Tag: flume

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Music

George Maple – Talk Talk

Now here’s something nice and refreshing: a female vocalist wistfully singing meaningful lyrics accompanied by catchy synth, instrumentals, and upbeat percussion throughout. I’m a big fan of this category of music.. that along the lines of Jesse Ware and La Roux. I have so much respect for these women. I’m not sure how much of my fancy toward George Maple is pure admiration, and how much is the actual material at hand.

All you wanna do is talk. All I wanted was your reckless heart

What do you do in this situation? One partner highly values actions, the other – words. Can this partnership survive? I’ve been in both sides of the equation. Well actually, I used to be the one to want to talk. talk. talk. But after years of this, I noticed how much fluff words are made up of. People can say ANYTHING and be genuine about NONE of it. Of course this is an extreme, but because I’ve seen so much sly and conniving behavior, I’m a skeptic of what you have to say without also observing actions that support those words.

I can feel the hurt in George’s words. She wants to just go along with this thing, and doesn’t want to talk about it. Her feelings are not reciprocated in her partner’s words, but she feels a physical connection to him. She feels powerless in this partnership, and it’s something I can empathize with.

Waiting, hesitating…

George Maple’s (real name: Jess Maple) “Vacant Space” EP is out December 1 via Sydney-based label Future Classic. I’m looking forward to what she’s coming next for her. I can definitely picture her doing good things with such artists as Nicolas Jaar and Flume. Cross your fingers that those collabs will occur!

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Music Uncategorized

Emoh Instead – Why Can’t You (Say So…)

At first I didn’t know what to think of Emoh Instead’s “Why Can’t You (Say So…)”. At first, you’re exposed to a voice manipulated to become low-pitched and slow-tempoed, accompanied by a highly contrasting woman’s soprano whining in the background. Quickly thereafter, the mood is flipped as trappy horns hit you right in the face. Horns are all the rage these days, but Emoh has his unique twist on it. Short, accented trombone works really well with the woman’s vocals. For some reason, the abrupt stops and starts are quite appealing to me in this instance.

I really don’t know what to classify this song as. I’ve noticed that a lot lately about eclectic songs in general. How does one classify new genres of music other than “different”, or “a little bit of this and a little bit of that”. It’s pretty awesome to live in an age where unique style is embraced rather than frowned upon. As the world continues to grow its diversity, who knows what obscure, cool, catchy genres will reveal themselves! As long as you have an open mind (and ears!), you should be reveling in this genre-renaissance.

Emoh Instead has collaborated and learned from Flume for the past couple of years. They formed What So Not, of which I’m a definitely a fan. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more of Emoh’s work in the near future.

Emoh Instead – Why Can’t You (Say So…)

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Music

Seekae – Test & Recognise (Flume Re-Work)

We must “be” before we can “do” and we can “do” only to the extent that we “are,” and what we “are” depends upon what we “think.”

We cannot express powers that we do not possess. The only way by which we may secure possession of power is to become conscious of power, and we can never become conscious of power until we learn that all power is from within.”

That my friends is the secret, and understanding that you control your thoughts is the solution to it all. Try to look at it in the simplest way – that computer, phone or tablet you’re using to read this was first a thought and then a material object. It existed in the internal world and then the external. Now look around you, everything you see comes from that same internal creative force. Now think about your life and everything that has happened to you. It all came from that same place.

So if everything you see came from the internal, it goes to say that everything you will ever need, everything there is, and everything there will ever be comes from that same place. The things you seek, the power, the success, and the happiness you want already exist within, it’s just waiting to be realized by your thoughts.

Test & Recognize is a fitting subject for this topic because it is the essence of understanding that power. We’ve been fed so much bullshit that most people wouldn’t even recognize truth when they heard it. Information is so diluted that facts, scientific findings, and history itself fail to teach or resonate with people. This is understandable because corporations have lied and manipulated things so that people don’t know what to believe.

So what do you do? You test & experiment. Break your pattern for 30 days to see what not eating a certain food does, turn off your phone for 24 hours to see how you feel, take a big risk and see if your fear was really merited. Take in any information that you feel is honest and then you think for yourself. In the Matrix Agent Smith was explaining to Morpheus that humans lost when we let machines do our thinking for us…

I say your civilization because as soon as we started thinking for you it really became our civilization which is of course what this is all about.

Today, Amazon’s algorithms make our buying recommendations, Pandora picks our music, and Google finds our answers. Our most powerful asset, our only asset, the very thing that created all we have, is being transferred to machines. Understand the power of your mind, reclaim that and never let it go. It is the source of everything and as we go deeper and deeper into the Space Age it will be more important than ever to evolve that power to new levels that surpass anything a computer could ever do, enjoy.

Seekae – Test & Recognise (Flume Re-Work)

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Music

Flume – The Greatest View (Feat. Isabella Manfredi)

If I got to choose a coast I got to choose the East
I live out there, so don’t go there
But that don’t mean a ni%$@ can’t rest in the West
See some nice breast in the West” – Biggie

Two and a half years ago I found out what it’s like to be a New Yorker in the City of Angels – insert all relevant stereotypes here. In the last week or so I’ve been back on forth to NYC and after fully embracing the Angelino lifestyle I’m truly starting understanding the other side of the coin. Those Biggie lyrics use to represent me to the fullest but these days I’m lucky enough to have a different perspective, one that ask why choose? LA and NYC are completely different places, so much so that there’s no valid reason to compare them, but you talk to natives of either and they’re so die hard about one or the other. I’m not knocking loving your city but I am promoting being able to appreciate it all. It seems like much of life is centered around making these drastic decisions but why do we have to limit our love to one thing? We’re forced into these limits as if humans aren’t capable of endless love. Further more why do we get caught up in the frame of mind that strongly identifying ourselves with things is so important? In my opinion we’re led into that by commerce but more on that later.

If you don’t know by now Steve Jobs is one of my idols and part of his philosophy on intelligence is that it’s all about having crap load of experiences to draw upon…

A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So they don’t have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have.”

I love that, I love the concept of having a huge bag of experiences to draw upon when it comes to anything in life. Sometimes we get caught up looking at a thing from one perspective while completely forgetting that there’s an entire world out there. Often we get caught up in the material and forget how insignificant that is compared to the divine, we get lost looking at something from the ground instead of going up and seeing it from a sky scraper. We always have to keep that in mind, that’s why I chose this song because it truly is about being objective enough to have The Greatest View.

So to that I say live somewhere else! Save your money and travel, experience new energies, new people, new cultures and make your bag of experiences as big as possible. I said we’re led into these limited identities because of commerce and I think that’s a big part of it. The world wants to make you define yourself because that makes you easy to sell to. The more of a “demographic” you are the easier it is for marketers to target you and sell you shit. But kill that noise, we’re better than that and we’re not limited to one, two or even three things. Technology and all the progress we’ve made as humans allow us to make the most of our lives, don’t take that shit for granted. There’s no limit to our love, enjoy.

Flume – The Greatest View (Feat. Isabella Manfredi)

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Music Remixes

New Navy – Zimbabwe (Flume Remix)  

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When we last heard from New Navy, the Aussies were covering Telepopmusik’s “Breath.” This time, the boys get a rework from compatriot Flume, who has blown up considerably since I first saw him with twenty other people in the basement of Cake Shop (NYC) last year.

Here, Flume exhibits a lighter touch than usual, turning “Zimbabwe” from sparkling, tight guitar pop to chilled-out comedown soundtrack material. The hazy piano droplets fade into a jazzy bass line and tom-heavy drum track, while manipulated vocals layer atop harps and claps identified with modern nu-disco.

We’ve been trending this way for a few weeks now, but I guess it’s officially the season of the summer jam. I’m not talking the “song of the summer.” That’s a total misnomer dependent on marketing budgets and complicit media. Summer jams are the ever-present soundtrack to the season, memorable not for their merits, but for the memories they accompany.

Show of hands, who remembers the song that was playing during your first kiss? In most cases, I’ll bet it was a summer jam. I imagine it was the case for my dad, all those years ago at camp, to Roy Orbison or The Beach Boys. And it will likely be the case for my grandchildren, to whatever insanoid computer music kids are into a few decades down the road. That’s really my dream as a music blogger: one of you will download this track, throw it on a party playlist, and let it serve as the backdrop for an eternal memory.

And yes, my first kiss was to AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long.”  

New Navy – Zimbabwe (Flume Remix)

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Music

EMPT Presents: Le Miel du Mois Decembre Best of 2013

I can’t lie, I’ve had this tape since mid December. I did have an extremely busy end of the year and going back to NYC for two weeks didn’t exactly help my productivity but that really has nothing to do with it. In fact this tape has been complete since Steph first sent it over. HP sent us one of their new Split X2 laptops, you know the one Clams Casino has been using for those beat making videos you’ve been seeing all over the net. Anyways, I didn’t want to take my army of technology with me on this trip so I put Ableton on the X2, got inspired, took it on my flight and did all the mix on it while on my way to New York. Gotta love the space age.

The truth is I have this weird thing with LMDM’s where I want to hold on to it for myself for as long as possible. I realize EMPT is this whole thing now and people have certain expectations that need to be met but I like to do what I feel and being the only one with LMDM for a little extra longer makes me feel good, sue me. Seriously though, I know it’s a problem, I promise to be better about it this year. Anyhow, Steph usually speaks through her selections but this time she graced us with some beautiful words and I won’t go on with my ramblings and distract much longer. We took a little extra time to mix and blend the tracks while keeping Stephs original track order in tack so I think you’ll guys like how this one flows. To make up for my hoarding and to step it up for 2014 I’ll be mixing all LMDM’s like this from no on, enjoy.

Putting this lmdm is always particularly special – for me, each year it’s a way to go through the endless lists of my favorite songs which in a way is to go through moment after moment after moment that made up my year – to sum up “a best of” – this took me exactly twenty minutes, at a quarter to midnight, BC I knew exactly what needed to be on this – so this is my version of a best of – each song is a piece of my year and perhaps of yours as well…each track is much more than that – it’s a distinct memory you repeat in your head bringing you back to that individual experience you associate it with. For me there’s a strong mix of emotion attached to each one and a definitive event, person, or both. Here’s to a full year-  of ups and downs, highs and lows, falls and beautiful mistakes but with each close of a year – comes a new opportunity – of renewal and most importantly, an open path – waiting to be taken…

Le Miel du Mois at work? That’s much better than work at work! Download
Tracklist:
  1. Sam Smith – Nirvana (TIPs Promised Land Remix)
  2. Nicolas jaar – With Just One Glance
  3. Coma les dilettantes (Roosevelt remix)
  4. Blood Orange – Champagne Coast (Clockwork Opera Remix)
  5. Foals – Bad Habit (Alex Metric Remix)
  6. Wolf Alice – Blush (Duncan Murray Remix)
  7. Vadoinmessico – Teeo (Crystal Fighters Remix)
  8. Miguel – do you (ah yeah remix)
  9. Hermitude – hyperparadise (flume remix)
  10. Vitalic- fade away (C2C remix)
  11. Ginger and the ghost – one type of dark (ta-Ku remix)
  12. Lafayette – Mauvaise mine (Jupiter remix)
  13. Kleerup and Lykke Li – Til we bleed
  14. Ultraista – Small Talk (whomever remix)
  15. Flight Facilities – Claire de Lune (them jeans edit)
  16. The Do – Bohemian Dance (YUS remix)
Categories
Music

Flume & Chet Faker – This Song Is Not About A Girl

Alittle bit disco paired with the vocals reminiscent of a rock song from the ’90s, this song is on repeat at the moment. Just one of the songs, which was released on the highly anticipated collaborative album from two of my favorites from down under.

This song is powerful with a dance beat and an extremely sexy breakdown around the 3:00 minute mark. And then it gets even sexier, stripping out much of the instrumentals only to be added in to a slow roll :30 seconds later. I feel like I was seduced. And not going to lie, I loved it.

What this duo creates is a beautiful mix of Chet‘s vocals which are dark and hollow over the whimsical, playfulness of Flume‘s producing. This song makes me so excited for more.

This tune is among other amazing releases from these two and is currently available on the album Lockjaw. Please never stop.

Flume & Chet Faker – This Song Is Not About A Girl

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Music

Flume & Chet Faker – Drop The Game

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Sick track. Dope production. I’m pretty much obsessed.

“I’ve been seeing all, I’ve been seeing your soul
Give me things that I wanted to know
Tell me things that you’ve done.”
 
Chet Faker wrote to NPR about Drop the Game… in his very own words, “Everyone has these notions of what someone else wants, and it becomes this massive game.”

That’s some Real talk, Mr. Faker. Real. Fucking. Talk.

Croon-Master Faker, whose name is an ode to jazz great Chet Baker, is one of my favorite ‘new’ faces on the music scene as of late. He’s come out with a plethora of recordings in the past couple of years; his originality is striking —  he embodies a sort of nostalgic inertia, a certain je ne sais quois, a sense of the ineffable even… he makes the foreign sound familiar and the familiar sound foreign.

Oh and Flume is fantastic.  The 22 year old Australian electronic musician is gaining notoriety as a  fresh-ass beat-maker and this track is a perfect example of his sound. He’s the kind of musician (//musician’s musician) you just want to have a conversation with (Mr. Faker is too, duh)… at least, that’s the conclusion I’ve come to after reading this interview, in which he cites Flying Lotus as a big influence and talks about how with music “you can just do weird.” Word. The weird is what’s up.

Drop the Game, recently released off Flume & Chet Faker’s Lockjaw EP is worth a listen… or maybe ~20-30 listens… in a row. Let’s be real.

Flume & Chet Faker – Drop The Game

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Music

Flume – Intro (Featuring Stalley)

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I cannot stress the appeal of this man enough. Amazing producer and releasing work which is pushing the envelope for symphonic production and collaboration. Flume, or Harley Streten, has worked with the likes of Disclosure and Ta-ku this past year and has continued to release collaborative and solo work that makes us move and dance and grind and moan all too much. The opening piano of this crescendos with sound and energy and leads into the dark and smooth vocal style of Stalley. I am having trouble putting in to words the feeling I get from listening to this from the 1:35 to 2:45 points in the song. I want to dance to it and roll in it and let it soak in to me like a wash over my body. Such a tune.

This is his most recent release from his upcoming album, which is a rerelease of his self-titled debut album. The new Flume: Deluxe Edition is set to release on November 9th 2013. If you have not done so already, start to take a listen to the songs streaming from this one. This is an album make-over which captures his ever-evolvin,g beautiful style of producing and includes many cameos from big names such as Ghostface Killah and Killer Mike, not to mention the extremely smooth Stalley of MMG on this track. Enjoy.

Flume – Intro (Feat. Stalley)

Categories
Interview Music

Steph Lund: Ruckus Rhythms Interview

We’ve come a long long way together, through the hard times and the good. I have celebrate you baby, I have to praise you like I should….”

Reading Stephs feature on Ruckus Rhythms nearly brought a tear in my eye man. I’m so proud of everyone that helps make EMPT happen these days but no one has been with me longer than Steph, that’s the bottom line. We have a loyalty to the music that’s beyond any regular affection most people have and that’s a beautiful thing, not many understand that but we do and that’s why she’s my twin. I’m so proud of what LMDM has become, Steph and how it continues to inspire others. Who wouldn’t have thought right Steph? Enjoy.
____

Steph Lund regularly contributes to the NYC based music blog Et Musique Pour Tous (EMPT). Her contribution isn’t in the form of a daily post, but instead a monthly playlist called: “Le Miel Du Mois” She is my music aficionado idol and yet I know nothing about her. This interview is meant to shed some light on the mystery that is Steph Lund and of course give us a very special guest Playlust (found at the bottom).

Your “Le Miel Du Mois” inspired me to create the P L A Y L U S T. How long have you been putting that together for EMPT?

Steph: That’s awesome. I’ve been honored to be able to create Le Miel Du Mois since April 2009- that was our first mixtape and still one of my favorites. I opened it with a Whitest Boy Alive track – Erlund Oye, I mean he’s a Lund…:)

How did that come to be?

Steph: I met the founder of Et Musique Pour Tous, Hector, through a mutual friend. We were at a concert a few months into our friendship and I ran the idea by him – At the time, I felt like it was something music blogs were lacking – a monthly curated playlist that focused on up-and-coming artists and remixes.

Do you DJ at all?

Steph: I do, but only with EMPT’s Hector – I haven’t put time into it as I should so I’ll only trust him to be there next to me. We do select parties in NY and LA if we feel passionate/ excited about them – Hec is amazing- he has played some incredible places – I’m envious where he’s traveled to for it

What are the top three ways you find music?

Steph: HYPE MACHINE, first and foremost. Spotify – listening to others playlists (Nicolaas Jaar,Pitchfork, etc) and artist and remix submissions to forthbeat’s twitter account– I usually can tell if I’m into something ten seconds in, and if I’m in love, about thirty seconds in

What’s one song you’re playing on loop right now and are seriously risking burning out on?

Steph: So many! I have a repeat problem- and not just with songs – current rEpEaT PrObLeMs are:

Foals – “Bad Habit” (Alex Metric remix)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Under the Earth” (my wake up track)

Hermitude- “HyperParadise” (Flume Remix)

and Angel Haze – “Werkin Girl”

This summer has been St Lucia – “All Eyes On You” for wayy wayyy too long (still is…)

Can you tell us more about your own music blog, forthebeat.com, and what made you want to start it?

Steph: So forthebeat was started as a placeholder- it sounds a bit odd but my friend and I who started forthebeat wanted to throw parties with bands we loved through shows we curated – the idea was to have these parties once every 4 months.

When we started reaching out to managers, we wanted a page to refer them to so they could have a reference for who we are. Then ABC News Amplified partnered with us for our CMJ shows and we started using the blog to post info on our parties and it grew from there. We did one of the first New York shows for Sleigh Bells – that was amazing to be a part of. We also worked with We Have Band,Kisses, Hooray for Earth, Dominant Legs, Wiseblood, Phantogram, and more. (Some photos here from those shows)

I’m the only one that posts on it anymore, and its not a pressure-do it every day or even every month thing – I do wish I had more time to post though. Maybe after the summer.

What do you do for a living?
Steph: I run a public relations firm – I head the Brooklyn office for a London based agency.

If you could tell our readers about one band they have to see live the next time they come to town, who would it be?

Steph: See Foals. See Beirut. See Solange. All have been hugely impresssionistic shows.

Can you tell us an anecdote of the most memorable time that you made a Ruckus?

Steph: I would say the entire year of 2009, which is when we started forthebeat. We were VPs at our jobs by day and running around to shows and parties every night. Can’t beat NY for that…

“S T E P H L U N D – L U S T”: These are the top tracks Steph is bumpin right now:

via RUCKUS RHYTHMS