Tag: Gotye

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Music

Gotye – Puzzle With A Piece Missing

I am excited to celebrate breaking 30,000 words for Et Musique Pour Tous with an exceedingly lazy post. You see, I’m caught with my proverbial pants down tonight, far from home with someone I love, at least half a bottle of Bourgogne and seven Drake’s Bay oysters settled comfortably in my belly.

Writing for this blog is truly a pleasure, but there are days where I’m like, oh shit, I have to write a post. Because, as Jalen Rose (and the O’Jays, and Jimmy Cliff) says, gotta give the people what they want. I’ve been writing for EMPT for almost exactly a year, approximately 80 single spaced pages in size 11 Cambria. Imagine if I’d devoted the hours to learning ukelele…

If I had, I’d be sitting alone or with a small group, tinkling out simple chords. Instead, I am honored to share music for all. Some people play, some sing. I write.

My love for Gotye is well established, especially for his first album, “Like Drawing Blood.” “Puzzle With  A Piece Missing” is a true masterpiece, winding the through smoky hallways behind a creepy carnival tent. I could get meta per usual, but I’ll leave it at that. Though it may be apocryphal, the oysters and fine wine serve as my cupid’s arrow tonight.

Much love to the fans, exit stage left.

Gotye – Puzzle With A Piece Missing

Categories
Music

Rainbow Arabia – Without You

Man I tell you, once you find yourself you realize there’s no going back things get weird…

Odd times took your mind
And I’m still here by your side…”

The crazy thing about it, the thing that all your friends, loved ones and family will have a hard time dealing with is letting go of who they knew you as before.

People don’t like change, they fight it with all their might, even when the change is good. I mean think about all the sexist men who tried to fight the women’s suffrage movement or the people trying to stop Gay rights right now. Throughout history there have always been people so scared of change that they do anything to stop it. If such resistance can be so universal why wouldn’t resistance to change be just as complicated on a smaller, more personal level.

Is it and I’m finding that growth and progress isn’t always welcome.

You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness… – Gotye

Something amazing can come to your life and because you’re stuck in a pattern you subconsciously try to push it away. It’s one of the most depressing things about human nature man and when you catch yourself doing it try to step away, take a deep breath and try to fix it. So much good can go bad like that.

Sometimes part of the reason why you make good friends is because you find people who are in exactly the same place you are. But then life happens and then each persons personal progress moves at it’s own pace. That can create conflict but it shouldn’t because friends are not just for when it’s convenient and it’s not about always having someone be where you are, it’s also about meeting people where they are.

I’ll say it again man; The crazy thing about it, the thing that all your friends and family will have a hard time dealing with is letting go of who they knew you as before. I find myself born again right now, ready to fly but almost like clockwork I have to keep dealing with the past. Love bought me to a new place and love is going to keep me going, but I just wonder why the two worlds keep trying to coexist.

Idiots knock you down, cut you up
Bruise your heart, sharp tongues criticize, 
Tell you friendly lies, 
Empty you’re so dumb…”

At the end of the day, follow your heart and believe in your path. Our journeys are as unique as our DNA’s and sometimes through the wonders of the Universe you find people that are truly meant to go on the journey with you.

Don’t listen to your crew, do what works for you…” Jay-Z

You gotta hold on to those but those are rare. Everyone else is on their journey and if there’s love you show it, help and progress together but you’re own personal journey man, that’s sacred. Don’t let anyone distract you from that. Enjoy.

Rainbow Arabia – Without You

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Music Remixes

Gotye ft. Kimbra – Somebody That I Used To Know (KLar & PF Remix)

The elasticity of this song’s lyrics and vocals is proven when it can reach the far far away balearic sea’s sounds. You know, because of the whole balearic disco genre that this supposedly belongs to. And who else than the master of balearic disco than KLar to treat us this beautifully served dish.

When you can take such an overplayed and overmixed song like Gotye’s STIUTK and produce such an enjoyable rendition that knows no situational-listening-rules, you deserve to get shared and spread around. I know this isn’t the first or second time you hear a KLar remix or edit here on EMPT but I guess it was an unsaid consensus the EMPT team reached when I expressed my love for this find.

There’s nothing overly complex about the production of this version. The guitar (which has the strongest responsibility for the whole balearic vibe), the echoed synth chords and all that’s in between give way to a musical sun-bathing session that doesn’t get you sunburnt no matter how long you expose yourself to it.

If your first thought upon hearing play is a Blank & Jones déjà vu, you’re not alone. I don’t know if balearic disco is a fad or here to stay, but while we all figure it out, let us enjoy this with eyes closed and letting our imagination run wild.

Gotye ft. Kimbra – Somebody That I Used To Know (KLar & PF Remix)

Categories
Music Remixes

First Aid Kit – Winter Is All Over You (Baauer Remix)

What is it about a song that makes us feel an emotional connection? I love dissection of musical connections that we have. Associations, can be broken up into several categories. We can associate positively with a song, based on the atmosphere we’re in and the people that surround us when we first encounter the song. Maybe the mental place we’re in, too. Or perhaps someone we love, hate, envy, showed us the song. These are really amazing associations to have. Sometimes the song can bring extreme disappointment, too. Like, as much as I love Gotye with every fiber of my being, ya’ll know that Somebody That I Used To Know was the anthem of one of my past break-ups. As it was for everyone, I’m sure. No matter when I hear that song, under any circumstance, my emotions will stir.

This song has arrived in my life at a really special time. I think the fact that it’s so chilled out and spunky all at once is enough to lure me in and have me addicted. One of those hit repeat and play several times over the course of an hour type songs…which we all love. But this song fell into my lap at a particularly happy time of life. I can’t get into it too much, but I can say, that it’s probably going to sit in my brain banks forever as one of those “made me feel good during a feel good part of life” songs. And for that, I’m thrilled to share it with you guys.

First Aid Kit normally blows my mind to begin with; something about charming Swedish vocals and this video in particular, that keep me constantly wanting more from the multi-talented sisters. I hope this does exactly for you, what it’s done for me.

Here’s to loving and laughing.

First Aid Kit – Winter Is All Over (Baauer Remix)

Categories
Music

Gotye – Thanks For Your Time

I think at this point in time, you guys are fully aware of my love for all things Gotye. What a groovy guy. I saw him perform live for the second time last week in Brooklyn, and I was just as blown away, if not more, than the first time I saw him at Terminal 5. As I’ve raved about the live performance before, I won’t get into specifics all over again. Though there were a couple of minor details that I noticed, that are definitely worth mentioning. First, the bass player. I have no idea where Gotye found him, but the man can do great things to a bass guitar. Whenever a new funky bass-line was introduced to us, it felt like our hand was being held through the song. I think I actually said that exact thing at one point during the show.

Besides Gotye’s angelic voice and success at dealing with shitty on stage technical problems (during State of the Art in particular, it seemed like the band was having a lot of trouble with a number of sounds), the video projections could not have been more fitting. The video for this song in particular had me in total awe, so I’ve included it in this post for your viewing pleasure.

I guess you could say I’ve been obsessed with this song ever since I woke up singing it this week. Coincidentally, it was the same morning I woke up sobbing from a nightmare I had, but I took it as a positive sign. It was the strangest sensation ever, to be totally immersed in a dream, very real in feeling, and then to wake up doing exactly what I had been doing in the dream. Simultaneously, this song was playing in my head. It was all too strange and I can only blame the full moon. Although a nightmare can sometimes shake up your entire day, as it tends to do with me, this song offered a lot of happiness and funk to what could have been a terrible day.

Enjoy!

Gotye – Thanks For Your Time

Categories
Music

Calvin Harris – Flashback / Bounce (Alfonse Remix)

On my way to Vegas I finally got around to checking our Soundcloud submissions and the first thing I came across was two remixes from a new British dude named Alfonse, it was love at first listen. Every now and then the universe randomly brings EMPT these great new talents that deserve much more credit then they’re getting, Alfonse is one of them. His sound is mature and refined so I’m not sure how new he is to the scene but if you didn’t know him by now get ready to start seeing a lot more from this guy…

A mild-mannered electronic-noise-maker by day, with nightfall Alfonse becomes a towering musical marauder wielding an array of synths. His sound fuses infectious electro hooks and dancefloor-friendly grooves with something darker and grungier. Live, he mixes musicianship with electronic trickery to create a huge sound, with help from a drummer and guest vocalists.”

I took that straight from his site and usually I don’t do that but I really couldn’t have said it better myself. The Calvin Harris remix is what originally caught my attention but then I dug deeper into his catalogue and quickly realized home boy was the real deal, I recommend you do the same. Subtract for example is a track he performed entirely on an iPad, check out the YouTube video, it’s quite fresh.

On another note, Vegas was up to it’s usual trickery. We got in early to take a bunch of meetings and then all of a sudden a restaurant owner is telling us about how great his mixology program is and offers us “the best vodka in the world.” I hate Vodka but he was right. Anyways, on to the next meeting, somehow more amazing drinks, the most ridiculously beautiful bodied girls and then our last meeting is was José Andres’ Jaleo which is easily one of the top 3 tapas places I’ve ever been to. Aside from Le Bernadin in NYC, I haven’t seen many other chefs mix flavors so fearlessly and use food so creatively. If you ever make it out to the city of sin go to the Cosmopolitan and eat there, you won’t regret it. The next day I made a conscious effort to avoid the Vegas lure but did go see Foster the People at Marquee which I must say was pretty damn good. Now if you haven’t been there yet, look out for your favorite DJ and go asap. The sound system is from a company called Funktion-One and it will literally change your life. I’ve been to many clubs around the world but this one bangs like no other, it’s a music heads dream. Anyways, I went from the city of sin to the city of angels and it’s back to business.

Spend sometime with these Alfonse tracks because the dude is on point, enjoy.

Calvin Harris – Flashback / Bounce (Alfonse Remix)

Bonus: Had to post this Gotye remix, Alfonse killed it and of course that Gotye is so hot right now…

Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know (Alfonse Remix)

 


Categories
Music

Gotye – State of the Art

If you’re anything like me, you’re obsessed with all things Gotye related. Not only has he proven himself as a remarkable musician, but his artistry often times leaves listeners in awe, again, like me. Something I think about a lot, is how we can all rave about albums and say that every track is truly phenomenal, or that every track is terrible. Vast descriptions that summarize an entire album, without attention to each specific track. (This applies to the general people, not necessarily people who get paid to write about music…they try to put together quite the in depth review) But it’s always difficult to pick out new songs to specifically seek out on the album, besides what is offered as, “hit singles” or whatever you end up hearing on the radio. It’s difficult to stray from these songs that have been declared as the ones you should listen to, by whomever it may be — the producers or the musicians themselves. But what happens to be so beautiful about music, is that it is a social art. It’s something that brings us together, not only because we may find others with similar tastes, but because it offers itself as something we can talk about with each other. If we like a song that is not widely received or discussed, we can share it. And because we’ve received the OK from whomever the recommend-er was, that this song is in fact great by at least one other person’s standards, subconsciously, we feel that we may just like it too. And that makes it just as significant as the single, or the over played radio song.

That’s how it works. And that’s why I bring you this song. Because I do feel that the entire Making Mirrors album is remarkable, to say the least, but it’s easy to get lost or obsessed with two songs that have happened to acquire much attention. The point is to stray away from that, because once you do, you’ll find something like this.

Enjoy 🙂

Categories
Music Video

Gotye – Making Making Mirrors: A Short Documentary

To anyone who has listened to Gotye’s Making Mirrors album, I found this 10 minute documentary truly inspiring since the viewer is able to grasp the musical ingenuity of his creative process. After you listen to the Making Mirrors album, Gotye’s refined sound illuminates an incredibly distinctive musical journey of eclectic tracks which in turn, presents a truly engaging listening experience.

I was lucky enough to snag tickets to Gotye at the El Rey in LA next week and I haven’t been this ecstatic in quite some time, for good reason. Enjoy the weekend everyone. Till’ next time.

Categories
Music

Le Miel du Mois by Steph Lund: Janvier 2012

I’m in Cali, the weather is nice, I’m renewing my love for the grind, so many pretty girls, feeling healthy and I’m flying up and down these streets in my A5 with the…

Top like a rock star, I got a fast car 
We can cruise the city, doin’ a buck-sixty … – Jay-Z

To top it off Steph just sent me a new the first LMDM of 2012 – sometimes you just gotta take it all in…

So it’s no secret, I’ve been MIA lately. The move to LA has been nothing close to easy. The first night I set up all my  equipment 4 separate neighbors in my complex complained and my landlord was kind enough to give me the option to move out (1 week after moving in). It’s hard out here for a noisy musician but it’s all good now, I signed the lease on a house in West Hollywood so now I can make all the noise I want. There’s never a valid excuse but with everything finally settling down you can expect EMPT to be back to it’s regularly scheduled programming in no time.

What can I say about this months installment of LMDM that hasn’t already been said about a Michael Jordan, it’s clutch, amazing, the best. As usual Steph turns her own style upside down and brings a flavor and twist to the series we’ve yet to see, I love it. LMDM is always an eclectic experience but this time around theres a very interesting blend of acoustic and electric that you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere else. I’m the biggest fan of all these tapes but this one is special folks, don’t miss out. I’ll let her tell it…

I dont know if its because its winter or what but the slow ones really hooked me for this month. Although there’s something to be said to flip that, slow tunes for warm weather are very fitting sometimes, as well. And this is coming from a girl that prefers to be put to sleep by techno blasting from my speakers, true story, ever since I can remember (since age 11/12 at summer camp…). Anyway, this tape needs to be played with appreciation. Appreciation for the slower ones. As an impatient person wanting everything now now now fast fast fast,  Let it go…it might even start sounding faster and faster, even at the pauses. – Steph

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

Tracklisting:

  1. Barretso – Mirage
  2. Porcelain Raft – Unless You Speak From Your Heart
  3. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra)
  4. Zambri – To Keep Back
  5. Youth Lagoon – July
  6. Labyrinth Ear – Humble Bones
  7. King Midas – Goodbye Girl (Kuedo Rework)
  8. The Dø – Too Insistent (Trentemøller Remix)
  9. Giraffage – SLO
  10. Intergalactic Lovers – Fade Away
  11. Nujabes – Dawn on the Side
  12. Polica – Lay Your Cards Out
  13. Pale Seas – Amour

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Categories
Music

Walk Off The Earth – Somebody That I Used to Know (Gotye Cover)

There’s not much to say here, this is one of the best covers I’ve heard in 2012. My little (not so little) brother showed it to me, and I’m so glad he did. I used to show him all of the good music when we were younger, and now more often than not he ends up showing me all the good tunes. So cheers to covers and 2012! And a big thanks to Dean Hefnawy.

Enjoy!