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.
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.
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.
Alright, fuck this hiatus bullshit. I'll dive right back into it. Enough of the excuses.
Long-time readers of the blog, and pretty much anyone with an ear for great music will have heard of today's featured producer.
I met Sinjin Hawke when he first started the now infamous Boomclap parties in Montreal. Since then, he's gotten married and permanently relocated to Barcelona. I'm guessing the beautiful weather has been treating him well, because all of the music he's released since moving has been exceptional. Every time I saw him DJ, he always had a penchant for r&b and juke with a monstrous amount of bass, and his new remixes definitely reflect this. We've featured pretty much every single song he's ever released on Avenge The Virgins, and today I'd like to introduce you to a few of his newer productions. The Cuizinier one in particular is really sick, as the heavy drum fills and throbbing bass fuse together so perfectly.
Once I heard that Sinjin Hawke would be collaborating with one of my favorite labels, the forward-thinking Pelican Fly, and will be releasing his much-anticipated (and long overdue) first EP, I must admit that I was beyond stoked. If you haven't heard of Sinjin Hawke by some stroke of misfortune, here's your chance. Dude's got a crazy ear for production, is a skilled DJ, and all-around nice guy. Show some support. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Sinjin Hawke is one of the top 10 producers you should keep your eye on in the coming year.
Everything's supposed to be back to normal now. We've just had to remove the most insanely random songs from our server, because of our host's demands. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason behind the songs they forced us to remove, as most are available on several other blogs, but if it means we can continue to feed the masses, then so be it, I'll take 'em down.
To celebrate the fact that we won't imminently perish, I've posted a few smooth tunes and one oldie thrown in for good measure.
This is a fantastic edit by local house heroes Prince Club. The original version of The Morning, a somewhat upbeat hangover anthem by The Weeknd, isn't too altered by the Montreal duo (hence the title of edit and not remix), but they make it slighly more groovy and smooth. Whereas most of The Weeknd's songs are pretty much the soundtrack to a drug-fueled hotel suite party, this take on The Morning would definitely fit in an early evening club set. Actually, it'd probably work great in an after-hours set too, as the sun starts to rise. Sexy, emotional and effective. Montreal is kicking ass at music these days, as I'm sure you've noticed.
I found an old CD of mine a little while back, and had to take a trip down memory lane. While this classic tune is very period-specific, its message still resonates. I'm pretty sure that they still have not finished rebuilding the poor, disaffected areas of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina hit, and it's been 6 years.
Sinjin Hawke, a former Montrealer, has now relocated to Barcelona, but he's still releasing phenomenal material. We've profiled him before, and posted quite a few of his tunes, so you should be familiar with his brand of deep, soulful dance music. Last time I talked to him, he mentioned that his plan was to lock himself in a room and produce as much music as he could for a solid year. The original tune, Fancy, is one of my favorite songs (and I've even posted the original a few months ago), so it was a VERY welcome surprise to stumble across this gem.
I realize that I've posted two The Dream songs in 2 days, but that's because I think he is one of the tightest producers/artists in music. His creativity knows no bounds, and he's made some of the greatest lovemaking music since Prince was in his prime. That's a heavy statement, but I stand by it. Trust me, put on any of his CDs when you're with your missus or man, and you'll see what I mean.
This final tune is incredibly sappy, but I'm totally unabashed about my taste for sweet love songs, as I'm sure you've noticed. I also post gangster rap and dirty house music on the regular, so I figure that posting this stuff once in a while gets a pass, ha. This tune, from the now defunct Québec-based electro-indie trio La Patère Rose, is a recent obsession. The lead singer, Fanny Bloom, is pursuing a solo career, and the two other members are focusing on their main project, the electro-jazz group called Misteur Valaire.
You know, I might have a serious weakness for cute girls who play piano and sing sad romantic pop songs. They are my Achilles heel, I swear to god.
ATV homie Stranger Day just sent this rap edit over, and holy shit, it is tight. His trademark buttery flow fits perfectly over this spacey beat. Just in time for summer. Show the dude some love, he's one of our favorite rappers and has always been a big supporter of Avenge the Virgins.
702's r&b banger Steelo gets a vogue house makeover from Montreal/LA duo LOL Boys and ATV regular Sinjin Hawke. This amazing runway rave music remix was released to hype up the Indecent Xposure showcase scheduled this friday.
Whoa, I was really not expecting this. Toronto vs UK vs Gothenburg. Little Dragon and Drizzy add a little flavour to SBTRKT's futuristic bass tune, and the combo really works. Of course, there's going to be haters, but I'm really not mad at this. OvoXo gang, bitch.
Getting faded too long Got me on this rollin stone, so take another hit, kill another serotone. with a hand full of beans And a chest full of weed Got me singing bout a bitch While I'm blowing out my steam Yea I know I got my issues Why you think I fuckin' flow?
A preview of his upcoming mixtape called Thursday. Still my favorite new act of the year, real talk. So dope. xo til' we overdose.
Catch you later for a new edition of Best of the Rest. This hibernation shit is over.
A brand new, tremendously dope original tune by Sinjin Hawke. For those of you with refined ears, you'll notice that this deep footwork tune samples Tevin Campbell's Shhhh (Break it down). Relax and let go.
Dark, sensual music is the soundtrack to right here, right now. Those r&b slow jams of yore are mutating into mysterious and sultry Four-AM anthems. The DNA of love songs is changing, and I definitely ain't mad at it.
This is a brand new bootleg recently unleashed upon the world by Montreal producer Sinjin Hakwe. Brandy's music is already really sensual and sweet, but Sinjin Hawke cranks the dial a bit further and warps this one into a carnal two-step banger. I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of 2011. If this, and his recent material is a barometer for what's to come, oooh weeeee.
You know, it may just be that muted horn sample, but this remix evokes images of a piano bar in New York City. As it progresses, it morphs into a more ravey creature, but still retains that classiness, for lack of a better term. This is music that you'd listen to next to the rooftop pool of a fancy hotel, while stoned on MDMA with a fashion model. This is Grown Folk, refined dance music for the casanova in you.
Bynie pretty much nailed it when he described this remix as Sex Sax re-imagined as a softcore porno. Julio Bashmore's amazing take on High Powered Boys' (Surkin + Bobmo, for those not in the know) Udon is lovemaking music for the future. Teki dropped this remix on Saturday, and I definitely caught feelings on the dancefloor. Bashmore's remix is cinematic, sexy and groovy as hell. What more could you possibly want? (Oh, and he's coming to Montreal fairly soon. Keep your eyes peeled.)
Unbelievable. I can already predict that this will be one of the best releases this year, and one of the strongest debuts in a long time. Toronto's mysterious The Weeknd have dropped their absolutely hypnotic 9 track debut album, and it is a sensual tour-de-force. Don't be surprised if you hear about this album a lot this year.
Have a pleasant afternoon, everyone. Once again, we'd like to thank you for choosing Avenge The Virgins as your peddler of hot crack and great vibes. Come visit us again soon.
As promised, here is our feature on Montreal's resident maestro of heavy bass and hedonistic rhythm, the one and only Sinjin Hawke.
Sinjin Hawke is an extremely versatile DJ/producer originally from Toronto, but now #based in Montreal. His material, while unsigned for the moment, is pretty mindblowing. Every single time I've seen him DJ, he's been really solid, and his productions, which we've posted a few of before, are getting exponentially more rad. The quality of the tunes that he's released so far this year make him one of the freshest young producers to keep an eye on in 2011.
Teki Latex of very influential digital label Sound Pellegrino even namedropped him in a recent interview on fellow Montreal blog Duke of Swabia. Big Tings!
As of now, all of the songs on his soundcloud are collaborations, either with his girlfriend, Barcelona-based DJ Zora Jones or with Swedish rapper/DJ/producer Marcus Price, but his solo material is just as dope. He's removed a few of his solo productions from his soundcloud, probably saving them for some nefarious purpose.
You can catch Sinjin Hawke almost every friday at Boomclap, a weekly party that he throws at Blue Dog Motel on St-Laurent. Along with his partners-in-crime Azamat B and Markus G, Sinjin Hawke works to bring new and interesting acts to the Montreal scene. Not only does the dude provide serious vibes and validate my point that Montreal is the one of the hubs of amazing forward-thinking electronic music, he's also one of the main players in bringing amazing underground artists to Montreal on a regular basis.
I try to avoid labeling music these days, so I'll avoid putting his productions into a box. However, if you insist, I'd say it fits somewhere between uk garage, r&b, rap, house, juke, dubstep, techno, dancehall and futuristic bass music. Open your ears and the mind will follow. This is soulful dance music with a metric ton of swag, something you could both grind and propose to your girl to, not necessarily in that order.
Insomnia is very conducive to creativity. Got a bit of writing done, something I haven't had the chance to do in quite some time. Sometimes a lack of sleep can be a blessing in disguise, I guess.
Tramøllstein, formerly known as Echoes, is another young producer out of Reims, France. This is his brand new remix of The Shoes' Wastin Time, and it is impressive. Classic house vibes, modern indie swagger and a fantastic groove. It's progressive, passionate, and almost perfectly subtle at the same time.
I've been on a juke/footwork kick recently, and this Sade refix by Chicago producer Jody Breeze (no, not the rapper) has been on repeat for quite some time. The simplicity of this edit is what tugs at the ol' heartstrings. Sensual, melancholic, but incredibly funky. The machine gun kicks and bass are such a great counterpoint to Sade's vocals and floating melodies. Pure gold.
Sinjin Hawke's music is great. I'm working on a feature that will drop mid-week, so I'll save the biographical bullshit that I usually do for later. All you really need to know is that dude's recent material is phenomenal, and he is one of the brightest rising stars in the already amazing Montreal scene. This is an older tune that he co-produced with his girlfriend(I think) Zora Jones. Be Without You is both fierce, sexy and undeniably dope.
Good evening, friends. While I realize that most of you shall not be reading this, as the holiday of romance surely beckons you elsewhere, either to a romantic supper of sorts with your loved one, or to some other brief passionate dalliance.
However, this post is for those of you who will need a little bit of background music to provide a soundtrack to your experience. Of course, if you leave our playlist on for too long, the next song after this post will be a DMX tune, so that might throw off the vibe somewhat. Actually, given that it will only go to DMX after about an hour and a bit of warm-up vibes...that just might work.
To quote Sebastien Tellier, "Making music that makes people want to have sex is what I wanted to do".
Tonight's tunes are best enjoyed with a glass of Merlot and a touch of sensimilla.
This is damn fine vibe music. What a perfect amalgam of soulful melodies, pitched vocals and tremendous bass lines . Sinjin Hawke is a young, talented DJ/producer out of Montreal. This is a sexy-as-hell swagged out piece of lovestep that you need in your life. Decidedly tight stuff.
Whoa. Two of my favorite producer duos have reunited to make magic for Art Nouveau's EP Air France. While the original Air France is more upbeat, groovy and straightforward house, I prefer the flip on Air France II. Inception-level dreamy vibes and a sweet vocal sample that is lifted from early nineties rave music combine to make something both ethereal and jukey. Footwork music for the soul, as it were. I'd really hoped to avoid this shitty pun, but you won't find a better tune to join the Mile-High Club to this year. Straight vibes. Check out the rest of the EP on Demento Mori's page, it's worth it.
Finally, I've included what is now becoming a tradition on this blog, meaning a post on ATV fam Grown Folk's monthly mix, the Grown Folk Collection. If you have not had the chance to check them out, I've included links to their first and second ones for your listening pleasure.
Tracklist 1. T. Williams - Heartbeat (Mosca Remix) - Local Action 2. Homepark - Forever Walking - Third Strike 3. Julio Bashmore - Ask Yourself - PMR 4. Gil Scott Heron & Jamie XX - I'll Take Care Of U - XL 5. LOL Boys - Runaways (Grown Folk Remix) - CDR 6. Mood II Swing - Do It Your Way - Groove On 7. Smolny & SLG - Turnaround (Instrumental Mix) - Play It Down 8. Hackman - Made Up My Mind - PTN 9. Creep - Days (Deadboy Remix) - Young Turks 10. Kelis - Brave (Dark Sky Remix) - Interscope 11. Pariah - Prism - R&S Records 12. Radio Slave - I Don't Need A Cure For This (Kenny Larkin Remix) - Rekids 13. Grown Folk - Uptown Shuffle - Templar Sound 14. Shadow Dancer - It's The Everything - Boys Noise Records 15. Justin Martin - Get Low (SECT Remix) - Dirtybird 16. MSTRKRFT - Heartbreaker (Brackles Remix) - CDR
I had the pleasure of seeing Grown Folk play at Blue Dog this past friday, and while the rest of the night is a complete blur, I do remember their set being filled with sensual futuristic jams. Kid Aloha + Roledex, aka Drew & Brendan, are gaining quite a bit of recognition for their unique twist on the sound of the moment- the bass heavy hybrid of sexy house and r&b. Besides being signed to the Templar Sound label and being featured on Sound Pellegrino's prestigious Podcast series, they've been getting love from names such as Damu, STSQ, LOL Boys, Sam Tiba and more.
Grown Folk Collection N°03 features 2 fantastic new Grown Folk productions, and a great mix of upcoming releases and recent bangers. This is perfect mix of sensual upbeat house, futuristic UK-influenced bass sounds and techno grooves. A nicely interwoven web of the past, present and future of sexy synth sounds . Although I'm starting to sound like a broken record, I genuinely believe that Grown Folk is going to gain a lot of recognition in the music scene this year. Casanova crunk music, people. Get with it.
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!
