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Music

THEY. – Truth Be Told (ye. remix)

THEY. are one of the most exciting young acts that have mainstream potential. “U RITE” for example is a smash that sounds just as proper blasting through my headphones as it does soundtracking an NBA commercial. Their genre-bending energy is infectious enough to lock in audiences far beyond a cool kid niche which promises serious longevity for their bubbling career. Their genre bending sound also lends itself well to remixes (the Louis Futon flip of “U RITE” earlier this year was straight up colossal), so I’m stoked to hear another one.

Their newest remix comes from rising producer ye. and it’s a doozy. It speeds the track’s tempo until a deep ebb and flow of a drop that taps into the lowend of trap music with melodic touches – the sounds are fresh yet make sense in context of the current scene. The remix is right up there with Futon’s flip, so in other words, it’s a massive track that demands a listen as soon as possible.

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Music

Joe Hertz – Simple ft. JONES (Chris McClenney Remix)

I usually don’t have a burning desire to dress up and get down, but Chris McClenney’s “Simple” remix has me searching for the nearest velvet-covered club. JONES’ soulful vocals sound immaculate as they build up to the track’s euphoric release of stuttering lounge stylings before reconvening with its newfound direction; it’s a collision between music’s past and present that has me nostalgic for a time period I never experienced.

I can’t dance, yet this track suddenly makes me feel like I could hit the dance-floor. I don’t aim to be suave, yet it makes me feel like I could make someone else’s night with nothing more than a wink. Music that soundtracks reality is important, but music like this that fuels some pleasant escapism can be even better. It’s nice to get outside of yourself and embrace some consequence-free freedom, and who knows? It might even lead to more freedom in your day-to-day reality. Now put on your dancing shoes and get out there.

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Music

Martin Garrix – Scared To Be Lonely (Medasin Remix)

I’ve always been scared to be lonely. I was one of those introverts who could find themselves in a crowded room amongst friends and still feel utterly isolated. Even during recent years where my social life appeared solidified from an outside perspective, there were countless moments that made me feel separated from those around me.

Over the past few months, though, I’ve applied some serious effort to bettering myself, and that’s naturally included abandoning that selfish, isolated thinking in favor of making more genuine connections that allow me to be the most honest version of me, a version that doesn’t have to worry whether or not I’m connected with my friends. Thus, I’ve found myself thriving like I never have before now that I’m in LA, a city where there are so many people that share a common passion for artistic endeavors while leading balanced lifestyles that I’ve sought. It’s remarkable that I have more friends in two months of living in a sprawling metropolis on the other side of the country than I did over four years of living in a tight-knit town, but it’s no coincidence. I decided I wasn’t satisfied with the life I was living, I made massive changes, and now I’m seeing the results – results that ensure I’m scared to be lonely no longer.

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Music

Adventure Club – Breathe (ARMNHMR Remix)

I covered ARMNHMR’s remix of “AKIRA” earlier this year, so I’m thrilled to have yet another flip from the Los Angeles based duo to digest. While their take on “AKIRA” was composed of a darker sonic palate, this rework of Adventure Club’s “Breathe” is overflowing with sublime vibes that resonate through each kick of bass and its complimentary synths that reach sky-high.

Beyond the track itself, I’m especially fascinated by its accompanying artwork. I consider visual components to be just as important to music as its sound itself, and in this case, ARMNHMR’s reinterpretation of the original “Breathe” cover makes the remix even more impactful as a whole. The colossal, intergalactic content of the cover combined with its gorgeous purple-and-green dominant color scheme is awe-inspiring and overwhelming while simultaneously human and personal due to the two people looking upon the planetary fusion at the artwork’s bottom. As an absolute Mass Effect fanboy, I get vibes similar to that series’ humanity-and-space explorations alongside a hint of Interstellar.

Regardless of how it relates to my sci-fi fandom, though, ARMNHMR’s remix of “Breathe” uses its sights and sounds to imaginatively come to life with each and every listen.

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Music

Pretty Sister – West Coast (Lenno Remix)

Pretty Sister is an absolute fucking gem that I *always* find myself vibing to! His west coast sound makes me feel like I’m transported onto a cool beach with palm trees and constant waves and beautiful people and it doesn’t matter where I’m at…it could be in a fluorescent lit office with no windows or a pitch black room and I’d still be put in the best mood!

So it goes without saying that I’m *very* excited about the new remixes Pretty Sister has put out, especially Lenno’s remix of “West Coast.” He takes all the sexy, kicked back vibes of the original and speeds it up into a song that makes me want to dance my ass off at a beach concert instead of laying out and soaking up the sun…god, I just wanna drive to my nearest beach as I write this! And with spring quickly approaching, it could be sooner rather than later that I’m able to live that little daydream out! I might even bring my little bluetooth speaker, blast Lenno’s remix, and really live it out the fullest, cause positive vibes and experiences are what make my life such a happy one.

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Music

Mura Masa – Lotus Eater (Swindail Remix)

Today’s listening consideration: Swindail’s “Lotus Eater” remix, or in more explicit terms, a track in which loungey vibes, churning trap percussion, and a pan flute all intersect. It’s brain-stretching madness that warps along a spectrum where linearity is bucked and sounds teleport across time like a blackhole, starting at one end of the track’s internal universe and suddenly reappearing minutes (read: lightyears) away.

Much like that time hop, the longevity “Lotus Eater” has maintained throughout internet communities is fascinating as it continues to resurface time and time again. The track has become a molding clay in which artists collectively reshape into their own image; it’s a warming concept that speaks less toward the galactic scale I’ve been leaning on and more toward the beautiful microcosm that is human culture.

Here I sit, three years later, with Swindail delivering a new, glitchy perspective. A beautiful microcosm, indeed.

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Music

Elephante ft. Nevve – Catching On (B-Sides Remix)

You know those songs that make you nod your head along like a bobblehead with an extra bouncy spring? Well if you don’t, you will now with this remix of Elephante and Nevve! B-Sides straight up kills it with an upbeat sound that makes me wanna break out my old shuffling shoes and neon hoops and get down this very instant…there’s no need for bells and whistles here, just a super fun synth and good vibes.

Of course I couldn’t talk about this song without mentioning its crazy good vocals and lyrics…Nevve sounds so damn smooth that I could just listen to her sing on repeat. And lyrically, all that talk about “love is languish” and “you string me along don’t you” hits *way* too close too home. It’s obviously wrong to blame someone for not giving me the perfect romance I have in my head, but sometimes things get tricky and it’s impossible to ignore how much it sucks at the time. You get an idea in your head of how your relationship should go, and when it doesn’t, it’s easy to feel betrayed…I mean we’re not perfect you know? We’re just human!

Anyways, if you’re feeling down about your love life, go cheer up and listen to this remix. Oh, and for the readers out there that somehow haven’t heard the original “Catching On”, today’s your lucky day! You can also listen to the equally amazing original below.

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Music

Migos – Bad and Boujee (Oren Yoel Remix)

Raindrop! Drop top! I like this remix a whole fucking lot! “Bad and Boujee” has been everywhere lately, from the radio to late night TV to playlists and everywhere in between, so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a *little* tired of it…but I can’t say I’m tired of hearing people turn Migos’s straight flames into something fresh and exciting! Fortunately for us, this dude Oren Yoel decided to drop what might be the song’s best remix yet!

Quavo, Offset, and Lil Uzi Vert’s flows are all still like a super strong energy drink in rap form, but Yoel trashes the original beat and inserts some crazy psychedelic guitars that don’t even sound like they’re from this century. I can imagine the three Migos on a festival stage like Woodstock just rocking out to this remix while rocking bandana headbands and all denim…I mean hey, rappers are the new rockstars right? Who needs a Jimi Hendrix guitar solo at Woodstock when we could hear Migos rap that crazy fast triplet flow for minutes on end!?

Okay so I *might* be letting my imagination run wild, but it’s hard not to when listening to such a fun song  that bounces between decades like this “Bad and Boujee” remix.

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Music

Snakehips & MØ – Don’t Leave (Gryffin Remix)

I remember it clear as day…I was about to move at the age of 16 and was *beyond* in love with a girl. I wanted to say fuck the distance and stay together, but she was always the independent one and decided that it was best if we went our separate ways. I cried a ton and then built up some serious emotional walls because it felt like there was no way anyone could love her the way I did…from the crush in our elementary days to standing by her side as a best friend through years of bullshit to the overwhelming love I felt then.

Would my life be different now if she didn’t make that decision? Yeah, probably… But man, *years* have gone by and that shit still hurts when I think back on it. Hell, she added me on Facebook to see how I was doing a few months ago and seeing her with someone else still stung like walking into a giant wasp hive. I don’t blame her in the slightest for wanting to split up, I mean it was high school and all, but still…it’s crazy that so many years later, I still haven’t come within miles of loving someone the way I loved that girl.

As an old friend I really am happy to see her doing so well these days…but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that part of me still wonders if anyone will ever love her better.

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Music

Ekali & KRANE – AKIRA (ARMNHMR & DATHAN Remix)

I’ve been posting about a lot about art that emanates overwhelmingly joyous vibes as of late, but not everything I’m into is an audible kaleidoscope. That’s not to say ARMNHMR and DATHAN’s remix of “AKIRA” is in turn a depressive undertow, but its artwork sets a tone of darkness surrounded by a border of light that I absolutely adore and mirrors my non-homogenous taste.

In particular, the visual accompaniment combined with the atmosphere of the remix reminds me of the nature of everyday life that I’m coming to understand. As someone who struggles with a host of depressive issues, I’ve always alternated between feeling fantastic and utterly hopeless at the flip of a switch. Yet in recent times, I’ve begun to subscribe to the idea that remaining at a more balanced state where I don’t become so invested in the highs and the lows is my best way of living. The world is not composed wholly of darkness or of light, and while difficult to remember during select moments, it’s important to try and maintain that perspective.

I feel that ethos throughout this song’s framework; while a synth abrasively warps between invigorating and abrasive throughout the drop, the bridge to the track’s final outing is draped in mystifying dramatics that give way to a drop balancing darkness and light once more.

It’s quite the feeling when art lines up with your life and helps you understand yourself just a bit further.

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