Future Summer is here– courtesy of Autograf, a rising group of Chicago-based producers who are killin’ it these days with their future-house-glitchy-space-bass thunder. This track is the first installment in their new free download series: each month they are taking a song they’re really feeling at the moment and giving it the “Future House, summer-inspired remix treatment”. Remix treatment, I like the sound of that.
It starts off low key with zenned-out summer vibes, but in truth this track is a solid venture through disco-land. Ethereal builds and textured synths transport you to a space of robotic-rhythmic bliss. Glitchy grooves and distorted vocals make this track a stunner… for summer. Definitely looking forward to future installments.
These guys first grabbed my attention with their spectacular footwork rendition of Marvin Gaye’s “Grapevine”Space vibes, deep grooves, and retro airs (ie: the ultimate musical turn-on’s) drifting amidst solid footwork foundation. Somewhat mysterious and certainly audacious, Autograf embodies the art of production Wizardry at its finest.
Delving into the spirit of exploration while remaining true to the melodic and harmonic potential of the original song is something these wizards do quite well. Staying true to the vibe of the original is key when building upon others’ creative work; tuning into the underlying current of a song and attending to details helps bring to light the idiosyncrasies that make the original song so great. Reveling in and channeling the magic across experimental landscapes and novel frameworks—- that is the mark of Timeless Innovation. Which is the ultimate when it comes to the future here and now.
For anyone wondering where music is going next, I’ve got two words for you – groove & vibe. As we came into the Space Age we were like young children discovering new tools, making things go as loud, big and fast as possible. That will never go away and it shouldn’t, I mean I don’t know about you but nothing really hits like a big ass trap record at a festival. Sure the style and substance will change but that feeling won’t and that’s a good thing.
But something that’s been slightly forgotten in the midst of massive records is groove, those rhythms that get in your body, make you want to move with the performer, not just stand there observing. As of late there’s been a resurgence in groove, the most obvious and successful of course being Daft Punk but people like Devonte Hynes and acts like Disclosure have been making a strong case for an official comeback. The Ting Tings’ Duran Duran produced The Wrong Club is more evidence to the fact.
Did I ever tell you about the way I wanna feel?
I love that lyric and it’s a perfect example of what this music represents to me.
I think we worry so much about external things like our jobs, our cars, money etc but have you ever thought about the way you want to feel? Think about that for a second. It’s like we do things backwards, we work tirelessly on the outside looking for happiness but rarely think about it the other way around. Have you ever thought about the way you want to feel and made your decisions based on that? If you focused on yourself, loved yourself and valued your emotions, your DNA, the very thing that makes you unique, all the choices that make up your lifestyle would be different. You might not be willing to deal with that person anymore, you may not be ok with that job because the cost to benefit ratio would be severely disproportionate. It just doesn’t make you feel good so you don’t compromise like we all do. What might seem like the path no longer appeals because it just doesn’t make you happy and nothing external can give you happiness.
I’m a big fan of where music is about to go. I love it when records don’t have to try hard because when music isn’t trying to dictate the entire team it gives the listener space to interact with the music. This is Space Age Bachelor Pad Music evolved, enjoy.
Channelling the vibe of his fellow frenchmen Daft Punk and the en vogue “big synth” sound of Kavinsky, Akbo shows us why some of the deepest house music is coming out of l’Hexagone.
With a slowly filtered intro and a storm overlay that helps build the tension, Akbo artfully begins to build the song. “Petrichords” is dark with an immediately catchy bass line. A heavily vocoded and obfuscated voice seems to egg you on to “dance”, but the voice is otherworldly. It’s as if there were hands from the grave protruding through the dance floor moving the occupants feet, pushing them to dance slowly, and in perpetuity. When the build comes to a head, Akbo deftly uses harmony to further the overall feeling of the track, using descending major chords that eventually cycle around to a major tonic. But it’s not the major that music 101 classes would try to classify as “happy”, it’s a spiral toward something else.
What’s with the British and their impeccable track record of forward thinking bands? From the recent emergence of Alt-J and the XX to the older mainstays of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, it makes me wonder if something’s added to the water by Parliament to foster musical creativity. Whatever the cause Venkman, an upstart from the small town of Lichfield in the UK, has found it.
Their debut single “Martial Law” is an incredible show of musicianship. A dance tune at its heart, the rhythm isn’t your standard 4 on the floor fare. As the verse melts into the chorus, the rhythm becomes an over the bar line phrase of 6 while the infectiously catchy “oh well” climbs into a mess of guitars and anticipation.
As treat, check out their cover of the Daft Punk/Panda Bear collaboration “Doin’ It Right” below.
Happy Friday. You’ve made it through another week, and if your’s was anything like mine, you, my friends, are in desperate need of libations. It might not yet be 7:30 AM here in New York, but I decided not to keep it chill this morning as I went about my daily ritual of coffee, shower, breakfast. I wholeheartedly believe that what you listen to in the morning as you get ready forecasts the hours before you. Press play on this puppy, and I’m pretty sure your day will go from a joyous moment realizing it’s Friday to a permanent elation.
I stumbled across this track randomly crawling through the Internet a couple of weeks back. This summer has been about a couple things; one of which is Daft Punk. Their Random Access Memories LP is a solid fall back when I’ve had it playing iPod roulette. And MNDR’s “Feed Me Diamonds” has basically become a semi-precious anthem of mine. Layer the two together, and well, we’ve got ourselves one hell of a track. There’s nothing dramatic about this song at all. It’s honest electronic dance music that comes without the headache. MNDR’s raspy vocals hover over the spinning production as the strings swell beneath her. It’s one of those track’s you can listen to from day-to-night — it easily picks you up, and can easily trip you up. I respect a track that’s as ambiguous as it is grounded. I hope you do, too, because it’s the weekend; welcome it with open, diamond filled arms.
For some reason, it seems typical to me that software engineers would be avid creators of electronic. Something about the evolution of signal flow from oscillator to amplifier makes that sensical. But, what’s moor impressive to me is an engineer who’s influenced by the analog subtleties that have made Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories the go to electronic music tome of the summer.
Irish producer and software engineer Kalai has those influences in spades. His track “Flare” is a perfect amalgamation of the electronic and the analog. It, like Daft Punk’s most recent work, brings you back to a time where Disco was on the wane and House was on the rise. With strings, synths, and even an early hip-hop inspired bongo sample, “Flare” pushes an atmosphere of other timeliness.
Well well well, what a gift from the music gods this was. Apparently I thought I was special yesterday when I received the new Daft Punk “Random Access Memories” album in an email, but of course all you music heads were right there with me. It’s amazing isn’t it, how we think and try so hard not to be wowed as though we have heard it all and there is nothing in this world that could be better then what we have convinced our minds is already the best of the best. Somehow our minds have a mind of their own, HA! There is no denying how impressionable and nostalgic this album is. I guess the best way to put it is that we are back at Studio 54, that’s the feeling you will get from this and the rest of the album!
You all know Studio 54 right?! From what my Mom tells me there really has never been anything like it, the disco music, the drugs, the fashion, the people, hands down no insecurities or worries. That’s what this music reminds me of (although I wasn’t there I can only imagine). The disco/pop, electronic, funk fusion is nothing less than tastefully satisfying on many different levels. Many years have gone into the thought process of the music for this album, and it definitely shows.
If you have caught on to this yet, your welcome! As much as I would like to give every track on the album I am going to just give you one of my favorites. I have a lot going on today from work, meetings and celebrations but this is exactly the energy I need to let the day play out smoothly, enjoy!
We all want so much man, over achievement and extreme ambition are glorified and admired almost universally these days but have you ever stopped to ask why?…
Hustle, hustle, hustle. Grind, grind, grind. Why does everyone got hustle on their mind?”
MIA was something else back then, I remember first hearing that hook and questioning everything. I won’t get into all that right now now but always remember to look around your environment and question what you see. Just because everyone is doing something, just because it’s tradition, culturally revered or whatever doesn’t mean it’s truth. Think about it, if the massive amounts of cultural influence, media and tradition we’rent around to sway would you care about the same things? Sometimes you have to press pause on the Human Drama and give your mind a break to formulate it’s own path. Which brings me to the subject of todays post, the Wet Dreams #1 by Barry Poppins, a former EMPT writer that returns with a downtempo/chill mix worthy of boss caliber reflection and relaxation. This mix isn’t made for Friday or Saturday night, this is strictly for downtime, Sunday chillin’ folks. I’ve had it running top to bottom for the last hour and I gotta say the kids downtempo song selection is tight enough to rival the best of them. Anyhow, I’ve told half the story but the rest is from the maestro himself, press play on this one ASAP, enjoy…
In the 6 months, I’ve been exposed to more music crossing more genres than perhaps at any point in my life. It was both a blessing and a curse, that allowed me to hone in on the sounds that truly act as aural therapy for me. One of these sounds is a very cliche, five letter word: chill. The great part about this genre, I’ve discovered, is that chill out music is not confined to one genre. So many artists across so many different “genres” and decades and continents create an array of music on a daily basis. But if you examine every prolific group or artist’s catalogue thoroughly enough, odds are you’ll find a soothing, relaxing track somewhere.
These are the types of songs that act as ear valium. Since being afflicted by the most gnawing, aggravating medical condition I’ve ever experienced–tinnitus–the need to listen to sparse, mellow, and just calming music has truly arisen. Tinnitus hurts the ear, yes, but it also tortures the soul and the mind. I’ve always been an anxious person, but this disease has made everything in life more difficult–going to clubs, talking on the phone, or just walking down the street. You hear voices, you hear a constant ringing, and you don’t ever know if it will come to an end.
As someone who’s constantly bombarded by stress–both self-inflicted and through external forces–it’s a sound without which I’d be helpless. Thus began my transformation of my musical diary/Tumblr into a very niche, and very mellow music blog, along with a mixture series I hope to update on a monthly basis. Loosely inspired by the White Light Series, and mainly by the overall need to decompress, take a deep breath, and be thankful for what I do have and can control in life, came The Pleasure Dome. I don’t know what, if anything, this little site will turn into. But I do know–as long as I can hear–I’ll be on the look out for the cream of the chill out crop. Without further ado: Welcome To The Pleasure Dome.
Track List:
Tangerine Dream – Love On A Real Train (Chilled Out Euphoria Version)
Radiohead – Climbing Up The Walls (Zero 7 Remix)
Mechanical Me – Beachy Head (Bonobo Remix)
Air et Gordon Tracks- Playground Love
La Roux – In For The Kill (Skream’s Let’s Get Ravey Remix)
Leonard Cohen – I’m Your Man
Nicolas Jaar feat. Scott Larue & Will Epstein- With Just One Glance You
Lou Reed – Walk On The Wild Side (Rocco Raimundo Extended Version)
Flight Facilities – Claire De Lune (Them Jeans Edit)
If you attached the Daft Punk name to an extremely generic song of debatable quality would people go ape shit over it?
Yes.Because of the internet and stuff, presentation often trumps legitimacy. While “Emphazed” is fun, I sincerely doubt that it’s Daft Punk–although it does sound somewhat Tron-y, I would expect more from the robots and Giorgio Moroder. But this, the next “leaked Daft Punk” is most definitely not Daft Punk, although it would sound at home on Discovery II. “Born to Love” is a track from a few years ago by Paul with a definite Punk meets Moroder vibe.
Paul is one of those very ambiguous producers that I’ve known about for quite some time, but still know almost nothing about, other than that he’s from France (Paris maybe?), he makes Fruity House (I mean this in the best way possible), and not enough people know about him. As I mentioned, Paul has definitely been around the blog block, as I believe he may have been/is part of the Valerie Collective (see: College, Anoraak, Russ Chimes) or, as I like to refer to this time the bloghaus Golden Age. All of Paul‘s tracks were unfortunately taken down from his SoundCloud page, probably cause they rely heavily on samples. But now, maybe thanks to this false rumor, Paul‘s come back, to clarify this is his song and to upload a few other Christmas treats.
If it’s at all foggy or gloomy in your mind or in the air, Paul will brighten your day up with his sugary sound. “Born to Love” is a dreamy rainbow laced ride that’s a mixture of French-touch and synth-pop (Fruity House). It’s so good that last week, people started sharing it over the internet as the latest “new Daft Punk x Giorgio Moroder track. I’m not sure on the sample in play here, but it sounds like it’s from some cheesy 80s pop that would’ve worked well in Dirty Dancing. Paul makes a habit at being really good at manipulating samples, extracting vocals and layering beautiful synths and builds behind them. If you’re an aspiring producer, Paul is proof that you don’t need stems and acapellas to create a beautiful track. You just need a feeling.
