Adam Port comes through again. Just as I did with his version of The Weeknd's "What You Need" (which became the last song of every single night/gig for a good 6 month stretch), I am going to overplay the shit out of this.
Drake - The Motto (Ft. Lil Wayne) (Adam Port Edit)
BUY: No release info yet
Makin' the actual version sound chopped & screwed now...
JAM! Been lovin' this Floorplan (aka minimalist Robert Hood's side project) joint since I first caught wind of it 2 months ago. No finer way of infusing a techno backdrop with James Brown goodness.
Breakbot's "Fantasy" is without a doubt the summer jam of summer jams. The great Breakbot production one expects, with a swirl of MJ-esque vocal goodness. Been really feelin' Ed Banger's new direction - from this release to Sebastian's recent.
Been waiting for this Vonstroke version of one of my favourite joints of last year since Bok Bok (who graced our monthly Frenzy party this past year) & L-Vis 1990 first played it on Rinse back on May 3rd. Absolutely mad release.
Girl Unit - Wut (Claude Vonstroke Remix) (Undressed Mix)
Great debut release from 18 year young'n producer Troy Gunner. The whole EP (on L2S Recordings) is greatly crafted, from the Future Garage backdrop to the pitched vocals he paints it with.
Brenmar's "Let Me Know" EP just saw its release on Sinden's Grizzly label 4 days ago. As expected with Brenmar, the compilation stays true to dancefloor flawlessness & widespread club appeal. Great release front to back, but below be my fave of the bunch.
Recently turned 23 year young Adele is without a doubt one of the best singers & songwriters of our generation. Say what you will, but girl can hold it down better than anyone I've ever seen live. Not only does she blow her audiences away (whether it be in sold out arenas or tiny cd shops with minimal accompaniment, as seen here), but she also proves just how deadly powerful the fusion of a great voice & dickhead ex-boyfriend can really be.
The first big (and still to this day, my favourite) "Rolling In The Deep" remix to surface was Jamie xx's, back about 5 months ago. The remix garnered so much attention that virtually every remix since has really been an edit OF the Jamie xx version. Below are my two such favourites - one housey, the other on the bashment tip.
Glass Actor appeared on the map a mere 8 months ago. Kinda baffled that people aren't all over this shit - the production is superb. If not for the depth, then at least for his (trend mocking) funny track genre categorizations (ie "Sensitive Thug Trance Future Reggeaton"). It comes as no surprise that Glass Actor is actually Greg Bowler, or as most people know him, 1/2 of Acid Girls. One would expect great production from someone who fashions these gems under their original moniker.
Best Groove Theory edit I have ever heard. After 9 long months of soundcloud hype, UK's George FitzGerald finally made his stellar touch-up available for download last month. Seems 13,000+ others were patiently waiting for it too...
I initially caught wind of this trio last spring when they toyed with The xx's "Crystalised". Been a fan of all their material since... yet more-so than ever after seeing the (below posted) video of them dropping their Furtado/Timbaland edit last month. Kelis touch-up is the goodness, too.
I first heard of Mista Men back when C.R.S.T remixed their "What You Do To Me". The MM trio fuses their collective love for drum & bass, garage, and low tempo blended house to make what is slowly (but surely) becoming their own sound.
Nguzunguzu has been growing on me for a good minute now. Although Kingdom, Ango, & Brenmar drew me into this slow bass-infused RnB type ish, the Nguzu² duo really made a fan of me when I saw them playing/jamming live (with Kingdom) in a living room via ustream. Great selection, super vibe, and countless tunes that were virgin to my ears.
I haven't seen the internet go this nuts about someone since Paul Wall. Just as the music/blog world became a tad too deep (for their own good), picky, and overly obsessed with coining emerging subgenres ("post-dubstep", Tiesto's shitfusion of trancey-house "Trouse", etc etc), Brenmar hit the radar with something desperately needed - club music. It's as if everyone had forgotten just how infectious the club sound is. Clever samples, R&B vocal chops, bass galore, and dancefloor appeal. Chicago-born & Brooklyn-based Brenmar is bringing that train back, and people are noticing (latest: FACT Magazine's top 10 producers to watch in 2011).
Diplo & Afrojack on the beat - Weezy, Busta, & Brown on the delivery. Can we talk about how Busta absolutely merks this? Can we also talk about how much better this joint would be if Chris Brown were dropped and Yelawolf put on instead? Oof.
I'm still on that Jacques Greene tip. Never upped his material before but the Montreal dude is on point. Labels Night Slugs & LuckyMe share an ear for this stuff too, it seems.