Tag Archives: Future Classic

[Electronic] seekae – turbine blue (swindail remix)

seekae
turbine blue [swindail remix]

Anything Future Classic gets behind is something worth listening to. If they end up reaching out to you directly for a project, you should feel honored as a music producer. One person to receive that honor was swindail, who was commissioned for an official remix of “turbine blue” by Seekae.

If you read the song’s description on Soundcloud, swindail says, “hope you can enjoy this song atop a cup of tea with biscuits or patting ur dog if u have one;” which just goes to show the intriguing nature of the song. It’s a bit weird, very chill, and (not) surprisingly awesome. For nearly three minutes, you’ll be rendered relaxed as swindail’s captivating composition delivers funky rhythms and eccentric tones to your ears. This official work is out now, so if you’re looking to add it on iTunes or Spotify, you can do so now.

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[Dance] HWLS ft. ShockOne – Gamma

HWLS
Gamma (w/ ShockOne)

HWLS, the production project of Justin Elwin, just released a cross-genre dance gem that will pump up your Friday morning. HWLS first came into spotlight after Elwin teamed up with Ta-Ku with the release of tracks like “Plays” with Ty Dolla $ign and a remix of Tokimonsta‘s “Realla”.

Co-producing with fellow Australian producer ShockOne, HWLS combines a hardhitting bassline with sharp synth stabs to create an all-out infectious melody. To our surprise, Gamma’s high energy and upbeat production is drastically different than the chilled out and ambient vibe. The two various drops also put Elwin’s versatility in production in display. The genre-ambiguity will definitely satisfy a wide range of dance crowds.

Released via Future Classic, “Gamma” will be sure to make some waves for HWLS going into his debut US tour with Flume in August. Make sure to stay tuned for more tour info and exciting news for the talented HWLS!

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

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

’DIVERSA – Burning House’
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’
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)’
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)’
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”
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’
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)’
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’
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)’
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’
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.

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[TMN Exclusive Interview] Kenton Slash Demon On Recreating Moments in their Music

’Kenton Slash Demon – Harpe’

Danish production duo Kenton Slash Demon didn’t first appear on the pages of TMN until about a month ago, but they’ve been making waves in electronic music for over half a decade now. Across a series of EPs, Silas Moldenhawer and Jonas Kenton, the artists behind KSD, have displayed a versatility fueled by a passion for dance music of all kinds. Regardless of styles employed or influences evoked, there remains a distinct emotional power across their catalogue even with an often minimalist approach–using stark undertones as a powerful point of contrast. Perhaps some of that dynamic range also stems from Silas and Jonas’s work as half of successful indie-electronic outfit, When Saints Go Machine. Their latest project, the Harpe/Syko EP, sees the Future Classic-signees continuing their sonic evolution with two lush and textured, albeit vastly different, compositions equally appropriate for a festival sunrise or an at-home chill session.

We had a chance to catch up with Silas of Kenton Slash Demon about growing up in Copenhagen, their production approach and the emotions that fuel their creativity–check out the interview below. You can grab a copy of Harpe/Syko now here and check out KSD’s upcoming US tour dates here.

TMN: How did you and Jonas first start making music and were there any memories from early on that stand out?

Silas: I think it was around seventh or eighth grade when Jonas started listening to electronic music and I had an older friend who had been DJing who got me into it. Jonas had been listening to some Danish artists like Future 3 and Bjørn Svin—he bought those CD’s and played them for me. We were not really good friends at that point, even though we were in the same class. We kind of bonded over the music.

At some point, my dad bought an old school sound module with standard MIDI sounds and hooked it up to our PC with, I think, Cubase 1.2 or something, in black and white and with no effects. We had no idea about equipment, programs or synthesizers. We had never even heard about synthesizers at that time, so we just started trying to make electronic music from these standard MIDI sounds. At that point, it was psychedelic trance we were trying to copy and it sounded really weird because we didn’t have any of the sounds you needed to make that kind of music.

TMN: How important has the Danish music scene been in forming your sound?

Silas: We never thought about how the scene affected us, but looking back it had a massive impact–just getting inspired by what’s close to you, what’s going on when you’re growing up, when you start to go out to clubs and you experience your first rave. For us, the scene we were first part of was like shitty trance music in a club called Gorgeous and it was only on Wednesdays. I remember we had fake IDs to get in and we were not really participating in the party. We were just standing in the corner looking at the DJ and all the dancing, just trying to learn. We were really curious about the whole thing.
Continue reading

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Hayden James On His Musical Roots, Finding His Voice and Upcoming Releases [TMN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]

HJ2

’Hayden James – Something About You’

For the first piece of exclusive content in Hayden James’ TMN artist residency, we’ve got an interview with the talented Australian artist! Peep the conversation below where Hayden discusses his musical roots, his success thus far and what he’s got in the works. If you’re not yet familiar with Hayden James give our introduction post a read and enjoy some of his fantastic tunes through out this piece. 

TMN: What was your first musical memory?

Hayden James: My mum playing the guitar. She would play Spanish style flamenco stuff. That and my parents listening to Lionel Richie records.

TMN: When and how did you first start getting into making music?

Hayden James: I started writing a few years ago. I used to DJ a lot so all the stuff I used to write was skewed towards playing in clubs I guess, as opposed to now where I’m writing more songs to be played whenever, wherever.

TMN: Your original music has such a distinct groove and emotion to it—can you talk a bit about some of the artists and sounds that you were really into when creating your debut EP?

Hayden James: Thank you! It’s really important that my music has that emotional element / connection with people. Artists that give that kind of feeling to me is Daft Punk, James Blake, Jai Paul, Odesza to name a few.

TMN: Did singing come around the same time as producing for you or was that a bit later?

Hayden James: It was pretty much the same time. I would write these songs and didn’t really know any singers, so I just sang on them myself as demos. From there I started to manipulate / pitch them. I never intended to sing really, but it has worked out so far ;).

TMN: So many artists need to flood the market with a slew of releases to get noticed but you’ve amassed a large following on the backs of a few quality releases. How meaningful is it for you to have such an avid fan base at this stage of your career?

Hayden James: Yeah it’s so crazy. I’ve only released 2 singles (along side an EP) to date. It’s really amazing to be able to tour so many places around the world with the music i’ve released so far.

Can’t wait to release more music really soon! Continue reading

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[Chill] Charles Murdoch – Frogs Feat. Ta-Ku & Wafia

Charles Murdoch
Frogs Feat. Ta-ku, Wafia & Hak

The recent run of dynamic musicians coming from Australia these past few years shows no signs of slowing up.

It appears as if our kangaroo-boxing neighbors to the south have commandeered the progressive electronic music world; artists are able to piggyback off of like minded producers, while forming collectives that insulate them in positive and constructive environments to create polished works at a breakneck pace.

Riding the wave of success that gained traction on the back of Flume, Chet Faker, and countless others, Charles Murdoch – a long time Future Classic member – went back to the studio, working on a soon-to-be-release LP, Point.

Earlier this week, the stars aligned and fans were graced with the first release from Point; a collaboration involving familiar artists expanding their repertoires into unfamiliar roles. While Murdoch’s widely popular remixes may be what he is best known for, his latest original work certainly sets the bar much higher.

“Frogs” opens with a 30 second monologue by none other than Ta-Ku – reminiscent of a spoken word session at a poetry club – fading into a soft downtempo warbling that persists throughout the remainder of the track. As the beat picks up, he demonstrates a sultry smooth vocal skill set on “Frogs” that fans have only heard snippets of via his eccentric Instagram account.

While listeners are still processing the limitless talents of Ta-Ku, Wafia comes into the fold, seductively harmonizing her lines intermittently throughout the song. The masterful duet takes Murdoch’s dark, brooding instrumental and injects it with feelings of solitude. Following a Wafia solo at the 3:00 mark in which she serenades listeners with a single emotive line, “Frogs” ends all too soon.

Charles Murdoch fans can keep up with his works and the upcoming release of Point on his Soundcloud page.

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Introducing our Next Resident Artist — Hayden James

In an age of constant hype and endless musical evolution, the task of distinguishing artists with true longevity from those with fleeting attachments to current trends proves nearly impossible. As music curators, and hopefully useful filters for an overwhelming influx of content, it tends to fall in our hands to predict the potential for this sort of transcendence amongst new producers and musicians often based off a single project, or even song.

When we first heard Australian producer/songwriter Hayden James‘ debut single “Permission to Love” over two years ago, we had a feeling the up ‘n comer was onto something special. The combination of his own soulful vocals with house-leaning, groove-driven production made for an irresistible sound–an emotional approach that has only become more crucial in contemporary electronic music since that time. Even today, “Permission to Love” remains in heavy rotation for the TMN Staff–a rarity with the fast-paced nature of music these days. Simply put, it’s electronic music that compels you to feel as much as it does to dance.

James’ subsequent self-titled EP, released on Australian powerhouse Future Classic, helped solidify that seductive style but it wasn’t until his hit single “Something About You,” which featured vocal accompaniment from the talented George Maple, that James truly cemented his spot in the mainstream. Aside from making its way into just about every publications’ best of 2014 lists, and rightfully so, the addictive jam could be heard in DJ sets in every corner of the world garnering support from artists across genres. Fresh off the heels of millions of Soundcloud plays and countless co-signs, James hit the road continuing to release impressive, versatile remixes, but also proving his abilities as a DJ and performer–playing sets worldwide including an appearance at Coachella this year.

With a distinguished sound that appeals to fans outside of just electronic music, a multitude of talents and the Future Classic crew behind him, Hayden James undoubtedly has a bright future ahead of him and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome him as our Resident Artist. Stay tuned to TMN for the next month as we’ll be bringing you exclusive content from one of our favorite up ‘n coming producers. In the meantime, enjoy some tuneage from Hayden James below.

’Hayden James – Permission To Love’
’Hayden James – No Time’
’Hayden James – Something About You’
’Odesza – Say My Name (feat. Zyra) (Hayden James Remix)’
’Rufus – Sundream (Hayden James Remix)’
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