“Ironworks” by L.A.’s Will Wiesenfeld bka Baths melds melancholy piano, bittersweet strings, and aching falsetto vocals with a beat that sounds like it was crafted by recording a fist gently smashing a matchstick… Continue reading
Effervescent jazz bass noodler Thundercat returns with a Flying Lotus-produced second album and a wonderfully catchy, soulful first single, “Heartbreaks + Setbacks.” Thundercat – “Heartbreaks + Setbacks” (Produced by Flying Lotus) … Continue reading
Rose-hued, experimentally brewed soul from Washington, D.C.’s B.jamelle, produced and arranged by Diggs Duke. B.jamelle – “Rose Tea” (Produced by Diggs Duke) (Free MP3 Download) More melodic musings… Continue reading
23-year-old London musician Fyfe blends relaxed and gently plodding drums, soulful and gently soaring vocals, and nonchalant and gentle indie guitar plinking to create this beguilingly disenchanted song that recalls Radiohead’s “Talk Show… Continue reading
Over 11 minutes of warm orchestral swells and soulful cinematic sounds from Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points. Floating Points – “Wires” Hear more from Floating Points here.
Mournful, synth-strong, cosmic soul from LA’s Computer Jay. Computer Jay ft Orfeo – “Hardships” (Official Video) “Hardships” is the first single from Computer Jay’s Savage Planet Vol. 2.
Raw, retro, reductionist, Juno-heavy newness from the Night Slugs label co-boss. L-Vis 1990 – “Signal” Catch more bass shake, rattle, and roll from L-Vis 1990… Continue reading
This agitated, gritty heatwave loop from Eglo’s mysterious new signing, Strange U, believed to be a moniker of UK hip-hop stalwart Kashmere the Iguana Man. Although why anyone would even think about adopting… Continue reading
A two-hour selection of the finest in box fresh beats, bass, hip-hop, and electronic soul. Unfortunately this episode is no longer available. Head over to iTunes here to listen to new episodes… Continue reading
Perth, Australia’s Ta-ku has rapidly become one of my favorite beatmakers of this, and probably any, year. Ta-ku – “Clap for Me” (Official Video) Suff Daddy and Ta-ku’s Bricks & Mortar… Continue reading
Dublin, Ireland’s Conor Keeling pays tribute to Daft Punk’s imminent return by compiling a two-hour mix of the French duo’s self-professed “teachers.” 88 Classic Tracks from 1977-1997 that Inspired… Continue reading
A departure from my usual penchant for boom-bap beats and growling bass but a crackingly well-written tune nonetheless. Luke Sital-Singh – “Bottled Up Tight” Luke Sital-Singh’s Old Flint EP is out… Continue reading
This video: Best. Drunken Yoga Class. Ever. Atoms For Peace – “Ingenue” (Official Video) Amok, the new album from Thom Yorke’s other band Atoms for Peace, is out now on XL… Continue reading
That Belgian centipede funk. BRZZVLL – “Kevin” (Official Video) More delightful sounds from Antwerp’s finest live jazz collective BRZZVLL (pronounced “Brazzaville”) here.
Soaring, euphoric 80s chorus: check. Early Hudson Mohawke shiny beats and sparkling synths: check. Including the words “Beach,” “Skull,” “Crystal,” or “Ghost” in your band name to achieve elite, next-level, ultra-hip status: double… Continue reading
Heard this Main Attrakionz song at the end of episode three of Red Bull Music Academy’s H∆SHTAG$ web series on emerging genres of music, “Don’t Call It #CloudRap,” and immediately had to track… Continue reading
Late night sounding right. Ivy Lab ft Frank Carter III – “Afterthought” More Ivy Lab here.
Sheffield, UK, badman Toddla T teams up with Shola Ama and emcees Serocee and MC DRS to form super-collective Toddla T Sound. “Worst Enemy” is their first ever tune. Love the A$AP-esque pitched-down… Continue reading
Summer come early. Chris Turner – “LiquidLOVE” Download Chris Turner‘s downright stunning soul album, LOVElife is a Challenge, for free here.
A strong return from the great intelli-dubstep hope of 2011, here looking like a trendy Stig from Top Gear in the video below. James Blake – “Retrograde” “Retrograde” is taken from… Continue reading
The video for Liverpool’s Wave Machines’ “Ill Fit” actually fits the song quite nicely, if you equate subtle, gently-sung wafts of future pop-funk with running around large buildings in London really fast while… Continue reading
This whole R&B futurism thing just keeps getting better and better. Like Prince reworking the Drive soundtrack. Autre Ne Veut – “Play By Play” http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LFiupWwIZMY&noredirect=1 Magnetic. Butter.
Fractal factories of 1950s Americana click and whir in this kaleidoscopic dicing and splicing of Norman Rockwell’s cerebral cortex that sounds light, gentle, and benign, just as the song’s title would suggest. For… Continue reading
“White Noise” is the product of a dream-come-true collaboration between the UK’s current two biggest, hottest, and buzziest electronic duos that shows off the best of both: Disclosure‘s ultra-clean, informed house music production… Continue reading
Sounds like Underworld‘s Karl Hyde has been listening to way too much Bon Iver. Nary a techno thump is to be found on his debut solo track, “Cut Clouds.” Karl Hyde –… Continue reading
Steepless and steel rattle. This song is a collaboration first for Jack Wyllie, Duncan Bellamy, Milo Fitzpatrick and Keir Vine, aka London’s Portico Quartet, here teaming up with Swedish singer Cornelia, and what sounds… Continue reading
German “acoustic techno” live electronic trio and possible Hamburg law firm Brandt Brauer Frick team up with the long-time Berlin resident, now Nashville-dwelling, Jamie Lidell. Shades of “Phat Planet,” ad-libbed Motown soul vocals,… Continue reading
Vanilla is a very talented beatmaker from the UK. I played his track “Morning Sun” from his album Soft Focus a lot last year. “Rashida” is my favorite song from his new(ish) album… Continue reading
Australia’s Hiatus Kaiyote is easily a Neon Milk favorite. Their debut Tawk Tomahawk was one of the best albums of last year and their track “Mobius Streak” was number 18 in my top… Continue reading
Bass-driven indie-soul from Bristol, UK’s Typesun. Typesun – “The PL” (Official Video) Equally great is the remix by fellow Bristolian producers Behling & Simpson.
The best part of this new, much anticipated new Justin Timberlake-Timbaland-Jay-Z collab is the simple harmony flourish at 2:27, which pretty much explains why the whole world loved Justified. The worst part of… Continue reading
Digital squeaks and indie pop splashes from Birmingham, UK’s Troumaca, pronounced truh-muh-kuh. Troumaca – “Lady Colour” (Official Video) “This is cosmic love coming from above.”
Producer and atmospheric synth enthusiast Koreless and producer, vocalist, and frequent SBTRKT collaborator Sampha are Short Stories. Short Stories – “On the Way” “On the Way” will be released as a… Continue reading
Pet sounds from the uniquely gifted child of light that is Lil B. Lil B – “I Love You” (Official Video) #Based #Rare #ILoveYou #Tears #Pets
Canadian Pastoral both in scene and sound. Montreal indie-folksters Half Moon Run pair Fleet Foxes vocal melodies with shimmering post-rock guitar. Half Moon Run – “Full Circle” (Official Video) Listen to… Continue reading
2013 could well belong to this man. Toro Y Moi – “Say That” (Official Video) Feel-good anthem of the winter. More from Toro Y Moi here.
Paris, France’s Mr. Bibal homage to the “heavenly fields” of his home city feels appropriately light and airy, and bounces along quite nicely. Forget jewelry and necklaces, we need more singers dedicated to… Continue reading
First-person music videos are usually pretty powerful pieces of art. Without asking permission, both Gomez’s “See the World” and, more controversially, the Prodigy’s “Smack My Bitch Up” temporarily reverse the normal artist-fan relationship… Continue reading
This xx remix. That “Blinded by the Lights” synth line. The xx – “Chained” (John Talabot & Pional Blinded Remix) Hear the original track here.
Hannah, Daniel, and Dot are London Grammar. As the cryptic clue in their name suggests, they are from London. They are also currently catching a lot of well-deserved attention for their gentle and… Continue reading
The first week of January 2013 sees a sombre, roots-ridden new signing for Gilles Peterson‘s Brownswood label. Produced by 2 Banks of 4, William Adamson’s first release, Under an East Coast Moon, is… Continue reading
From Music Is My Sanctuary: This summer, French producer Onra and Lexis, founder of Music Is My Sanctuary, got together in Montreal and recorded a mix inspired by a period that was really… Continue reading
Featuring Mono/Poly’s downright unreal bass remix of Busta Rhymes’ “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See.” Mono/Poly at Low End Theory (Video Filmed by Flying Lotus) http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bR_zgFf6ImA#! You must experience… Continue reading
Space-age R&B slow jams are still where it’s at. Dig BenZel, who describe themselves as two Japanese teenagers with “a profound appreciation for ’90s R&B and J Dilla.” Fresh from partnering with Jessie… Continue reading
DJ Benji B, arranger Grant Windsor, and their 16-piece string ensemble reorchestrate 12 future soul and beat culture standards live on BBC Radio 1. Click below to watch what is undoubtedly the… Continue reading
Stones Throw team up with Jonti to get festive. Jonti – “Christmas Worm” (Stream) The “teenage Beck in a barbershop quartet” sound of “Christmas Worm” is one of eight exclusive tracks… Continue reading
Toro Y Moi aka Chaz Bundick goes on a New England adventure akin to a modern-day chillwave Moonrise Kingdom. Toro Y Moi – “So Many Details” (Official Video) “So Many Details”… Continue reading
Outer space sounds. Idjut Boys – “One For Kenny” (Extended LP Version) Bugge Wesseltoft piano vibes (from 3:34) all day long.
