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We’ve got a bumper crop of dance music for you this week, so start your pre-rave stretches, warm up your ears, and prepare to enjoy another installment of the DMP.
How about a swirling, atmospheric number from Canadian duo Jokers Of The Scene to you started. This will be on their JOT5 EP out next week, and shows the guys have perfected the art of the blissfully melodic synth melody. If you’ve got some big ol’ speakers, feel free to turn this one up, close your eyes, sink into a warm bed of sound and be happy it’s the weekend.
Jokers Of The Scene – “Black Mountie”
Keeping it to the calmer side of the DMP, have some up-tempo house from X-Press 2, who have been at the forefront of dance music since the early 90’s. “Dark Matar” sounds fresh but at the same time classic – years of experience has taught these guys that keeping it classy, and crisp results in the kind of track that has the tropical pool party transitioning from their sun loungers to their feet.
X-Press 2 – “Dark Matar”
Feeling fairly calm and relaxed after those first two tracks? Need some fidgety, hyperactive electro to snap you out of it? Well never fear, Modek has you well and truly sorted on that front, and the nasty bassline should get you fist pumping like a champ. Simple and effective raving material.
Modek – “Dust”
I really don’t know anything about this guy (or girl) Prison Garde, but all that should matter is that the combination of 808s, snares and clipped vocal samples make sweet, sweet music.
Prison Garde – “Action Whipper”
When Kid Khaos emailed saying his productions were based in Hip-Hop, and went on to point us in the direction of his James Blake remix, I was intrigued. And I’m happy I pressed play, because this is one fresh, innovative remix. Kid Khaos throws hard hip-hop drums, G-Funk synths and James Blake’s vocals into his pot, and comes out with a bubbling, forceful, intense 3 and a half minutes of hard hitting dopeness. Check the man’s Soundcloud for a slew of exciting remixes and productions, and be on the lookout for more from this exciting new talent.
James Blake – “I Never Learnt To Share (Kid Khaos Remix)”
Rusko’s new album Songs is out in March, he’s soon to embark on a monster College Tour, and he has a collaboration with Cypress Hill on the way. Busy times for Christopher Mercer of Leeds, England. “Somebody To Love”, our first taste of the new album, starts off with a definite old school vibe to the vocals and keys, but soon moves into standard Rusko bone-crushing bass territory. Put this one in your “Unpretentious Party Fun Playlist”, and if you want some tracks to add to your “Aggressive Dubstep Party Playlist” head over here to download a 5-track 12th Planet EP.
Rusko – “Somebody To Love”
I’ve been getting into juke recently, and this remix gifted to us by Mad Decent sub-label The Jefrees (who last week gave us our fill of moombahton), doesn’t help matters. There’s something pleasingly raw about Slick Shoota’s remix, now if only I could dance like these guys…
Zebra Katz – “Ima Read (Slick Shoota Remix)”
Gotta love a good remix of a movie soundtrack right? Whether it’s the “Star Wars Theme Remix” from a couple of weeks back, or Tiesto’s mammoth “I’m A Pirate” remix of the Pirate’s Of The Caribbean theme, epic scores can birth great dance music songs. Well, this isn’t quite a remix of famous movie music, but instead a remix of the music from forthcoming EA video game ‘Syndicate’. EA have already commissioned everyone’s favorite comment section whipping boy Skrillex as well as Simian Mobile Disco for remixes, but here’s Flux Pavilion’s take on it – not as heavy as I expected, this is calm mode for the maker of “Bass Cannon”.
Syndicate (Flux Pavilion Remix)
Riton’s a name you know will always deliver with his own productions and especially remixes. He had been making some really big tunes with DJ Mehdi (who very sadly died last year) as Carte Blanche (check this club wrecker) and continues his solid work with this twitchy remix full of pitched-up vocals and eventually a foot-stomping bassline.
AlunaGeorge – ‘You Know You Like It (Riton Rerub)
You ready for 7 minutes of colourful, fizzing bass music experimentation from Distal and DS1. Distal is an Atlanta based producer who has had some powerful buzz-building releases recently, and here DS1 takes on his most recent release ‘Eel”, turning it (cringe joke alert) electric.
Distal – “Eel (DS1 Remix)”
You know we couldn’t leave you without that dark, nightmarish music that could soundtrack the dance party form your nightmares. Japanese native Goth-Trad comes through with ominous bass, tribal drums, and a general air of menace. Oh shit, what’s that tapping on your window-pane?!
Goth-Trad – “Alone Warrior”
Foster The People make simple, fun indie pop. When someone takes that and ups the synths energy and adds a little bit of wobble, it equals simple, fun dance music. It’s an easy equation to keep track of, and one that we don’t see proving itself wrong anytime soon.
Foster The People – “Don’t Stop (TheFatRat Remix)”
This is more bombastic high-flying hip-hop than anything else, but if you think it wouldn’t destroy in a well curated DJ set than you are probably wrong. At least I hope you’re wrong, because I’m definitely planning on mixing this in at some point very soon. S-Type absolutely destroys this track. I’d really like to hear someone rap over it. Trumpets!
Finally, a stream only track. Becoming Real is a big name on the up and up in the atmospheric and emotive electronic music scene, but there’s been some cause for excitement recently as he’s been slowly moving into more dance music-centric directions recently, and it’s been amazing to behold. Here’s his latest offering.
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