Feel the love

Summer is here! (sort of) That calls for house music and sunny days outside by the BBQ.

Feel the love surrounding us,

There's really no way to stop it
Just feel the love

First up this tune remixed by up-and-coming Scottish producer Grum. He came across my radar after his BBC Essential Mix was heaped with praise. Didn't blow my mind to be honest, but his style is an interesting upbeat mix of trance & house music.  This one in particular has a happy summery vibe to it.

Cahill - Feel the Love (Grum Remix)

Eric Prydz is a genius. If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times. And I'll say it again. He has made headlines recently by announcing that he will finally unveil his long-awaited artist album in Autumn 2015 called Pryda(10), on which he will reveal dozens of previously unreleased tracks. Let's hope that this gem is on it (untitled for now) because for me it has become an instant classic. Has that cresendo-ing euphoric feel that only Eric knows how to create!

Pryda - New Gas City ID

A natural transition from Pryda is to showcase a tune by someone he took under his wing early on, that is, Swedish producer Fehrplay. Originally signed to Eric's label Pryda Friends, he recently put out this beautifully melodic song "Lotus" and boy oh boy can you hear the influence Prydz had on him. Sometimes when it comes on Shuffle on my iPod I mistakenly think it IS a song by Eric Prydz! Anyway, if you don't know him, check out his remix to the Royksopp song "Sordid Affair", also very good.

Fehrplay - Lotus

Not sure why but there is something I really dig about this song. *Belgian* producer (not German). Good techno tune. Surprise surprise. Ambiguous name. Gotta wonder how these artists name electronic songs (especially those with no lyrics).

Kolsch - Two Birds

Pop quiz*: which mainstream artist sampled the following classic for his hit R&B song in 2009? "Push the Feeling On" is an iconic dance song which received the Midas touch after remix duties by Detroit-native deep house master MK (Mark Kinchen) in 1995. Recognise the sample? Of course you do ;) 20+ years later that infectious melody is still being recycled. Jammin!

Nightcrawlers - Push the Feeling On (MK's Mix 95)

Next up is a group I've blogged about before called Just Kiddin. Helen and I saw them DJ last year and they didn't disappoint. They have a classic house sound and play happy uplifting danceable music. Below is one of the two tracks they recently released for free as a thank-you to fans. Check out their Getaway mixtape on SoundCloud here for a nice summery set.

Where I wanna be, is wherever you are

Just Kiddin - Always There

This is a beautiful and somber song about the everlasting nature of love, written by Lana del Ray for the recent movie The Great Gatsby (great watch). It's lyrics are very appropriate for the film if you know the story of Fitzgerald's classic. Cedric Gervais is a big fan of Lana, having already remixed her track "Summertime Sadness" to great success. He wastes no time on "Young & Beautiful", combining haunting vocals with sweeping crescendos to create a high-energy electro banger!

Lana del Ray - Young & Beautiful (Cedric Gervais remix)

The following is by another protégé of Eric Prydz, the talented Stolkholm producer Jeremy Olander. He has been hiding this gem "Love Flight" for years now, with multiple versions, reworks and edits floating around the internet. It apparently samples an old Stevie Wonder song called "Love Light in Flight". Listen to the original at 1:45 to hear the chorus he sampled! Obviously the vocals have been sped up significantly to match the pace of this driving house song and tweaked quite a bit (to the point where I thought it was a woman singing, not Stevie Wonder). What a jam! :-D

Make me feel like paradise,

Give me what I'm missing,
Send me to the highest heights,
Take me up and away

Jeremy Olander - Love Flight 2014

Galantis are another Swedish electronic music duo (noticing a theme?) making massive waves right now. The team of Christian Karlsson (also in the awesome indie rock band Miike Snow) and Linus Eklöw (aka techno producer Style of Eye) make irresistible house music. It is admittedly very poppy and radio friendly, with every song featuring catchy vocals - but that's what makes it fun.

"You" was their first hit (standout song from their original 6-song EP) which did very well and deserves to be included on here, on their first full album entitled Pharmacy.  It also includes the very popular (but IMO overplayed) "Runaway (You and I)" and other promotional singles "Gold Dust" and "Peanut Butter Jelly". Stream the entire album from their SoundCloud here:

Galantis - Pharmacy


That's all for now.  Until next time, happy listening :)

*Answer to pop quiz: Pitbull

Deep in the House

Happy new year! For me, 2014 was the year of deep house. Previously I'd listened to a few songs here and there but alas, twas only dabbling. Last year I really started to explore the genre, preferring the laid back downtempo melodies to those of it's more hyper and energetic cousin: electro. Helen referred me to a Tiesto Club Life mix (episode 331) which was a "deep house special". It instantly hooked me. In particular, I really enjoyed the following 3 songs:

Vario Volinski - Falling in Love (wolfskind ft Saxokid Bootleg)
[free download]

Kolsch ft. Gregor S. - Cassiopeia

Professor Green ft. Emile Sande - Read All About It (Stefan Biniak Bootleg)
[free download]

This led me to explore a bit further...

Apparently one of the OGs when it comes to deep house is a British fellow named MK. To be honest, after listening to one of his mixes I wasn't sure what the fuss was about.  Then I heard this song. Instantly catchy, it's no wonder it was a big hit. Looped vocals, a heavy beat and cool piano melody make this a winner:

Storm Queen - Look Right Through (MK dub III)

Next up is an infectious song by some dude named Ben Pearce. On remix duties is Karma Kid. It really is addictive, with chilled out vocals and awesome melody! Long after listening I seem to be singing it to myself:

Ben Pearce - What I Might Do (Karma Kid Remix)

Finally, I present to you Lane 8. This producer is some whiz kid from San Francisco who I have slowly become obsessed with over the latter half of 2014. Check out his SoundCloud page here, which features a host of free songs to download, as well as quarterly mix tapes - all of which I've really enjoyed. After being signed to Above & Beyond's Anjunadeep label, his songs are finally starting to see properly releases. In particular check out Be Mine, Every Night & one of my favourites: his latest single Diamonds:

Those times they shine like diamonds
Shoot up this love affair
White lies like knives in a poison heart 
I keep running but I never seem to lose the dark.

Why dont you go and break the heart of me?
Just take another, little part of me 
Why dont you go and take the heart of me?
I tell myself its just the start of me.

I rate this producer very highly, so when he was chosen to participate in the remix package of Eric Prydz's best song of 2014, Liberate, I wasn't surprised at all.



While the above song is great, Lane 8 really hooked me with his early free releases. For example, check out this song "For You". It samples an school soul track by The Isley Brothers from the 60s (mo town era), who in the chorus croon: This old heart - darlin, is weak for you!  I really enjoy when a present-day musician samples a song from days past, shedding light on music and artists I may never have heard before. Discovering old classics is always a treat!  This tune should have you groovin and tug on your heartstrings at the same time. Enjoy ;)

Lane 8 - For You