Featuring tracks from The Aston Shuffle, Gladiator, Swindail and more..
It’s Monday and life is tough – we get it. You’ve just poured your 4th cup of coffee, re-scrolled through your Facebook feed for the third time and you’ve no doubt had a mini-heart attack googling if you’re going to OD from the one too many Nurofens you’ve taken to combat that pounding post-bender come down. Whilst our weekly playlist of moody, chilled-out electronica might’ve felt more comfortable - providing some solid tunes to wallow in your own self-pity to - we decided a change of pace might be better off. By taking some of these gloomy, down-tempo jams and injecting them with a couple of upbeat bangers, we hope to you up and back on your feet in no time, but still allowing time to grieve over the weekend just gone.
The Aston Shuffle - Make A Wrong Thing Right feat. Micah Powell
Over the past six months, Canberra natives The Aston Shuffle have treated us to not one, not two, but three massive tracks as they attempt to revive their sound and return back to their former level of popularity circa 2012 - 2013. First up, came the thundering deep-house cut High With You, which was then followed up a month later by Only 1, a lively house cut featuring upbeat vocals from esteemed vocalist Nathaniel S Lewis. This week the duo have returned once again with Make A Wrong Thing Right, which sees another sound shake-up with The Aston Shuffle sporting a more UK-influenced sound. Reminiscent of Disclosure, Make A Wrong Thing Right contrasts a rapid-firing, vivacious bass line with relaxed vocal work from Micah Powell, which soars above swirling synth leads and percussion clicks. Released through The Magician's label Potion, Make A Wrong Thing Right is one of The Aston Shuffle's best productions to date and with its Disclosure-esque vocal-house sound, it has the full potential to see The Aston Shuffle return to their heydays.
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RALPH - Something More
Hailing from Toronto, upcoming vocalist RALPH is on the path to good things. Following up from her debut single Trouble and its tropical-tinged follow up Cold To The Touch, the up-and-coming singer-songwriter has now released Something More, an effortlessly cool, disco-shaded third track. Something I also picked up in her previous tracks, the instrumental of Something More isn't particularly unique or exciting, but it does its job in creating a platform for RALPH's vocal line, which ultimately steals the show across the track's three-minute duration. That being said, the combination of those retro synths and playful melodies are a step in the right direction, and the fact that the track is inspired by Aziz Ansari's Master Of None is pretty damn cool too.
Young Franco - Drop Your Love feat. DiRTY RADiO (Swindail Remix)
Released back towards the start of this year, Drop Your Love saw Young Franco do what he does best - get funky af. Squirming with disco and funk sounds, Drop Your Love is a go-to dancefloor filler in the sense that it's almost impossible not to at least bob your head along to the beat, let alone break a move. One of Australia's most exciting producers right now, Sydney's own OWSLA-supported newcomer Swindail, has now added his own Soulection-funk touch onto the single's tight groove. By taking DiRTY RADiO's vocal line and manipulating Young Franco's funk-house groove, Swindail creates a track that blends funk-house with groove, almost as if both Kaytranada's and Disclosure's musical sounds met and had a wonderful music baby - a wonderful music baby I now suddenly realize I need.
Hoodboi - Closer feat. ASTR (Kid Froopy Remix)
Last year saw Athletixx don and jersey club pioneer Hoodboi take on ASTR's Activate Me for a fast-paced remix, with ASTR then returning the favour to Hoodboi by lending their vocals to his synth-soaked single Closer. Since then, Closer has been remixed by everyone from GANZ, MYRNE and even norclub power-group Rytmeklubben, each adding their own little nuances to the track's stylish vocal line and sprawling sound. Adding a deconstructed, chopped-up feel to the track comes newcomer Kid Froopy, who, despite being late to the party, has shown up with the most impressive remix thus far. By slowing down and twisting and screwing the original's flow, Kid Froopy manages to create a surprisingly sick retro funk feel, which is layered underneath vocal cuts from ASTR's ripping vocal line in the original (as well as incorporating his own vocals towards the end of the remix). With some big new originals set to come in the next few weeks, I can't help but feel that Kid Froopy is a producer we're going to be hearing a lot of before the year's out, and I'm bloody exciting to see what happens.
AOBeats - Stratford
With the exceptions of a few remixes here and there, it's been a while since we've heard anything substantial from Londoner AOBeats, taking same time off to tour and get to work in the studio. Stratford is his first original track since last year's Jailo collaboration Fallin', but it bloody hits hard. Combining elements of jersey club, trap and hip-hop Stratford is quick-paced and hard-hitting from the get go, with a bouncy, building opening that erupts into a quick-firing, fast-paced drop that layers bass with crisp percussion and lasering synth. Stratford is a preview on what's yet to come from AOBeats before the year's out, and if this is just the start I'm extremely keen to see what's next.
Vanessa Elisha - Girls (Gladiator Remix)
Celebrating the announcement of their forthcoming return to Australian soil, LA duo Gladiator have returned to remix one of their favourite Australian artists - the charming vocalist Vanessa Elisha, who has lended her vocals to tracks by XXYYXX and Ekali, as well as released a bunch of head-turning originals. Taking on her swirling, R&B tune Girls, Gladiator add a bouncy, future-bass feel to the track, layering her vocals with soaking synth leads and crisp hand claps, which opens up around the one-minute mark for a really perky breakdown. As previously mentioned, the track comes as Gladiator announce their return to Australia for a full-length tour - dates HERE.