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Music

Robosonic & Mat.Joe – Got Game

This is a bad to the bone, sexy, bass heavy, head nodding, club rocking banger. It samples one of the dopest Hip Hop tracks, 50 & Games Hate It or Love It, which Robosonic  flips with that classic deep house/hip hop flavor only he can bring. Got Game, I love that title because it represents everything I’m about right now.

Since the 3rd grade I’ve lived in a highly competitive performance based world – entertainment. It’s a world where your shit has to be tight or you don’t make the cut. You deliver or you’re done, you’re aware, you know what’s up, you’re really fucking good at what you do and that’s the bottom line. Often times the things expected of you are complex, i.e. deliver something totally subjective that a lot of people agree with, be compelling to strangers, predict the future, amaze and delight – you get the idea. It sounds rough but when it’s your lifestyle you learn the consistencies and you figure it out.

All the while you develop and appreciation for details because in this world it’s the details that separate the good from the great.  You appreciate when someone consistently delivers, you appreciate high level communication, when someone has intention and conviction, when they take care of their appearance, have wisdom, charm or anything else that represents an effort. It says they’re on top of their shit. I know what you’re thinking, materialistism, phoniness, etc but that’s a cope out; what I’m referring to is top to bottom excellence. We all dream about ideals right? For example in love, women want that tough, super sensitive, romantic, handsome, intelligent, highly spiritual and loving man. Guys want that homely, innocent yet sexual, beautiful, stylish and stunning girl who melts your heart with her looks, flowing fairy tale hair and smells so good when she leaves you can’t think of anything else.  That’s called game tight and let me tell you something, it’s real. What you want, it’s out there, it’s no fantasy.

Often times we settle for less because we undervalue ourselves! We don’t love or believe in ourselves enough to keep fighting and searching for what will truly make us happy, not just what’s right in front at the moment. On top of that, to get what you want you have to be what you want. You also have to understand that the world isn’t a fixed thing, you can literally create anything you want but first you have to get free.

I know many people hate on LA and for the right reasons, I know people hate on NYC, for the right reasons as well. Many people despise the entertainment industry but when you grow in those places you distinguish between the real and the fake and trust me when you find real in NY or LA or entertain, it’s real. Those 3 have shown me what game is, what truly being exceptional in ALL facets of life is about. Get game, enjoy.

Robosonic & Mat.Joe – Got Game

Categories
Music

Rihanna – Stay (Marius Hörsturz Edit)

I have one week left here in London. After being here two weeks, it rained for the first time late last night. Not just the typical rain like London does. Lightening storms over the city. This burst of light, a force of energy really, just got me back to thinking and working and playing in the real world. Sometimes when I take  a break from life, I need a reminder that the world is turning, its making fresh energy.  So when you run out or away, it is still churning out new sources of life. Pouring through the streets of London or LA or wherever you find yourself.

I feel that about this song. The original Rihanna release was overplayed nearly immediately upon release, but this new edit from Marius Hörsturz has given this song a revitalized energy. Hörsturz, adds in a deeper house sound and heavy vocals laying this on the memorable piano tune from the original track and adding in his personal style of chill house, as he notes it. You can feel this new energy which has been infused into this song bringing it from a solemn plea for more time to a throbbing, airy tune penetrating your ear drums for more. Taking a break-up song to a dance tune.  Marius Hörsturz is someone you should definitely take the time to explore more of. With some of his other recent edits, like Asta – My Heart Is On Fire and  The XX – StarsHörsturz delivers deep house edits filed with the vigor needed to bring you back from wherever. If you wish.

Rihanna – Stay  (Marius Hörsturz Edit)

Categories
Music

Lane 8 – For You

A lot of producers rant and rave about the watered down nature of their genres–particularly the whole tropical disco trend of taking Ashanti or Brandy and throwing some cow bell on it. Bedroom producers have naturally given birth to copycats and flooded the inbox of many a music blogger, making it harder than ever to distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack. But it is still possible to rise above the muck and to get a music blogger to stop scanning the webs and start typing. Rather than latching on to a moment, create something that’s totally your own. One pretty simple yet extremely difficult way to do that is to fuse genres together (and do it well). Lane 8 does exactly this masterfully, and the result is hypnotic.

If Disclosure and Miguel Campbell had a baby, it would sound something like Lane 8‘s “For You.” On point bass lines, a sleek piano break down, and deep, haunting vocals (a masterfully sampled and manipulated line from The Isley Brothers) elevate this track beyond the standard “oh that’s some deep shit” stratosphere. While “For You” represents yet another producer paying homage to a classic, this version approaches the Malinchak “So Good To Me”level with its sophistication. Like “So Good To Me” (my track of the year),  Lane 8 totally transforms a sample into a new identity, so much that it’s nearly impossible to tell where it came from.

For You is slow and fast, it’s deep and it’s high. It’s a track that you’ll probably find yourself keep coming back to. And it’s a reminder to always remember: there’s still some love left in music, sometimes you’ve just got to dig deep to find it.

Lane 8 – For You

The Isley Brothers – Weak For You

Categories
Music Remixes Video

Anna Lunoe & Flume – I Met You

Although life is very complex and the decisions we make can find a plethora of categories to put them in, life can -in general terms and in my humble opinion- be classified into two categories: the things we can control in life and the ones we can’t. If you most often than not get overwhelmed with things, you could find this approach really practical.

One of those things you can’t control -sometimes- is feelings. Especially the ones you feel with one of those people that only come once in a lifetime and the experience it’s bundled with. The story goes something like this: you meet, the first impression is you can’t believe it, of course it’s unforgettable, you slip, slide, drift, drown on the way and suddenly a sense of self-assurance-for-two invades you. And you’re confident -even if you shouldn’t- that even if one of you tried, you couldn’t let go. Well, that’s the story that almost literally Anna Lunoe tells in this beautiful song.

“Back when I met you, I could not forget you
Try to leave me, I won’t let you
You know I bet you’ll never go
Because you  know the way our story goes
We can take it slow.”

Quality music always rises above. And this song is a testament to that. It doesn’t need PR campaigns, mainstream endorsements and whatnot; from the first few seconds you can sense it. The song starts with a lo-fi vynil-playing noise and Anna’s beautiful vocal’s chopped a bit towards the end of the chorus. A funky vibe, and a serene flanger spiced with a bit of wah-wah effect pave the road to this journey that is best told with the video.

Well it so happens that the official video for this song is a kaleidoscope-centric visual concoction of beautiful horses galloping in slow-mo, the easy-on-the eyes -to say the least- Anna Lunoe and -who I believe is- Harley Streten a.k.a. Flume playing his naturally-morphed midi keyboard on the water.

If we were to speak about the hype this song has gotten everywhere this paragraph wouldn’t suffice. From The Magician featuring it on his latest mixtape and naming it one of his top 5 songs for 2012 to topping Beatport’s Nu-Disco Chart (still #1 as of the time of writing) it has gotten all the praise; and very well deserved.

I’m so excited about this song I’ve included a bonus dub for your pleasure.

Anna Lunoe & Flume – I Met You

BONUS:

Anna Lunoe & Flume – I Met You (Late Nite Tuff Guy Disco Dub)