Tuesday, July 28, 2015

SHREM'S FUTURE ANTHEMS: "DO IT GOOD" - Sísý Ey


It looks like the Icelandic quartet Sísý Ey will be scoring a Top 5 spot among my "Best Tracks of the Year" for the third consecutive year with the arrival of their impossibly catchy and instantly addictive house anthem "Do It Good". Friðfinnur Oculus, Elín Eyþórsdóttir, Elísabet Eyþórsdóttir and Sigga Eyþórsdóttir's debut single "Ain't Got Nobody" ended up at #5 among Top 100 Best Tunes of 2013 and then again I chose Sísý Ey's collaborative single with Danish electronic producer Kasper Bjørke, the epic synth-pop odyssey "Apart" as the 3rd best song last year. After months of teasing the electrifying "Do It Good" is finally getting released via Andy-Hercules & Love Affair-Butler's own label mr.intl on 14th August. The inescapable melody, the irresistible beat, the classic house hooks, the impeccable vocal harmonies is what makes it an immediate dancefloor favourite, worth all the wait! This is what Boiler Room had to say about the single premiering it in its full glory last night:

"Beyond a Kasper Bjørke guest spot and a smattering of live performances, there isn't much to kooky Icelandic group Sísý Ey's name. Well, until now – and what a way to make an entrance. "Do It Good" is outrageously fun: a bobbling bassline, coursing synth action and emphatic earworm vocals interlock to supreme effect; Neville Watson's aptly named "Power Dub" does similar damage. It's the same kind of raw, untrammelled energy that Mr Intl label boss Andy Butler provided in abundance when stripping down to his underwear during a boiling Hercules & Love Affair session this time last summer. In a different set of circumstances, this would have been a nailed-on no.1 smash, but alas."

Straight to #1 on my private chart, here's your new Saturday night essential "Do It Good":



Monday, July 27, 2015

CHOON OF THE DAY: "RECREATIONAL LOVE" - The Bird and the Bee


Inara George and Greg Kurstin better known as an indie duo The Bird & the Bee are back with their first studio album since their hugely enjoyable tribute to Daryl Hall & John Oates back in 2010. The Los Angeles based saviours of Pop Music (there's an ode to the city on the album and all) return yet again with an irresistible dose of some of the most unpretentious and gloriously catchy pop songs out there with the title track being an immediate favourite on "Recreational Love". The song provokes some subtle Feist reminiscences and I would probably list it right next to "La La La" and "Diamond Dave" among Inara and Greg's most pleasant moments to date. The Bird and the Bee's vintage flavoured dream pop is a straightforward and charmingly produced antidote to all the generic, monotonous and uninspiring pop that mainstream media is sadly feeding us with.



Here are the first two official video promoting the release of "Recreational Love" so far:





Tuesday, July 21, 2015

CHOON OF THE DAY: "Подих" - Jamala (Джамала)


My fellow blogging muso friend Piotrek from No Snobs Allowed described Jamala as Ukraine's answer to Jessie Ware. The silky smooth soulful vibes of the song completely confirm this accurate description. I don't know an awful lot about this Ukrainian singer but what I know is that "Подих", which I believe means "Breath", seduces its listener with understated, funky groove, passionate vocal harmonies and charmingly summery production. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most effective ones. On the quiet side but undeniably enchanting!



Monday, July 20, 2015

SHREM'S TRIP-HOP RETROSPECTIVE: "Ladybird" - Baby Fox


ARTIST: Baby Fox
TITLE: "Ladybird" + Aphrodite Remix
RELEASE DATE: 1996
LABEL: Malawi Records
LOCATION: UK
ALBUM: "A Normal Family"







Saturday, July 18, 2015

SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "ROSES" /// "TONIGHT!" - Abra


Are you ready to be blown away? If you haven't heard about THΔ DΔRKWΔVE DUCHΞSS aka Arba and you're digging the ever so expanding alternative R&B scene as much as myself you're up for a treat. Abra is a female sensation combining all the best elements from the genre's last 3 decades, mixing them up with a healthy dose of analog instrumentation and electronica to a mind-blowing effect of a sonic cocktail of experimental R&B, pretty much impossible to resist for any soul-loving musos in the house. "Roses" currently sits comfortably at #1 on my private chart and it's not going anywhere. An absolutely astonishing, truly original musical effort with some of the most divine vocals I've heard all year so far in 2015. When I dug deeper into Abra's debut album "Rose", it left me astounded as to how was she able to create such a unique body of work that sounds both surprisingly oldskool and enticingly futuristic in the same time. Raw and exquisite talent.





Thursday, July 16, 2015

CHOON OF THE DAY: "SAME" - Cyril Hahn feat. Yumi Zouma


Cyril Hahn unveiled his luscious collaborative single with Yumi Zouma, our most beloved musical export from New Zealand, earlier on today. The irresistible summer gem "Same" announces the release of "Begin" - Hahn's 3rd EP which drops 24th July on PMR Records/Virgin. "Begin" will also include the previously revealed "Inferno" featuring Say Lou Lou. A brand new synth-pop essential right here.



Tuesday, July 14, 2015

SHREM'S LIST OBSESSION: Top 200 Best Singles of The 1990's part 10 [20-1]

20 "GETT OFF" - Prince and The New Power Generation (1991)


Prince - Get Off - MyVideo

19 "FROM: DISCO TO: DISCO" - Whirlpool Productions (1996)



18 "ICEBLINK LUCK" - Cocteau Twins (1990)



17 "GIVING YOU THE BENEFIT" - Pebbles (1990)



16 "FREEDOM! 90" - George Michael (1990)



15 "BIG TIME SENSUALITY" - Björk (1993)



14 "SUGAR WATER" - Cibo Matto (1997)



13 "VOGUE" - Madonna (1990)



12 "DOMINOID" - Moloko (1996)



11 "BE HAPPY" - Mary J. Blige (1994)



10 "BEING BORING" - Pet Shop Boys (1990)



9 "HOLD ON" - En Vogue (1990)



8 "SLY" - Massive Attack feat. Nicolette (1994)



7 "VIOLENTLY HAPPY" - Björk (1994)



6 "SING IT BACK" - Moloko (1998)





5 "JUSTIFY MY LOVE" - Madonna (1990)



4 "BEDTIME STORY" - Madonna (1995)



3 "GROOVE IS IN THE HEART" - Deee-Lite (1990)



2 "EROTICA" - Madonna (1992)



1 "UNFINISHED SYMPATHY" - Massive Attack feat. Shara Nelson (1991)



SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "De la Vitesse à l'Ivresse" /// "Il n'y a pas d'Amour Heureux" - POOM


There are numerous genres, styles and musical niches I am particularly fond of. I do have a special love for classic Egyptian music for example, Italo disco, balkan beats, post punk, late 80's house, 90's R&B, rare grooves, mambo, cumbia, nu disco, freestyle, Scandinavian synth-pop, electronica, oldskool Hip Hop, Central Asian pop... The list is very long and eclectic. I also adore Chanson Française in its full and rich tradition but when contemporary musicians borrow from the classic French Pop it tickles my fancy enormously. I have fallen in love with Cinema and Exotica in the past few years and have recently properly discovered another Parisian duo POOM. The sensual "De la Vitesse à l'Ivresse" is a string laden, rich composition paying a lush vintage hommage to the greatest French songs of the decadent 60's and 70's. Camille Ferrera et Siegfried de Turckheim fit in splendidly somewhere between the classic Françoise Hardy and Air's dreamy first two albums. The upbeat "Il n'y a pas d'Amour Heureux" is a glorious electro pop rendition of Louis Aragon's poem which became Georges Brassens' hit all the way back in 1953. Formidable!





Monday, July 13, 2015

CHOON OF THE DAY: "PARALYZED" - Klyne


Aesop brought us excellent singles by SOHN, Gent Mason and TĀLĀ so far. Now it's time for this sophisticated London based label to introduce us to Klyne. Nick Klein and Ferdous Dehzad come from Eindhoven in the Netherlands and their impossibly infectious debut single "Paralyzed" is a beautifully produced slice of electronic soul. Klyne's sound already seems quite idiosyncratic, laying somewhere comfortably between Jungle's modern funk and Jamie Woon's neo soul. Ascetic yet captivating, the song promises "endless adventurous possibilities for the duo to explore" as aptly described by the band's newly found label. I have already included "Paralyzed" in the latest edition of my monthly "Crème de la crème" chart but I strongly felt the song deserved a proper, individual presentation.




Thursday, July 9, 2015

SHREM'S INSTITUTE OF LOST CLASSICS: "ATLANTIC CITY GAMBLER" + "ANEMA E CORE" - Grace Jones


Now that Grace Jones re-released her three first disco era records "Portfolio", "Fame" and "Muse" as fully remastered and expanded editions, it seems like a perfect time to go over some of those forgotten, obscure gems from her earliest back catalogue. Alongside the mega hits "I Need A Man" and "La Vie En Rose" you will find a whole marathon of Studio 54 flavoured dancefloor delicacies. The extraordinary "Atlantic City Gambler" comes from "Muse", Miss Grace's most overlooked album and it sounds like the most accurate musical bridge between her late 70's disco excursions and her flirts with post-disco, synth pop and post-punk of her most famous decade of the 80's. "Anema E Core", taken from "Fame", is literally a definition of my favourite kind of disco: kitsch, camp, vibrant, off-kilter and Mediterranean flavoured... And all sung in Italian! Grace Jones' 3cd "Disco" Box Set is absolutely essential for all the slaves to the rhythm of one of this planet's fiercest artists.








Wednesday, July 8, 2015

SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "TMTL" /// "BOGOTA" - Chagall


I am always full of admiration for artists who choose a completely independent artistic path and remain self-sufficient while also producing awe-inspiring, top quality music. I have literally fallen in love with Chagall's music only last week. Written, produced, performed and released by the Amsterdam born songstress herself, the songs from Chagall's latest EP "Stray Flux" not only seduce its listeners with impeccable, meticulous arrangements, delicately echoing some late 90's trip hop vibes, but also electrify with the purest and instantly adorable melodies. And if that wasn't enough already, Chagall also nails it with her vocal harmonies. Electronic pop at its most hypnotic.





Saturday, July 4, 2015

Crème de la crème: TOP 20 BEST OF JUNE 2015

20 (N) "Make A Scene" - Shamir (XL Recordings)



19 (N) "Texi Mexi" - Alo Wala feat. Julius Sylvest & Eloq (Enchufada)



18 (N) "Zillionaire" - Nao (Little Tokyo Recordings)



17 (N) "Holding On" - Disclosure feat. Gregory Porter (Island Records)



16 (N) "You Never Show Your Love" - Jessy Lanza, DJ Spinn & Taso (Hyperdub)



15 (N) "Woman's Work" - U.S. Girls (4AD)



14 (N) "Smell" - Femme En Fourrure (Cocoa Music)



13 (N) "Higher" - Ary (Eskimo Recordings)



12 (2) "Lost U" - Rangleklods (Tambourhinoceros)



11 (N) "Paralyzed" - Klyne (Aesop)



10 (N) "De la Vitesse à l'Ivresse" - POOM (Partyfine)



9 (N) "TMTL" - Chagall (self released)



8 (N) "Calling Card" - The Galleria (Environ LLC)



7 (N) "Stand By Me" - Chungking (self released)



6 (N) "Burning Sugar" - Silicon (Weird World Records)



5 (N) "Love Is Free" - Robyn & La Bagatelle Magique feat. Maluca (Konichiwa Records)



4 (N) "We Are Young" - Jolie Chérie (self released)



3 (N) "Hush Down" - Jaakko Eino Kalevi (Weird World Records)



2 (N) "No Sleeep" - Janet Jackson (Black Doll)



1 (N) "Evil Eyes" - Róisín Murphy (Play It Again Sam)