Tag Archives: MNEK

[Deep House] MNEK – The Rhythm (Sebastian Carter Edition)

MNEK
The Rhythm (Sebastian Carter Edition)

Before the Ninja crew took me as their own, I was something else, somewhere else. Sebastian Carter was a person that received support on pretty much everything he released. This guy brings some deep fire, and he’s recently brought the world a remix of “The Rhythm.”

MNEK gets a minimal makeover with a strong groove as the basis for the club-centric single. The bassline is a work of art in and of itself, and the playful interplay between the rhythmic structures makes this a song that will get even the most stiff of individuals dancing. Sebastian reached #2 on Hypem with this, but it certainly still has some life left. Heart it, and get yourself a free copy.

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[NEW] MNEK – The Rythm

MNEK
The Rhythm

UK vocalist, songwriter and producer, MNEK, has quickly established himself as a hit-maker with “Ready for Your Love,” his infectious collab with Gorgon City, “Wrote a Song About You,” his breakout solo single and a load of high-caliber production credits. His soulful vocals have a way of meshing with electronic production impeccably making for a sound both danceable and relaxing–a prevalent quality with a number of our favorite up ‘n comers. His latest offering, “Rythm,” is no different continuing to demonstrate this equilibrium. MNEK’s vocals shine as the backdrop builds until the 1:15 mark when a minimalistic groovy bassline is introduced accompanying a looped vocal sample. “Rythm” makes for the perfect first cut to kick off your Friday evening. Give it a spin above.

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[TMN Exclusive Interview] Get To Know: UK R&Bounce Producer XO

’XO – Through The Night (feat. RobLaw)’

Soul, funk and R&B seem to revive themselves every few years whether it be in hip-hop, electronica or indie music. It is a welcome longevity that doesn’t come as much of a surprise given the breadth of those genres’ influence. A batch of electronic producers from collectives like SoulectionHW&W and FlowFi have been leading the latest revival melding elements of EDM and hip-hop with soul and ’90s R&B influences in what’s been referred to as Future Bounce and Emotional Dance Music.

Over the last 6 months or so, UK producer Sunil Heera, aka XO, has been building quite the audience on his SoundCloud with his unique R&Bounce style. Although it certainly fits with the current direction of electronic music, his sound has broader influences in house and garage reflecting a diverse musical background. His latest single “Through the Night,” off his upcoming debut EP of the same name, serves as a perfect introduction to XO’s music. The bouncy, soulful and sexy production on the cut match RobLaw‘s voice to perfection in part because XO also works closely with his vocalists in the songwriting process.

Get to know this up ‘n coming talent in our exclusive interview below. Through the Night drops on December 1st and can be pre-ordered via iTunes HERE.

TMN: What is your first musical memory? And when/how did you get into making music?

XO: Hmmm, probably dancing around my living room to the Spice Girls with my older sister, I must’ve been like 3/4 years old or something, don’t judge me.

I’ve always been a music fanatic for as long as I can remember, so I guess the initial interest in actually making my own stemmed from there. I started producing casually in my early high school years, purely out of curiosity I suppose. The idea of creating music from my own bedroom intrigued me, so I thought I’d give it a little go!  A couple of years later, once I’d reached a point of consistency with my production skills, I started out as XO and after a period of self discovery, here I am!

TMN: You seem to be pretty involved past just the production of your tracks. How did you go about constructing “Through the Night”? What’s your collaboration approach with vocalists more broadly? 

XO: Yeah totally, I’m a songwriter just as much as I am a producer nowadays. “Through The Night” started off as a simple chord sequence as most of my tracks do. During the developmental stage, I got a general feel for the vocal melody and began to pencil in the lyrical content. The track concept itself was perfect for RobLaw’s voice, so we just had to work together again!

My collaboration approach with most vocalists is similar to the one I’ve just described, I like to get an initial idea first of all, and then build and refine it with them. Although, there’s no set procedure to how these things work, every song you write or produce is different – going with the flow is the best thing to do.

Continue reading

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[Synth-Pop] Digital Farm Animals – Bad Idea ft. Holly & MNEK

Digital Farm Animals
Digital Farm Animals 'Bad Idea' ft. Holly Partridge & MNEK

London’s Digital Farm Animals has been quite the apple of this publication’s eye, or ear for that matter,  since we had the pleasure of debuting their first single “Adore You” back in July followed by an intimate exclusive interview early last month. It’s safe to say that DFA’s artistic prowess and quality of electronic production has swallowed our psyche, simultaneously placing them on our proverbial list on “One’s to Watch For” in 2014. With their forthcoming EP, which was recorded mainly under the influence of some Down Under inspiration in Australia, Bugged Out, having just been released on August 26, DFA has released their second synth-wave driven, pop laced track “Bad Idea” featuring contributions from Holly & a recent collaborator on Duke Dumont’s smash single “Hold On”, MNEK. DFA’s sophomore public contribution follows a melancholy pop song blueprint conjoined with a moving vocal track which sees both vocalists’ skills intertwining in a product sounding in the same vein as South London’s soul songstress Jessie Ware, before unleashing on a simple, but rhythmically boisterous chorus. We’re certainly excited for more material from Digital Farm Animals as their first two entries into TMN’s life have been primly polished pieces of left-field pop music just brimming with potential, and catchy enough for any style of music consumer. Stream the tune above and have a Happy Monday.

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