Tag: 80’s

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Music

Sade – When Am I Going To Make A Living (Poolside’s Tons of Drums Edit)

Futuristic people, that’s what interest me these days, nothing else.

Look at how insanely fast technology is advancing. Don’t take your iPhone for granted man, that thing is nothing short of a miracle. My question though is how can we be getting so sophisticated in terms of tech and be a such a snail pace culturally?

I’ve never had much of an interest for tradition. I mean how much sense does it make to follow something that was established hundreds of years before, for reasons only relevant to the people who made them and could easily serve no practical purpose for the reality were a part of. If there is a better way to do something would we ignore it simply because of tradition, establishment or comfort?
Sergy Brin came out yesterday saying he wants to end individual car ownership & Travis Kalanick of Uber has been saying the same thing. I don’t know if you guys realize but for CEO’s of two of the most influential companies in the world to say those things is basically like declaring war on the car industry. The car industry represents what I was referring to earlier, systems so massive and established that it’s hard to see a world without them in it, good or bad. Remember those bailouts? The car industry was one of the biggest recipients.
Serge and Travis’s views are so forward thinking that 90% of people will actually side with the car industry and say that not owning your own car would be ludicrous. I represent the Space Age so my view is with the CEOs, self-driving cars and systems like Uber are more efficient in a multitude of ways and individual car ownership is unnecessary. It may be hard to see that now because the solutions aren’t available to the public but whether we like it or not that will be the future.
These type of changes make me think about life in general and how many cultural staples are just as outdated and in need of either being completely eliminated or totally renovated. The first thing that comes to mind is our perception of success and it’s relation to material things…

Haven’t I told you before
We’re hungry for a life we can’t afford?…

I won’t get too into this topic because its way to complicated but those lyrics capture it perfectly. Our definition of success is based on marketing and because of that we spend our entire lives working within someone else’s idea of what life is supposed to be.

When am I gonna make a living?
It’s gonna take a while before I give in, yes it is
I’m sick and tired of scratching a living
I am hungry but I’m not gonna give in, no

Without going into the mountains, swearing off civilization and meditating for days on end to unlearn the programming of the matrix it’s impossible to be immune to the power of marketing. Everything is a sell and they’re getting better and better at knowing what makes us tick and what will get us to buy. So they create this hunger within us, we don’t know why we want that car, why we care so much about a phone, why we’ll spend ridiculous amount of money on coffee etc but the hunger is real. I always wondered why I equally loved and hated the things that motivated me and this Sade song, in all it’s smooth and elegant glory explained it perfectly…

I am hungry but I’m not gonna give in, no.”

Categories
Music

Madi Diaz – Trust Fall (Jensen Sportag Remix)

A close friend of mine works at a radio station. He is sent hundreds of demos, albums and samplers each year. Most of those are summarily retired, but he still listens to a large percentage, if only for a few seconds.

While catching up over Thanksgiving, he commented to me that everything he’s been getting recently is “80s electro-pop.” The horror!

Musical tastes rise and fall, but if that description is accurate, we’re in a serious trough right now. Of all the musical styles to emulate, why choose 80s electro-pop? Anyone?

My guess: It’s easy to make. Flip on a simple beat, run a synthy arpeggiator, filter the likely shoddy vocals…voila! A ready-made knockoff of a genre that’s always been more valuable as an object of mockery than as music. This is symptomatic of the non-existent barriers of entry of our modern age, where anyone and everyone can become a producer

I, for one, will stick with reboots of early 90’s soul funk, like this tasty offering courtesy of Jensen Sportag, the always excellent producer outfit out of Nashville. They remix Madi Diaz, an artist deserving of attention if you haven’t yet tuned in.

Put away the coke. Bust out the scented oil. Press play.

Madi Diaz – Trust Fall (Jensen Sportag Remix)   

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

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Music

St Lucia – Elevate

It’s a beautiful, breezy, blue-sky day in Portland, the kind of summer day you always fantasize about when it’s February and you can’t remember the last time you didn’t feel cold, wet, or hunched over. It’s the kind of summer day that makes every experience seem memorable or important, even if it’s the same routine you’ll be grumbling about in six months. There’s something about the light, the warmth, the colors of the sky, the smell of the warm air, the sound of leaves rustling in the night wind – it adds a layer of beauty and fantasy to everything you do. Sometimes it’s enough to remind you that the long summers of your childhood are still within reach, and the excitement and adventure of your teen years can still be found if you seek them out.

St. Lucia has always been able to evoke those same feelings for me. They’re one of those bands that have the power to transport, to dig out old memories you’d forgotten you had, to conjure images of places you haven’t been: dark blue saltwater stretching to the horizon, sun-warmed rocks, heavy green palm trees casting shade on white sand. Their music is dreamy, buoyant, and wistful, all at once. It makes you long to go back to something you never had in the first place.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting a full-length follow-up to last year’s flawless self-titled EP, and it looks like I’ll finally get my wish. St. Lucia just announced that “When the Night” will be out on October 8, and to whet our appetites, we also get “Elevate,” a funky, upbeat, reverb-drenched single in the vein of “Closer Than This” and “We Got It Wrong.” Jean-Philip Grobler’s strong, unique voice shines on both the mellow verses and the danceable choruses; check out the complex percussion throughout and the funky, “Sussudio”-esque bassline at 3:15. Recommended listening with the windows down, the wind in your hair, and the sun on your face. Preferably with a hint of ocean breeze in the air.

St. Lucia – Elevate 

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Music

Vibes – New Light

They say wanting something bad enough is all you need to make it happen. That that hunger is more important than anything else, even love, preparation or academics. Yearning for that new light and always being one step away from it. Almost, but not exactly there. We’ve all been there, or at least know someone that has.

But let’s not get too deep, because the Vibes collective’s debut single is nothing but good vibes and a helluva catchy tune. I discovered Vibes after looking into G Templeton & Alex Slavin‘s One Look.

They say that this is pool party disco but I can’t seem to not feel the heavy 80’s influence from the synth work to the vocal nuances of a time where singing was more than enunciating words but actually feeling them. The song’s hook and chorus are so catchy that I dare you not to find yourself singing them in your head after the first play.

“Then I stepped to left,
you stepped to the right
You shook your hips a little,
Puckered you lips a little.
Then I stepped to the right,
You stepped to the left.
You looked into my eyes,
Said you look different.
 And sometimes when you arrive, you disappear.
Sometimes no said answers ring in through your ears.

I said, oh, baby.
I’ve been waiting
For a new light
To shine down on me.”

If their debut single is this fun, I cannot wait to see what they have in store next. It makes me look forward to their forthcomeing EP Animal Spirits.
I am officially dubbing them: the next nudisco-eternal-summer-vibe band.
Vibes – New Light

Categories
Music Remixes

Picture Book – Sunshine (Justin Faust Remix)

From the first listen I fell in love with this one. I know it sounds like a friday tune, but when music is this good, it works any good day. Justin injects a powerful 80’s influence to the happy-go-dancing original version – which I found out that the original version has additional production and mixing by Hugo Leclercq, a.k.a. french boy wonder Madeon– from there the heritage of that signature synth work on the song’s bridge. It’s as if -through it- Hugo’s letting everyone know who’s partly responsible for your frantic dancing while enjoying this one. It’s very coherent to hear the work of the little electro-pop prince on the original when nowadays no one’s doing it like he is.

If you’re wondering why the vocals on this one sound so familiar it’s because the Liverpool-based brother duo of Picture Book teamed with Deadmau5-fame Greta Svabo Bech for the composition and recording.

“You are like the sunshine

You sleep like the moonlight

I feel like the summer, inside

Making towers in my hay
All the games we used to play
Painting clouds with our hands, in the sky
See the rainbow every day just keeps on getting better

You are the mountains, I am the ocean
You are the sunlight when I am frozen
You are the reason I’m getting closer
To where we used to be

I know that we will change
Every thing will stay the same
But these days are here now, remember
See the rainbow every day just keeps on getting better

You are the mountains, I am the ocean
You are the sunlight when I am frozen
You are the reason I’m getting closer
To where we used to be.”

Bogotá, Colombia is the latin version of London, hence why I’ve only seen 5 days of sun in 5 months. Today is one of them, so all hail the sunshine.

Picture Book – Sunshine (Justin Faust)

Categories
Music Remixes

Billy Ocean – Caribbean Queen (Tesla Boy Remix)

In the fall of 1984 Billy Ocean released Caribbean Queen – also known as European Queen or African Queen depending in which part of the world it was released. Not only did it climb to the Soul Singles and Hot 100 #1 spots but how’s this for proof of its timelessness: In 2004, the song was re-released as a digital single for its 20th anniversary, shooting up to #25 on the Billboard digital singles chart and garnering radio play across the US and UK.

Now Anton & Dima from Tesla Boy stay as true to the original as possible not messing up the essence of it. Crafted with looped melodies and samples with chopped vocals they manage to refresh a classic for modern day enjoyment. When Tesla Boy sought out to remix this one we could say they stayed true to its original colors but painted it with a different technique.

I was gonna say it’s a Sunday afternoon track but how could I forget the aforementioned timelessness. Shame on me. If you haven’t heard what Tesla Boy is capable of in their originals, I invite you to enjoy the treat below.

Billy Ocean – Caribbean Queen (Tesla Boy Remix)

Bonus:

Tesla Boy – Electric Lady

Categories
Music

Moonlight Matters – Come For Me

Have you ever heard a song where right from the first few seconds you think: What the heck is this? A punch to the stomach that you actually feel in your feet and makes you want to dance frantically. With an amalgamate of influences from some of your favorite musical decades and on top of that lyrics that not only you relate to but can easily find someone in any dance floor that you can sing them to. That is what this song does with an incredible precision.

This track is as energetic as it gets. The kicks and the pitch-bent vocal samples with Hercules & Love Affair‘s Gustaph on the vocals is the perfect combination to get you sweating; be it on the dance floor or the gym. If this song doesn’t get your heart racing then you should visit the doctor stat.

I first heard the Mighty Mouse Remix on the Kitsuné Soleil compilation which features plenty of tracks as good as this one and now the EP is out with the full length version. The original version is totally worth the purchase.

Moonlight Matters is the brainchild of Belgian producer Sebastiaan Vandervoode (ex-Villa) and their remixes are nothing short of moonlight matters themselves. Vandervoode is part of the belgian cosmic disco revival movement and he’s done a pretty good job at it if you ask me.

I dare you to hit play and not feel like it’s already Friday.

Moonlight Matters – Come For Me

Categories
Music Remixes

Little Boots – Headphones (Dimitri From Paris Dub)

Bring out the spandex, the thick white socks and hightops, the neon apparel and don’t forget to put on that plastic Swatch watch (with the clip-on face protector of course). We’re on a ride to 80‘s thanks to the wonderful work Dimitri From Paris did on Little Boot’s original. The french maestro brings some of our favourite sounds of that decade with the 808’s, the claps, cowbells and synth work. Even the way he chops the vocals sounds natural.

Use this tune as part of your gym soundtrack or even as warm-up to that weekend that’s just a day or so away. In the 30 days since I added this song to my collection iTunes says I’ve heard it 24 times — apparently not enough. But don’t take my word as to how much you’ll want to move to this track; put on your headphones, hit play and let me know in the comments.

Oh baby!

I wear my Headphones at the disco 
And nobody ever has to know 
I wear my Headphones at the disco 
And when the music stops 
Then you’ll hear me singing”

Little Boots – Headphones (Dimitri From Paris Dub)

Bonus:

Little Boots – Headphones (Moon Boots Remix)

Categories
Music

Martika – Toy Soldiers

Classic 80’s ballad. Hands down the best track from her 1988 self-titled debut album.

Step by step/ Heart to heart/ Left right left/ We all fall down, like toy soldiers”

Martika – Toy Soldiers