I'm a sucker for well produced house on a sunny day, and that is exactly what we have here. I previously covered Roosevelt when he dropped his video for the lovely Elliot, and this remix is just as damn catchy.
Truls Heggero is a Norwegian indie star who has started moving towards a more R&B influenced sound, as demonstrated on the original of Out Of Yourself here. Both versions are epic - check them out on Soundcloud above.
Dreamroof - Van Pi
This new release marks the debut from Van Pi, a collaboration between Peter Rutten and Ivo Schmetz of Amsterdam. Dreamroof was created in collaboration with Dutch actress and singer Anna Speller, who provides the smooth and appropriately dreamy vocals.
The original version has a slightly spacey feel - warm bass lines and sparkling synths, combined with the vocals the result has a slightly Ballearic, sun-kissed vibe. Dreamroof represents the first release in Basserk's Domestic Bleeps series, which is focused on putting out electronic music for at home listening.
Along with an instrumental version the EP features three remixes. The AuxilIary tha Masterfader remix layers the vocal with a thick 90s R&B style bass line and snappy reverb heavy drums to great affect, giving the track a punchy and sassy feel. Hamertje Tik gives the track a big room feel, creating a uplifting house track but stripping out most of the vocals - it's accessible but feels a little obvious compared to everything else here. The Kratos Himself remix also strips back the vocals but keeps the synths and adds a more complex rhythm to give more of a dub.
Whilst the overall package is fairly modest Dreamroof is a decent enough intro to the Domestic Bleeps concept and the Auxiliary tha Masterfader mix is a worthy reason to check out the release.
Dreamroof is out now through Basserk, available from Amazon.co.uk on MP3 [affiliate link]. Check out the video below, and the Auxiliary the Masterfader remix further down:
Banks
Another week, another Banks jam to swoon over. This remix of recent single Brain by Ta-Ku is to die for... Jump on that drop at 2:52...
Charles Trees is allegedly something of a legend in the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, where locals are said to often proclaim "I spent half my life waiting for Charles". And yet up until now he has remained something of a secret, despite releases for Ghostly International, Moodgadget and Fulgeance’s Musique Large.
This new EP, Rootwork, has been in the making since mid-2012 and it just might help to explain what the fuss is all about. Opening with the title track there is a Latin-jazz, Sun Ra vibe to proceedings as Trees pretty much throws an onslaught of beats and percussion against Dan Bennet's brilliant sax playing. It is organic, fresh and absolutely full of life, bumping along to its increasingly electronic and acidic climax - this is the sound of totally disperate genres playing together and it seems effortless.
Exodus takes the baton from Rootwork and creates a calypso punk-funk stomp, house beats gradually dissolving as the track breaks into sunny funkadelic joy. On Get Advanced rapper and poet Intricate Dialogue casually flows over a loose rhythm, James Brown samples and a little 303 to create something intoxicating. Finally What's Left is cosmic funk, keys floating in space whilst some chunky bass lines create a sense of movement.
The EP also comes with two remixes, though neither feels quite as innovative as the originals. DJ F gives Rootwork a isolated and galactic feel with sinister keyboards substituted for the sax. Shigeto then extends What's Left to a nine-minute epic, a lengthy freestyle-sounding intro eventually giving way to a rapid, elastic and jazzy take on the original.
Rootwork is out on Monday through Lovemonk, available to order from Amazon.co.uk on MP3 [affiliate link]. Preview Rootwork on Soundcloud below:
Gloriously smoky dream pop from Still Parade, real name Niklas Kramer, on this track taken from his forthcoming EP Fields. There's a cool laid back feel to this - Kramer was trying to capture a late-80s Fleetwood Mac feel and you can really feel that coming through in the instrumentation.
The Fields EP will be released through Serve & Volley Records on 6 May.
