For your Mellow Monday evening, we have a little hip hop instrumental gem from Soulstruck and MKSB. It also describes the state of my bedroom 99% of the time. Messy Bed features some funky instrumentation on the keys and guitar, with a swingy, laid back broken beat bringing it all together. Have a listen, and enjoy the rest of your Monday night.
- KJ
Eton Messy is back, and presenting just another example of the great sound coming out of London, and another case of finding budding producers making quality tunes. According to their description, "Flaurése Leis has been quietly preparing several remixes along with plans for a debut EP", so keep an eye on this up-and coming producer for more work down the line.
With his remix of John Bull & The Bandits' Going Under Cover, Flaurése Leis brings a smooth and summery house feel to the indie rock original. Much of the main vocals remain, though there has also been a bit of creative vocal slicing and looping. The end result is a really nice laid back vocal house track for any of your summer activities, and on offer as a free download.
This is the 20th release in Eton Messy's Free Download series, so if you are just getting on board, make sure to check out the playlist linked for a ton of great free music. While you're over at Soundcloud, make sure to follow Flaurése Leis as well, as there is more music coming from him likely in short order.
- KJ
"I know that you've got everything but I've got nothing here without ya." Honest brings some authentic lost-love house and garage vibes to this untitled (or titled ?????) stomper that was uploaded about a month ago.
Working off the pre-chorus vocal sample from Ariana Grande's single One Last Time, Honest brings what will sound familiar to many following the top 40 scene, and twists it into fitting into this vibey house jam, producing a catchy club tune with some crossover value that sounds fresh and very different from the source of the sample. This is a solid and creative rework of the sample, and overall a great bit of production work that only gives the faintest tinge of guilty pleasure.
There doesn't appear to be anything hinting to any official release, and this one isn't looking downloadable at this time. Settle for the stream, and stream the hell out of it - it's that good.
- KJ
Another creative rework of a top 40 track coming at you today, this time from Arapaima with a twist on Christina Aguilera's Hurt.
Arapaima's version leaves much of the vocal sample intact but sped up to introduce it before looping it a bit for the buildup and chopping it right up when buildup drops back in at 0:56. The synth work is warm, and the percussion is tight. All around a really great and unique rework with Arapaima's signature sound.
I'm going to leave this review short and sweet to match the track. Enjoy.
- KJ
This little house bootleg is a great low key remix for Tuesday evening. Luke①Hundred just dropped this bootleg of Chase & Status' poppy drum and bass track Time that features the vocals of Delilah from back in 2011.
Luke's house bootleg is great in that it doesn't try to be something super epic and complex - sometimes house music is most powerful when it is stripped back to some of its more minimal elements. The Time bootleg does this really well, with a simple but effective percussion setup to open up the track, leading into an early breakdown and buildup with some melodic pads and Delilah's vocals. This buildup is followed by the drop into a nice bassline groove accented by the occasional vocal cut and the continued backbone percussion throughout. This is a great house reimagining of the original, and definitely one I would play out at any time of night - perfect in an opening or afterhours set.
It looks like this is currently just up as a stream, but hopefully you will be able to get your hands on this tight little bootleg soon.
- KJ
Millesim have come up with a really laid back and summery remix of WDSTCK's So Free. While the original has a bit of a tropical feel, it has a much quicker pace and heavier drums. Where Millesim really shines is their stripped back and lounge style indie tropical vibe that allows a lot more expression in the melodic elements of the track. Even the vocals seem more expressive and free in this, a bit of a fitting description for its title. We hope you enjoy this remix wherever you happen to be spending your mellow Monday.
The Millesim remix was released back in mid-june as part of the remix package for So Free, with 4 other remixes. It is available from iTunes here.
- KJ
The 70's has never sounded so fresh. A collaboration between Jackson Breit and Carneyval, the two artists have redone Bill Withers' funky and soulful disco classic Use Me. It was dropped on Soundcloud a while back, but I just stumbled across it while doing the writeup and background for the remix of Kendrick Lamar that I posted earlier in the week.
This revision of the original maintains much of the original instrumentation and even some of Bill Withers' vocals through sampling, but the overall feel is very much modernized, along with the addition of Jackson Breit's own vocals and original lyrics. Have a listen for yourself, and then hit the shopping cart in the player below to download your free copy of this awesome revision of a classic.
- KJ
Feki has worked his production magic once again, this time on a remix of Urban Cone. This flip of the original indie song Weekends keeps much of the indie vibe while also adding the electronic/trap flare that Feki has been building recognition for. This is a feel good track perfect for your afternoon chill session or finishing up your workday, whether that is leading into or coming out of the weekend.
It doesn't look like there is a release of the Feki remix as of yet, so stream the heck out of it. If you want to pick up the original Weekends, it is out as part of Urban Cone's release Polaroid Memories, out on iTunes.
- KJ
Felon has just dropped a new vocal version of their debut release, Isla. This time around, it features the vocal stylings of one of the UK's hot vocal talents right now, Kaleem Taylor. You may recognize his voice from Tchami's Promesses, Just Kiddin's Getaway, Snakehips' Forever (Pt. II), or Memeb's Thousand Words. If those collaborations alone aren't enough to get you pumped over pretty much anything Kaleem Taylor has or will be a part of, I don't know what further evidence of his talent would convince you.
This re-released vocal version puts a fresh face on what was already a fresh production from Felon that has aged well over the last year. The uplifting melodies paired with what has become the recognizable bassline synth tones of the contemporary future/deep/house genres and that soulful sax, Isla was a production that was ahead of the curve a year ago, and consequently still sounds super fresh.
Both the original version of Isla and the vocal version featuring Kaleem Taylor are now available on Ultra Records, so check them and show your support. I was also going to link to the original release from Fat! Records that had a saxless version, but you may just have to go digging for that yourself if you so desire. While we're on throwbacks for Isla, make sure you also check out the Tender Games remix (it's a free download) for yet another different spin on this track.
I could go on all day about the talents of the Felon guys, but I believe I've already said more than enough - seriously though, check and follow their Soundcloud. And dammit, somebody get on and sign Swimwear already - I want it!
- KJ
INSTRUM and Carneyval went full on future house summer vibes on this remix of Kendrick Lamar's i. You may also have realized that this remix doesn't actually sample the original version of i, but rather uses the acoustic cover done by Jackson Breit (up as a free download). If you're familiar with either the original or the cover, you'll likely be surprised by the direction that INSTRUM and Carneyval took their remix. They left in a healthy amount of the classical guitar, the cover vocals are pitched down and sped up, there are definite future house synth stabs, and all in all, it's just a great mix of sounds brought together in one remix. It's up as a free download through TropiKult, and the download is an extended full 320kbps version. It doesn't get much better than that, so get on that download.
- KJ
Aquilo dropped Better Off Without You on their Soundcloud a couple months back in advance of the release of their EP. It was originally available as an instant download when you pre-ordered the EP, but the full release is already out, so you can pick and choose from iTunes or grab the whole EP at once.
Better Off Without You is a great piece of laid back and smooth vocal work with electronic production and a slight pop feel, perfect for a mellow Monday evening. The lyrical content is also quite powerful and masterfully woven - a tale of two people who are on their game, but just not working well together. The realization comes that it's just not a match, but it's still a bittersweet and melancholic situation though also for the best. Aquilo's work on this is in a similar niche to other tracks we've featured from Patrick Baker and Mar.
Better Off Without You was released at the start of June by B3SCI Records as part of the Calling Me EP, now available on iTunes for just under 3 bucks.
- KJ
This remix was uploaded on Soundcloud by BÅUT a while back, but I was waiting to see if it would get set to a free download before I posted it here, and it did! I've already tossed this into a couple of my sets, as it's a seriously great bootleg. The Soundcloud play stats are seriously way too low considering the quality of it, but that's why I love digging for music - you come across absolute gems that are still secret weapons.
BÅUT keeps a majority of the vocals from Jess Glynne from the original, and it sounds very similar to the pop version right up to the first buildup, but when the drop comes in at the 1:30 mark, you know this is something a bit different. Working on the style that is evident in the other bootlegs posted on BÅUT's Soundcloud, this bootleg oozes deep bass in line with the deep/future/tech house niche. If you want a bootleg that goes hard but still is recognizable to everyone in the club, grab this one now - it's now your secret weapon too.
- KJ
You'll be forgiven for reading the title of this post and thinking "Oh god, not another rehash of this tired old track", because I have to admit, I have the same knee jerk reaction every time I hear Levels even mentioned in casual conversation. But if you had that thought, I hope you pressed play anyway like I did, as you'll be pleasantly surprised with this remix from Chris Stebbins.
Chris has taken the original to another place, with little left from the original aside from his use of the Etta James vocal sample from her 1962 single Something's Got A Hold On Me. Aside from that sample, Chris has gone on to create a fresh new melody that really gave this track new legs for 2015 that I would never have expected. Do yourself a favour and have a listen, and grab the free download from his Facebook Page.
- KJ
MORRT is back with another free EP that he is gradually releasing on Soundcloud over the next few weeks. If you have been following him on any of his social media, he's teased some material that he's been working on, and the first track he's put out here is the end result. Realize is the first track from the EP, which was uploaded on Monday and has a dreamy house and garage club vibe all the way through. The sound is along the same lines of his arguably slightly poppier recent release Dive Right In, and in the same stream of particularly high quality music that he has been releasing. We're looking forward to hearing the rest of this EP as it slowly rolls out. If you're feeling this, grab the free download through the shopping cart link in the player below, or just click here.
- KJ
In case you didn't know yet, I'm a pretty big fan of Low Steppa. We've featured a fair bit of his work in both posts and mixes in the past, and have been following his work for much longer (like, back to when he was producing electro under his given name, Will Bailey... did that just date me a bit? Ah well...) In any case, his label Simma Black in conjunction with All Around The World Records just put out two separate remix EP's for Low Steppa's So Real, which was just released in the UK on the 20th.
There are some really great remixes along with the radio and club versions of So Real on the EP's, so definitely have a listen to all of them. If you're looking for something a little on the heavy and interesting side, the Lokate or Mandal & Forbes remixes will get you there. If you want something a bit more bouncy and garagey, there's the Mike Milrain remix. If you want to stick to slightly more traditional house roots, there's the Sam Divine & Curtis Gabriel remix. Really, there's something for most dance style tastes in this one. Don't miss it!
You can check out the Remixes One and Remixes Two packages on iTunes. Currently the remix packages are only out in the UK iTunes store, but the North American release is set for June 28th so keep an eye out for that! In the meantime, we have the full club mix available to stream below, we hope you enjoy!
Also in case you were unaware, Low Steppa is in the middle of a short North American mini tour. If you were at EDC in Las Vegas, we hope you caught his set there. However, if you missed it and happen to be in one of the following cities in the next little while, all is not lost! Make sure to check out one of the other dates on his mini-tour before he heads back to the UK.
June 26th, The Gorge, Washington
June 26th, Vancouver, BC
June 27th, New York, New York
- KJ
If you haven't heard of Pools yet, you need to get yourself a Soundcloud account - as that seems to be where Pools has gained the most traction (Pools also has twitter and instagram accounts, but neither come close to the 13,000+ followers on Soundcloud). I came across Pools a while back as there was early support from Louis The Child, and I am glad for that. There has been a ton of quality material on Soundcloud, though there are very few tracks that extend even past the 2:00 mark. The short track length is partially what kept me from posting much of the material before, but definitely check the previous material. They're all great productions, albeit short on time.
Woods and Trails is another example of this, clocking in at only 1:46. Even in that short amount of time though, there are some really great places explored, with a really mellow and chilled back soundscape and an interesting vocal sample. It's got a bit of an electronica/hip hop vibe to it, but it's hard to pin down. It seems that all of Pools' work has a strong experimental vibe to it, which is quite refreshing. Check out the body of work available here.
- KJ
It's been a little while since we've featured a chill house track for Mellow Monday, but this remix of Jessie Ware by Klaves fits quite nicely. The vocals remain smooth and intact, with Jessie Ware once again showcasing her considerable talent in this area. If you haven't heard of Jessie Ware yet, her work can be heard in several bass heavy dance productions such as Disclosure's Confess To Me, and their hugely popular remix of her track Running, or SBTRKT's Right Thing To Do.
Klaves' take on Cruel maintains many of the same vibes as the original, but with a distinctly house oriented feel. The remix is a bit faster and uses more deep house instrumentation in the warm synth tones, but the overall sound is very similar - much like a transposition between styles as opposed to a large departure from the original.
It doesn't appear to be released anywhere for free or purchased download, so you'll have to settle for streaming for the time being at least.
- KJ
Regina Saskatchewan based blog, dedicated to high quality music, served as fresh as possible.
Our inbox is always open for submissions of new content, promos, or ideas for areas of expansion. If you want us to see or hear something, have an idea that you think we should pursue, or just want to get involved, drop us a line. We'd love to hear from you.
Kris Jones
freshdrops.ca@gmail.com
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