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Ok, I can get down to this. And I will.
The Golden Filter tossed us an early New Years' gifty... in the form of a new mix of an old favorite.
They say: "somewhere in mid 2010 we did this oddly techno version of Hide Me. Expunging our inventory of anything 2010 so go have a listen."
I say: "YES".
mp3: The Golden Filter - Hide Me (6 Worlds Mix)
Oh hi! Remember me? I barely do... considering the whirlwind'rishing sort of week we've had since right before Christmastime factivities and still continuing on through this moment. Seriously, this very minute right now. Neither here nor there, though, cause I was simply going to leave this space untouched til the new set of calendrical offerings, but that's not really fair to you or me. I need a hot few seconds to breathe and release and let my weird words fly, so herein, a brief catchup. And hopefully 'tis not the last til 2011. Whatever... THIS!
Nothing new to see here. Nothing new to hear here (lol at "hear here", cause we are juvenile...) But why not just give you a moment to laugh at my expense, because below, oh it's only the three songs I've listened to the most over the past week or so.
I really don't know why. My fingers just keep finding the play button as soon as I scroll past these lil' gems, eh! And shock of all shockers, none of them are remixes... umm, WHAT?
Gigglefest, and GO!
For when you need a sweet drop of a beat at the 1:58 mark, I give you...
For when you want to reminisce and raise your hands in exaltation, the offering is...
mp3: Sonique - It Feels So Good
For when you want to believe and justify that your tastes are radder than mine, it's time for...
mp3: Danity Kane - Sucka For Love
ZOOOOHHHHH MAN! Once again, Baron Von Luxxury encapsulates the year that was and tosses a ton of my favorite tracks into one seamless mixtape. Last year, he did it with 2009 Was an OK Year, and this time, it's Baron Von Luxxury Loved Me for an Hour and a Minute in 2010. Consider my ears BANGED!
"When I'm With You (excerpt)" - Best Coast
"Celestica" - Crystal Castles
"Love Kills" - Robyn
"Sprawl II (Thunderlust Remix)" - Arcade Fire
"Bang Bang Bang (U-Tern Disco Dub)" - Mark Ronson ft MNDR & Q-tip
"I Am Not A Robot (Penguin Prison Remix)" - Marina and the Diamonds
"Drunk Girls (Holy Ghost Remix)" - LCD Soundsystem
"Hallo Bimmelbahn" - Nighttrain/"Barbra Streisand" - Duck Sauce
"Fire with Fire (Baron von Luxxury Remix)" - Scissor Sisters
"The Day We Fell in Love (Todd Edwards Remix)" - Appaloosa
"Little People (Black City)" - Matthew Dear/"Monster (Nicki Minaj verse)" - Kanye West
"Clicksha" - Reporter
"Change" - Acid Washed
"American Man" - Ladies Choice
"The Cold World Melts" - Soft Metals
"High on the Heels" - The Whitest Boy Alive
"Round and Round" - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffitti
"Lazy Calm (Baron von Luxxury Edit)" - Cocteau Twins
"Eat Flesh (Baron von Luxxury Remix)" - HEALTH
"Castles in the Snow" - Twin Shadow
"Symptom of the Universe (Lexx Edit)" - Black Sabbath
"Infinity Guitars" - Sleigh Bells
"Whammy Kiss" - B-52s
"Shadow World" - Xeno & Oaklander
"Honey" - Ben et Bene
"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" - St. Etienne
"Hearts" - oOoOO
"The Captain of Her Heart" - Double
"I, I, I (Todd Terje Edit)" - The Osmonds
"Odessa" - Caribou
"Billie Holiday" - Miike Snow
"Bossy (Alan Braxe & Fred Falke Earth Out Remix)" - Kelis
"Rock and Roll People in A Disco World" - Sparks
"Only Girl in the World" - Rihanna
"Fade to Black" - MNDR
"Blitz" - Digitalism
"Cheree" - Suicide
"Luv Goon" - Pearl Harbor/Puro Instinct
"With You Forever" - Pnau
BARON VON LUXXURY LOVED ME FOR AN HOUR AND A MINUTE IN 2010 by Luxxury
mp3: Appaloosa - The Day (We Fell In Love) (Todd Edwards Liturgical Mix)
Massive Attack - Heliogoland (Virgin)
released: February 8, 2010
Seemingly oft-forgot as a release of this year, being that a super early leak in late late '09 caused the Bristol duo to push up the official outing of Heligoland, Massive Attack's fifth studio album sat sweetly amongst my most played. With a generous serving of guest vocalists, names like Damon Albarn and Horace Andy strengthened this disc, but it's Mazzy Star's sweetie, Hope Sandoval, who comes out swinging on the super sensual and album standout track, Paradise Circus. This album would rank higher, if every track on the release was that song. On repeat.
Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (Purple Ribbon / Def Jam)
released: July 5, 2010
It's almost impossible to believe that this is Big Boi's first solo offering. After a successful run of releases with Outkast, the ATLien finally got his shit together (the debut was promised for many a year) and threw out a bundle of seeds that blossomed into a garden of great rap tracks. Corralling a number of his closest friends (and even some new ones like Yealwolf) Boi done did the damn thing with a solid and slick flow that won't soon move off our most played / recently loved lists. Boo, I got a back up plan to the back up plan to back up my back up plan. Wordsmithing at its finest.
Dominique Young Unique - Domination (ArtJam Records)
released: June 10, 2010
Shut up and listen. That's what Dominique Young Unique implores you to do. Also, that's precisely the phrase I'm spitting at you in the event you say "oh hell naw, how dare you include a free mixtape on your be[a]st albums list!" Well guess what: Domination is in part better than most full lengths put out this year, and in whole, one of the finest flowing selections from a more than unknown we've heard in too long. She's a "gangster hard hitter out of 8 - 1 - 3" and she might just accomplish the world over like the title implies. Total domination at the tender age of 19.
Kelis - Flesh Tone (will.i.am music / Interscope)
released: May 14, 2010
Flesh Tone serves as Kelis' "enough is enough is enough, I will survive, it's (not) raining men" collection of anthemic works. And while it's not disco, it IS dance... and that's precisely what the husky honey demands you do via her fifth studio recording. Snagging production work from Jean Baptiste, David Guetta and Benny Benassi amongst others, the former rap-sing-song artist went through a label drop, divorce and dietary specialist classes (she's a chef y'all!) and came out on the other side with her truest tones yet. Emancipate yourself, indeed!
Trentemøller - Into the Great Wide Yonder (In My Room)
released: May 28, 2010
If every song recorded this year (and I mean EVERY song that was created, produced, put out, sing, sang and sung, etc...) sounded like Trentemøller's ...Even Though You're With Another Girl, I would have been crying nonstop for 365 straight days. And then probably some more. But this doesn't mean that the Portishead-esque single carries and bears all the weight of the Danish musician. Equally pleasing cuts like Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider, Go! and Shades of Marble anchor a seamless wall of sound from the opening sounds to the closing choruses of his sophomore offering.
ceo - White Magic (Modular)
released: July 2, 2010
It really should be no surprise that a Swede pops up on my list of BE[a]ST Albums, considering my penchant for all things Scandinavian and sugary sweet. Enter ceo, with his debut album, White Magic, and while we already knjow and love Eric Berglund (formerly of The Tough Alliance) and his tall body of work, this solo effort whisked us away to a land of pillow fights and playful arrangements, all the while maintinaing a modern day relevance and sustainability. Singles such as come with me and illuminata are immediate album standouts, but it's the happy handclappers like love and do what you will that remain my most oft-repeated. Queue applause now.
The Hundred in the Hands - The Hundred in the Hands (Warp)
released: September 21, 2010
You might cry foul or even go so far as to call me a beast of a biased nature since Eleanore and Jason have oft been spotted sounding off on my radio show, or even found themselves on the receiving end of a rad amount of praise, but when talking about one of my justifiably most-played, praised and self-popularized releases of the year, it's without a shred of doubt The Hundred in the Hands' freshman self-titled disc that wins out. The Warp signees compile 11 tracks ranging from pop to new wave, dark disco and goth dance. This solid effort is a seamless listen from start to finish, whether used as filler or front of house music, and the break that hits at the 3:05 mark of lead track Young Aren't Young is enough to make you want to keep hitting repeat.
Robyn - Body Talk (Cherrytree / Interscope)
released: June 14, September 6 and November 22, 2010
One of our most lauded and loved beasts through the course of the year was none other than Robyn, and with every good reason. She talked, not only with her body, but with her unique release schedule, in which 2 smaller "EPs" lead to the final chapter in a terrificly trifectal tour of tunes. Each compilation had it's powerful and passionate moments, from the emotionally-destructive and equally beautiful Dancing On My Own, to singles like Hang With Me and Indestructible, other cuts proved just as poignant without the official stamps on 'em (see: None of Dem and Don't Fucking Tell Me What to Do). Overall, one of the most brilliant moves from one of modern music's brightest stars.
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles II (Fiction Records)
released: April 23, 2010
Don't confuse this release with the one of the same name as debuted by Crystal Castles two years ago. Sure it's all a bit head-scratching, what with a pair of discs under identical monikers being offered up, but don't mistake one for the other. The sophomore album from the Canadian duo soars much higher, louder and intrinsically more powerful than the freshman first. From the immediately affecting sounds of Baptism, to the, dare we say it, sexy and sultry songs like Celestica, Suffocation and Pap Smear, this release is one you can easily thrash out or make out to. Believe me. I've done both and each experience ended with the most smashing and beastly of results.
Sleigh Bells - Treats (Mom + Pop Recordings / N.E.E.T.)
released: May 11, 2010
11 tracks in 32 minutes and fight music you can dance to. Enough said.
mp3: Sleigh Bells x Soulja Boy - Donk Rhythm (Immuzikation Blend)
Sure it wasn't the summertime soiree we'd grown accustomed to over the past two years, but the 3rd Annual Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival (BEMF), with its new December date and stages split between neighboring venues Public Assembly and Music Hall of Williamsburg, still managed to usher in local 'lectro-heads, lovers and artists alike for one night. And hey, the new wintertime placement? We dig and dug it, considering 3 changes of tank tops were not needed and left in the drawers of Beastonia. But hey, let's talk about the music we saw!
First up, we caught local duo, French Horn Rebellion, an act that we'd had every intention of catching live sooner than later, but finally got to experience during the fest. Taking the Music Hall stage just after 10pm, we had our reservations, considering their recorded material falls in the "oh this is good, but not something I'll go back to on the reg..." line, however, the live show that brothers Robert and David put on is worth the wonder. Energetically involving the crowd, the performance was a flurry of keys, horns and spastically awesome dance moves. Rad stuff.
Javelin, another pair of dudes, were up next at Public Assembly and sure we've seen 'em before, but this might've been the first go 'round in which we saw the crowd sing every word to each kazooed song, leaving the candy raver kids' smiles so mega bright, that their pearlies could have powered a small generator. Post-set, we caught a hot minute of Blu Jemz doing his deck work before jumping back to MHoW for the CREEP set. Flax and Dillard dropped Ciara's Ride once again, and yeah, it slayed me so good for the second time.
Brief break in the action to catch up with old and new friends before hitting PubAss once more for my most anticipated set of the evening: a 1:00am live stage performance by Torontonians, Azari & III. From the first seconds after Dinamo and Alixander (along with the fashionable vocalists and voguers, Syf and Fritz Helder) took to the tunes, the venue became an early 90s lounged out house room, complete with randoms on the bump and grind grip, hands in the air and a general sense of straight vibing. Well known players like Reckless With Your Love and Hungry for the Power tantalized the crowd with deep bass and booty bouncing rumbles. Hands down the anticipated highlight we expected it to be. I want more of this in my life... immediately. Perfect way to cap off another successful BEMF experience.
For the entire gallery of images, please visit here, or find a few choice cuts below, as well as video of Azari & III doing the damn thing.
mp3: Azari and III - Reckless WIth Your Love (DJ Hoff Do Over Blend)
mp3: Azari and III - Into the Night (Nicolas Jaar Remix)
OH MY GOD WE ARE REALLY WRITING ABOUT USHER RIGHT NOW. It's like Katt Williams says, "this shit right here n*gg*? This shit RIGHT HERE?!" Forgive my inanities; I am a full bottle of head cold medicine deep and something about Ursh's new single is making me tingle.
So his new cut is called More. And it's a filthy dance banger (um, hello RedOne).
The lyric "I'm a BEAST, I'm an animal, I'm a monster in your mirror..." is pretty rad, so there's that too.
BTW: I was hella confused by the remix title considering the song is called More, the remix is by Billionaire, and my dirty birdy fave, Peaches, has songs under both those names on her lastest album, so I was like mega confused. Thanks DayQuil cocktails!
mp3: Usher - More (Billionaire Remix)
mp3: Usher - More (RedOne Jimmy Joker Remix)
Ellen Allien - Dust (BPitch Control)
released: May 17, 2010
Marina & the Diamonds - The Family Jewels (Chop Shop Records)
released: May 25, 2010
Menomena - Mines (Barsuk)
released: July 27, 2010
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker (Modular)
released: May 21, 2010
Major Lazer - Lazerproof (Mad Decent)
released: May 26, 2010
Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma (Warp)
released: May 3, 2010
Ratatat - LP4 (XL Recordings)
released: June 3, 2010
The Golden Filter - Voluspa (Brielle)
released: April 26, 2010
Glasser - Ring (True Panther)
released: September 28, 2010
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach (Parlophone)
released: March 3, 2010
mp3: Ellen Allien - Our Utopie
I hate Christmas music. In fact, I've been lamenting it outright for the past few weeks. Don't believe a beast? Case in point right here. I will however...
...get the hell down to this mix from my buddy IAMXL.
DON HO MELE KALIKIMAKA HAWAII TINY BUBBLES FOR XMAS LOL LEI BMORE.
Juke-le Bells, y'all.
mp3: Don Ho - Mele Kalikimaka (IAMXL Mix)
Check it. I'm beyond exhausted, but feeling revitalized by this new Jamie Woon track. Yet my weariness bodes for noncreative words, so I'm ctrl-C'ing and ctrl-V'ing straight from a press release. Oh the horror!
