Hopefully you weren’t living under a rock this week, because it was a new music Friday for the books. We were lucky to get some HUGE albums, plentiful surprises, and a collection of music that continues to make the case for 2016 being a great year when it comes to quality releases. Even with all of these stellar projects, there’s plenty of gems to be found, and we’ve got some wonderful tunes primed and ready for you today. Enjoy!
Jai Wolf – Drive (feat. Chain Gang of 1974)
Jai Wolf has come a long way since No Pets Allowed, and watching his rapid ascent to success has been quite the trip to say the least. Since his recent foray into original material with Indian Summer, he’s shifted to creating songs that make you feel like you could just jump and fly away whenever you want. “Drive” is his wonderful second original offering and it exists as a dreamy counterpart to Indian Summer, stacked from top to bottom with breathtaking production and effervescent vocals from The Chain Gang of 1974. In short, it’s miraculous. The Foreign Family Collective continues its winning streak with “Drive,” and we’re all better off because of it.
Slow Shudder – Call You Back
A timely repost on SoundCloud can be an awesome thing, and, thanks to AObeats, we were given the opportunity to hear the debut tune from London’s own Slow Shudder. She’s already on to something with “Call You Back.” She effortlessly delivers each verse with her lofty and light voice before the tune quickly turns to a combination of club kick patterns, fluttering synths, and chirpy vocal chops that exhibits a level hand and production standard of more established artists before her. “Call You Back” is a strong statement to start with, and now we’re certainly ready to hear more from Slow Shudder.
You know good pop when you hear it. It isn’t hard to decipher. However, Annabel Jones makes something better than just good pop music. “Happy” proves it. Something about her delivery and soothing voice meshes well with any and all production, even the unpredictable instrumentation of this newest tune. Juggling angelic synths and almost PC Music-esque elements, “Happy” manages to completely change course multiple times in only four minutes, but the cohesiveness is maintained throughout. When it comes to following up a huge hit like IOU, it can be a difficult time, but Annabel Jones didn’t have any trouble at all creating a sweet new single for all of us to enjoy. Grab her debut EP on iTunes here!
Everything about this Thalab song is gorgeous. This is the sort of crazy and beautiful result you get when you smash together the best of electronica, alternative, folk, and even a little soul. The sound design is second to none, and the spacious atmosphere created manages to also stay grounded because of the tactful use of acoustic guitar juxtaposed with careening and lush synths. We’ll be the first to admit we aren’t entirely familiar with many producers from Spain, but these Barcelona natives have managed to pique our curiosity into expanding our exploration into a more international approach. End your day on the perfect note with this one.
Commandeur – Wasted (Ardency Remix)
We love Ardency. They’ve pulled together a reputable collection of remixes and a handful of originals, and their latest project stems from the former. Fun Fact: Commandeur is the side project of the drummer from the great Australian band Panama, and this duo snagged a chance to give their own spin on his tune “Wasted.” There’s a classic, almost revamped 80’s edge to Ardency’s production that makes for an emotional rollercoaster on certain occasions, and this is absolutely one of times. It’s hard to deny the power of an electronic pop tune like this, and Ardency prides themselves on demonstrating their abilities in reshaping an older sound into something fresh and new. Do yourself a favor and snag the free download their remix here.
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