The high-flying SoCal singer/emcee Anderson Paak opens 2016 with a starmaking bit of soul-driven (Hi-Tek produced!) modern pop. Damn.
Anderson Paak (Soundcloud)
The high-flying SoCal singer/emcee Anderson Paak opens 2016 with a starmaking bit of soul-driven (Hi-Tek produced!) modern pop. Damn.
Buzzing Danes CHINAH are the recipient of a breezy new remix treatment from Stockholm production duo Jarami. The Swedes’ shimmery syncopated synths and a club-ready rhythm track are an ideal frame for CHINAH’s soulful A+ vocal stylings and a spotless new set of bars from fave emcee Skizzy Mars; an ace mix.
We last discussed London producer Ambassadeurs for his beautifully melodic, sublimely atmospheric C. Duncan-featuring Patterns EP gem track “Looking At You”. We really enjoy the track and are happy to hear that after the launch of a solid debut EP in 2015 (which includes B3 covered tracks “Crimson” and “Looking at You”) Ambassadeurs is back in the studio working on release number two. Meanwhile, Ambassadeurs (knowing how to stoke the fans with material in the interim between albums) creates a brief 4 track EP which he recorded with minimal sound equipment on an autumn trip to a remote country cottage. (He even gets creative and impressively uses samples from cassettes he found in the cottage.) Fit to please fans, the EP’s third track to release (called “Kava”) is a dance-leaning techno jam with a fine-tuned meld of bass accents and cheerful glittery synth grooves. The delightful and positive, mood-expansive “Kava” follows “Halos” and “Lotus” on the EP. Great stuff Ambassadeurs, we look forward to hearing the fourth track! Reviewed by Erin Shay.
New band out of Liverpool TRUDY impress with melodically sound and accessible guitar track “Baby I’m Blue”. A bit of a tempest in a tea cup instrumentally (chaotic clean guitars, weave in/out the tune’s dosed with whimsy vocal melody), “Baby I’m Blue” excels on its base of very strong pop writing. TRUDY are definitely a new band to keep your tabs on.
B3 featured Jersey producer Flamingosis (who’s on-point signature sample laced style is a fave at B3) ushers in the New Year with a creative nod to disconnecting from technology. On his latest instrumental masterpiece “Airplane Mode” Flamingosis uses rhythmic-patterned percussion and a beautiful sense of sparse simplicity to highlight the track’s gorgeous keyboard melody (in the vein of Nujabes). We think the very dreamy “Airplane Mode” (with its amazing layered drum rhythms) is Flamingosis’ best track yet. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
Bay Area producer Yugi Boi mixes in a deep bass groove, subtle synth infusions and a varying range of pointed sultry percussion to complement and bolster Travis Scott’s honeyed vocals and excellent horn melody on a very cool new remix of “A Team”. We like it better than the original! Great remix. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
B3 lauded (Seattle-based) producer Sango teams up with Atlanta vocalist Elhae and B3 beat-maker fave ESTA. on new track “Só Você” which features a beautiful weave of vibrant repetitive sensual-sexy vocals, ambient deep soothing beats and lovely minimalist percussive accents. We love the stunning outro on “Só Você” in particular and enjoy the track’s sweet interplay between vocals and beats. Look for it on Sango’s latest “Da Rocinha” 3 EP (which also contains 2015 standout track “Dias Melhores”). Reviewed by Erin Shay.
Photo: Barbora Mrazkova
London UK newcomers Leiik will release their self-titled debut EP on February 5th on Squareglass. The group composed of vocalist Amy Spencer and producer Avi Barath a/k/a Bunki land on striking and ethereal wavelength of beautiful dreamy pop on second track online “Words Over Yours”. Reminiscent sound palate-wise of bands like The xx and Cocteau Twins, “Words Over Yours” builds and twists around spare bass, reverbed vocal and instrumental washes and pinpoint ebbs and rises in dynamics. We like “Words Over Yours” quite a lot and you can stream the B3 Premiere of the track below.
French producer Roman Kouder and nu-disco trio Patawawa (Sam Wilmot, Rory Lovatt and Beth Garrett) rework their Back To Life EP nu-disco jam “Fly” to a stunning club-angled result. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
We’re amazed at the incredible run of great tunes in the past 6 months from the (very talented) newcomer London duo Tender; who we recently covered here for their superb cover of “Hotline Bling”. Tender (an artist from our list of B3SCI Best of 2015: Artists to Watch in 2016) continues their rising star trajectory with a new beauty track to start the year. A great reiteration that Tender is indeed on their way up in the music scene, the track, called “Afternoon”, aptly displays the pair’s signature charismatic energetics, rock solid vocals and entrancing moody-poetic vocals. We love it. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
New Caledonian producer Koyo (French South Pacific) breaks out a dynamite trap-beat imbued electro-pop remix of Mothica’s latest hit “Hand Grenade” which is the original intro track off the Brooklyn-based artist’s recent five-track “Mythic” EP. Koyo adds the perfect concoction of rhythmic percussion, future trap accents, and a technicolor flute riff to the recently released track and the mixture compliments Mothica’s slow deliberate vocal cadence in a way that resonates beautifully. Excellent remix. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
In October we covered instrumental beauty track “Kafka” from Canadian producer/vocalist and self-professed beat-crusher Four Lore (who was new to B3 at the time). We also highly recommend Four Lore’s latest instrumental production “Who Are Whe”; a flute-tempered melodic-electro tune which he created along with French artist STU. We think Four Lore strikes a divine balance between rhythm and melody on “Who Are Whe” and we look forward to hearing more from him. Amazing. Reviewed by Erin Shay
