September Selections

September heralds the end of summer, whether you’re going back to school or getting back into a routine at work after a summer filled with holidays, festivals and general merriment. While you reminisce of sunnier days gone by, fear not, there’s plenty of great new music to get you through these Autumn blues, such as Disclosure’s ‘Jaded‘ and KDA’s infectious single ‘Rumble‘ with Katy B and Tinie Tempah jumping on the vocals. But first up, let’s have a look at all that’s been happening in the music world this September! 

BBC Radio 1 kicked off September in style with Live Lounge Month! Yes, a whole month dedicated to 30 live performances from the likes of Hozier, James Bay, Muse, Slaves, Florence + The Machine, Disclosure & Sam Smith, and 24 other incredible acts; something for everyone. As with tradition, the acts perform a cover song of their choice. Highlights include Demi Lovato’s version of Hozier’s ‘Take Me To Church’, James Bay covering Flo’s ‘Shake It Out’, Rhode’s stunning take of Ellie Goulding’s ‘Love Me Like You Do’, Disclosure & Sam Smith’s incredible version of Drake’s ‘Hotline Bling’, Jack Garratt’s mellow cover of Disclosure & Sam Smith’s ‘Latch’, Florence & The Machine’s exceptional take of Jack U & Bieber’s ‘Where Are You Now’… I  could go on. Best to check out all the highlights here and decide your favourite. The iTunes Festival, usually runs in conjunction with this, with 30 live performances at London’s Round House. However this year, the newly named ‘Apple Music Festival’ performed just 10 dates, with performances from One Direction, The Chemical Brothers, Disclosure and The Weeknd… I feel a bit cheated this year! Come one Apple, you launch a brand new music streaming platform, yet cut down the amount of performances? Radio 1Xtra announced Flo Rida and Lethal Bizzle as the first acts joining them at 1Xtra live in Leeds next month, while fellow Radio 1/1Xtra Dj Toddla T, announced details of his Winter Carnival featuring Jus Now, The Heatwave, Wookie and more. Watch out for the Soca Police!!

There were some pretty big album and EP releases this month, including Disclosure’s highly anticipated ‘Caracal’, Ryan Adam’s complete cover album of Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’, Eric Prydz’s Pryda 10, Vol III series, and Drake x Future’s surprise album ‘What A Time To Be Alive’. Queen of Dance, Annie Mac, unveiled details of her latest AMP compilation album; a two track CD with the very best of #Raving and #Behaving hits, while Ricky Gervais’ David Brent, is set to release an album for this upcoming film ‘Life On The Road’. And last but not least, (get ready for this one) Bieber and Taylor better watch out, cause Pope Francis has released his new single ‘Wake Up! Go! Go! Forward’ available now via iTunes, with a full album to follow November 27th. Christmas no 1 contender perhaps? With the latest Bond film ‘Spectre’ set for release Oct 26th, Sam Smith finally unveiled his Bond theme ‘Writing’s On The Wall’, co-written by Smith and Jimmy Napes. While the single divided opinions online, ‘Writings On The Wall’ went on to claim no 1 in the charts, and to this day, is the only bond theme to do so!  Nope, not even Adele or Shirley Bassey have achieved this. Queen B unveiled her first new material in almost a year, jumping on Naughty Boy’s new single ‘Runnin’ (Lose It All) along with Arrow Benjamin. Other collaborations happening this month include Janet Jackson and Missy Elliott with their new single ‘Burn It Up’ from Jackson’s forthcoming album ‘Unbreakable’.

I always have a few stats for you each month, and this month is no different. ‘Uptown Funk’ has been named as the 5th biggest single in UK history, with Elton John’s ‘Candle In The Wind’, Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’, Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and Pharrell’s Happy, completing the top 5. Any guesses for who topped the most first-week streams on Spotify? Begrudgingly, it’s Justin Bieber, with ‘What Do You Mean’. 21 Million streams in 5 days ain’t too shabby! Bieber also managed to score his first number 1 single in the UK. Elsewhere in the charts, Stereophonics claimed their sixth number one album ‘Keep the Village Alive’ , while Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour secured his second-ever solo chart-topper, with ‘Rattle That Lock’.

There’s always space for more festivals and that’s exactly what Reading and Leeds Festival organisers have done. Their new festival ‘Community’ will take place in Shoreditch and Hoxton this November (3-5), showcasing emerging talent across 11 East London Venues. Acts include The Japanese House, Petite Meller and Blonde. Red Bull presented Future Underground this month, with headline performances from Hudson Mohawke, Charlie XCX and Skepta. With the headline acts only announced 24 hours in advance, the underground event was supposed coincide with the launch of TFL’s 24 hour tubes (Damn you strikes!) Thankfully Future Underground went ahead, featuring guest performances from Action Bronson, Lionbabe, Giggs and more. The event raised money for charity ‘Wings For Life’ and took place in the incredible underground venue at Collins Music Hall in North London. Check out my Instagram for some highlights of the night.  The United Nations launched an exciting Campaign this month called ‘Global Goals’. World Leaders have committed to 17 Global Goals, with the aim of ending extreme poverty, fighting inequality and injustice, and fixing climate change by 2030. To launch the Global Goals Campaign, The Global Citizens Festival took place in Central Park, NY, with headline performances from Ed Sheeran, Beyonce, Coldplay and Pearl Jam. Check out some of the highlights, include Ed joining beyonce for an acoustic version of ‘Drunk in Love’, while Coldplay collaborated with Ed on ‘Thinking Out Loud’ and ‘Yellow’. The EMA nominations were unveiled and unsurprisingly, Swifty leads the pack with 9 nominations. Ed Sheeran is set to take on hosting duties with Orange Is The New Black’s Ruby Rose at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan on October 25th. Get voting here! Here in the UK, the MOBO awards nominations were announced with top nominations for FKA Twigs, The Weeknd and Mark Ronson, while Lethal Bizzle and Skepta are up for Best Grime Act. The 20th MOBO Awards ceremony is set to take place in The First Direct Arena in Leeds. (Nov 4) Cast your votes here.

In music streaming news, Jay Z’s Tidal has hit 1 million subscribers. To mark the occasion, Jay Z is set to perform at Tidal X in Brooklyn (Oct 20) with Beyonce, Usher and a host of other acts. Google Play Music hit back at Spotify and Apple with their very own family plan set for release later this year. (6 people for $14.99 pm, £TBC) Chromecast unveiled plans to rival Sonos, with Chromecast Audio; turning any speaker into a connected device. Chromecast are working on further app integration including Spotify and iPlayer Radio. At £30, it’s a bit of a steal! Former Radio 1 DJ, Chris Moyles, kicked off his new breakfast show on Radio X (formerly XFM) this month. He joins the new lineup of DJ’s including former Radio 1 DJ Vernon Kay, Dan O’Connell, and Kaiser Chief’s very own Ricky Wilson. Comedy Dave won’t be joining Moyles, but newsreader Dominic Bryne will be part of the Breakfast show. Anyone still missing ‘Never Mind The Buzzcocks? Sky 1 has announced details of their very own comedy-music-panel show titled ‘Bring The Noise’, featuring Ricky Wilson, Nicole Scherzinger, Tinie Tempah and comedian Katherine Ryan. Elsewhere on TV, comedy duo Ant & Dec, are set to host the Brit Awards for a second year running. What will PJ & Duncan have in store for us Feb 24, 2016. In more serious news, Dubstep pioneering producer & DJ Benga, took to Twitter to open up about his mental health issues, which resulted in his early retirement from Djing in 2014. He explained how his bipolar was ‘Brought on by drugs’, while his schizophrenia was ’A result of excessive touring’. While Mental Health issues are still met with prejudice, ignorance and fear, it’s great to see Benga being so open about it and raising much needed awareness for others.

Booking crew assembled – check. Laptops ready – check. Multiple tabs and browsers open – check. Refreshing finger primed and ready to click for your life – check. Yes, it can only mean one thing … Glasto!! Legendary Festival ‘Glastonbury’ announced it’s ticket sale for 2016. Tickets go on sale October 1 (Coach package) and October 4 (Standard weekend tickets) and will cost £228 + bf. Don’t forget to check out the usual banter on twitter and watch your timeline fill with mutual hatred for the ticket provider and those lucky ticket holders. Anyone planning a trip to Vegas soon? Then you’re in luck! Lionel Richie has announced plans for a residency at Planet Hollywood in April/May and September/Oct 2016. Be sure to pop in and say ‘Hello’. After the success of his Glastonbury performance, you’ll be ‘Dancing on the Ceiling’ ‘All Night Long’… what a ‘Truly’ perfect venue for Lionel.. ok I’ll stop with puns now. I just have such ‘Endless Love’ for him.  Muse announced details for their Drones World Tour, which will see the band perform in the round from the centre of the arena. The Maccabees have added further London dates to their tour, which sees them play 3 nights at Brixton Academy. The group are also preparing for their feature-length documentary ‘Elephant Days’, focusing on the writing and recording of their latest album.

With Halloween just around the corner, you can look forward to some Halloween themed events, such as Vevo’s Halloween in Manchester, featuring James Bay, Little Simz, Wolf Alice and Years & Years. Knife Party are set to take to take over Brixton 02 Academy on Oct 31st with Sleepy Tom, Jacob Plant and Shift K3y, only to return Nov 2nd for the Haunted House extravaganza with Dillon Francis, Flosstradamus and Monsta.

Ok, after that rather lengthy roundup, let’s get on with the music. Check out my September Selections below:

1) Flux Pavilion – What You Gonna Do About It’

Pioneering Dubstep producer/DJ Flux Pavilion (AKA Josh Steele), unveiled his debut album ‘Telsa. The 13-track LP is co-written by Isa the Machine (Florence + the Machine) and Arthur Baker, and features collaborations from artists such as Riff Raff, JakkCity, and Soulsonic Force. ‘What You Gonna Do About It’, serves up a nasty, bassy-heavy thumper of a track, with its eerie synth motifs and chiptune style elements. Telsa serves as the follow up to his previous 3 EP’s in 2013, followed by various remixes in 14/15, including Skrillex’s ‘Recess’.  The UK producer is kicking off his US tour in NY in October, before heading to the UK for 4 dates. Flux makes a welcome return and progresses his sound with such force and style. Telsa is availble now on iTunes.

2) SG Lewis – Shiver (Honne Remix)

Yes, Honne featured in last month’s favourites too with ‘Loves The Jobs you Hate’, but they seem to be on a roll at the moment, so just go with it and enjoy their impeccable production work. The London based duo (Andy Clutterbuck and James Hatch) unveiled their latest reworking of SG Lewis’ single ‘Shivers’, which sees Honne infuse such ambience and groove into the already mellow track. Keeping JP Cooper’s effortless vocals intertwined throughout, Honne’s production creates an ethereal state of mind with their smooth synths and chilled house vibes; futuristic soul at it’s finest. Their latest EP ‘The Over Lover’ is available now , while upcoming dates include Patterns in Brighton and Deaf Institute in Manchester, with a headline performance at London’s Oval Space. 

3) Florence and the Machine – Queen of Peace (Hot Chip Remix)

UK electronic band, Hot Chip, have remixed Florence + The Machine’s ‘Queen Of Peace’, taken from her recent album ‘How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful’. Premiering as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record, the reworking gives the single a funky, house-driven electro vibe with striking synths, while still retaining Flo’s commanding vocals. Hot Chip’s remix is available now while upcoming dates for the group include 02 Academy Bristol (Oct 13) and 02 Academy Brixton (Oct 22-23) 

4) Icarus – Ride This Train ft Aniff Akinola

Bristol brotherly duo Icarus (Tom and Ian Griffiths), unveiled their latest single ‘Ride This Train, which premiered with Pete Tong on Radio 1. ‘Ride This Train’ serves as the follow up to previous singles ‘Gold’ and ‘Cassia’ and delivers a thoroughly rousing single with infectious horns, driving bass lines and smooth, captivating vocals from Aniff Akinola. ‘Ride This Train’ is available now, via their own Fly Boy label.

4) Alex Metric – Drum Machine ft The New Sins

Alex Metric unveiled his new single ‘Drum Machine’, taken from his forthcoming EP, Ammunition Pt 4. Featuring the vocals of Lou Hayter from The New Sins, ‘Drum Machine’ serves up a wonderfully minimalist approach, filled with infectious vocals and beats, or as Metric refers to it when speaking to Noisey  –  ‘An experiment in limitations’, considering he only used 1 drum machine throughout. The 4-track Ammunition EP, features collaborations from AMTRAC and The Knocks and is available via iTunes October 9. Metric is currently on tour in the US with Zedd and Dillon Francis.

5) ZHU x AlunaGeorge – Automatic

Producer Stephen Zhu, (AKA ZHU) who brought us that infectious single ‘Faded’ in 2014, has teamed with AlunaGeorge for his new single ‘Automatic’. Automatic delivers a hypnotizing single, with Alunas vocals as enthralling as ever, and slick production throughout from Zhu. Taken from Zhu’s forthcoming and cryptic Genesis Series Project, other artists set to feature include Skrillex, A-Trak, Gallant and more. Upcoming dates for ZHU include Voodoo Music & Arts Experience in New Orleans, while AlunaGeorge are touring North America.

6) Bonzai – KBG (Knicker Bocker Glory)

Introducing 19 year old artist Bonzai, who has released her debut single KBG via Mura Masa’s label Anchor Point. While not much is known about Bonzai, except for the fact she’s half Irish/half American and was raised in Dublin, she certainly makes an impact with the unique sounding KBG; a playful track, with distorted vocals and quirky, edgy production. Upcomings dates for Bonzai included support Mura Massa at Patterns in Brighton (Oct 19) and Village Undergound in London. (Oct 20) ‘KBG‘ is set for release October 2nd via Anchor Point.

7) Frances – Let It Out

Berkshire-born Frances , made a strong impact with her debut single ‘Grow’ back in July. Now, the talented singer/songwriter has unveiled her latest single ‘Let It Out’, serving up a wonderfully personal and fragile song, showcasing Frances’ melodic ability and tender vocals. Having recently appeared in Radio 1’s September Live Lounge Month, the 21 year old shares management with Disclosure and Sam Smith, firmly positioning herself as a rising star with plenty of promise. The ‘Let It Out’ EP is available Oct 16  via iTunes, while upcoming dates for Frances can be found here. 

8) Tame Impala – Let It Happen (Soulwax remix)

What.A.Remix!! Yes Belgian groove gurus Soulwax have superbly remixed Tame Impala’s ‘Let It Happen’, propelling it to even greater heights than the already captivating original. The stirring synths add to the rousing atmosphere, while frontman Kevin Parker’s echoed vocals are kept intact above some funky bassline and uptempo grooves throughout. Be prepared to get thoroughly lost in the beauty of this 9-minute track, available now on iTunes. Upcoming dates for Tame Impala, include Manchester Arena (Feb11), while their London date will take place at Alexandra Palace (Feb 12). No dates announced as of yet for Soulwax, but a remix like this one will keep us going for a while!

9) Swindle – Mad Ting ft JME

Major Oof Alert! Yes xx Swindle has collaborated with JME on his latest single ‘Swindle’ and serves up an absolute monster of a track, mixed with a bit of strings, brass, jazz and Grime… what’s not to love? Swindles beats are gritty and infectious, while JME’s flow is as skillful as ever.Swindles use of instrumentation, pitted against some heavy-weight Grime, makes ‘Mad Ting’ an absolute stand out track. Taken from Swindles album ‘Peace, Love and Music’ and released via Butterz, the album also features collaborations from Flowdan, JME and TC. Upcoming dates for Swindle include Band On The Wall in Manchester (Nov 6) and Rich Mix in London  (Nov 26), while JME has just announced plans for his headline gig with Skepta in O2 Academy Brixton (Dec 18)

10) The Fog vs Chus & Ceballos – Been A Long Time (Mark Knight Remix)

Mark Knight has reworked ‘The Fog vs Chus & Ceballos ‘Been A Long Time’. While the original vocal from The Fog dropped way back in ‘93, it’s safe to say Knight has breathed new life into the track, infusing a pulsating and infectious bassline, with plenty of groove throughout.  The single serves as the follow up to ‘Second Story’; a previous Essential Tune for Pete Tong, and certainly lives up to that caliber as he blazes through with this fist pumping smash. ‘Been A Long Time’ is available now via Stereo Productions.

11) Special Request – Amnesia

Paul Woolford returns under his moniker Special Request, with his new Jungle inspired body of work, titled ‘Modern Warfare’. Single ‘Amnesia’ premiered with Annie Mac as her hottest record and delivers a throwback to dance music, as it dips in and out of ‘ravy’ dance breaks, eerie undertones and mesmerising bass heavy vibes, mixed with some lighter vocal hooks and infectious house piano. Upcoming dates for Special Request include The Warehouse Project in Manchester (Oct 16, Nov 7), Village Underground in London (Nov 6) and In:Motion, Bristol (Dec 4).‘Modern Warfare’ is set for release Oct 30 via XL Recordings in a series of 3 EP’s.

12) Jimmy Edgar – Let Me Tell You

Berlin-based Detroit producer Jimmy Edgar, unveiled his new single ‘Let Me Tell You’, taken from his forthcoming 5-track ‘Shine’ EP. With his pulsing house-style chords, infectious vocal loops and industrial, futuristic vibes throughout, ‘Let Me Tell You’ delivers on all fronts with such creativity and skill. Check out his FB page for a Q&A on his production techniques. The ‘Shine’ EP is available now via his own Ultramajic label and gives us a taste of what’s to come for Edgar in 2016. Upcoming dates include Tribal Sessions at Fire, London (Dec 11)

Check out the full playlist below with over 70 minutes for your listening pleasure!

 

 

Justin Jay – Hit It

 

22 year old producer/DJ Justin Jay, unveiled his new single ‘Hit It’, taken from his forthcoming EP ‘Mom, I Graduated’.

‘Hit It’ highlights Justin’s impeccable production skills and unique creativity. With ominous beats, sinister undertones and Jay’s distorted vocals repeating “Hit it, Quit It”, the track immediately delivers an eerie, atmospheric banger, filled with clever percussion. The multi-layered track introduces a piano loop, as it builds to its monstrous bass-heavy drop, before each layer is gradually removed and the track concludes with a simple percussive line.

With previous releases such ‘Femme Fatale’, ‘Instincts’ and ‘Static’, Justin is the youngest artist to release on Dirtybird Records. Over the years, the rising producer has received great support from Claude VonStroke, Jamie Jones and Disclosure, while Pete Tong featured the talented producer in his ‘Future Stars’ segment on Radio 1.

‘Mom, I Graduated’ EP is set for release September 14th via DirtyBird Records. Upcoming dates for Justin Jay include his World Tour (Sept-Dec), with dates in London, Nottingham and Birmingham (Oct 30-31).

Hudson Mohawke – Chimes

The wait is finally over!  Scottish producer Hudson Mohawke, and former half of producer duo TNGHT, has officially unveiled ‘Chimes’ as his new single. The track, which has widely become a fan favourite in his live sets, has been reworked and now features as the lead single from his forthcoming ‘Chimes’ EP on Warp Records.

‘Chimes’ is an absolute beast of a track, opening with some melodic chimes, before exploding onto the scene with its pulsating bass lines, distorted synths, and a horn filled drop, interspersed with some rhythmically placed chants. With each new drop, the vibe is heavier, more intense and thoroughly captivating; Hud Mo means business!

Currently signed to Kanye’s G.O.O.D music label for production, ‘Chimes’ serves as the follow up to ‘100hm‘, which featured on the Grand Theft Auto V soundtrack. Upcoming dates for Hudson include East End Social Last Big Weekend in Glasgow and the recently announced Warehouse Project – ‘Sounds of the Near Future‘.

The four track ‘Chimes’ EP is available via Warp Records on September 30th, with the title track available to download now. Listen out for ‘Chimes’ on the forthcoming MacBook Air ad too.

Alesso – Tear The Roof Up

“We getting loud in the booth and I’m a tear up the roof” – Exactly what you want to hear as we kick start the weekend!

Swedish DJ Alesso, unveiled his latest single ‘Tear Up The Roof‘; an explosive single packed with multiple buildups, pulsating bass heavy drops, looped vocals and infectious synths bursting with energy. Mix that with a progressive arpegiated break mid way, as Alesso builds to one final drop, before descending into complete dancefloor anarchy. To put it simply, Alesso commented:

“I wanted to make a massive song that would literally make people want to tear off the roof”

Job done, Alesso! Roof successfully torn off.

Having recently signed with Def Jam Recordings/Virgin EMI, ‘Tear Up The Roof’ serves as the follow up to previous singles, such as the collaboration with Sebastian Ingrosso on ‘Calling (Lose My Mind)‘ and last year’s collaboration with Calvin Harris ft Hurts on ‘Under Control’. Upcoming dates for Alesso include Tomorrowland, Global Gathering, V Festival, SW4 and Creamfields.

June Selections

What a month June has been for music. We had the wonderful return of Jessie Ware with her new single ‘Tough Love‘, not to mention new music from Duke Dumont, Jamie xx, Porter Robinson and the reworking of Yogi’s ‘Christian Bale’. Festival season got well under way with Parklife and Isle of Wight but it was Glastonbury Festival that took center stage this month, with headliners Arcade Fire, Metallica and Kasabian thrilling audiences, not to mention fan favourite Dolly Parton. It’s safe to say Glastonbury Festival went down a ‘storm’ … excuse the pun. Yes even the weather took center stage which interrupted Rudimental’s set and briefly closed the Pyramid stage. What would a festival be without a bit of rain, mud and an electrical storm? Roll on next year! Catch up on the highlights here.

The official charts saw a bit of a shake up with streaming sites such as Spotify, Deezer and Napster to count towards Official Chart rankings for the first time. The home of the Official Chart, yes Radio 1, has also seen a bit of a shake up. Longtime broadcaster Edith Boman,  Rob Da Bank, Jen Long and Ally McCrae are among some of the presenters axed from the schedule (Sad times!). This has paved the way for exciting new changes, such as an evening new music show with Huw Stevens, B Traits joining the Friday night dance lineup, while Annie Mac and Pete Tong’s shows have been increased by an hour. #Raving. Read the rest of the changes here.  The BBC also announced details of their new BBC Music Awards, set to take place in Earls Court Dec 11th and hosted by Chris Evans and Fearne Cotton.

Itunes UK celebrated their 10th anniversary this month. To mark the occasion, they released the all time best selling albums and singles, which included Adele’s ’21’, Ed Sheeran and Emeli Sande, while Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines’ topped the best selling single. When Zane Lowe isn’t conducting incredible interviews on Radio 1, such as the recent Rick Rubin feature interview, he’s announcing an exciting new music show on MTV called ‘Soundchain’, which is set to feature artists from Ed Sheeran, Queens Of The Stoneage, Chase and Status and Kasbian. Speaking of which, Kasabian announced their UK and Ireland tour starting this Autumn. If that wasn’t enough, there’s plenty of new music releases lined up such as new music from Rudimental tipped by end of the year, Florence and the Machines third album, new Snow Patrol in 2015, a debut album from Hozier in September and even more Haim greatness in the pipeline. Oh and incase you’re not aware, June 10th has officially being named ‘Drake Day’ by the Mayor of Houston ….put it in the diary!

July surely has to be dubbed ‘Festival Month’ with a whole host of Festivals lined up including, Wireless, Festibelly, British Summer Time Festival, Latitude, Longitude, LoveBox, Eminem at Wembley, T In The Park and even G In the Park. Last but not least, don’t forget the continuation of Annie Mac’s Superstar Djs on Channel 4.

Ok, now on with the music. Check out my selections below:

1) Calvin Harris – Summer (Diplo & Grandtheft remix)

What better way to kick off June favourites than with the aptly titled track ‘Summer‘ from Calvin Harris with Diplo and Grandtheft  on the remix. This is the second collaboration from the duo having previously remixed Calvin’s ‘Sweet Nothing‘ ft Florence. While retaining Calvin’s original idea, the two drops allow the heavyweights trademarks to shine from their tantalising trap vibes, grime-heavy bass lines, defined percussive beats and some intermittent bed squeaks … always keeping it interesting. Be sure to catch Diplo pretty much touring everywhere this summer, while Grandtheft is currently on his ‘Keep it 100’ tour. The ‘Summer‘ remixes are available here.

 

2) Jack Garratt – Worry

London singer songwriter Jack Garratt unveiled his new single ‘Worry‘, taken from his debut EP ‘Remnants‘. The single serves as the follow up to ‘Water’, where Garret delivers moments of pure chilled out R&B before hitting us with some heavy synth drops and a fuzzy infectious hook. Garratt’s soulful vocals has great range highlighting his impressive falsetto ability. Currently in the middle if his UK tour, upcoming dates for Garratt include Secret Garden Party and In The Woods. ‘Remnants‘ is due July 14th and is available now.

 

3) HRLY & Bosey – Take Me

Brighton based producer/ DJ’s HRLY & Bosey have collaborated on an exciting new trap banger. ‘Take Me‘ serves up some infectious trap stylings and an incredible drop that takes the track to the next level with its trap infused horns, bass heavy beats and echoed/distorted vocals. ‘Take Me’ is packed with plenty of edge and attitude and marks an impressive effort from the duo.

 

4) Keaton Henson – Elevator Song

When London singer/songwriter Keaton Henson unveiled his debut album four years ago, he presented a personal and stunning selection of folk ballads. Despite Heatons crippling anxiety with performing, Henson has since unveiled his new body of work, which presents a vast change of direction for him; a classical piece titled ‘Romantic works’. Recorded in his bedroom, ‘Elevator Song’ opens the collection of work. The purely instrumental track takes us away for 3 minutes to a place of pure tranquility with simple piano and strings. If only all elevator rides were as blissful as as this. ‘Elevator Song’ is available now from his ‘Romantic Works‘ album.

 

5) Isaiah Dreads – You See Me (Prod. Preditah) Make way for some serious rising talent in the form of 16 year old Grime artist Isaiah Dreads.  His new single ‘You See Me‘ sees Dreads going in on the Preditah produced banger. Dreads delivers some serious skills and spitting over the impeccably produced beats from Preditah. You might remember Preditah from some of his incredible remixes from Danny Brown’s ‘Dip‘ to Disclosure’s ‘Stimulation‘, and now he’s done it again with the infectious trap-hop hooks dominating ‘You See Me‘. Dreads and Preditah prove to be an exciting collaboration. ‘You See Me’ is set for release July 21st and is available to pre order now.

 

6) Crystal Fighters – Love Alight

Time for some sun-drenched music from electro pop quartet Crystal Fighters.  ‘Love Alight‘ is the first new material to surface since their 2013’s ‘Cave Rave‘ album and what better way than with this uptempo track, filled with soaring melodies, flamenco style guitars, euphoric vocals and hypnotic beats. No surprise it featured as Zane Lowe’s ‘Hottest Record’, as it will no doubt be the summer soundtrack for many this summer. Upcoming dates for Crystal Fighters include Lattitude Festival and Lovebox. ‘Love Alight’ is available now.

 

7) Kwabs – Into You

Kwabs has unveiled his new single ‘Into You‘, taken from his ‘Pray for Love’ EP. The single serves as the follow up to ‘Last Stand’ and ‘Wrong Or Right’ produced by SOHN. Now Kwabs has teamed up with producer Chris Loco to deliver yet another impressive single with some infectious production from Loco. Kwabs sure knows how to pick his producers. Kwabs stunningly emotive and soulful vocals are delivered with such passion, especially the rousing hook with defined, tribal percussive beats. Upcoming dates from Kwabs include Latitude and a headline date at London’s Koko this October. ‘Pray for Love‘ EP is available now.

 

8) Redlight – Cure Me ft Lolo

Bristol based Producer Redlight (aka Hugh Pescod) has unveiled his new single ‘Cure Me‘, featuring the sultry vocals of Brooklyn singer Lolo. With deep house dominating the music scene, ‘Cure Me‘ is set to follow in the same path as Redlight’s previous singles from ‘36‘ to ‘Lost In Your Love‘ and ‘Get Out My Head‘. ‘Cure Me‘ delivers some punchy deep house vibes, signature house piano and an infectious hook you’ll be singing all day. Having recently signed to Polydor Records, the Bristol producer is currently working on his debut album due later this year. Upcoming dates for Redlight include Creamfields and Jersey Live. The ‘Cure Me’ EP is set for release August 17th via Polydor Records, featuring remixes from Actress, New York Transit Authority and DJ Die. Pre order your copy here.

 

9) Apexape & Chris Lorenzo – Got To Give

Apexape, aka Benny Kane and Dr Specs have teamed up with Chris Lorenzo of Cause and Affect, to deliver their monstrous bass heavy single ‘Got To Give‘. With its pulsating basslines, eerie synths and suspenseful descending riffs and rolling drops, ‘Got To Give‘ delivers on all fronts. The single is available now via MistaJam’s Speakerbox Records. Upcoming dates for Apexape include Ibiza and Mallorca rocks this July.

 

10) Broods – Mother and Father

New Zealand siblings Broods, aka Georgia and Caleb Nott, unveiled their new single ‘Mother and Father’, which serves as the follow up to the successful ‘Bridges’ EP. The single is taken from their forthcoming debut album ‘Evergreen‘, and delivers a soothing synth driven track. Georgia’s light, airy vocals and heartfelt lyrics are effortless and provide a nice contrast to the defined percussive beats throughout. Set to support Sam Smith on tour this autumn, further dates for Broods include Hoxton Square Bar and Longitude in Dublin. ‘Mother And Father‘ is available now, while their debut album is set for release August 22nd via Polydor.

 

11) My Nu Leng – Knowing (Break remix)

Time for some epic drum n bass from Symmetry Recordings owner Break, as he takes on My Nu Leng’s ‘Knowing‘.  The remix serves as the followup to his ‘Moving On’ EP and delivers a beast of a track with its bass heavy vibes, glitchy production and growling bass lines. Break retains My Nu Leng’s original charm, from the serene piano motif and ambient effects throughout, before ramping up the tempo to delivery a high energy drum n bass monster. Break’s ‘Knowing‘ remix is set to feature on My Nu Leng’s ‘The Masterplan Remixes EP‘, which includes remixes from Lorenzo and Zed Bias. ‘Knowing’ is available now via Black Butter Records.

 

12) Méron – Somebody Like Me

Prepare yourself for some epic progressive dance beauty. Rising producer Méron has has unveiled his latest offerings ‘Somebody Like Me‘, which serves as the follow up to ‘Along With The Stars‘. The track delivers with such force and impact, from its soaring house piano vibes, stirring strings and rousing builds throughout. A definite hands in the air track that you wish would never, ever end. Presenting a stunning vibe and drawing comparisons to Prydz, Méron is one producer to keep a close eye on. In the meantime, check out his soundcloud here. Somebody Like Me is available now via Spinnin’ Records.

 

13) Avan Lava – Last Night (Copy Paste Soul Remix)

Having recently released his ‘Like This’ EP, Copy Paste Soul has since remixed ‘Last Night‘ from Brooklyn trio Avan Lava. With his infectious whomping bass line, soulful vocals and feel good vibes infused throughout, Copy Paste Soul has already received great support from the likes of Annie Mac, Scream and Disclosure. Check out his soundcloud page here to hear ‘deep things growl and whompy things warm’. Upcoming dates for Copy Paste Soul include Lost Records at Fire London.

 

14) Grimes – Go ft Blood Diamonds

Yes, Grimes is back after almost two years and has unveiled her new single ‘Go’, ft producer Blood Diamond. Originally written for and thankfully rejected by Rihanna, ‘Go‘ paves the way for her highly anticipated return and serves up the first new material since 2012’s album ‘Visions‘, and the remarkable single ‘Oblivion’. With its moody, atmospheric vibe, and trap infused stylings, Grimes has certainly peaked our interest for what’s yet to come. Currently working on her new album, ‘Go’ is available now. Upcoming datea for Grimes can be found here.

 

15) X Ambassadors & Jamie N Commons – Jungle remix ft Jay Z

American rock band X Ambassadors and British artist Jamie N Commons, have made quite the impact with their single ‘Jungle’, which featured in the World Cup inspired ‘Beats By Dre‘ campaign. Giving the single a reworking is n one other than Hov, yes Jay Z now features in the remix, bringing ‘Jungle‘ to a whole new level of epic proportions. The hard hitting track serves up a sense of empowerment with some ferocious skills and lyrics from Jay Z ‘If your god is bigger than my god up there, and my god is bigger than your god down here, whom shall I fear?’. The new jungle remix is available now.

 

16) Pharrell – Frontin’ ft Jay Z (Disclosure remix)

Brotherly duo Disclosure recently reworked on of their favourite songs ever. Yes Pharrell’s ‘Frontin‘ ft Jay Z has been given the Disclosure remix which sees the boys breath new life into the 2003 classic. The duo deliver an upbeat garage infused remix, with Pharrell’s infectious vocals mixed seamlessly throughout. Even better, the track was offered as a free download as a result of reaching 1 million likes on Facebook. Be sure to catch Disclosure touring everywhere this summer including Ibiza, Reading & Leeds and Bestival as well as featuring on Annie Mac’s ‘Superstar DJ’ programme on Channel 4.

 

Check out the full playlist below with over 90 minutes for your listening pleasure.

Yogi – Christian Bale Ft. Casey Veggies, Knytro, Sway, KSI, Raptor

You may remember Yogi’s monstrous single ‘Christian Bale‘ which made my ‘Top Tracks of 2013‘. The London trio, currently signed to Skrillex’s OWSLA label, has been given the instrumental track a reworking and now features the vocals of Odd Future’s Casey Veggies as well as Knytro, Sway, KSI and Raptor.

The added vocals ramps up the track and gives it more intensity with their slick spitting skills, delivering an absolute beast of a track. Listen out for the clever ‘Dark Knight‘ and ‘American Hustle’ references. Having just signed a production contract with Dre’s ‘Aftermath Entertainment’ expect exciting things from Yogi.

The reworking of Christian Bale serves as the follow up to the massive Pusha T collaboration on ‘Burrial’ and is available now.

Hudson Mohawke – 100hm

Last year, Hudson Mohawke (formerly of TNGHT), unveiled his highly anticipated contribution to the ‘Grand Theft Auto V’ game. Featuring as a game exclusive track only and not available on the official soundtrack,  fans pleaded for this to be given an official release … looks like they got their wish!

The Scottish producer and G.O.O.D music affiliate has re-released the full version of the track titled ‘100 HM’, and even better, the track is available as a free download. Giving the track a darker and bassier re-working, Hudson delivers his trademark hard-hitting trap beats with some explosive bass and eerie synths.

Upcoming dates for the Scottish producer include Reading University Club 360 with BTraits and Cyril Hahn, as well as some US dates from 27th-30th May. Full gig info can be found here.

DJ Fresh vs Jay Fay – Dibby Dibby Sound Ft Ms Dynamite

Drum & Bass DJ and producer DJ Fresh has teamed up with Jay Fay and Ms Dynamite for his latest single ‘Dibby Dibby Sound‘.

Having previously worked with Diplo on the chart topping trap anthem ‘Earthquake‘, DJ Fresh follows this up with yet another massive single, sampling US producer Jay Fay’s original track ‘Dibby Dibby Sound‘.

19 year old producer Jay Fay from St Louis, has been championing Moombahton, Electro House and Trap. Mix that with energetic vocals from legendary garage MC Ms Dynamite and you’re in for an epic bass-heavy record with an infectious bassline that just screams Carnival.

‘Dibby Dibby Sound‘ featured as Zane Lowe’s ‘Hottest Record on Wednesday, where DJ Fresh spoke about his forthcoming album:

“I haven’t made what I consider to be a real album. So I’m going to go on a travelling mission around the world and work with some musicians and actually make an album from start to finish ; Like a musical journey and do something really interesting. I’m holding out for a bit and going to focus on doing singles until I can do something like that”

Upcoming UK dates include  Freeze Festival in London on November 30th.

Disclosure – You and Me (Baauer Vs Flume Remix)

Like many of us, Disclosure’s debut album ‘Settle’ has been on repeat since it’s release on June 3rd.

The already brilliant and infectious track ‘You and Me‘ ft Eliza Doolittle has been given the remix treatment by two top producers; Trap heavyweight Baauer and Sydney sensation Flume, both delivering two unique tracks in their own right.

Baauer, who dropped his remix at this years Coachella Festival, flips the track 180 into a rave synth smasher complete with some epic drops, while Eliza’s pitched up vocals create an ecstatic whirring effect overhead.  The remix created a major buzz online and recently featured as Zane Lowe’s Hottest Record, alongside the original from Disclosure.

Flumes remix, released last week, offers a completely different take, or ‘Orchestral Crunkwave‘ as Flume refers to it on soundcloud. The track eases in gently with some strings, while Eliza’s airy vocals glide above, gradually building to a hip hop synth infused drop. More of a mellow track, but one that’s packed with attitude and style.

So, who gets your vote?

DJ Fresh and Diplo – Earthquake ft Dominique Young Unique

DJ Fresh, the drum n bass DJ & producer who brought us ‘Hot Right Now’, ‘Louder‘, ‘The Power‘ and most recently ‘Gold Dust‘, is back with another massive follow-up.

‘Earthquake‘ sees DJ Fresh collaborate with producer Diplo (Major Lazer) on this trap heavy record infused with distorted lazer style synths.  The track premiered as Zanes Lowes Hottest Record on BBC Radio 1 last night and is set for release through Ministry of Sound.

The beats have been around a while now and you might remember it from the Angel Haze’s diss track against Azealia Banks. DJ Fresh and Diplo have since reworked it and features the vocals from Dominique Young Unique. The track also features as the theme tune for this summers blockbuster film ‘Kickass 2‘.

DJ Fresh has a busy summer ahead performing at Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Parklife, Wireless, Oxegen and Global Gathering, to name but a few. Diplo is in the middle of his EU tour with Major Lazer to promote their new album ‘Free The Universe‘, but will be back with his reggae rhythms for Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds Festivals.