Keeping It Fresh

Hello everyone! I’ve noticed lately that a lot of the songs I have written about lately have been more on the pop and chilled outside of things. So I thought it would be great to shake things up and go with an energetic and electronic-tinged track! In all honesty, calling this an “electric tinged” song is a bit of an understatement. In fact, today we are getting a much-needed dose of some good ol’ EDM. And before things get a little out of hand, I firmly believe a little electronic music in one’s life never hurt anyone, and is actually a nice addition to a music library. So without further ado, it’s time to jump in!  Today’s track is a bundle of energy and good times. Everything about the song is filled with vivacious energy and upbeat sound. There are a lot of things going on in this song that are fantastic and a lot of fun. There are even some parts that remind me a bit of other popular songs! As is common with many house songs or vocalist influenced EDM tracks, there is a wo...

Continuing with more ACL artists, today I am focusing on one of the electronic acts to hit the stage. What is interesting is that initially, this artist was not supposed to be listed. Due to some complications though, they were slotted and many of us got to experience Justice for the first time. And let me tell you, the show was absolutely mesmerizing.  A little background about the group, Justice is a French electronic duo who has been a strong and powerful underbelly of music. The duo has been nominated for multiple Grammy's and has even won for some of their remixes. Justice has a really great repertoire of sound and production. At times during their performance, I would get some serious Daft Punk vibes. There is something very meticulous about their work and in the intricacies of their music. There are definitely disco and funk electronic vibes, thrown in with a little bit of house as well. But what makes Justice stand out, even more, is that there are lots of influenc...

It has been a long while since I have posted anything remotely close to old school electronic music. So I thought, why not today? Today's song brings back memories of driving in a car late at night, cruising with the windows down and enjoying the moment. This song transports us back to a different time in electronic music. It takes us back over 10 years ago, to the beginnings of progressive house. This song has been remixed by Adam K & Soha and takes on a completely different genre compared to the original. The original version is by Ercoa and Heikki, and the roots of the track can be found in drum & bass and a bit of house. However, today's remixed version takes on progressive house vibe. The remix is more subdued, softening up some of the more intense parts of the original and amplifying the melody. A lot of times with progressive house, the song is more about the melody and the atmosphere rather than bass and beats. We definitely hear that in this track, with the ...

This summer has been an interesting time for music. A lot of the new releases we have been hearing are not coming from big-name artists but from more of the lesser known musicians and artists. And that makes this such an interesting time for music because it is almost time to start deciding on the anthem of the summer. And though this track is a little late in the game, I think it has a fair chance in my book of being one of the anthems of the season. So let's get right into it! Louis the Child has always been such a fascinating duo. A lot of their inspiration is drawn from Asia and Eastern Asian cultures. This makes their melodies stand out more, distinguish the duo, and provide a nice respite from the string of pop songs we normally hear over the summer. This is going to be a fun song to talk about especially because it is the latest development in Louis the Child's extensive dossier of music. Though the duo is not as well known as DJs and groups such as Major Lazer, Dil...

Today I a bit of a sadder and commemorative post. This past weekend, we lost a music legend. Avicii was one of the most venerable DJ's and artists of our time. Many DJs have cited him as their muse. Many others have expressed their love and awe at his skills and artistry. And as listeners, we have Avicii to thank for spearheading a shift in what we consider EDM. He completely changed what it meant to be and EDM artist. He redefined dance music and paved a pathway for the rise of the DJ. To be honest, it is hard to wrap the mind around what Avicii has done for musicians and artists because he was a trailblazer and innovator. Above all though, Avicii was an artist who did what he loved- making music. Despite the health issues he experienced within the past few years of his life, Avicii never stopped making music. He never gave up his passion, the one thing that made him happiest. For many, Avicii created a transcendent connection which spread love and support to all music liste...

Today we're heading towards the EDM and electronic side of music. I recently went to a show where Mat Zo was the headlining artists, and my goodness was I blown away. As an artist, Mat Zo has been known to dabble in genres that are kind of all over the place. Specifically though, he started out with trance music, and that is exactly the kind of show we got. Electronic music has taken on this interesting evolution, growing and shaping into different styles all the time. And there are definitely some things I love about the electronic music scene now, and there are definitely some things I am not a huge fan of as well. Now Mat Zo takes us back more old school. His set list was full of the progressive house and trance style we had around 2008. The pronounced beats, runway style sounds, and smooth synths to polish it off. I mean this show had everything! And I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed jamming out to the kind of electronic music which made me fall in love with the genre in...

Today I want to continue with my discussion of the soundtrack for Black Panther. Like I mentioned in the previous post, Kendrick knocked this soundtrack out of the park, releasing a powerful album in the wake of the release of Marvel’s most revolutionary film. This soundtrack is a masterful tribute to the film, African American, and Black power, and is the album we have needed from the mainstream film world. Today’s track features California’s Vince Staples and the popular South African rapper, Yugen Blakrok. One of the things I absolutely love about Yugen Blakrok’s verses is the creativity and ingenuity found in them. There is African imagery, homages to other superheroes, and a wildly raw theme to her lines. Not only that, it feels as though this track is hers and features Vince Staples, not the other way around. Though her time on the track is shorter, she seems to dominate the entire song. She is bombastic, proud, and incredibly effective at getting her point across. And it is a...

Today I have a remix of a song by one of the most popular solo artists of the past few years. Ed Sheeran has developed quite a reputation for himself, of not only being a talented singer and songwriter, but of being a phenomenal aritst and musician. He is also one of the artists who seems to cross all boundaries. His music is often categorized as pop muic though he finds way to incorporate rapping into his work. For some songs, the delicate and beatiful instrumentation is set as a background to darker and and more melancholy lyrics. And though he is an English aritst, he has won an award for being the most influential artist in black music. It all goes to show that to Ed Sheeran, music is something that has no boundaries, no stereotypes, no definition tying it down. Now the thing I love about Ed Sheeran's music is that it has the ability to be interpreted and remixed in so many different ways, and this particular remix is done by Speaker of the House. I have to say that this is ...

Today I have some music for you by a rapper who has made quite a name for himself despite being out of the spotlight. Vic Mensa has made some big waves in the music industry as a lyricist and performer. Now as a listener, I can wholeheartedly understand why he has been able to do so. Not only does Vic Mensa carry power in his words, but also in the delivery. There are a lot of rappers who lean towards one or the other, but Vic Mensa has found this incredibly sweet and saucy combination which leaves an impression on everyone who hears his music. Today's track is right up that alley. This song is a very interesting vibe, especially because it sounds very unlike a stereotypical rap track. Vic Mensa's debut track is an absolute jam, perfect for the club or a night out. He successfully blends deep house with a spillage of rap words which fall like dominoes. He carries a slick flow, seemingly removing spaces between words so that there is a smooth and continuous barrage of words. ...

Today I have an absolutely incredible song for you all. Often times we hear covers of songs get done, with multiple covers of popular songs. And a lot of these times, the covers a wonderful tribute to the original song. The notes are beautifully reached, the melodies a beautiful flow like the original track. But what the single dimensional covers do, is create an extremely similar rendition of the original song. And then we get some rare covers which are stunning pieces of work. These covers tend to be extremely non-conventional and can change everything about a song. Today's track does just that. The original version of this song is incredibly popular, the girls' anthem for all the 90's and 00's girls out there. TLC is a musical staple - everyone knows them and at least one of their songs. This one is their most popular and it has been covered by many people. But no one has been able to turn the original into a completely new work of art the way Unlike Pluto has. Te...

Today I have some music for you by an artist that I've spent some time listening to in the past, but recently go back into. It isn't often that we get female rappers on the scene, and it's equally as rare to see female artists who perform like today's artist does. 070 Shake is one of the most unique artists out there. Now to be completely honest, I was a bit confused about the name of the group, thinking the lead rapper's name is 070 Shake. Just to clear things up, the female rapper is known as Shake and the rest of this contemporary rap group is 070. Hence the project's name. But this has to be one of the most interesting groups to listen to because of how different they sound. The group is led by female rapper Shake, who has a voice that is incredibly recognizable and almost trademark. Her lower register, baritone vocals spit out some of the grittiest and grimiest realities of life. And it is cool to be able to hear how vocals like that can give such an emot...

Today I have a new track for you which features one of my favorite R&B singers to have surfaced within the past couple of years. I wasn't familiar with the artistic duo Whole Doubts until I heard this song. Well to be fair, I wasn't familiar with this side project called Whole Doubts. Interestingly enough, we have heard quite a bit of their work in the past as the composers of some of the biggest pop songs. But as a "solo" project, this is a fresh listen. This track is Whole Doubts' official debut track, and I am a huge fan. This track seems like a very experimental one, as Whole Doubts wades its way into an interesting a genre-bending soundscape. This track is a subtle banger. We don't necessarily expect to hear what we do, but it works in a way which is fun and vivacious, without being overly energetic or crazy. This song posists a gorgeous balance between art and popular music, focusing on sounds that are both liberating and catchy. There is a produ...

It has been quite some time since I posted anything electronic or EDM related, so I thought that would be a fun way to start up today's post. So today, I have some music for you by one of my favorite electronic artists, Flight Facilities. As we all know, EDM tends to be a wide but really fun genre of music. There are so many subgenres and sounds that are under the umbrella of EDM, and today we are going down the path of house and disco. I think the first thing I have to address when talking about this song, is Flight Facilities as a music duo. This is one of the most risk-averse artists to listen to because you will always find something to like. You may not like every song, but there will be a few that you can definitely jam to. This is all because of the musical style with which the duo has defined for themselves. I think many producers easily give this duo a nod of approval because of how dynamic the music is. Everything is so well polished, even when Flight Facilities aim in ...

Today I have some really sick music for you by Vic Mensa and Kanye West. That is right, today we are delving into the world of rap and hip hop, with a little electronic work in the background. Quite a while it has been, but let's get to it! Vic Mensa is quite the interesting artist, because his focus on pursuing music is so raw. For him it is more about the experience of getting out there and doing something creative and fun, like making music. This song has a lot of really good things going on in it, and the first thing that I noticed was that the song is pretty chilled out, with these deep and firm and strong percussion work. That creates this awesome sound for the song, something that you can listen to everywhere and anytime. Now I actually have to go the drop in this song because it is a drop into absolute ferocity. This is the kind of song that makes you feel like you own any room you may walk into.  From what I hear in this song Vic Mensa has some major talent. But the tr...

So apparently, none of my posts have been posting the last few days. Awful on my part, you would think I would have figured out how to properly schedule drafts. But today I wanted to share some music with you which comes from the world of Korean music. I know I have spent some time in the past talking about how Korean music often times is nothing like everyone imagines it to be. Just like the rest of the music world, Korean music has genres and styles of music that span a variety of sounds and vibes. And today, I wanted to talk about an artist who comes from the Korean rap world. To start things off, I want to emphasize how incredibly awesome foreign rap is. Recently, we have seen a spike in the popularity of foreign pop, but still it isn't as popular as Western pop usually gets. So one can only imagine how unsung foreign rap can be. A shame to be honest because foreign rap is some of the coolest stuff I have heard. And Korean rapper, Rap Monster,  does a really good job of ...

Today I have some music for you that feels so good. The first time I ever heard Manila Killa was when he performed a show during SXSW. And ever since, I have been a major fan of his music. This song is one of my recent favorites and also features the work of Robotaki. One of the best things about these two artists is that their musical style is so effortless. I wouldn't necessarily call it carefree, implying that the music is rather bubbly. But there is something so completely smooth and fluid and undemanding about their music. Something completely free-spirited. It's so easy on the ears and though they are electronic artists, you never really feel that kind of sound. And I really like that. These two artists are more about creating an atmosphere and an environment, and they are able to create something that feels so good. This song is super chilled out, following in the footsteps of other popular deep house singles. But Manila Killa and Robotaki put a lot of character into...

Today I have some fun and bubbly music for you by an artist and producer out of Miami. GAWVI musical career has been really interesting to look at because of his work as a producer. One of the most notable hip-hop and rap producers within the Christian music world, GAWVI actually boasts a Grammy award for his production. Most of his work has been made popular by Lecrae, another really talented and incredible artist. But with today's song, we get something that is GAWVI and him only. This song is all him - the song lyrics, composition, and production. For starters, this is a really catchy track. There is an intoxication dance beat to the song which makes it so much fun and exciting to listen to. The song starts out with this really nice tropical percussion work. It's deep and resonates so nicely, making it a great base from which the rest of the song can be built upon. This song has some intricately layered synth work, but it all fits like clockwork. GAWVI did a good job of cr...

Today I have some music for you that is an absolute earworm. This song is by an electronic producer by the name No Way Back, a producer that isn't very well known despite his wickedly good music. First time I heard this song, I could not stop jamming out, and even now I still have the dancing bug. Now the best thing about this song is how completely raw it is and how this is straight up house. As in pure house music, sounds that we forget exist since music gets muddled up. Don't get me wrong, I love it when EDM genres collide and create wicked songs. But every once in a while it is nice to go back to the basics and get that sweet sound of true house. This song is actually a twist taken on a Mariah Carey song, which I had no idea about. But I won't lie, I think this rework sounds pretty darn awesome and is definitely not shy of being groovy. The song begins with a steady percussion loop, which then gives way to more structured and subtle piano beats. This all builds up i...

Today I have some music for you by an artist known as NYK. I hadn't really heard much about this artist until very recently, but I am a huge fan of his voice. His voice has won him some awards, including a Japanese singing show, so that is pretty darn awesome. NYK has a very smooth R&B style voice, one that I definitely dig. His voice doesn't necessarily stand out as a voice that is easily recognizable or anything, but it is one that suits the R&B style he is going for. I will say though, NYK has a deeper voice than other R&B artists, which makes him stand out in some sense. NYK can also really climb the scale, as evidence from the second verse shows. He very easily and gorgeously is able to climb up to the falsetto notes, something that I really look for in R&B artists. Part of the soulful and seductive element of R&B is being able to play between those lower pitched notes and the high falsettos, something that NYK is able to do very smoothly. So kudos to...

Today I have some new music for you by the artist known as Vaski. I am going to be totally honest, I have no idea how to even begin classifying his music because there are elements from a lot of different styles in this song. What I can tell you is that Vaski has really pushed his sound barriers far out to carry and express those subtle complexities and nuances. That is something I can definitely appreciate in a producer because it most certainly is not an easy feat. This is a super laid back approach to EDM production, and that is pretty darn okay with me. Vaski is an artist who has drifted a lot towards crazy dubstep and heavy electronic songs, but this was a nice change. The song is a great step away from that stylistic sound, towards something completely different and very laid back. This song has a lot of R&B influences in it, something that has recently become a trend we see. It works really well in this song though because the beats themselves follow the R&B style, w...