Tag: Foals

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Music

EMPT Presents: Le Miel du Mois Decembre Best of 2013

I can’t lie, I’ve had this tape since mid December. I did have an extremely busy end of the year and going back to NYC for two weeks didn’t exactly help my productivity but that really has nothing to do with it. In fact this tape has been complete since Steph first sent it over. HP sent us one of their new Split X2 laptops, you know the one Clams Casino has been using for those beat making videos you’ve been seeing all over the net. Anyways, I didn’t want to take my army of technology with me on this trip so I put Ableton on the X2, got inspired, took it on my flight and did all the mix on it while on my way to New York. Gotta love the space age.

The truth is I have this weird thing with LMDM’s where I want to hold on to it for myself for as long as possible. I realize EMPT is this whole thing now and people have certain expectations that need to be met but I like to do what I feel and being the only one with LMDM for a little extra longer makes me feel good, sue me. Seriously though, I know it’s a problem, I promise to be better about it this year. Anyhow, Steph usually speaks through her selections but this time she graced us with some beautiful words and I won’t go on with my ramblings and distract much longer. We took a little extra time to mix and blend the tracks while keeping Stephs original track order in tack so I think you’ll guys like how this one flows. To make up for my hoarding and to step it up for 2014 I’ll be mixing all LMDM’s like this from no on, enjoy.

Putting this lmdm is always particularly special – for me, each year it’s a way to go through the endless lists of my favorite songs which in a way is to go through moment after moment after moment that made up my year – to sum up “a best of” – this took me exactly twenty minutes, at a quarter to midnight, BC I knew exactly what needed to be on this – so this is my version of a best of – each song is a piece of my year and perhaps of yours as well…each track is much more than that – it’s a distinct memory you repeat in your head bringing you back to that individual experience you associate it with. For me there’s a strong mix of emotion attached to each one and a definitive event, person, or both. Here’s to a full year-  of ups and downs, highs and lows, falls and beautiful mistakes but with each close of a year – comes a new opportunity – of renewal and most importantly, an open path – waiting to be taken…

Le Miel du Mois at work? That’s much better than work at work! Download
Tracklist:
  1. Sam Smith – Nirvana (TIPs Promised Land Remix)
  2. Nicolas jaar – With Just One Glance
  3. Coma les dilettantes (Roosevelt remix)
  4. Blood Orange – Champagne Coast (Clockwork Opera Remix)
  5. Foals – Bad Habit (Alex Metric Remix)
  6. Wolf Alice – Blush (Duncan Murray Remix)
  7. Vadoinmessico – Teeo (Crystal Fighters Remix)
  8. Miguel – do you (ah yeah remix)
  9. Hermitude – hyperparadise (flume remix)
  10. Vitalic- fade away (C2C remix)
  11. Ginger and the ghost – one type of dark (ta-Ku remix)
  12. Lafayette – Mauvaise mine (Jupiter remix)
  13. Kleerup and Lykke Li – Til we bleed
  14. Ultraista – Small Talk (whomever remix)
  15. Flight Facilities – Claire de Lune (them jeans edit)
  16. The Do – Bohemian Dance (YUS remix)
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Music

EMPT Presents: Le Miel du Mois Octobre 2013 (Mini-Mix Series)

As we proceed, to give you what you need…”

Time flies when you’re having fun man. Lately I’ve taken to myself, embraced being alone and finding my zone, it’s a beautiful thing. That’s where I was when I started EMPT, met Steph and built the ground work for all that is my life today. I run with a lot of creative people, not just creative in the sense of painting a picture but people that lead creative alternative lifestyles, rebels who create their worlds. Whenever I lock into my zone they’re right there with me and we make something from nothing. We do it effortlessly and have much fun…

Lookin back I did the shit to death
I guess I ain’t killin it this rhyme, I’m here to raise the dead
I’m here to raise the stakes, this time it’s ten mill
Supply the sink ill, ship five and then build…” – Fat Joe

We’re about to partner up with a radio station in Miami to stream LMDM and DJ at Art Basel and I was looking back at all the tapes we’ve done so far and I gotta tip my hat to Steph and say thank you. You’ve been at this for so long, you saw something in EMPT before it was anything and have been riding with me since. It’s been an exciting ride and we continue to do great but it’s definitely time to get back and beyond what we were before I left New York. EMPT is my DNA and I know it’s growth falls on me and no one else, I’ve tried getting help with no real success but I’m back in my zone and as happy as I am with what we’ve done, I’m not the type of guy to rest on his laurels…

Overly focused it’s far from the time to rest now…” – Drake

So just like that we’re on the 4th and final tape of the awesome mini-mix edition of LMDM. It’s a bittersweet symphony to be honest, I could get use to having Steph pick my music everyday! This tape like the 3 before it is phenomenal and brings us up to date on the internets longest running, most consistent, most eclectic, best curated, most loved mixtape. I’m the luckiest guy on earth to have Steph grace us with her music, I’ve said it before and I’ll never stop, enjoy.

Tracklisting:

  1. Sam Smith – Nirvana (TIP’s Promised Land Remix)
  2. Elephant – Shapeshifter
  3. Foals – Out Of The Woods (Kulkid Remix)
  4. Jagwar Ma – Come Save Me (Flight Facilities Graceland Remix)
  5. COMA – Les Dilettantes (Roosevelt Mix)

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Categories
Interview Music

Steph Lund: Ruckus Rhythms Interview

We’ve come a long long way together, through the hard times and the good. I have celebrate you baby, I have to praise you like I should….”

Reading Stephs feature on Ruckus Rhythms nearly brought a tear in my eye man. I’m so proud of everyone that helps make EMPT happen these days but no one has been with me longer than Steph, that’s the bottom line. We have a loyalty to the music that’s beyond any regular affection most people have and that’s a beautiful thing, not many understand that but we do and that’s why she’s my twin. I’m so proud of what LMDM has become, Steph and how it continues to inspire others. Who wouldn’t have thought right Steph? Enjoy.
____

Steph Lund regularly contributes to the NYC based music blog Et Musique Pour Tous (EMPT). Her contribution isn’t in the form of a daily post, but instead a monthly playlist called: “Le Miel Du Mois” She is my music aficionado idol and yet I know nothing about her. This interview is meant to shed some light on the mystery that is Steph Lund and of course give us a very special guest Playlust (found at the bottom).

Your “Le Miel Du Mois” inspired me to create the P L A Y L U S T. How long have you been putting that together for EMPT?

Steph: That’s awesome. I’ve been honored to be able to create Le Miel Du Mois since April 2009- that was our first mixtape and still one of my favorites. I opened it with a Whitest Boy Alive track – Erlund Oye, I mean he’s a Lund…:)

How did that come to be?

Steph: I met the founder of Et Musique Pour Tous, Hector, through a mutual friend. We were at a concert a few months into our friendship and I ran the idea by him – At the time, I felt like it was something music blogs were lacking – a monthly curated playlist that focused on up-and-coming artists and remixes.

Do you DJ at all?

Steph: I do, but only with EMPT’s Hector – I haven’t put time into it as I should so I’ll only trust him to be there next to me. We do select parties in NY and LA if we feel passionate/ excited about them – Hec is amazing- he has played some incredible places – I’m envious where he’s traveled to for it

What are the top three ways you find music?

Steph: HYPE MACHINE, first and foremost. Spotify – listening to others playlists (Nicolaas Jaar,Pitchfork, etc) and artist and remix submissions to forthbeat’s twitter account– I usually can tell if I’m into something ten seconds in, and if I’m in love, about thirty seconds in

What’s one song you’re playing on loop right now and are seriously risking burning out on?

Steph: So many! I have a repeat problem- and not just with songs – current rEpEaT PrObLeMs are:

Foals – “Bad Habit” (Alex Metric remix)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Under the Earth” (my wake up track)

Hermitude- “HyperParadise” (Flume Remix)

and Angel Haze – “Werkin Girl”

This summer has been St Lucia – “All Eyes On You” for wayy wayyy too long (still is…)

Can you tell us more about your own music blog, forthebeat.com, and what made you want to start it?

Steph: So forthebeat was started as a placeholder- it sounds a bit odd but my friend and I who started forthebeat wanted to throw parties with bands we loved through shows we curated – the idea was to have these parties once every 4 months.

When we started reaching out to managers, we wanted a page to refer them to so they could have a reference for who we are. Then ABC News Amplified partnered with us for our CMJ shows and we started using the blog to post info on our parties and it grew from there. We did one of the first New York shows for Sleigh Bells – that was amazing to be a part of. We also worked with We Have Band,Kisses, Hooray for Earth, Dominant Legs, Wiseblood, Phantogram, and more. (Some photos here from those shows)

I’m the only one that posts on it anymore, and its not a pressure-do it every day or even every month thing – I do wish I had more time to post though. Maybe after the summer.

What do you do for a living?
Steph: I run a public relations firm – I head the Brooklyn office for a London based agency.

If you could tell our readers about one band they have to see live the next time they come to town, who would it be?

Steph: See Foals. See Beirut. See Solange. All have been hugely impresssionistic shows.

Can you tell us an anecdote of the most memorable time that you made a Ruckus?

Steph: I would say the entire year of 2009, which is when we started forthebeat. We were VPs at our jobs by day and running around to shows and parties every night. Can’t beat NY for that…

“S T E P H L U N D – L U S T”: These are the top tracks Steph is bumpin right now:

via RUCKUS RHYTHMS

Categories
Music Remixes

Foals – My Number (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Remix)

teed

Well we’ve made it through another weekend. We’ve lost an hour, but the evenings are lighter now and that’s a nice thing. Living in New York City, daylight is a hot commodity. Windows that actually face a street or backyard instead of some brick wall are just as important in apartment real estate as hardwood floors are — if not more important. We live and pass through daylight and nightlight seamlessly. The city lights create a pseudo sun and total darkness is rare. It’s one of the magical things about living in this metropolis, but it’s also quite dangerous. Nightlight, night air, and shutting down; distancing yourself from the world and disconnecting keep us in check and grounded — keeps us honest. The night time provides an excellent mask of reality. The yellow glow that bounces off strangers faces on the street, the flashing lights of a dimly lit dancehall, even the blue lights from our laptops, iPhones, and tablets work to disguise ourselves just a little bit. They’re veils of sorts, and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs gets it in his remix to Foals already brilliant single, “My Number.”

You don’t have my number
We don’t need each other now
We don’t need the city
The creed or the culture now.”

Taking the first verse, Orlando Higginbottom spins the vocals over a deep deep disco-house meets chillwave beat. It’s the kind of beat you’d find in a tiny basement party that’s over-crowded , sweaty, and smoke filled. It’s the kind of beat that masks the listener’s person in a hypnotic groove. The production is consistant in its repetition and effortlessly induces a trance state. You can get lost in this remix if you’re not careful (although it’s quite an adventure if you do).

The urban fabric is a tricky one to weave through and exhausting. There are opportunities to lose yourself around every corner at any moment. You don’t need the city, like Yannis Philippakis repeats. There comes a time when the love affair ends and it’s time to pack up; make a new life in a new town that perhaps has daylight and nightlight that exist as separate entities. Personally, my affair is still going strong, but the need to escape is reoccurring — that’s where tracks like this come into play. I choose to get lost in sound rather than the world that’s just unfolding before me.

Foals – My Number (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Remix)

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Music

Foals – My Number (Hot Chip Remix)

foals my number

I’m a pretty grounded guy most of the time. My nature is such that I’m the type to live in my own head, to seek out and process all the angles before moving forward. Today is different. Today I don’t exactly know what to do with myself.

I’m basically coasting in the afterglow of my good fortunes. I received some good news the other day and I’m really just starting to feel the effects. It’s go me a bit tweaked is what I’m saying.

Perhaps it’s just an effect of the mind. Apparently the nerves in our bodies, the lines that carry electrical impulses across our bodies move kinda… slow. Like I’m only talking a few miles and hour slow. Some of the slower ones are found in our brains, like the neurons transmitting info to the rewards center. You don’t get to experience something as you’re really doing it, in other words. Our minds tease us a little bit, in other words, keeping us from getting what we want and delaying us the sensation of the moment.

But I’m not mad about it. I’m still swept up in good vibes, less coasting and more getting pushed along. What was inertia is now momentum; the interstitial gulf between what I wanted and what I’m striving is starting to shrink just a little bit.

And I find that this Hot Chip remix of Foals’ My Number is a solid accompaniment to the sublime giddiness I’m experiencing.

“Cause I feel
I feel alive
I feel, I feel alive.”

Pure class.

That’s all I really need to say on this track. But what did you expect? Hot Chip is about as solid a stamp of quality there is in the electropop game. I must admit, I’m not entirely familiar with the source material. I used to bump Foals a lot more in my early college days, way way back in 2008 when their debut Antidotes was fresh and new. But my tastes would shift, as they’re wont to do. In a funny bit of timing it looks like the band changed direction as well. However, their catalog is a sonic dive for another day.

Onto the matter at hand. This thing is positively buoyant, bolstering the soaring vocals of Yannis Phillppakis under some synths that are equally mannered and indulgent. The beat is pulsing but never overextends its reach, pushing the track along without distraction. There’s a bit of a nagging sadness, but weaving clashing emotional currents into compositions? That’s just a hallmark of strong songwriting.

Here’s hoping fortune smiles upon you today.

Foals – My Number (Hot Chip Remix)

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Music

Foals – One (Swedish House Mafia Cover)

My boy Nick has been trying to get me to watch a documentary about the Swedish House Mafia called Take One for about two weeks now. I kept forgetting to do so but I finally got around to it last night and now I can barely sit still from the inspiration. There’s nothing particularly crazy about the video but you get to see the guys rock out to ridiculous crowds and some interesting insight into the dynamic between the 3  house stars. All of this leads up to the grand finale when you’re taken right into the making of One, which any party animal will tell you was the biggest house record of 2010.

Kevin and I have played the original version of this track way too much so I wont post it but I recently ran into and amazing cover by the Foals that’s well worth the listen. Transforming a club banger to and indie/electro rock jam and making it interesting isn’t easy so props to the Foals for getting it done. The covers breathes new life into the song and you can expect to hear all over summer parties soon. I love covers, especially when done well like this, enjoy.

Foals – One (Swedish House Mafia Cover)

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Music

Le Miel du Mois by Steph Lund: Janvier 2011

I’ve gotten a few email and seen a couple of comments from people asking why we didn’t do a best of 2010 list. Steph finally sent me an answer to that question in the form of a mixtape because we no speak best of 2010 list, we speak music over here. We’re getting a lot of new visitors these days so if you’re not familiar with LMDM I couldn’t think of a better way to get acquainted with the queen of style.

Steph was hitting home runs in 2010, brining us something completely fresh and new for 12 months straight. I’m certainly the biggest LMDM fan and if anyone thinks different we can take this outside and see whose boss! Seriously though, I think I speak for all fans in saying that we appreciate the work Steph puts into these tapes. There’s no question in my mind that LMDM is a labor of love, there’s so much thought and feeling put into it and it translates to everyone that hears it. We appreciate it Steph and look forward to another year of magic…

Yes, this is about mid month 15ish days late…but still, its here. The list below is a special mix for the New Year/wrap-up of the beloved 2010. Instead of choosing my favorite tracks of 2010, I chose  special tracks and artists I featured throughout Le Miel du Mois’ this past year. Most blogs did their ‘best of ‘lists and I think a lot of us agree on what was amazing and what stood out, so rather than echo a round-up list, we thought we would do it a bit different – with a LMDM montage for you to download and here we are…

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

Tracklisting:

  1. Of Oceans – In Love, Not Limbo
  2. Jai Paul – BTSU
  3. Keepaway- Yellow Wings
  4. Pop Winds- Met Some New Colors
  5. Two Door Cinema Club – Something Good Can Work
  6. The Temper Trap – A Love Lost (Keljet Remix)
  7. Foals – The French Open
  8. Thieves Like Us: Drugs in my Body
  9. Cults – Go Outside
  10. Sleigh Bells- Rill Rill
  11. Pictureplane – Cyclical Cyclical (Atlantis)
  12. Cloudy Busey – Pound Your Town to Hell
  13. My Gold Mask – Bitches (The Hood Internet remix)
  14. Beach House- Norway
  15. Gold Panda – You


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Music

Foals – Miami (Jono Ma and Franklin Furter Remix)

I’ve been dealing with a bunch of nonsense lately so excuse the no post yesterday. Also, for all the people who texted and emailed asking about the Le Souk party stay tuned EMPT will be back on the road in no time. I’ve been up since 6 today ready to rock so I put on iTunes and the Jona Ma and Franklin Further remix of Miami came on, wow, talk about swing. I’ve been trying to post it for a while but couldn’t find the right time, today felt right. I don’t have time to discuss this song like I would like to but let’s just say this…

Let’s have a toast to the douchebags, let’s have a drink to the assholes.” – Kanye West

Music is love for me so to have a toast to all the jerks of the world couldn’t be more in tune with Bachelor Pad way, I wish you losers the utmost success at failure, enjoy.

Foals – Miami (Jono Ma and Franklin Furter Remix)