Brenmar

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).

Brenmar - Taking It Down


Cassie - Me & U (Brenmar remix)


Also - watch out for Brenmar's upcoming remix of Nguzunguzu's "Mirage", due for release next month. Trust!

Ramadanman x James Fox

Released last January... how did I only bump into this now? Ramadanman, much like last time, comes proper.

James Fox - Put It Back (Ramadanman Refix)

Look At Me Now

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.

Chris Brown - Look At Me Now (Ft. Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne) (Prod. Afrojack & Diplo)

Jacques Greene

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.

Jacques Greene - (Baby I Don't Know) What You Want


Cassie - Must Be Love (Ft. Diddy) (Jacques Greene's Marriage Proposal mix)

Nicolas Jaar

Nicolar Jaar is still a teenager. That's absolutely nutty. How does someone this young make/understand such fine sounds? Dude is going to become a household name in a genre that was born before him if he keeps this production up.

Azari & III - Into The Night (Nicolas Jaar Remix)


No Regular Play - Owe Me (Nicolas Jaar Remix)


To get more familiar with this rising talent's roots & come-up, peep Resident Advisor's great write-up here.

Jamie Woon x Ramadanman

The production on Jamie Woon's "Night Air" original is absolutely amazing. So amazing that I wasn't remotely surprised when I found out it was co-produced by Burial. Heavy layering, deep moody atmosphere, and vocal echos galore... all aspects that scream Burial involvement. Just when I thought the track couldn't be touched up or further improved, Ramadanman comes through. And he comes through big time.

Jamie Woon - Night Air


Jamie Woon - Night Air (Ramadanman Refix)

J. Cole x Drake x Blackberry?

RIM needs to hault its Blackberry marketing efforts in the Toronto area - it's clearly not necessary. Peep the berry insanity starting @ 1:50.

C.R.S.T

Always feelin' C.R.S.T joints. The South Wales crew, whose name derives from the first letters of all its members' names (Chesus, Rodski, Stroud,Tony Blitz), has been steady pumping some of my favourite UK sounds (from Garagae & Funky to the more bass-heavy).

Their most recent killer:

Mista Men - What You Do To Me (C.R.S.T Remix)


...and some slightly older goodness:

The Count & Sinden - After Dark (ft. Mystery Jets)(C.R.S.T Remix)


Kele - On The Lam (C.R.S.T Remix)


The XX - Shelter (C.R.S.T Remix)

J. Cole - Friday Night Lights (Mixtape)

I was in NYC last week and this was the sole thing I listened to. Five days straight, constant repeat... probably a solid 10-15 times, front to back. Last I (this thoroughly) enjoyed a tape was when Yelawolf's "Trunk Muzik" first dropped at the dawn of the year. There's somethin' about J. Cole that's mad universal, from production to delivery. The boy (for serious though, he's an '85 baby) pinches on just about every (rap) tastebud - and it's evident as the mixtape unfolds. Whether love for the Kanye-eque ("Blow Up"), the Wale flow ("You Got It", featuring guess who), Royce Da 5'9" influence ("See World"), or hook reminiscent of somethin' 50 might have done in '03 ("Love Me Not")... the young'n is all-embracing. Solid, solid, solid.

Download:
J. Cole - Friday Night Lights (Mixtape) [full zip]

Stream:

Poka

I don't know much about this Poka cat, but I do know this - he's from Athens, and he's damn good with his disco-house. First bumped into the "99 Style" track roughly 3-4 months ago and have since been steady grabbing his material (II).

Poka - 99 Style


Poka - Still Dont Wanna