Tag: Jazz

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Music Remixes

Rae Morris – Closer (Tom Misch Remix)

Tom Misch has been getting a lot of EMPT love lately. And it’s not surprising! His smooth tenor voice and the jazzy style of guitar are brought together wonderfully. He also has a lot to offer to other artists’ songs. Take Rae Morris’s “Closer”- Tom adds just a little- just enough- to change the entire mood, and bring the song’s “chill” level through the roof.

His John Mayer-esque guitar is addictive. It makes me want to pick up a guitar and replicate it, even though I know his skill is unattainable to me. But it makes me WISH I had that talent! Oftentimes we witness someone’s talent and think, ‘Wow, that’s impressive’. Other times we think, ‘WOW, I really wish I could do that!!!” And the latter is one of those times for me, as I listen to this tune.

Tom and Rae sound as if they are singing simultaneously, in the same physical arena; and I was surprised to see it was a remix and not the original. The harmony Tom injects is seamless and ultra smooth. I could listen to this song over and over and pay no notice to the repetition. It’s there, in the background, minding its own business- for your listening pleasure. If this song had a personality, it would be a monk-like figure sitting on a park bench watching the world pass by him.

So sit down, relax, and let the music chill you out. Also, keep your ears perked for Rae Morris’s new album, coming out in January of 2015. Tom Misch recently released an EP and I’ve given it several listens and recommend it! I wasn’t aware that Tom did so much purely instrumental songs, but his EP is minimalistic with its vocals.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/172244473″]

Categories
Music

BADBADNOTGOOD – Kaleidoscope (Kaytranada’s Flip)

BBNG2

Badbadnotgood just keeps getting better and better. Notorious for their boundary-pushing and genre-fucking ways, these guys are are absolutely killing it these days. Not your typical jazz conservatory grads, this Toronto-based trio (Matthew Tavares on keys, Chester Hansen on bass, and Alexander Sowinski on drums) initially garnered attention with their bad-ass jazz interpretative stylings of some popular hip-hop tracks and they’ve gone on to collaborate with artists such as Ghostface Killah, Tyler the Creator and Frank Ocean just to name a few. They released their third album III earlier this year– their studio work is pretty damn spectacular, but let it be known that their live set is where the real alchemical shit goes down (improvisation, yo)…

BBNG’s sound is impossible to define (duh) but my best attempt right here right now is something along the lines of ‘jazz-informed harmonic bliss infused with experimental hip-hop-y beats with a dash of post-bop electronica and some punk-ass virtuosic fusion vibes’. In other words, there are no words. Only listening to be done.

On that note, BBNG + Kaytranada = magic. Not a remix, but a flip. Pretty aptly named in my opinion.

Categories
Music

Romare – Down The Line (It Takes a Number)

down the line

There’s no denying the gravitational sway of this track. Irresistible in every sense of the word, this throbbing bass line will arrest you. As I always say, there’s nothing like a voluptuous beat paired with some primal grunting to get you in the mood for … well, the weekend.

This track oozes a certain savoir faire reminiscent of the spirit of *jazz.* Romare is a brilliant British beat-maker whose work (see album: Mediations on Afrocentrism) emulates a sort of rare feeling of release, echoic of the true nature of jazz as a historically experimental art form. He samples unique excerpts from speeches, interviews, and film recordings— all in all, it’s a melange of sultry brilliance that screams liberation.

Many thanks to Bonobo for including Romare on his Late Night Tales album. This is pure innovation equipped with a magnitude of resonance that may render you in a state of perpetual (subconsious?) gyration for the rest of your day. Dig.

Romare – Down The Line (It Takes a Number)

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Music

Grumby – Mt. Fuji

art by Ryan Clover
art by Binky

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s that break your neck shit that always stays with you. These are the beats that transcend the musical space and become something physical that exists with you. It sits next to you, jams with you, intermingles with the very depths of your soul.

Grumby are Texans, and good friends of mine, Andrew Why and Raj Singh, who have recently come together to begin work on their debut album. Mt. Fuji is the first offering from that album, and damn is it a good one. I’ve been watching these two grow as producers for a minute, and they are really now finding their sound as a production duo. The vibes, man…the fucking VIBES! There’s so much passion and emotive weight in the sample that I can literally feel the vocalists pain as he crys, “waiting to be there for you.” My girl has been in Italy for 2.5 weeks and I’ve been dying to see her. I’ve had this song on repeat since it’s dropped. It reminds me of how I feel when she’s around. We’ve all felt that, that burning desire to be with the ones we love, to help them, to comfort them, to laugh with them.This is the theme song for that moment. Let the bass line drown you, and may the keys lift you to the heavens. This is that Grumby thump, so get familiar.

heavy x mellow

Stream Mt. Fuji via SoundCloud below:

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/105440410″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Categories
Music

Pomrad – Pomslap

Pomrad - This Day EP

Pomrad is the alias of Antwerp based jazz keyboard player, rising producer, and solo performer Adriaan Van De Velde. As Pomrad, he is signed to London art label Earnest Endeavours, and released his “This Day EP” in April. His first release came in 2012, the “Vlotjes EP,” and garnered critical acclaim from the international community. Comparisons to popular producers Hudson Mohawke and Rustie elevated Pomrad’s status as a producer to watch.

“Pomslap,” my favorite song from the “This Day EP” is an absolute stunner of a track, rooted heavily in 80’s funk, 90’s hip-hop, and jazz fusion. What really brings everything together for me are the talk box riffs that are eerily reminiscent of Daft Punk’s early work on “Homework” and “Discovery.” I am an absolute sucker for some funky robot melody.

Pomrad performs live as a one man band using synthesizers, midi controllers, and keyboards. Backing tracks are used only when he decides to kill a talk box or keytar solo. Do your ears a favor and pick up Pomrad’s “This Day EP” now.

Pomrad – Pomslap

Categories
Covers Music

Chromeo – When The Night Falls (Mayer Hawthorne Cover)

 

One of the standout tracks —if that’s even possible when most if not all of the songs in the album are amazing— in Chromeo’s Business Casual is When The Night Falls. And if this track’s original version wasn’t good enough Mayer Hawthorne gives us his amazing version as a gift and part of the When The Night Falls EP.

At first listen one might be tricked by Mayer Hawthorne’s voice and it is his falsettos beautifully merged with this jazz and pop-laden arrangement that take the groove on this musical piece to a very special place in our hearts and our feet. The way I see it it’s like MH stripped naked WTNF and put a slick suit on its body with funky colored socks on its feet.

This remake has all the trademarks of this Michigan native retro man with its funk and soul injection but make no mistake, this does not mean it doesn’t sound as fresh as it came out of the oven. I think between this fact and what MH accomplishes with his voice is the sweet spot of this joint.

If you find yourself surrounded by a group of friends that heard the original one too many times, hit play and prepare yourself to surprise them in the funkiest most glamorous of manners. Go ahead and sing it one more time:

 

“Well you probably think I’m a fast-talking romantic
With a high-fallutin’ ways
But it’s all about the impression you made
On the first time I met you
That stayed with me for days
And now I want that feeling back
But I’m not sure where to get it
But you have the answer to that

And you say it’s nothing but fun and games
But over the phone it’s not the same
So let’s try to cross paths

There’s something about you, girl
And it’s rather strange
I want come back to you, girl
And rekindle the flame.”

Chromeo – When The Night Falls (Mayer Hawthorne Cover)

Categories
Music

Merry Mixmas: Christmas Classics Remix

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Yeah baby, It’s christmas! From Timbuktu, to the Caspian Sea, even here at EMPT. Well, that means one thing: a house full of relatives, bubbly and a kitchen full of once-a-year delicatessen. That’s enough to make any ice queen thaw.
So I was greeting all my aunts, uncles, and cousins and one of them suggested I should sort out some festive tunage. Seeing as I really enjoy the Verve Christmas Remix, I popped that on. They were not impressed. So I turned to my back up album, Merry Mixmass: bass brought down to a minimum, fancy techno gimmicks as well. Basically things kept as habitual as possible. Notwithstanding, this album is so smooth, I can’t believe it’s not butter! So in harmony with this worldwide christmas cheer, here are two epitomizing tracks of this jazzy low-fi compilation. I encourage you all to get a hold of a copy. Happy Ho Ho Ho day y’all. Enjoy.

Billy May – Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Malibu Remix)


Ferrante & Teicher – Sleigh Ride (Ralph Myerz Remix)