Best of year lists? Favorite songs? Best live sets? Uh, why not. Normally I resist this kind of thing, and since most of you are going to skip this post, I might as well indulge.
Favorite song of the year: Probably Jacques Greene- Another Girl. It's definitely the one I've played the most often.
Best DJ set of the year: God, 2011 is kind of a blur. From what I can remember, there were two particularly memorable events for me. Salva, Shlohmo, LOL Boys & Azamat B at Blue Dog was on some next-level debauchery, and Round Table Knights at Igloofest was pretty swell, too. I'm sure I missed tons of other ones, but I was hitting the sauce pretttttty hard this year. Also, I worked way too much, so I missed tons of things I would have loved to hit, like Araabmuzik, Mutek and Canblaster. Oh well, 2012 is mine.
Best Live show of the year: Bon Iver at Metropolis, hands down.
Best new artist/album of the year: The Weeknd, and his Trilogy (House of Balloons, Thursday & Echoes of Silence). A definite game changer.
Producer to watch in 2012: Clams Casino. As Lex Luger was to 2011, Clams Casino will be to 2012. The blueprint is changing, folks.
Yeah, it's a pretty shitty list. I'm getting mentally ready for the post-apocalyptic destruction of my synapses this evening, and also at work, so you'll have to forgive me.
Oh, and by the way, ATV version 2 is just about ready. ;)
Happy New Year, you glorious bastards.
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Did you really think we'd let you go without posting one last song?
This one has already been posted by yours truly, albeit 2 years ago. It is a perennial favorite of mine, and one of the greatest house songs ever.
Capping off the year in style, our big homie Mackpaye from France presents to you one of the finest techno/house mixes in recent memory.
Flawlessly mixing some of the year's tightest selections in the darker side of techno and house, this young producer takes us on an epic trip. Both rabidly heavy and insanely danceable, his mix for French magazine WeAreTheMascotte deserves all of your love. This is a mix that you can drop at a party, on the ipod, in the car, and it will still elicit the same feverish reaction. Mackpaye, as we have been saying for an ungodly amount of time, is one of the finest young selectors on the rise. Production-wise and mixing-wise, he is a serious force to contend with.
You need to play this, download it, and spread it amongst your friends. You won't regret you did.
So long, 2011. It's been an interesting ride. Too much work, not enough partying. 2012's looking mighty sexy, though.
2011 Last Mixtape: mixed by Mackpaye for WeAreTheMascotte
1 - John Digweed & Nick Muir - 30 Northeast [Bedrock Records] 2 - Baba Black - All Black [Palms Out Sounds] 3 - SCNTST - Globus [BNR] 4 - Def Rock - Attack [CDR] 5 - Hey Today! - Minor (TWR72 Remix) [Kitsuné] 6 - La Fuente - Bang Bang [Mixmash Records] 7 - Attaque - Moderate [Badlife] 8 - Fareoh - Ipren [CDR] 9 - Nero - Crush On You (Brodinski Remix) [MTA Records] 10 - The Loops Of Fury - I Need [U&A Recordings] 11 - Dj Triplex - Scream [CDR] 12 - TWR72 - Summer Of 91 [CDR] 13 - Grown Folk - U Know The Time [CDR] 14 - Carte Blanche - Jack On The Moon ♥ ∞ M
Glasswork is a new project from Reims native Andrea, formerly of the much-loved house duo Art Nouveau. I've had my ear to the grindstone ever since they announced the dissolution of the project, as I was a big fan of their music, and knew that they wouldn't just stop making music completely.
Glasswork has released a few screwed-up edits so far, which you can check out on his soundcloud, but he sent over this brand new production, a housy marvel called Unfinished Love.
Simple and sweet, Unfinished Love has a great mix of vibes, featuring chandelier-shaking toms and a sweet hands-in-the-air synth melody. It's a very promising debut from a young producer who has already proven his mettle (to me anyways).
I am in a very pleasant headspace these days. Life is pretty rad. Great friends, great parties, great vibes. Let go of the shit that is dragging you down, and embrace the positivity.
I'll just be posting some tunes that I've been bumping heavily these past few days. As the new year comes along, I'll devote a lot more time to up-and-coming producers, and we will finally drop the new version of the site. If you have any suggestions of things you'd like to see, please let me know.
Always fun and games at Avenge The Virgins. Thank you for your continued support, even when times are tough. One foot in the rave, one foot in the grave.
You may remember Seattle MC Sol from when we posted his hit So Damn High last march. It went to the top of the hypem most popular list very quickly, and his hype has continued to skyrocket since then.
He very recently released a brand new hit, Stage Dive, which we're very pleased to introduce to you this evening. A catchy hook, a rolling bassline, and laid-back lyrical prowess by Sol make this one another surefire banger.
Stage Dive features production from Nima Skeemz, and will be included on Sol's upcoming album, Yours Truly, which is set to drop on the 20th of January.
Gucci Vump, the collabo between Reims' golden boy Brodinski and Guillaume from The Shoes, is back with a brand new mixtape. Called NVTHIN BVT A GUXXI THANG, it diverges quite a bit from their usual M.O. of trippy house music. I've read several interviews in which Brodinski professes his love for hip-hop, and his desire to make beats for rappers. He's been releasing his Best of Everything series for a while now, and has also given away a whole slew of Chopped-and-Screwed rap edits, so it was only a matter of time before an album of Hip-hop beats came out.
The duo resurrects the Gucci Vump name just in time for the holidays, and man, what a great gift. You can download the entire mixtape below. Please enjoy.
Abel Tesfaye, the insanely talented artist known as The Weeknd, has just unleashed Echoes of Silence, the final release of his trilogy of free albums.
Following the game-changing House of Balloons and the hectic Thursday, we are introduced to the dark, foreboding Echoes of Silence. This is mystical hangover music that is still undeniably sexy. It has a lot more seratonin-draining introspective jams, which I am definitely not mad at. Quite honestly, this is some of the best drug music to be released this decade. Love him or hate him, The Weeknd is one of the most innovative and enigmatic musicians to emerge in quite a while. Whether at a party, during sex, at an afterparty or on the day-after, The Weeknd's music is always appropriate.
Here is a little glimpse into Echoes of Silence, but I recommend that you download the whole release and listen to it in its entirety. It is pretty much perfect, and Avenge The Virgins approved.
I'm not one for Best Of Year lists, but if I had to endorse one release this year, it would definitely be House of Balloons. It's the album that has gotten the most burn from me, and I'll go as far as to call it a classic. Maybe it's a lifestyle thing, but that thing has been the soundtrack to my life in 2011. Echoes of Silence is a phenomenal release as well, and very much worth your time.
I apologize for the short post, but I'm not in any shape to go into any great detail.
1. Make sure your soundsystem can handle monstrous amounts of sub-bass. 2. Take your preferred dissasociative/hallucinogenic substance. 3. Turn the overhead lights off, and the christmas tree lights on. 3. Get yourself and your significant other undressed. 4. Press play. Enjoy.
#seapunk is one of the most interesting scenes I've ever had the pleasure of discovering. It's like a frankenstein mash of PLUR rave culture, online messageboard imagery, LOL Boys-esque vibes and gargantuan bass overloads.
I'm guessing the parties get a bit weird. It's all gravy, though. Blue mohawks, aquatic imagery, MDMA and sex aren't exactly a bad combination.
I realize that today's post is not too cerebral. I didn't sleep very well. You guys oughta loosen up a bit. Enjoy the vibes.
My Baby Does K All Day She Doesn't Wash Her Hair Doesn't Wash Her Clothes Just Sits On The Couch Watching Television Shows When I Come Home Doesn't Even Say Hello
Putting up one post a day until New Year's Eve seems like a pretty honorable endeavor, don't you think? Now, I could make up a million excuses as to why we haven't been posting too much, but it all boils down to one: Life gets in the way. To properly experience club/dance music, you can't just stay in your room with headphones. Gotta hit the streets.
Anyways, back to our regular scheduled programming. Let's get it.
Today's post focuses on a young rising star in the Montreal dance music scene: the titan of twerk, Bongiovanni.
We've been trying to post as many of his new tunes as possible, as you may have noticed. His releases thus far have been right up my alley and I really cannot resist sharing them with you. He taps into the darker, carnal, vibier side of house music for inspiration, and the end result is something decidedly fresh and sexy. Although I've yet to hear one of his tunes on the dancefloor, I imagine the effect to be pretty magical. Bongiovanni is definitely a producer to keep your eye on in 2012. And if you don't know, now you know.
Today, he blesses us with two new tunes, Baby I Ain't Buggin & Worldwide. Candle-lit caves and coked-up raves. Some of the freshest vibes coming out of Montreal at the moment. Bongiovanni is a badman.
Those of you who have been following this blog for some time are quite aware of my Freddie Gibbs "addiction". The guy keeps on releasing straight heat and his latest mixtape "Cold Day In Hell" is another one to add to his, already, extensive record.
In an overall perspective, great productions, as per usual with Mr. Gibbs. The album features big names such as : Young Jeezy, 2 Chainz, Juicy J (the dude is everywhere), Freeway & Dom Kennedy (remember Watermelon Sunday ?). No wonder why this has been quoted as "the definitive mixtape fans have been asking for". Peep my hand picked singles.
The 3 tracks are all ATV certified joints. I swear
Omari Shakir is an artist out of Toronto who is part of Abel Tesfaye's xo collective. Not quite The Weeknd, but the vibes are similar. Codeine, Courvoisier and chronic runnin' through the veins.
As promised, here is the short feature on San Jose beatsmiths Me Gusta, a supremely talented duo that are releasing some of the finest instrumental hip-hop in recent memory.
Sean Paul Richards & Dominic Lopez first started collaborating in 2008, and shortly thereafter started releasing beats as Me Gusta. The California sun and demeanor can definitely be felt in all of their productions. Hazy chops, blunted-out basslines and random samples are masterfully mixed together by the duo. They've released most of their tunes for free on their soundcloud and bandcamp pages, so you should definitly bookmark them if you dig the vibes.
I've definitely become a pretty big fan of theirs over the past few months, for obvious reasons. From weeded-out videogame-sampling anthems to speaker-rattling hip-hop jams, Me Gusta always brings the heat. Hope you dig it.
Damn, this dude is on fire. Another phenomenal track from Montreal producer Bongiovanni, part of the Booty Bakery crew. After releasing his fantastic edit of My Love a few weeks ago, Bongiovanni is back with another heater.
Know a Thing Or 2 is pretty much the distillation of pitched passionate perfection. Laid-back, smokey vibes are the flavour of the day.
From what I've heard of this dude's production so far, he definitely has a promising path ahead of him. Show some love to Montreal's underground.
The second installment of our long awaited mix series is finally here.
Volume 1 was released way back in April, so we figured it was time to rekindle your love affair with Avenge The Virgins, just in time for the holidays.
After Azamat B's amazing ballroom mix introduced us to the AtV mix series, we knew we had to enlist some top shelf talent to make the second edition as phenomenal as the first. ______________________________
One of the first people to come to mind was one of our favorite producers, the always stellar Bombé. For those not familiar with the name, we will be more than glad to introduce him. Bombé, formerly known as Kid Queasy, is a titan in the Philly bass scene. He has been producing subwoofer-decimating bangers for a few years, yet has criminally flown under the radar for some reason.
However, in June, he collaborated on a one-off project with fellow Philly DJ Mr Carribean, and they dropped a mixtape called James Drake. To put it lightly, it took over the blog world by storm, getting featured on such influential sites like Pitchfork, Prefix and FACT. A mash-up/blend album featuring (you guessed it) James Blake and Drake, James Drake was a huge success, mainly due to Bombé's mixing and ear for detailed soundscapes. I believe that it now has something like 95 500 plays on soundcloud, which is no mean feat.
All that aside though, the main reason that we are such huge fans of Bombé, for lack of a better explanation, is his absolute mastery of dark, sexy vibes. He's pretty much the sensei of bass, and one of the more innovative producers in the game. I find it very hard to describe his sound, which is always a plus. People first started categorizing it as future bass, but his sound has evolved so much that it is impossible to pigeonhole. A delicate mix of all of the darker elements of grime, 2step, house and techno, Bombé's tunes trigger something nefariously hedonistic within our hearts and spike seratonin levels off the charts.
Chandelier Crunk (disclaimer: Bombé did not come up with this name. Yours truly, on an MDMA hangover, did. I think it fits, though.) is an eerie plunge into the darker side of dance music. Featuring hypnotic selections ranging from Ifan Daffyd, Richelle, FaltyDL, NGUZUNGUZU and more, it is a 48 minute journey into the recesses of our minds. Chandelier Crunk transcends genres, but will still make you two-step without realizing it. Vibe and image wise, it evokes a mixture of a subterranean rave, a drugged-out loft party and a shamanistic ritual. Regardless of the setting, if this is played in a dimly lit room, the energy will get primal, very quickly. Orgiastic opium overtones, to put it simply.
And now, without further ado, we present to you the long overdue second volume of our Avenge The Virgins mix series, courtesy of the big homie Bombé.
Avenge The Virgins presents Chandelier Crunk by Bombé. (Download link on the soundcloud player)
1. Gray - Eight Hour Religion 2. Kry Wolf - Lost In Treme (Colo Remix) 3. MYRRYRS - Paradis Parka 4. Ifan Dafydd - Miranda 5. Jeremy Duffy - Tired (FaltyDL Remix) 6. Jack Dixon - Between us 7. Vessel - Nylon Sunset 8. Krueger - Galactica (Bambounou Remix) 9. Mosca - Dom Perignon 10. Kingdom - Seven Chirp 11. Richelle - Don't Do 12. Fade To Mind "The Claw" - Track 10 13. Machinedrum - Lay Me Down 14. Voltron - Be For Real (Nguzunguzu Remix) 15. Cedaa - Palomino (HxdB Remix) 16. Hugo Frederick - Family Affair _______________________
If you've enjoyed the vibes contained herein, please show copious amounts of love. Download the mix, give it to your friends, bump it at home, in the car, during dinner and during those sexy moments alone with your significant other. Chandelier Crunk is steamy, sultry, and oh so smooth. Somebody's gonna get pregnant.
We'd like to give a huge shout-out to Bombé once again for whipping up this mix for us and the faithful readers of Avenge The Virgins. We hope you dig it.
Nothing too complicated this eve, just a few terrific tunes to get the blood flowing.
We will be dropping the second volume of the Avenge The Virgins mix series in the next few days, mixed by none other than Philadelphia bass baron Bombé. It is an incredibly dark and sexy mix, sure to spike up the birth rate, and make your weekend magical. Keep checking us out daily, it is coming very soon.
Waka Flocka Flame, contrary to what a lot of people might think, is fucking AWESOME. Get a few drinks into me and I'm BOW BOW BOW-ing all over the place. Sinjin Hawke is an ATV fave, so this makes this bootleg much more sweet. Top shelf dopeness.
I've been getting rather obsessed with Me Gusta's music recently. Therefore, I've started writing a nice little feature on this duo, which will drop next week. I hope you will dig it!
This tune was the precursor to my Saturday night, which turned out to be all kinds of epic. A few friends and myself hit up this legendary afterparty, complete with interactive light shows, pyramids with changing faces, a military net over the dancefloor and people in Arabian Nights styled tents. It sounds cliche, but I can't really describe it accurately. Trust me, it was insane. MDMAwesome, indeed.
Much love! Thank you all for your ongoing support. We appreciate it.
Subvader has been on our list of Producers To Watch for quite some time. His mad scientist swagger has definitely kept us guessing and looking forward to the otherwordly sounds he seems to conjure out of thin air.
A few days ago this talented producer from Ann Arbour blessed us with a whole bunch of new material, and was kind enough to let us share this absolute monster of a track with you, our dear readers.
Glass Roof fits loosely under the hypnotic pendulum of what we call techno. It mutates several times over the course of four minutes, becoming ferociously rhythmic, subdued, jubilant and bleak, oftentimes all at once. The fact that this tune would work as well in a grimy warehouse rave as it would in a posh rooftop afterparty speaks volumes about Subvader's versatility and creativity. Radness personified, no matter the setting. His new productions are bottled insanity, you should really keep an eye out.
We here at Avenge The Virgins like to keep it oh so classy. Please enjoy this evening's offering, a nice little tribute to the finer things in life. Scattered, weird and awesome.
I've got a dope feature on West Coast beatsmiths Me Gusta coming up, a brand new exclusive tune from the mighty Subvader, and a site redesign that is almost done. Times are a' changing.
Gloze is a Montreal producer who sent us a few of his remixes last week. He has a penchant for ethereal hip-hop beats and hazy electronica. While most of the tunes are really tight, this one fit today's theme the best. Nice little take on one of my favorite tunes.
Ballroom as a scene is starting to get a lot more notice, and I couldn't be happier. Our first Avenge The Virgins mix, mixed by Azamat B, had an extremely heavy ballroom/vogue influence, and I'm definitely a fan of anything remotely ballroom-minded. This particular one, premiered by The Fader, is off of MikeQ's debut on Fade to Mind, Kingdom's new label. nuCunt is a next level sexed-up banger of a tune.
Weirdly enough, the start of my obsession with electronic music was during the start of the Baltimore Club & Baile Funk wave 6-7 years ago. I therefore have a huge weakness for raunchy repetitive club music with a lot of bass. This one is serioussssss.
Masta Ace, from Brooklyn, NY, is considered to be one of the most talented emcees of our time. His story telling skills & amazing flow have earned him great respect among his peers. Often quoted as an influential rapper, Eminem is one of the many who mentioned how much he admired Masta Ace. Disposable Arts was released in 2001 and is filled with classics. Here's 3 of my favorites.
"Acknowledge" is one of my top Masta joints, cant get enough of it. The instrumental, sampling classic music and Guru's voice, is right on point. NYC hiphop ftw
Ironing out the kinks in this here blog. Winter is coming, which means that I'll have a lot more time to devote to actual features, instead of our practice of dropping clusters of songs, which seems to be our raison d'être these days.
In the meantime, more of the status quo. You know you love it.
Ah, of course. Vaguely depressing music, just in time for the first snowfall. For all of my constant praise of Montreal, my dislike of our winters runs deep.
A stellar meeting of some of New York's finest young talent. Azealia brings a heavy dose of her signature gattling gun glamour, 77klash peppers in a bit of his dancehall chatting and Machinedrum mixes it all together with his smooth futuresex vibes. All in all, a fanstastic collaboration.
Pac Div is here to stay. Always working on new projects and collabos, they're back at it with a great album featuring dope acts such as : Casey Veggies, Skeme, Asher Roth, etc. This one called "The Div" is the brand new album from the Southern California based emcees.
Remember back in September when I announced that Sinjin Hawke would be releasing his debut EP on the terrific Belgian label Pelican Fly?
Well, the preview dropped yesterday, and it's everything we anticipated and more. The Lights EP (FLY005) is an 8 track opus that is sure to tear the game up as soon as it drops.
He sent it to me 2 weeks ago, and I couldn't wait for the opportunity to share this amazing release with you guys. The soundcloud preview that Pelican Fly uploaded plunges us head-first into the mind of this Canadian expat, now currently living in Barcelona. His debut EP features some of the dopest club music of 2011.
From otherwordly subwoofer-exploding anthems, to memorable synth crescendos, to spoken-word serenades, The Lights has a bit of something for everyone. From what I can ascertain, the reaction to the preview is already overwhelmingly positive, and I'm sure that many of Sinjin Hawke's new tunes will be rinsed thoroughly by DJs for months to come.
In short, this is a phenomenal debut from one of the most promising young producers in dance music. P-p-p-pelican Fly.
Our MTL-centric week is coming to an end. We hope you've enjoyed the ride and have hopefully discovered a few producers and DJs that you were unfamiliar with. Quality stuff, no? If you have any thoughts, please feel free to share.
This tardy post will feature a production duo that is no stranger to ATV, the always innovative LOL BOYS. I've professed my appreciation for their music ad nauseam over the past year, so I won't go too crazy on the description. All you need to know is that this new remix is pretty stellar/insane. DMT meets Ballroom? Oh lawd.
Also, as a nice little segway into tomorrow's post, I've included a recent remix by the very talented Sinjin Hawke. We're going to feature a preview of his upcoming EP tomorrow afternoon, but for tonight, please enjoy this monumental remix of Philly producer Krueger's banger Galactica.
Sinjin Hawke twerks the original into a thunderous monster, and pays homage to another young producer killing the game, Lex Luger. Real recognize real.
Those who have been reading this blog for a while may recognize the name sibian&faun, a great electronic music duo from Montreal. We profiled them back in February, and have been following their power moves ever since.
However, today's post is dedicated to 1/2 of sibian&faun, a very talented producer who goes by the name of Xavier Léon.
When I saw the list of participants in this year's Red Bull Music Academy (which is ridic, by the way), I was stoked to see that Xavier had been accepted. He's already released a preview of a collaboration with Italian producer Broke One which you can check out on his soundcloud.
Today's featured song is a extremely solid and sexy piece of music called Movin On. Léon's work with sibian&faun dipped heavily into futuristic-sounding r&b vibes, and his solo work continues the tradition. Xavier Léon's choice of samples is pretty fantastic, and he excels at heartwrenching, bass-heavy dance music. I'm definitely a very big fan of his unique sound, and hope you'll show him a lot of support if you do too.
Codeine Promethazine has reached the shores of Montreal, in a major way.
The drugged up, syruppy vibes that seems to be leaking from our producers' pores recently is definitely a good look. Either we're finally getting hook-ups for some potent lean (and if so, please inform your friendly neighborhood ATV), or our chronic is getting a lot stronger.
Today's featured producer goes by the name of Compton Chic. I know next to nothing about her, to be quite honest. She reached out to us a while back, sending us a youtube link of her Frank Ocean refix, and nothing else. After a bit of sleuthing, I found her soundcloud page and ascertained that she was a Montrealer. I dug the swag, so I figured she needed a bit more exposure.
Compton Chic's forte seems to be heavily blunted, gloriously chopped up r&b edits. Although they may be simple, her reworks are sexy, trippy and effective. There's quite a few more on her soundcloud page, which I've linked below, so if you dig the vibes, please give her a bit of love.
Your favorite DJ's favorite DJ, Mr Azamat Bogdanov, has just dropped his newest mix, Space Age Trill.
His last mix, Jackin Around, was one of my favorite mixes of the year, for obvious reasons. Azamat B is one of the most versatile DJs that I've ever seen, and his selecting and mixing skills are unmatched.
Space Age Trill, his latest offering, is extremely dope. No need to go into details tonight. Just vibe to the next level sounds.
Get Lit - A$AP Rocky (Prod. By Soufein 3000) Lost Dog - Worthy (LOL Boys Remix) Bang Bang - Drexciya Secret Spaces - Grown Folk Rollin - GuGu Silk - Manaré No Man Can - Unknown Digital Vogue - Kevin Movado J-Z Let It All Out 2011 - Jay Karan An We Drop - Addison Groove Dooms Night - Azzido Da Bass (Radio Slave's Panorama Garage Remix) Dom Perignon - Mosca Lil Ma (Bonus Beat) - Bok Bok & Tom Trago Sweat - Presk & Cinnaman (Jon Convex Remix) Liberation Front - Egyptrixx (Mike Q Remix - Bok Bok Re-Edit) Chase Me - Inaya Day (Elite Beatz Mad Dub - Vjuan Allure) Kick it - Dj Sliink (Remix) Poppinshit - Machinedrum Numba one - Dj Jayhood and Dj Fresh Impossible - DeeJay Sliink Badmind Ha - Rizzla (Extended VIP mix) Like That - Sinjin Hawke RDI - Breton (Girl Unit Remix) Five Fingered Salute - Wheez-ie Gothic - Phantom (Racks Edit)
I feel like posting Montreal-centric songs all week, for some reason. For those willing to humor me and trust this impulsive phase, you'll be getting a lot of great music this week. Montreal's bubbling, as per the usual.
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Tonight's featured song comes to us courtesy of Bongiovanni, a local DJ who has been steadily gaining recognition over the past year. Although I have never seen him DJ, I have heard good things about his sets, but it came as a surprise to hear that he also produced. So when he reached out to ATV to promote his newest edit, I had to share it with you. From what he told us, Bongiovanni used to make hip-hop beats and housier edits, but his sound seems to be evolving into something pretty great. You can definitely feel the sexy, gritty, two-steppy vibe that Montreal seems to naturally inspire.
His edit of My Love is a hit through and through. His chopped up and dropped out take on the classic tune is really refreshing. The mp3 is low quality for now, but you guys should keep an eye on his soundcloud, his production work is getting exponentially better.
Something new from one of Montreal's finest. It doesn't get much deeper than this. Hatchy goes in.
YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A SHITTY LOFT IN MONTREAL AT A DRUGGED UP AFTERPARTY WITH WACKY DRUNK FRANCOS TRYING TO HIT ON TRASHY ANGLOS WITH WAY TOO MUCH ATTITUDE AND THERE'S THIS REDHEAD KID MAKING MIRACLES BEHIND THE TURNTABLES, HE'S SURROUNDED BY HOT HALF GOTH HALF 2 LIVE CREW BITCHES AND HE JUST SHINES, THAT'S HATCHMATIK." -TEKI LATEX
I've got a few Montreal-centric posts coming up in the next few days. Keep an eye out, if you're into that sort of thing. Nothing wrong with a little regional pride, right?
If you've been a regular follower of Avenge The Virgins for the past few years, you will have come across the fine stylings of Reims' rising star, Mackpaye.
Since we've been so fucking dormant for so long, we've kinda missed out on putting on dope tunes when they get released. Regardless, there's no expiry date for great music.
Let's get reacquainted with some of the remixes you may have missed.
First off, we have a great, synth-heavy house refix of frequent Neptunes collaborator Kenna. Mackpaye's strengths lie in making memorable, melody-driven house music; remixes and originals that remind you of champagne-soaked loft parties that last until the early morning. This remix of Chains fits Mackpaye's modus operandi to a T, and considering he has yet to make a bad tune, that's not a bad thing.
Second on the list is one of my favorite remixes by Mackpaye. Equal parts acid/techno/electro/whatever, it is one of his heaviest remixes yet, sure to get play in any peak-hour set. It is wild, energetic and deliriously addictive, and I'm pretty bummed that I didn't get to show this to you sooner.
I've been a big fan of LOL BOYS and SamoSoundBoy for a serious minute, so when I heard that the Los Angeles natives were starting a label called Body High, I knew it was going to be pretty tight.
Body High has dropped one EP so far, the debut release by DJ Dodger Stadium (a collabo between Jerome Potter of LOL BOYS and SamoSoundBoy), called the Stadium Status EP. LOL Boys & SSB are quite well known for their love and mastery of wild rhythm and percussive club music, and the Stadium Status EP definitely reflects that. You can check out a few snippets on the label's soundcloud page, which is linked at the end of the post.
The Last Breath EP, produced entirely by the mysterious DJ Funeral, is the second release by the promising young label, and it is slated to be one of the most talked-about releases in quite a while. Completely unclassifiable in any known genre, Last Breath will feature (from what I can ascertain from this 5 minute preview) a double-time jumbie rave anthem, a booty clapping jam with terrifying percussion and what I can only describe as R&B on a heavy dose of Ayahuasca.
The EP is dropping at midnight on the 31st of October, and will be available for purchase online from most of your local crack peddlers. Keep your eye on their soundcloud, big things are in store.
Starting with a pop-dubstep-hiphop song that's been getting a lot of buzz around the interweb. Plus it features one of my personnal favorites, Freddie Gibs. Can't go wrong with that. The Vision, a heavy track from Joker's debut LP, is flipped with Jessie Ware's vocals and Freddie Gibs' magic.
Now, the following is for the hiphop heads out there. Jon Connor from Flint, Michigan, goes H.A.M. on this beat. Big things popping for this young man. Check him out
Next stop is a dude that goes by the name of NYOIL, from Staten Island, New York. Been out there making raw, engaged, backpacker hiphop for a long time. This track "Y'all Should All Get Lynched" really took people by surprise, especially with the video produced by DJ Slice of The Cr8Kickers. Peep it, shit is rough
Day 7 of my insane work week. Just chillin' with a four-pack of Tecate and whatever's left of this boom. Gotta share a few smooth tracks to take the edge off.
I'd need summer to come back, please. Poste-haste. Good lord I hate Montreal winters. This song always reminds me of summer, so it's been getting a fair amount of play from me these days. Dipset!
xxxchange is under-appreciated, in my opinion. Dude was on fire for a minute. He started as Spank Rock's DJ, but moved on to production, and honestly, has cooked up some of my favorite remixes of the past few years.
I'm tryin' to cook up something dope for you guys. I have a few nice features lined up, hopefully you'll dig whatever I've been posting so far.
Let's get back into it, this hibernation shit is played out.
I have yet to hear something from these guys that I dislike. Wherever You Might Be has everything you need. Smooth, sexy, groovy, deep. Whatever you're looking for, STSQ will provide.
The A$AP takeover has only just begun. Rocky got signed to RCA last week, and had a feature in the New York times. His new track Out Of This World is so unbelievably tight. Anyone still doubting A$AP Rocky or his crew needs to pay attention. New York has its next big hope. I'm all about this new wave of originality and creativity in rap.
The second tune, call it spacey/wavey/based or whatever, is my introduction to A$AP Twelvy, and I'm mad impressed by his chops. The fact that it is produced by the always great spaceghostpurrp is just icing on the cake. VZVP/RVDXR KLVN.
Just a short little lighthearted post this morning. A tiny bit of audio stimulation, and a series of fantastic visuals done for the EF language school, directed by Gustav Johansson, with typography by the talented Albin Holmqvist.
Toronto is boiling hot these days. Following The Weeknd/Abel Tesfaye's meteoric rise to fame, and his XO crew's affiliation with Drake's OVO (October's Very Own) collective, people have been paying a lot of attention to Canada's biggest metropolis. Not only is Drake absolutely killing it lately, but a lot of the r&b and electronic music coming from Toronto is of the highest quality.
I have personally played The Weeknds's debut mixtape House of Balloons more than any other release this year, but I was a bit dissapointed by the muddled follow-up Thursday. Regardless, I'm willing to give his future releases a chance, based on the strength of his debut mixtape.
Two days ago, Tesfaye dropped a new song, his most drugged-out and distorted piece to date, called Initiation.
The release of Initiation introduces us to DROPXLIFE, a mysterious producer from Toronto who is part of the OVOXO umbrella group. For many, this is our first introduction to this new talent. He specializes in chopped-up, dropped-out, bass-heavy jams, which is the perfect complement to The Weeknd's syruppy serenades to debauchery.
I've included the title track of his debut mixtape ALLXLEGENDS, as well as a download link so you can jam it on your ipods and stereos. Between this and Rustie's album (OMFG so good), fans of dope instrumental vibes have been pretty spoiled recently.
DROPXLIFE's debut is pretty sweet, to be quite honest. Mellow, trippy and heavy at the same time, a few songs are reminiscent of a mix of Portishead and a really strong MDMA trip.
My work schedule is a bit ridiculous these days, but I have several great posts lined up for you in the coming days. I've really missed posting, so I'm trying to put expotentially more effort into the site. We'll see how that goes.
Anyways, today's post will be a double-whammy of awesomeness. We have a great deep tune by Dutch producer Peter Horrevorts and a several weeks old BBC Radio 1 Essential mix, mixed by none other than the rising star himself, Jamie xx.
To be honest, my introduction to this tune came from listening to the Essential Mix posted below. It is an extremely solid mix, filled with amazing tunes, but this was one of the tunes that caught my attention and made me do a double-take. Of course, I had to click through the mix to locate it in the lengthy tracklist.
Peter Horrevorts, a producer from the south of Holland, has been releasing sublime techno for the better part of a decade. I had personally never heard of him until a few weeks ago, but the few tracks that I have heard so far are admittedly great.
Siren is a hypnotic slow-burner of a track, a magical piece of very deep house. It starts with a dreamy buildup of enchanting rhythm, then the bass and vocal sample are dropped into the mix, which leads to gape-jawed wonder for the rest of the nearly 10 minute adventure. I'm not a connoisseur of deep house, unfortunately, but this one is most definitely one of the prime cuts of the year.
The xx's production whiz and much-hyped DJ, Jamie Smith, aka Jamie xx, has had a great year. His Gil Scott-Heron rework is one of my favorite remixes of 2010, his steel drum opus Far Nearer was one of the summer's best tunes, and his edits have been rinsed by many an influential DJ.
I was pretty stoked when I heard that he had done an Essential Mix, which is always a great platform for up-and-coming producers to show off their skills. I won't say too much about the mix today.
Just put it on the stereo and let yourself be transported and moved by the vibes. Anything goes with this one: disco, UK Bass, soul, and more.
What was your reaction to the mix? Personally, I cleaned up my whole appartment whilst two-stepping to it, and it was the perfect soundtrack. That might not be the most flattering or preferable way to review a mix, but I'm a fan. He was pretty great at Osheaga this summer, too.
Anyways, enough chatter. ENJOY.
TRACKLIST:
01 Orbital – “Belfast” 02 Phanes – “Lucky Woman” 03 Ifan Dafydd – “No Good” 04Harvey Mandel – “Christo Redentor” 05 Koreless – “Lost In Tokyo” 06 Floating Points – “Sais” 07 Wiley – “Colder (Instrumental)” 08 Fantastic Mr. Fox – “Untitled” 09 Pearson Sound – “Untitled” 10 DJ Deeon – “Fine Hoes” 11 Luke Vibert – “Analord” 12 New Look – “Janet” 13 John Tejada – “Unstable Condition” 14 Univac – “Untitled (Track 1)” 15 Aardvarck – “Nosestep (Original Mix)” 16 Jean Jacques Smoothie – “2 People” 17 Instra:mental – “Pyramid” 18 Grimm Limbo – “Fortune Favours the Brave” 19 R A G – “Rage (Spaventi & Aroy Raw Mix)” 20 Ronnie Dyson – “All Over Your Face” 21 Jamie xx – “Far Nearer (Bootleg)” 22 Axel Boman – “Purple Drank” 23 Loosse – “About You” (Feat. Yolanda) 24 Anette Party – “Moreno” (Feat. Anita Coke) 25 Gino Soccio – “Dancer” 26 Mr Beatnick – “Synthetes” 27 Sacha Funke vs. Nina Kraviz – “Moses (Stimming Remix)” 28 Jamie xx & Gil Scott Heron – “I’ll Take Care Of U (Special DJ Version)” 29 Genius Of Time – “Houston We Have A Problem” 30 Austin Eterno/The xx – “I Remember Shelter” 31 James Blake – “Libra (Edit)” 32 Pangaea – “Bear Witness” 33 Holly Miranda – “Slow Burn Treason” 34 Peter Horrevorts – “Siren” 35 Chuck Roberts – “My House (Acappella)” 36 Virgo Four – “Do You Know Who You Are?” 37 Morning Factory – “Diane’s Love” 38 Karen Pollack – “You Can’t Touch Me (Roc & Kato Vocal Beat Trip Mix)” 39 War – “The World Is A Ghetto (Special Disco Mix)” 40 Marshall Jefferson – “Mushrooms (Justin Martin Mix)” 41 Radiohead – “Bloom (Jamie xx Rework)”
The songs featured on this blog are for promotional use only. Our goal is to promote the artists we feature, to expose great talent to a wider audience, and not to steal money from their pockets. If you would like a song removed, just get at us in the comments and we'll be more than happy to oblige. If you like the music we feature, then support the artists next time they roll through your city, either by going to a show, or by buying merchandise!
