The magnificent slice of Ghanaian reggae "Asembi Ara Amba" by The Polyversal Souls feat. Y-Bayani gets an impossibly addictive remix treatment by the mighty Henrik Schwarz. The German dj and producer has previously hypnotised us with his epic mix of Amadou & Mariam's joyful "Bofou Safou" which landed at #2 among my Top 20 Best Remixes of 2017 list. Another fantastic cross-over club track combining African influences and House music to an astonishing effect.
Dinamo Azari aka Azari from the prominent Canadian ensemble AZARI & III (who scored Track of the Year here for 2 consecutive years with "Reckless (With Your Love)" in 2010 and "Manic" in 2011) is back with a solo project heralded by one of the most addictive club tracks we've heard thus far in 2018. The pulsating "Gotasoul", featuring the electrifying vocals of James Baley, is an acid-house flavoured excursion into underground house clubs dripping with raw energy, sonic hedonism, mystery and sensuality. An immediate anthem which leaves me gasping for Azari's full album scheduled to drop later on this year.
The official press release describes Azari's new project most accurately:
"This project is a reaction to perfection and predictability, a reminder that you don’t have to fit in to function. It’s a return to the raw, expressive and rule breaking days of punk and acid house. It embodies forward thinking music, art and visuals that have the power to incite shock and awe. It’s for a generation that looks beyond labels. It’s a project that places equal power with all genders, sexualities and races, and draws in outsiders at odds with the world’s current categories."
What a week for all the Svala Björgvins aka Kali devotees like myself!!! The Steed Lord-Blissful diva is back with 2 brand new singles today!
The Icelandic vocalist has been recently signed by Sony Denmark and is embarking on a solo career again. "For The Night" is a smooth synth-pop number Svala co-wrote with her long-term artistic (and not only artistic) partner Einar Egilsson and Ryland Blackinton. The song serves the impossibly infectious melody paired with a full palette of vocal harmonies, Svala's signature sounds across her Steed Lord, Blissful repertoire as well as her solo-efforts to date. The video for "For the Night" was directed by Saga Sig.
To spice things up we are also receiving "Ekkert Drama" today which sees Svala teaming up with Iceland's prime feminist rap collective Reykjavíkurdætur. "Ekkert Drama" is a bona-fide urban flavoured deep-house anthem for all the Scandinavian music lovers out there. One for Saturday night no doubt.
Our favourite "new kid on the block" Channel Tres represented by GODMODE - a mine of artistic talents the likes of Yaeji and Shamir, returns with his second single "Jet Black". Channel Tres' impossibly addictive debut single "Controller" was a tough act to follow but "Jet Black" transfixes in a similar manner with the Compton artist's effervescent collage of urban vibes, electronica, Detroit House and hip-hop. Deservedly praised across the entire blogosphere, Channel Tres' sounds are genre-bending, vibrant and very current.
Here's "Controller" once again in its freshly released Andrés remix:
