Tag: Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

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Music Remixes

Victor Démé – Djon Maya (Synapson Remix)

With the accessibility of music sharing today, the whole process requires a lot less time and thought than it did before. I know that I have been guilty of this, especially with Spotify. Because of the format of Spotify, I’m more likely to send a song to friends that I’m listening to, just because it makes me happy in that moment. Which is great, because that’s a type of sharing that has a lot to do with what you’re into, it’s the essence of sharing. But what really works, what really creates a connection, is when music is shared with thought. When I think about the connection that I have with that person, and what they enjoy in life and in music, that’s when there’s something special for both parties.

Because I’m such a nerd about music, I remember almost every great song that I’ve gotten from friends. Like, every time I hear this one Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs song, I think of one of my best friends from high school. The emotion that we tie to songs is almost as intense, if not more intense, than the physical enjoyment that we get from a song.

So I’ve spent all this time talking about thought and emotions tied to songs. I think it’s fair for me to say that I’ve given this song both of those things. I found this lovely remix accidentally one day when I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, and I have been hooked ever since. Synapson has become a new favorite of mine, and I follow this French duo on Soundcloud like it’s my job. They tend to stray away from the class funky French electronic sound and go more for a more minimal vibe, but the work that they have done with this Victor Démé song is lovely to say the least.

I’m thinking of you guys when I write about this. That isn’t to say that I don’t think about every track that I write about, because I most certainly do. I’m just saying, I’m thinking of the people that enjoy a good solo train ride and time to be alone with their thoughts, with this song playing into a pair of great headphones. I had this one evening with this song where I found myself on the train back from Bushwick to Williamsburg. It was a really nice end to a beautiful and happy day, but as the song picked up, I couldn’t help but smile. I felt it everywhere, and as I stepped out of the subway and made my way to the waterfront, the sun was just hitting the edge of the city’s skyline. The entire sky was filled with purples, reds and blues.

I’m not saying that you’ll have the same experience. I hope you do, but make it your own. Save this for a time when you know you’ll be ready to soak it all up. But the weather is warm and there are endless opportunities for happy moments, so go have yours!

Victor Démé – Djon Maya (Synapson Remix)

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Music Remixes

Foals – My Number (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Remix)

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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

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – Household Goods

Totally-Enormous-Extinct-Dinosaurs

I woke up this morning to a blanket of snow. Apparently the meteorologists were right about something for once and the snowstorm that was predicted to hit New England did and now the little boy in me is squealing with joy at the prospect of a white Christmas. What better track to match the youthful energy pumping through me than the original version of Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs’ “Household Goods.”

I wrote about the Zeds Dead’s seductive remix to this track back in August, and comparing one to the other is akin to comparing Rihanna with Amiee Mann. The two exist in two different electronic worlds and are equally as lush. There is space-age joy found in the original track. It’s a contagious mix of nuanced zips and zooms, bright synths, and a happy little boop-boops. The magic begins at 00:45 and doesn’t let go until Orlando gently touches down back in reality.

Whether you’re turning this up with your morning cup of coffee (or second…or third…) or you’re gearing up for the beginning of the  second to last weekend of 2012, “Household Goods” is a solid release of endorphins. From the on-point vocals to the hypnotic-arms-spinning-above-head-hip-swinging beats, you’re about to be lifted in a way only solid music can lift you.

Cheers.

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – Household Goods

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Music Remixes

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – Trouble (Lunice Remix)

If there were awards for great remixes, this would take home a few.  It succeeds because it brings together two vital players in the current electronic scene.

The two central characters in this remix are Lunice and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs.  The former is a prolific Canadian beatmaker.  Most recently he paired his style with UK experimental bass producer Hudson Mohawke, together as TNGHT, and released this year’s over-the-top gem TNGHT EP.  The latter is the son of University of Oxford’s choir conductor, a 26 year-old electro-pop-house producer who is also enjoying success from a 2012 release, his own Trouble on Polydor Records.

Lunice rewrites Trouble with his own brand of imagery.  With T.E.E.D.‘s pitch-perfect vocal phrases already in place, Lunice pairs down the original’s rollercoaster house instrumentation to a stripped down, blissed-out trap ride.  The remix is rife with emotional builds and synth swells, but it only stands to emphasize T.E.E.D.‘s helpless romantic lyrics:

Now you’ve got me messed up, please believe me
Looks like thats done, you win. I’ll be leaving now
You make me happy
I’m in trouble now.“

If you were looking to get into some Trouble tonight, look no further.  It’s the kind of drama that’s meant to be enjoyed. Listen to it all materialize below.

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – Trouble (Lunice Remix)

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Music Remixes

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – Household Goods (Zeds Dead Remix)

It’s been a little over a week since I saw Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs live at the Music Hall of Williamsburg and I’m still riding the high from his set. The clustered crowd erupted into this odd uniform jumping-arms flailing-head knocking-hair flipping dance the moment Orlando Higginbottom dropped the beat to this track. If feelings are contagious then I caught the joy bug that night and it’s been keeping me going since. I’m still listening to Orlando’s stuff this week and don’t see myself tiring of it anytime soon. His music is refreshing. It lives in electronica, dabbles in dub, and rejoices in pop. His monotone delivery is comforting. He’s an artist who – I feel – knows his place in the music world and is soaking it up. Orlando isn’t trying to be anything or anyone he’s not. The music he produces under Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs is honest electronica; well crafted without the pretense.

I will admit I was a little bit wary of listening to Zeds Dead’s remix of T.E.E.D.’s already excellent track, fearing a total dubstep take over, but I was happily happily surprised. The boys of the Dead’s duo have toned down Orlando’s track and turned it into a trance inducing experiment. They’ve taken the vocals of the original, removed the heavy synthesized and hyped up production and layered it over a sensually wobbling bass and light keyboard harmony. When I listen to this song I feel like I’ve entered a void where I’m not falling but I’m not flying either. I am just there…hovering, spinning, floating. That’s what makes this track work so well. Zeds Dead have taken Orlando’s story of reaching the point in a relationship where defining what’s happening is a necessity and channeled it through production.

Give me another chance

’cause I could be the dog to your bone…or something.”

As the “something” repeats and glitches we understand where Orlando is in relation to this relationship. I think we’ve all been through a relationship where we know it’s more than friends but are unsure whether what we have is worthy of defining it as something other than a “something.” It’s a weird place to be, really. The relationship rules seem to live in the same limbo as we do. In Zeds Dead’s case, the something lies within the wobble-wobble. Through the bass are we to find the truth; are we to come to know where we are and are not. It’s a seductive production that does Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs justice. Rather than making the original track into some club banger or music hall show-stopper, the track is remixed for ears willing to be still for three minutes.

Enjoy being carried away by this track late at night when your mind is racing.

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – Household Hoods (Zeds Dead Remix)

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Music

Flying Lotus – Between Friends (feat. Earl Sweatshirt & Captain Murphy)

Last night I went to see Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs at the Music Hall of Williamsburg and it was incredible. I didn’t know about the show until yesterday afternoon when my friend asked me if I wanted to join him there. With me on the coming out of this “whatever-anymore-do-whatever” phase of life, I agreed and purchased my ticket against my better budgeting judgement. I figure, what the hell, I won’t go out to eat this weekend and other justification that made me feel okay. The show was worth everything. The set, the lights, and venue were excellent. I realized there that this is what money should be spent on – experiences like this. I left the show coasting off the T.E.E.D.’s last drop and eager to wind down.

Enter Flying Lotus, the cross-genre offspring of Steven Ellison. His newest production, “Between Friends,” sends you off into a time-warped lucid dream-like state. Earl Sweatshirt and the newest voice to hit the scene, Captain Murphy spit verses (between friends…eheh) like mercury and weave back and forth over each other so much that at times they sound like one man. The production is true to Ellison’s style and it melts seamlessly into the vocals. The switch-ups in tempo and quality can throw you at first, but those nuances are what keep me coming back to this track when I need to calm down. They’re planned imperfections to keep the listener aware that they’re listening to music and not drifting off into some repressed dimension of the mind.

As I listened to this track last night before I crawled into bed, I imagined what this would sound like live and what venue it’d be perfect in. Selfishly, I couldn’t help but think that I didn’t need a venue when a track as smooth as this one deserves to be heard intimately; experienced in shared solitude. That, or a venue with an insanely well EQ’d sound-system and lots of plush chairs. Until I find a place like that, I’ll stick with experiencing this track on my own with me and my headphones; my own private concert…kind of, and let shows where jumping around like Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs be seen live.

Happy Thursday y’all. Let this track ease you into August.

Flying Lotus – Between Friends (feat. Earl Sweatshirt & Captain Murphy)

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Music

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – Dream On

I am sure everyone is winding down from yesterdays Thanksgiving feast.  I was floored by 9pm last night, absolutely “Turkey Drunk”.  Hitting the gym today seems like a “dream on” type of situation, right?  I am still contemplating whether or not its a good idea or to just chill out today.

But its Friday yet again and once I pressed play on this track it got me into a Friday night zone, you know that zone you get into when your in a cool lounge or club, and its really dark, everyone is dancing and the music takes you to another place and you forget about everything else..Ya you know that feeling, especially if your a regular EMPT connoisseur.

So forget working off your turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie the ‘regular’ way. Here is the more exciting alternative, go out tonight, dance your ass of and zone out.

Ooooo… Dream on now,
Ooooo… No use missin’ out”

Enjoy!

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – Dream On

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Music

Blank

So I had an iTunes nightmare Friday night which ended up in me losing all my playlist, client work and DJ selections. Everything I do is based on my organization so the magnitude of this fail is so ridiculous that I’ve found it hard to even have an emotion about it. Instead I’ve been up for the last 48 hours re-doing all the work due in the next few days and pretty much rebuilding my work life. I haven’t had much time to think about it because the consequences of not bouncing back immediately don’t allow it but I’m realizing that this is how all problems should be dealt with – objectively. I could sit here, cry about it, look up to the sky and ask why me or I could void the unnecessary emotions and immediately get fixing the problem. I don’t know if it’s experience kicking in or what but I’m digging this new reaction, it feels kinda like that picture up there – blank.

You ever see Roger Federer lose a point? You ever see him win one? The reaction or lack thereof is pretty much streamlined no matter the outcome. I was always fascinated by that nuance and now I think I’ve really starting to understand it. Win or lose a point, 40-love or love-40, the ONLY objective is to win the next one. When you think about it that way it’s hard to justify worrying about some things.

Anyways, I should be working right now but I couldn’t leave you guys hanging for another day so I had to take a break. I’ve been listening to nothing but world music for a hotel chain in China but this morning on my way to poison my body with more coffee I was playing the latest playlist from the ShaveUrLegz.com crew and it fit the mood perfectly so I thought to share, enjoy…

Major – The Asteroids Galaxy Tour

Blue Jeans (Penguin Prison Remix) – Lana Del Rey

Kilometer (Moullinex Remix) – Sebastien Tellier

After You’ve Gone (The Magician Remix) – Tyson

Doors Unlocked And Open (Cut Copy Remix) – Death Cab for Cutie

Golden Years – Casiokids

Too Hot (Lovesport Remix) – Hey Champ

Shout (Rossa Edit) – Tears For Fears

Love You More (Asa Remix) – Sunday Girl

Garden (Calibre Remix) – Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

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Music

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – Garden

I’ve had this track on the radar for about two weeks now and I might be guilty of holding out. You know how in The Fountainhead, Gail Wynand builds up a collection of masterpieces and keeps it in his private gallery so no one can see it but him? Then, when Dominique came around and falls in love with her he lets her see it. Well that’s me with a lot of songs in my iTunes collection, I’ll go around buying record after record, I’ll sit there listening to them and won’t really play them for anyone else, then one day my friends will be hanging out and I’ll put on a left-field rare tune that catches them off guard. I don’t know where it started but when you’ve been completely enveloped with music for more than 15 years one tends to get a little possessive. I’ve got some issues but I’m working on it, you see me writing here don’t you?!

Anyways, aside from having an extremely cool band name, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs have made my new favorite lay back and chill to song. The track is from their recently released All In Two Sixty Dancehalls EP and features some dark and sultry vocals as the two lovers exchange questions and request…

Looking over your shoulder girl, thinking you should have let me have it all.
If you’re coming around again tell me how you feel cause I need to know.
I could be your love again if you just let me in.
We don’t have to work it out cause I already know…”

This sounds like a conversation you have with someone who knows you very well, you say very open ended things that have very specific meanings because of your history, love it. Alright it’s Wednesday and the show must go on, this track will definitely cure those mid-week at work blues, enjoy.

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – Garden

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