Tag Archives: Jamie xx

[17 To End ’17] Ninja Ash’s Best of the Year

Posted by Ash El Gamal - December 31, 2017

Listen to the playlist on Spotify // Apple Music.

Nite Jewel‘s Real High, full of lush instrumentation and flawless percussion, is meant for late night listening–“Obsession” captivates with its sensual atmosphere.

Gabriel Garzón-Montano‘s unique take on soul made for one of the most captivating albums of the year. “Fruitflies” is an earworm of a track that tells a heartbreaking, deeply human story that needed to be heard in 2017.

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“Baybee” captures everything I love so much about Jay Som‘s 2017 debut Everybody Works–dreamy, expansive and larger-than-life.

Slowdive‘s first album back in over 2 decades is a transformative masterpiece and “Star Roving” exemplifies its beautiful vastness.

We might be a bit biased since we premiered his first track on TMN Radio earlier this year, but Still Woozy may be the artist I’m most excited for in 2017. “Cooks” displays just how much emotion and soul he pack into a quirky, playful tune. Continue reading →

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[Music Ninja Radio] Episode 77: Farewells, Premiers & Nü Nü

Posted by Ash El Gamal - May 1, 2017
Music Ninja Radio
Episode #77: Farewells, Premieres & Nü Nü
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Music Ninja Radio is a weekly podcast broadcast live on San Francisco’s BFF.fm from 4-6PM PST every Friday.

 Soundcloud || Spotify || Tracklist

After a month out of the studio, we had a ton going on during this week’s episode of TMN Radio. Co-host Dom is embarking on a new life journey and will be moving to London next week so we bid him farewell for now–opening and closing the show with London-inspired tracks. We also had special guest Still Woozy to premiere his incredible first solo single and share some of his wide-ranging inspiration.

Of course, there was plenty of new music to share as well featuring Tyler Hawkins, Bobby Nourmand, Odesza, Yaeji, Mac DeMarco, Kendrick Lamar & more!

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[NEW] The xx – On Hold

Posted by Ash El Gamal - November 10, 2016

After teasing fans with mysterious clips on their Spotify page, The xx have officially returned today with a stunning new single and an album on the way. During their 3 year hiatus, die-hard fans (myself included) could take solace in In Colour, the debut solo outing from Jamie xx, the trio’s masterful producer. On that project, Jamie got a chance to depart from the somber sound of his band delving deeper into the elements of dance music he had already subtly showcased on The xx’s first two albums. With the help of an incredible Idris Muhammad sample, Jamie xx and bandmate Romy Croft crafted one of 2015’s best songs with “Loud Places,” which held a triumphant, uplifting vibe unlike anything we’d heard from the group.

As I speculated and waited for new music, I couldn’t help but wonder how Jamie’s ‘colour’ might impact The xx’s 3rd album. Today we get the answer with “On Hold”–the perfect marriage between The xx’s heart-wrenching aura and Jamie’s matured sound. While the song features complex, 4×4 percussion, Jamie employs filters and dramatic pads to make room for his bandmates’ signature reverb-ed guitar and heart breaking vocals. As the song approaches its most stark moment, the chorus erupts with an irresistible Hall & Oates sample that oozes pure joy.

At it’s core “On Hold” tells the tale of letting someone go and the disappointment of them moving on, but its potent chorus offers a light at the end of the tunnel–one that was just flickering on their last album, Coexist. 

I See You, the third studio album from The xx, is out on January 13th via Young Turks–you can pre-order it here. We’ll have this one on repeat while we wait.

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[Electronic] Jamie xx, Romy & Four Tet – Seesaw (Club Version)

Posted by Ash El Gamal - February 4, 2016
Jamie xx + Four Tet + Romy
Seesaw (club version)
Soundcloud

Jamie xx‘s 2015 album In Colour hasn’t even been out for a year yet and it’s already clear that it’ll have some serious staying power. I don’t think a week has passed since it’s release that I haven’t given it a cover-to-cover listen. Although it’s impossible to pick a favorite, “Seesaw,” one of two songs featuring The xx-collaborator Romy Croft, possesses a particularly hypnotizing aesthetic. The combination of a house sensibility, UK garage-influenced percussion and Romy’s soaring vocals creates a texture signature to Jamie xx.

Unsurprisingly, Four Tet, a pioneer in his own right, also contributed to the production of “Seesaw,” which apparently stemmed from sessions all the way back in 2013. This year, Four Tet slightly re-tooled the song with, in his own words, “different drums and mix and arrangement.” The result, as its suffix suggests, is a dance floor-ready version of the track released today that manages to bring a new energy without losing a touch of the original’s magic. This one will definitely be a regular in the weekend mix. It’s also rumored that Justin Martin has a remix of “Seesaw” in the works. We won’t hold our breathe but this should do just fine to hold us over regardless.

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[15 To End 2015] Ninja Ash’s Best of the Year

Posted by Ash El Gamal - December 31, 2015

When you listen to music as much as I do, your song selections and life experiences become inseparable–each impacting the other in both conscious and subconscious ways. That relationship embodies the uniquely subjective nature of music. You can listen to a song ten times and think nothing of it but then hear it in the right context or headspace and everything just clicks. As such, any effort of making an objective “best of” list proves a fruitless task. So rather than attempt that Sisyphean task, my ’15 To End 2015′ captures the songs that meant the most to me this year: ones that soundtracked my best memories, comforted me at my lowest points or simply possessed endless replay value. Peep my favorites of 2015 below. Hopefully they’ll take on a life of their own in your music collection.

’Beach House – Space Song’
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A trip to psychedelic space land–just close your eyes and absorb.

’The Internet – Under Control’
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A fresh and endlessly relatable take on R&B from Syd & co.

’Thundercat – ‘Them Changes”
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Built on the same Isley Brothers drum sample as “Today Was a Good Day,” this funk-injected jam crescendos a year full of nostalgia for the era of Parliament, James Brown & Sly Stone.

’Main Attrakionz – Ain’t No Other Way’
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Feel good Bay Area hip-hop for and from the soul.

’Raury – Forbidden Knowledge (feat. Big K.R.I.T.)’
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An absolute lyrical gem from a young artist with wisdom well beyond his years.

’Kendrick Lamar – These Walls (feat. Thundercat, Bilal & Anna Wise)’
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My most played song from my favorite album of the year: ‘To Pimp A Butterfly.’

’Jamie xx – I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)(feat. Young Thug & Popcaan)’
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It’s hard to pick a favorite song from Jamie xx’s ‘In Colour’ but this summer anthem flipped pretentious listeners on their heads while showcasing the merits of melodic emcees.

’Shamir – In For The Kill’
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The danciest track from the year’s most pioneering pop vocalist.

’Mura Masa – Lovesick Fuck’
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In 2015 Mura Masa continued to prove his dominance in the realm of emotional future bass. This is easily my most played track of the year.

’Big Wild – Aftergold’
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‘Aftergold’ captures Big Wild’s genuinely organic approach to electronic music–one full of sonic plot twists and playful melodies.

’Lane 8 – Loving You ft. Lulu James’
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Lane 8’s compositions shaped my year and “Loving You,” the opener of his debut album, brings to mind feelings of excitement and new beginnings.

’Kenton Slash Demon – Harpe’
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The capacity for emotional power within an instrumental composition should never be underestimated–‘Harpe’ proves that.

’Tame Impala – Let It Happen (Soulwax Remix)’
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The magnificence of Tame Impala and the rare emergence of Soulwax combine for infinite grooves.

’Billy Kenny – I Eat Beats (Ardalan Remix)’
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This song is single-handedly responsible for piquing my interest in tech-house.

’Sonny Fodera & Gene Farris – We Work It’
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I listened to this every time I worked it in 2015.

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

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

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[House] Jamie xx – Loud Places (ft. Romy) (John Talabot Dub)

Posted by Ash El Gamal - July 12, 2015
Jamie xx
Loud Places (John Talabot Dub)
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Last week, on WNYU’s Beats In Space radio, a new remix of Jamie xx‘s “Loud Places”–undoubtedly been one of the songs of the year thus far–was sneakily premiered. Created by fellow Young Turks artist, the Spanish John Talabot, the 4×4 re-interpretation takes just a bit from Romy’s soaring vocals building a steady, heavenly house groove with syncopated synths. Adding to the already ethereal feelings evoked, are gorgeous ambient pads that actually resemble a softer version of those that build on Jamie xx’s “Gosh.” Talabot’s re-imagination of the tune never loses the uplifting nature of the “Loud Places,” even without the original’s impassioned Idris Muhammad sample, all the while displaying his equally impressive signature aesthetic. It’s an impressive feat for a song this good, but it comes as no surprise that Talabot, a pioneer in his own right, was able to pull it off. Just bask in, and absorb, the warmth of this phenomenal composition.

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