Keeping It Fresh

As we make our way around the world, today's track is by a group which hails from Chengdu, China. For some people, that is an automatic clue as to which artist group is going to be featured today. In fact, this is a group that many people may recognize from reaction videos. Today is all about Higher Brothers. When I think of these guys, the first thing I do is chuckle. I have never heard a rap group master irony the way Higher Brothers do. The dark humor with which Higher Brothers writes and performs is so honest and quite insightful. The ambitious group is the face of Chinese hip hop and rap, especially trap rap. And what makes them incredibly special is that their is a hungry goal of bringing Chinese hip hop to a global stage. Western rap, Latin rap, and even Korean rap have made waves throughout the music world, and Higher Brothers aim to bring Chinese music to the game. There is so much that Higher Brothers does to make their flows and melodies such an ear worm. For starte...

Today I have a remix for you all, something to spice things up just a bit. This song is originally by one of my favorite R&B singers ever, Trey Songz. This is a guy who has some provocative and sexy songs, a sound that I admittedly enjoy. Honestly, sometimes when I think about how much I love songs like this, it makes me chuckle. But this song originally is one that people have been able to dance to and have a really good time with. Trey Songz has a silky voice that can really get you into a more seductive mood. He is the kind of singer that you automatically associate things like sensuality and intimacy with because of how we works his voice with the music. This song on its own is one of those songs that you can really get down to, no matter where you are. But this remixed version takes the song into a different direction. This version of the song gives us something more club worthy, something with more of a fast paced beat. Even though that is the case though, we still get t...

Today I have some music for you out of South Korea. I know in the past I have talked about a couple of different Korean artists, but I realize that I have not spent as much time talking about this artist in particular. CL is one of the baddest women in music right now, and I honestly wish I had as much swag as she carries in her pinky finger alone. Though she is just now making her way stateside, CL has been a huge success in Asia between her solo work and girl band known as 2NE1.  CL is possibly the biggest female star in Korea, if not the biggest star they have. She has done some incredible work in her tenure with the Korean music industry, and definitely destroys all stereotypes associated with K-Pop. To be quite honest, she is basically the Nicki Minaj of Korean music. She has this incredible intensity to her entire persona. The way she looks, dresses, the style of music she produces, and the fact that she is a rapper. There is a tremendous amount of swagger and fierceness su...

Today I have some really cool music for you by the English DJ who goes by the stage name Shift K3Y. This is the first song I heard by him, and I loved it! Shift K3Y has a very different kind of vibe and sound to him. In particular, this style of house and electronic music is one that got very recently within the UK and Europe. Shift K3y Seems to have taken a page out of that playbook because it tends to be kind of sound we get. Incredibly catchy, nice and synth filled and bumping. This is a song that has such a groovy vibe, but a really tasteful one. It is a nice bubbly, and lively, lush, and vibrant song, one that can get everyone on the dance floor. There is this really nice dash of pop music in the song as well, something that is so perfectly balanced and smooth to listen to. I have to say, this song has a very UK garage feel to it, a sound that is deeply unheard of here in the US. A travesty for sure, but this is the kind of song that everyone wishes got played at t...

Today I have some wicked trap music for you. This song is originally by one of my favorite DJs of all time, Flume. But this trap remix is done by Sleepy Tom, another DJ who likes to hang out of the spotlight, but definitely, deserves to be out in the front. Sleepy Tom is an extremely talented DJ, with a handful of some of the sickest trap beats and melodies that I have heard. He has done a lot of work with other DJ's and does a fantastic job as a featured artist and remixing DJ. Now, what I like about this rendition, is that Sleepy Tom has taken one Flume's more chilled out songs and turned it into something that is ridiculously hype. It can definitely be a struggle to remix songs that have already been so masterfully produced, because DJs don't necessarily want to compromise what the song originally had. Flux Pavilion is a DJ that I would put in that masterful category, but Sleepy Tom also deserves a spot there. He has taken a song that was well crafted and produced and ...

Well, it has been quite a trying week! We've seen a lot happen, and it has been nothing but a wild ride. However, I am so happy to be back with music for you all because quite frankly, sharing music is one of the things that keeps me sane! A part of why this week was extremely crazy for me, is because of dance competition that my university hosted. Now this isn't your typical dance competition. This was a Bollywood Fusion choreography competition. Not many people are extremely familiar with the Bollywood scene, let alone the fusion side, however, the Bollywood dance circuit has grown so large, and because of that we now host nationally acclaimed competitions! It was crazy and stressful and tiring, but absolutely worth it! We got to see teams from all over the country come perform to some the sickest dance mixes out there. The choreography isn't the only thing that is a fusion of styles. These mixes have been meticulously created to give us something that is not only hyped a...

Today I have some music for you by the DJ known as Troyboi. Now this is actually a remix of a song by Zayn Malik, but this is one remix that really kills it. The original song has is a more energetic jam, something that has a good dancing vibe to it. But Troyboi's version of the song has turned it into a slow and seductive jam. I mean this is a serious sex jam. What is cool is that this is a seriously trapped out remix, but it still has such a seductive and sensual vibe to it, perfect when listening to the lyrical content of the song. The spin that Troyboi puts on the song makes it something that is edgier and a little grittier and grimier than the original. Now when Zayn Malik created this song, that was not the feel we got from the song. But this different take on the song is one that is not only enjoyable, but so different from the original that it stands alone and in its own category. Zayn Malik has softer vocals, the kind that of murmur and coo. But Troyboi balances that out w...

Today I have some wicked music for you by a multitude of artists. This song is mainly a collaboration between Yogi, Pusha T, and Skirllex, but the other artists featured in the song make this into something that is sick and absolutely hype. We all know Skrillex has the reputation of being quite a hype artist, a musician who can turn music into something that is more fluid and free form, into something robotic and crisp. This is not a bad thing, whatever people may think. For the genre and style of music that Skrillex produces, that crisp and sharp sound is a perfect compliment to the very electronic sound that he has. Skrillex does not try to dim the level of electronic usage in his music, which I definitely can appreciate. In this song we get to hear a lot more of a combination of styles with Skrillex's instrumental work. For a good portion of the song, Skrillex does not employ the use of his signature electronic scratch. In fact, most of this song is focused on heavy hitting beat...

Today I have a remix for you all. This song is originally by one of my favorite R&B singers ever, Trey Songz. This is a guy who has some provocative and sexy songs and I absolutely love that. Sometimes when I think about how much I love songs like that, it makes me chuckle. But this song originally is one that people have been able to dance to and have a really good time with. Trey Songz has a silky voice that can really get you into a more seductive mood. He is the kind of singer that you automatically associate things like sensuality and intimacy with because of how we works his voice with the music. This song on its own is one of those songs that you can really get down to, no matter where you are. But this remixed version takes the song into a different direction. This version of the song gives us something more club worthy, something with more of a fast paced beat. Even though that is the case though, we still get that inherent R&B nature and feel to the song. During the v...

Today I have some wicked trap music for you. This song is originally by one of my favorite DJs of all time, Flume. But this trap remix is done by Sleepy Tom, another DJ who likes to hang out of the spotlight, but definitely deserves to be out in the front. Sleepy Tom is an extremely talented DJ, with the sickest trap beats and melodies that I have heard. He has done work with the likes of Diplo, and let me tell you, those songs are so damn incredible. What I like about this rendition, is that Sleepy Tom has taken one Flume's more chilled out songs and has turned it into something so ridiculously hype. It can definitely be a struggle to remix songs that have already been so masterfully produced because DJs don't necessarily want to compromise what the song originally had. But Sleepy Tom takes a song that was created and turns it into something that could be considered an original and unique work of musical genius. From the moment the song starts, we get that slow build up into s...

Today I have a really sick remix of a popular Diplo song by the trap DJ Gioni. Since today is all about trap music, I decided to post this remix. This one is a really interesting because it plays with a different harmony for the synth line than the original song. But wonderfully enough, it works so well! This harmony is almost like a piano, which is definitely different for a trap song. But the drop for this song is pretty incredible as well. It isn't the normal kind of drop you would expect, but the way it sounds gives it less of an intense sound, but more of a hype sound. To me, those are the two sides of trap music- intense and bad ass vs hype and energetic. This song definitely falls under the latter, and this is mainly because there is less bass and a less dramatic drop. But that is what makes this song great for a hype song. I definitely work out to this song, especially when lifting weights. It has that perfect beat for it, and it is a beat that is heavily pronounced and eas...

Today I have some really cool music for you by the English DJ who goes by the stage name Shift K3Y. This is the first song I heard by him, and I loved it! This is a song that has such a groovy vibe, but a really tasteful one. It is a nice bubbly, and lively, lush, and vibrant song, one that can get everyone on the dance floor. There is this really nice dash of pop music in the song as well, something that is so perfectly balanced and smooth to listen to. I have to say, this song has a very UK garage feel to it, a sound that is deeply unheard of hear in the US. A travesty for sure, but this is the kind of song that everyone wishes got played at the club. There is this wonderfully brilliant throwback jam, channeling the 80s with that funky synth work. And Shift K3Y really knows how to make this song a modern twist, throwing a lot of house into the song. And the vocals fit perfectly with that vibe. BB Diamond adds this sultry vibe to the song, which is actually really cool. Pretty differe...

SO, I seem to have been a little MIA this past weekend huh? Well, this past weekend marked the beginning of the dance circuit known as Desi Dance Network's first competition. A competition that I attended and absolutely love! Jhalak is a competition held by an organization within The University of Texas at Austin. This competition brings teams from all over the nation to compete for a spot in a competition called Bollywood America. This is the biggest fusion dance competition in North America, and is one that all dance teams work to get into. Jhalak was the first competition of the season, the first Bollywood America bid. And that being said, it was an absolutely phenomenal show. I mean these teams totally blew me away! There was so much hype, competitiveness, and energy! All eight teams that competed did a wonderful job, and I was so damn excited to be a part of it. That being said, this first song is actually a kind of song you could expect from a competition like this. This is w...

Today I have some music for you by Diplo and features the wonderful rapping of Nicky Da B. I found about this song through its use in 22 Jump Street. This song has that really awesome Diplo sound, the one that is his signature feel. The thing about Diplo is that yes he is an electronic musician, but his style is completely different from the majority of well known DJ's in the industry. He has this really dirty spin to his music and it is wicked cool. I won't lie, Diplo is one of those artists that I can listen to when I'm doing something that requires energy, but his music is sometimes too much to listen to all the time. But this song has this really nice beat to it that never drops in energy nor speed. The rapper in this song raps with that same level of energy even though half of what he says is unintelligible. Maybe that is what makes him sound really good in this song. There is a level of energy to which he could be saying nonsense and it would still sound sick. Don...

Today I have some music for you by an underground rapper by the name Andy Mineo. I think the easiest way to describe Andy Mineo's style is to call him a mix of Kanye West and Childish Gambino. Of course individually, both of those artists are phenomenal and excel in their craft. But put them together and you get some wicked cool music! Andy Mineo absolutely nails the whole idea of "rap" music. He has every characteristic of a good rap song, and one that could get very big very fast. Now the reason I picked Childish Gambino as a point of reference is because of the way Andy Mineo raps. His style is very similar to Childish. Andy Mineo gets clever with his lyrics and he likes play on the words he uses. But at the same time, his lyrics have meaning to them beyond the general rap topics of sex, drugs, alcohol, and money. Let us be completely honest, a lot of the modern rap game is completely overrun with those topics. But I like how Andy Mineo changes it up for us, the same w...

Today I have some really cool music for you by DJ Snake and Aluna George. Recently, DJ Snake has really gained in popularity, being the artist responsible for one of the biggest hits of the year on and off the dance floor. This song is a very intriguing step for DJ Snake because it is not like his other high energy and intense songs. This is something that has more subtle undertones and a more low flying sound. DJ Snake ditches his normal pumped up trap sound for a more chill and lounge sound. This version is actually quite different from the original because it offers more depth and substance to the song. Which is not a bad thing for us! I think this twist in sound and style is something the song needed to keep it something we could listen to for a while. DJ Snake created a song that is not lively, yet still vivacious. This song has the ability to make us get into that chill trap kind of vibe, something that seems like a complete contradiction yet somehow works. What I really like abo...

Today I have another remix for you all. This song is originally by one of my favorite R&B singers ever, Trey Songz. This is a guy who has some provocative and sexy songs and I absolutely love that. Sometimes when I think about how much I love songs like that, it makes me chuckle. But this song originally is one that people have been able to dance to and have a really good time with. Trey Songz has a silky voice that can really get you into a more seductive mood. He is the kind of singer that you automatically associate things like sensuality and intimacy with because of how we works his voice with the music. This song on its own is one of those songs that you can really get down to, no matter where you are. But this remixed version takes the song into a different direction. This version of the song gives us something more club worthy, something with more of a fast paced beat. Even though that is the case though, we still get that inherent R&B nature and feel to the song. During...

Today I have some music for you by Keys N Krates. I have not posted a lot of music by them which is kind of bad on my part because as far as trap groups go, Keys N Krates is pretty freaking dope. This song just kind of gets you in this wild and crazy mood. When I hear this I feel the need to go crazy on the dance floor because why the hell not? The first drop we hear is already pretty sick, and then when we get to the main drop, we get this mix of trap and a little bit of trance which seems like it would be totally weird, but it works so well with this song. This song is a different step for Keys N Krates who usually put out these intense and hardcore trap songs, but this definitely has elements of a more ambient kind of song. I like that though, despite the fact that I love Keys N Krates' normal hard trap stuff. This song features a lot more synth work and less heavy percussion. This song is just too good and I can't get enough of it! Today's instrumental song is some more...

Today I have got some really wicked electronic music for you. I may have gone on a listening binge, which is the best kind, and heard a bunch of music. This song is by Major Lazer. Now Major Lazer is an electronic project that I am absolutely in love with. Why? Well, Major Lazer has a style that is so different and uses influences from a lot of different cultural sounds. I think that comes from the fact that one of the members is Diplo. With Diplo, we get so much music and so many sounds from all over the world, but he knows how to mix it in a way that sounds so boss. This song has a little bit of culture mixing. The percussion in this song has a very Latin feel to it and a very traditional Latin sound. Now this Latin American sound is actually a really cool addition to this song because it allows this song to be a trap related song. The way that reggaeton and Latin beats work is that they are generally at half the speed of the rest of the song. So with a song in this style, that kind ...

Since it is the beginning of the year, I thought I would take the time to bring light to extremely new groups to the game and also look back at some of the greatest songs of 2014. For today's song, I have music for you by the newly popular duo known as  Jack Ü.  Now,  Jack Ü has been around since late 2013, however, they did not gain traction and more popularity till this year, especially towards the end. So, I think it is okay to say that this duo fits in with the music of the month. For those of you who don't know,  Jack Ü consists of two incredibly talented DJ's- Skrillex and Diplo. While both of these DJ's have different areas of expertise and production, they have come together as  Jack Ü to create music that is out of this world. We get a lot of that trap sound during the drop from Diplo and a the beat style from Skrillex. I do have to say though that this song does lean more towards the Diplo side of the duo which is not a bad thing!  Both of these a...