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Carousel – Another Day

Sunday, April 7, 2013

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If you needed any more proof that warmer days are ahead, look at what music is dropping. Music may not directly reflect what’s happening in (almost) every sector of our world like fashion does; like James Blake isn’t going to release a song about sipping summer mimosas in May because it’s almost summer. He’d probably release a track dedicated to autumn chill before anything else. What I mean to say before I digress any further is that sometimes the music world and the rest of the world work in concert together to complement the changes surrounding us. So as we shift from winter to spring (hopefully, the Northeast’s weather has been a little schizophrenic as of late), artists are coincidentally releasing music that’ll have you feeling as free and easy as a summer Sunday afternoon.

We first wrote about Carousel back in January. We said that they’re a band worth keeping an eye on, and two weeks ago the Brooklyn duo dropped this track. Needless to say, its been on repeat. From the moment the synths kick in, images of light-leaked 16mm film of beach-side longing, bike riding through some unknown town you and your friends decided to explore one weekend, and nights where the sun stays out to play until 8 PM come to mind.

Did you know that I’ve never felt this way before?
I can tell that you’re quiet, but you feel it too
Could I tell you that I’ve  never had a real girlfriend before?
I’d be surprised if you said that I could have that too
You know your touch
Oh, you got me feeling 
You’re starting to break me you’re on your way
Oh, you got me feeling I wanna stay
I wanna stay
Another day
Did you know that I could be everything you want and more?
Just tell me what it is about me you adore
Don’t act like this can’t get you through
You’ll be surprised that I already adore you, too.”

If there was an ode to innocent summer love, this would be it. The honesty is endearing. It’s a track about something we all want to experience (or perhaps that’s just me trying to justify my silly little dreams). The carelessness warm weather brings has this uncanny ability to make dropping your guard easy. For whatever reason, we become more of ourselves in the summer than we do in the winter. Maybe it’s the summer Fridays or maybe it’s the fact that we don’t have to really worry about layering for the possible snowstorm on its way. Whatever the case, summer reignites our sense of self and that’s a great thing. Carousel’s love letter will do just that. It’s a breezy electro-pop tune that’ll have you daydreaming of the days ahead. It’s also the perfect track for a Sunday — light, a little bubbly, but grounded in honesty and wholehearted truth; all things necessary towards starting your week off right.

Here’s to Sunday.

Carousel – Another Day


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C2C – Happy feat. Derek Martin

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Well, seeing as I just danced for like two whole minutes at my cat to this song, I think it’s only fitting that I write about it. I also want to talk forever and ever about their live show which I attended on Thursday at Irving Plaza. But I won’t talk forever, I promise.

There’s a lot to say but let me begin by saying that The Knocks were a fantastic opener for C2C. We’ve talked about them before, and I understand the hype now. They’re so much fun live, with an excellent selection of songs and a fair gauge of what the crowd is into. Seeing as a lot of the audience at this show was French, they played a lot of funky electro, and even managed to get live edits of a couple of Justice’s tracks.

I was kind of turned off by the amount of pushing there was in the crowd, more so than usual, but I was quickly distracted from that once C2C entered the stage. Four turntables set up on top of boxes that played a variety of animations and light shows over the course of the performance.

They opened with The Cell, which is the first track on Tetra. Perfect opener, high energy and the smiles on each of the men’s faces were priceless as they watched a New York crowd go absolutely bonkers for their music. The moment that I heard the opening notes for Happy, I knew that things were about to get a little more wild. At that point, I turned to my friend, huge smiles plastered across both of our silly faces, and said, “They wanted to make a song about happiness, and they just happen to have a room filled with really happy people.” And that was true, as I looked around. All night, my friend and I were dancing next to this one dude whose sole intention was to move his body all night long. He arrived alone and left alone, wearing a fedora and simple clothes, he was the embodiment of what C2C’s music is about. It’s about art, craft and technique, sure, but it inspires such an overwhelming amount of happiness in so many people. It’s an instantaneous amount of happy, like when you’re sitting in your living room and your roommate puts on Down the Road and you hear the first ten bars, immediately smiling and asking who the eff this is? Because you’ve never heard such a happy balance of sound and music.

As a former turntable DJ (I took classes and have since not been able to practice, but I would still know what to do if given the opportunity), I was absolutely floored by the tricks that they pulled on stage. Everything from trading places, to working as four on one turntable with one person scratching while the other worked the cross fader. These are standard tricks for them, but me being the rookie that I am having enough trouble with simple looping, it was a magical sight.

These Frenchmen do a pretty excellent job of creating sound that embodies a good feeling, and then pairing it with a video that matches that visually. So if you haven’t seen the video yet, look below.

The show ended with an incredible tribute to the Beastie Boys where the members of C2C took turns rapping their own verses to Intergalactic. As some of you know, there’s a lot of overlap between Hocus Pocus and C2C, and I was secretly hoping that they would break out into rap earlier in the show. Nevertheless, this dose of rap was enough to leave the crowd really pleased in a high energy way, the perfect way to leave a crowd after a great night.

That said, this track should give you a lift if you’re down and keep your spirits up if you’re up! Enjoy.

C2C – Happy feat. Derek Martin


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STRFKR – Beach Monster

Saturday, April 6, 2013

strfkr

Allow me to paint today’s scene outside my window for you. The sun is out, the sky is clear, and I can hear groups of people pass by beaming in the newfound warmth. It’s a kind of day that feels fresh, feels new, and — dare I say, limitless. To be honest, I’m not much of a sunny weather kind of guy; 60 degrees, overcast, and a little drizzle is my idea of a perfect day (the diffused light is a photographer’s best friend). Today, however, the weather is giving me life! It’s the kind of day to be lazy in the most active way — procrastinate your to-do’s and explore, find something new. I’d highly suggest you bring this track with you.

There isn’t much more to say about STRFKR’s track other than that it’s sonic bliss — saying anything more would be a buzzkill. It slinks its way out of your speakers in a hazy hypnotic psychedelic blend of island chill and East Village swag. The best thing for you to do is put on your headphones, lace up your Chucks, press play on this baby, and float through the streets. For those of you who drive everywhere, it should go with out saying that you’re practically obligated to coast down the highways with the windows down and this track turned way up. It’s also a solid track to dance alone to in your bedroom, but that’s just my prerogative.

STRFKR – Beach Monster


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Lafayette – Mauvaise Mine (Jupiter reMix)

Friday, April 5, 2013

la lune les etoiles

Now this is a tie loosener and I mean that in the, “it’s Friday, you just got out of work and you’re about to trip the light fantastic with friends, confidants, and a few fun strangers you’ve yet to make the acquaintance and the suit is staying but you’re getting ready to wild out a bit and this half-windsor feels really constricting all of a sudden,” sense of the term. Yes, you can tell that I’m looking forward to the weekend.

This one starts out pretty minimally – just a tinny drum beat and a simple keyboard motif – before it transforms into a sweet piece of candy coated nu-discofied funk. Here, the neon lights shine bright. An R&B guitar riff mingles with the synth line while another keyboard lays down a fat bass. But it’s nimble and tweaks the formula a bit as so much great French electronic does. Did I mention that Lafayette and their remixers Juptier are both Parisian acts? If a title like Mauvaise Mine wasn’t a dead giveaway, then the pervasive sense of luxury that this track positively exudes should’ve tipped any listener off.

It’s hard not to be positive at the moment. While it doesn’t really feel like Spring is upon us the season is, in fact, a thing that is currently happening. That means that despite the chill one might find themselves in (those of us living in New York included), sunny days and quality weather is imminent. No subtext and no dilemmas here. The only one should have in the coming weeks and months, outside of the Big Things and Important Issues, is what are the best ways to spend your time and who to spend it with. You’ve got your work cut out for you, I know.

Lafayette – Mauvaise Mine (Jupiter reMix)


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Phoenix — Entertainment (Blood Orange Remix)

Thursday, April 4, 2013

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Despite all of the wonderful energy that has been circulating around NYC lately, and, all the momentum that every single one of my projects seems to be flourishing from, there are times of the day where I just want to indulge in a pensive mood.  I look forward to those moments, as I run up and down the city, from side to side, in and out of meetings, in and out of studio sessions, and in and out what sometimes seems to me like long stretches of work and daily routines; some redundant, and some just things that have to be done.  So, when I dove into the EMPT dropbox of goodies this morning, it was a much welcomed surprised to hear this slow-downed remixed version of Phoenix‘s song: “Entertainment”.

Just because something is made one way, it never necessarily means that this is the way it should always stay.  If that were the case, we would all be screwed by things like: Draconian laws that never changed, corrupt political systems that never progressed, and even songs with so much potential that never got reworked or remixed in order to highlight those things about them that are best.

Music is experimental and it is art, there is really no right or wrong when it comes down to it, just a bunch of unsolicited opinions and simple distaste, or, love for a song.  Sometimes the artist(s) and all of their previous works are irrelevant when we find a song that we simply love.

“Entertainment” has received mixed reviews from the masses, but as Blood Orange adds on to the original work, he tried out female vocals to balance out the modest changes he incorporated into it, leaving us with a melancholic yet chilled out tune that we can ourselves incorporate seamlessly into our daily playlists, and that won’t change a thing about our routines, if not, adding some time in our busy schedules to briefly reflect on life and all of the beauties within it, because at the end of the day, we are alive, we are beautiful, and music connects it all together so magically.

Think.

Phoenix — Entertainment (Blood Orange Remix)


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The Black Lips – Veni Vedi Vici (Diplo Remix)

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Veni Vedi Vici is probably on my top ten list of songs, let alone, one of my favorite Black Lips songs. There’s an attitude in it that I love, something about it rings true to a certain New York City attitude. And the mere fact that the words are, I came, I saw, and I conquered, feel all too present in the everyday realities of living in this city.

While I have always appreciated Diplo’s work, I’ve noticed that he’s taken a liking more recently to the genre of rock. That makes me happy. This way, the work is mellow and refined, not too dramatic and just the right amount of rework.

The whole idea of arriving somewhere, seeing it, and conquering, is general to no avail. There’s a lot of ways to look at it, though I’ve chosen to think about it in terms of other people. There is something to be said about the people that inhabit your space and time, all the time and remain that way for an extended period of time. There’s also something to be said about the people who seem like they’re going to inhabit your space forever, but really just serve a transient role that is to be filled by someone else. Both are beautiful and incredibly important, it’s just that I’ve found it harder to accept as of late that people serve temporary roles. It’s hard to imagine someone that you really love or appreciate, care about, not existing in that way in your life in the future. But circumstances occur and situations present themselves, making it impossible to continue. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a failed relationship, or a friendship gone sour, all of these things are sad in the moment and ultimately incredible life moves. Because they keep us in flux and remind us to stay on our feet, to not forget that we’re not in charge but that there are other forces in this universe (interpret that as you will, not saying in any one specific way), working with and against us. Keep that in mind, and every soul that crosses your path will offer themselves as a test to whether or not the two of you will come, see and conquer. And if the two of you get through all three together, perhaps it means that you will stay together in this lifetime as whatever it is you need to be for one another. And if not, what you had was beautiful.

I hope you enjoy this track, as much as I do. Go ahead and find the original and give it a listen to if you don’t already know it. It’s a good wake up call.

The Black Lips – Veni Vedi Vici (Diplo Remix)


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EMPT Presents: Le Miel du Mois Mars 2013

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Chances, people tell you not to take chances
When they tell you there aren’t any answers
And I was starting to agree
But I awoke suddenly in the path of a lightning bolt”

They want us to define ourselves, to pick a side, choose a lane, walk around proud of those beliefs, confident and unwavering – safe & comfortable. But whose beliefs are those anyway? Most of us are products of our upbringing, our beliefs are those of our environment – our parents, television, marketing, music and so on. Why? Well, it’s easy to sell to, control and manipulate a predictable person. Think about your old ass grand parents. You ever hear them say some retarded sexist, racist or generally moronic stone age shit that makes you wonder how people in the past could have been so ignorant? We all have. Back in the day when information wasn’t as freely accessible that’s how effective the old ways were.

But say goodbye to olden times and welcome to EMPT, home of the Space Age. Open to everything and bound by nothing, we represent the futuristic being. Rebels of routine, patterns and blind tradition…

Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” – Bruce Lee

An open mind gives us the full capacity to love, appreciate and understand the fact that we are truly limitless. As we move into spring let’s use that to remember that the world is always in movement, change is the only thing that is constant. Thus, there’s no point to lock off your mind, move with the world forever.

I’m so proud that EMPT is the home of Le Miel du Mois and every time I hear Stephs work I get all worked up like this because her music is 100% aligned with everything that inspired my to start this site. I mean listen any LMDM and pretend like you know what’s next. This is no Pandora or Netflix bs algorithm. We have no preference for anything but the best, nothing here is a cheap random song you might like because you liked the last one. This 100% human expression with the single purpose of sharing our lives, taste and journey in the most honest way we can. This isn’t conformity, we answer to no one when brining you what we love. This is the Space Age. Press play, enjoy.

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Le Miel du Mois at work? That’s much better than work at work! Download

Tracklisting:

  1. Jake Bugg- Lightning Bolt
  2. Crazy P - Heartbreaker
  3. Ginger And The Ghost – One Type of Dark (Ta-ku Remix)
  4. Lovelife – Your New Beloved
  5. Wolf Alice – White Leather
  6. Tiger Waves – Fields
  7. Lafayette – Mauvaise Mine (Jupiter Remix)
  8. Sergio Rizzolo – The Balearic Generation
  9. Sam Smith - Lay Me Down (Jean Raw Mix)
  10. Kindness – Swinging Party
  11. Jai Paul – Jasmine
  12. Art Of Shades – All Away (Feat. Soukaïna)
  13. Youth Lagoon – Daisyphobia

 

 


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Grizzly Bear – Gun Shy (Lindstrøm Remix)

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

What more could we possibly ask for than to be at peace with the conditions we live in and the people we are surrounded by? We strive for several different things everyday, but in the end, it’s our own destiny that we choose what is right for us: trusting ourselves, and doing what’s good for the me in the equation. Unfortunately, as selfless as we hope to be, we are ultimately living for ourselves. And to truly listen to that desire, that which is purely human, and constantly carry it out everyday, is difficult. But perhaps that is what the essence of maturity truly is, adulthood, with a youthful heart.

This song came to me on a day of much thought. I talked to a friend earlier, who was disappointed at some recent events that had taken place in his life. We talked for a while about all that transpired for him in the past week, and then I reminded him that in the past month, everything good that could possibly happen to him, happened. And that one week, sometimes feels heavier than one month if the contents of that week are weighed down by negativity and confusion. The big picture, was what I walked away thinking about.

The original Grizzly Bear track runs for about 4:31 and makes me want to look at the big picture. Though this remix by Norwegian producer, Lindstrøm, puts a lovely sound in my ears and rides a very relaxed wave of sound.

Grizzly Bear – Gun Shy (Lindstrøm Remix)


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Superhuman Happiness + Cults – Um Canto De Afoxé Para O Bloco Do Ilê

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

The thing about this track is it perfectly captures what it feels like to be a carefree little kid. Two gently plucked guitars (and maybe a synth in there? I’m not sure) start the track off. The other voices come in one at a time – chimes, handclaps, the pulse of some electronic texture, and then Cults’ Madeline Follin’s vocals begin to some emotional heft. As soon as there’s something to latch onto, something as abstract as some portugese lyrics sung in an unembellished lilt, the shakers come in. By the time the horns make their entrance, you already know it’s a party.

It’s easy to get swallowed up by this. The song is rhythmically dense, with a couple of different patters getting laid out in the mix. The interplay in the different parts means there are little weird undercurrents, moments of uncertainty that provide a necessary contrast to the surface level sunshine. This is the kind of song where it’s hard to even latch onto anything and that’s the point and its so refreshing to get lost in a song like this and you don’t have to think and the little tweaks in the sound make keep it interesting and you find yourself smiling and you’re not quite sure why.

Maybe you’re flailing arms and other limbs, circling the roaring campfire on the beach just above the high tide line while the stars and moon look on. Maybe you’ve just stepped out into the light of the day and you weren’t expecting it to look this beautiful. Maybe you’re just happy to be alive. It’s that kind of buzz that I’m getting from Um Canto De Afoxé Para O Bloco Do Ilê and it’s hard not to want a hit of that.

Superhuman Happiness + Cults - Um Canto De Afoxé Para O Bloco Do Ilê


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EMPT Classic: Penguin Prison – Don’t Fuck With My Money (Official Video)

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

This only seemed fitting considering the way our world is being run as we speak, all the chaos and conspiracies…or are they?  Ha, I really don’t know nor do I like to stress myself out about politics, but man no one is going to play games with ‘my money’!

Here is a nice relevant classic throwback for you all to get your brains swimming outside the box..enjoy!

Original post November 23rd, 2011

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This is still one of my favorite songs from 2011 and the theme is more relevant to the current state of affairs than most people know. I’m not really into politics as you’ve probably noticed by now, there are so many layers of power and everything is so cloudy that unless you’re hip to what’s really going on you’re pretty much just talking about nothing. However, given all the movements popping up around the country and the fact that I love this song so much I had to give my two cents about this stuff. I won’t get into a lecture about what’s really going on because we have Google but make sure to educate yourself on who prints the cash in the US. Don’t get distracted by all the nonsense and complicated explanations on TV, it’s 99% diversion, it all starts and ends with the folks who make the paper. When you understand that you’ll understand what “don’t f&%k with my money” really means, enjoy.


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