 18-year-old showcases his talent and creativity through the track, resembling the sounds created by producers like Giraffage and Slow Magic.

Being the frontrunner of the Flow-Fi record label, kuma takes us on a journey of his life through the recent release of his BERA EP, where he describes the writing and producing of the tracks on his soundcloud. With so much talent at such a young age, kuma is definitely one of our favorites in the downtempo/electronica genre.

[Chill/Disco] Goldroom – Till Sunrise ft. Mammals

Posted by Matthew Bloss - August 11, 2014

Goldroom
Till Sunrise

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The way So-Cal dance-producer-turned-live act Goldroom approached the release of “Till Sunrise” was nothing short of inspiring. By now within most relevant electronic communities, Goldroom has become somewhat of a household name; and with every passing release, it would be quite simple to pick a handful of big name artists to author remixes and pocket a nice penny or two. But, rather than that extremely tired formula, the entire stem package was given away for free weeks ago, allowing any artist with a pirated copy of Ableton to try their hands at an official remix before anyone had even had a chance to hear it. We’ve heard great revisions already from names like MyKill and Justin Faust, which truly only stoked our proverbial fire before its concrete release today. But alas, it is Goldroom’s original tune which of course surpasses anything else done with the song. A wave of soft synth and airy pads give life to the track’s two-steppy stride of a melody before Mammals’ breathy vocal incantations take their seat as our focal point. Goldroom’s slowed down brand of dance plays as luminous as ever, immediately taking our subconscious to late night rooftop parties and beach side soirees with our best friends; which is something we’ve almost come to expect from the multi-faceted dance creator. This one is about to go viral, so be a few steps ahead and stream “Till Sunrise”, which is out now on Binary, above. Trust us, it’s the most perfect Monday tune you’ll have listened to in months.

[Nu-Disco/Soul-Pop] Body Language – Feel It [TMN Premiere]

Posted by Matthew Bloss - July 31, 2014

Body Language
Feel It

Soundcloud

Brooklyn based indie-disco purveyors Body Language first showed up on our radar all the way back in 2011 with their remix of Givers’ “Up Up Up”, again back in 2012 with “I’m a Mess” and last year through an impressive, disco-synth laden retooling of Great Good Fine OK’s “You’re The One For Me”. Today, the multi-faceted electronic quartet returns to TMN for the first time in 2014 with a funk fueled synth-pop listen, “Feel It” for an official TMN Premiere. The second single to drop off of an impending extended play Infinite Sunshine, due out August 12, “Feel It” takes shape under a rolling four-four kick and the kind of sprightly guitar riff you’d expect to hear penned by the legendary Nile Rodgers before bursting into a sun-ripened downtempo dance groover. Never have their chunky 80’s dance synths held such weight either, with an incredibly danceable lead synth and bass line wrapping the entire movement up with a lovely little bow, simultenously turning in one of our favorite original tunes from an intellectually danceable catalog. We’ve also gotten confirmation that Body Language is currently working on the follow up LP to 2013’s Grammar, which we can’t wait to wrap our ears around either. Stream “Feel It” above, and we’ll keep bringing you the Body Language heat leading up to the release of Infinite Sunshine in a few weeks.

[Chill/Downtempo] KAASI – Lucy Stone

Posted by Matthew Bloss - March 12, 2014

KAASI
Lucy Stone

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London based KAASI got us feeling all sultry a bit early this morning with his latest downtempo meets house tune “Lucy Stone”. All of those essential house elements are accounted for; a four-four kick, swelling pads, a bit of a shuffle and even an infectious classic piano line at its core. But, the way KAASI disperses these elements through his minimal brand of downtempo dance is a thing of beauty, as his sonic temperament drizzles its way through completely, leaving behind just a lovely piece of electronic music in “Lucy Stone”. Trust us when we say not to miss this one, and if listening here on TMN isn’t your cup of tea (which would be weird) grab the free download of “Lucy Stone” here along with some more offerings from KAASI’s eclectic catalog.