CHOON OF THE DAY: "ENDLESSLY" - GL + Top 10 Greatest GL Tracks

So apparently I have blogged about this Australian duo 38 times to date... Here's another GL-themed post on the rather wondrous occasion of the arrival of their sublime, lushly produced latest single "Endlessly" which is heralding the release of their sophomore LP "You Read My Mind" dropping on 25th September. The Melbourne based Ella Thompson and Graeme Pogson continue to champion the 1980's sonic revival with a concoction of synth-pop, post-disco, cosmic-funk, R&B and soul spiced up with their very own signature twist. I have recently selected "Touch" - GL's debut album, as one of the 5 greatest records of the decade in my Top 100 Greatest Albums of the 2010's so the expectations for "You Read My Mind" are rather high. You can pre-order your vinyl/digital copy now via Bandcamp. To celebrate the release of "Endlessly" I have also compiled a list of 10 previous GL songs I cherish the most. Enjoy!

Top 10 Greatest GL Tracks

10 "Destiny" (2017)

GL..! · GL - Destiny

9 "Number One" (2015)

8 "Body Language" (2016)

7 "Pistachio" (2020)

6 "Grip" (2016)

GL..! · Grip

5 "Reflect" (2017)

GL..! · GL - Reflect

4 "Hallucinate" (2016)

3 "Take Me Back" (2014)

2 "Warm" (2016)

1 "What Happened To Us?" (2014)

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SHREM'S LIST OBSESSION: "HELLO HAPPINESS" + Top 20 Greatest Chaka Khan Singles

Chaka, Chaka, Chaka, Chaka Khan! To celebrate the release of Chaka Khan's brand new single, the immediately captivating "Hello Happiness", heralding the arrival of her first solo album since 2007, I have compiled a very special list. Spanning across over 4 decades of funk, soul, R&B and a multitude of exhilarating collaborations, here are the top 20 Greatest singles from the Chicago born living musical legend.




TOP 20 GREATEST CHAKA KHAN SINGLES:

20 "Everlasting Love" (1977) [with Rufus]

19 "Eye to Eye" (1985)

18 "Clouds" (1980)

17 "Heed the Warning" (1981)

16 "Watch What You Say" (1995) [with Guru]

15 "I Know You, I Live You" (1981)

14 "All Good?" (2000) [with De La Soul]

13 "(Krush Groove) Can't Stop the Street" (1985)

12 "Through The Fire" (1984)

11 "What Cha' Gonna Do For Me" (1981)

10 "Never Miss The Water" (1996) [with Me'Shell Ndegéocello]

9 "Love You All My Lifetime" (1992)

8 "Sweet Thing" (1975) [with Rufus]

7 "Papillon (Aka Hot Butterfly)" (1980)

6 "Any Love" (1980) [with Rufus]

5 "Like Sugar" (2018)

4 "Ain't Nobody" (1983)

3 "I Feel For You" (1984)

2 "I'm Every Woman" (1978)

1 "This Is My Night" (1984)

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SHREM'S WORLDLY DELIGHTS: "Tell Me (Doko Mien)" - Ibibio Sound Machine

Our favourite London based Nigerian collective Ibibio Sound Machine continue to deliver some of the freshest sounds in the crossover of so-called world music and electronica. Their very own signature hybrid of afro-beat, electro, post punk and West-African funk creates soundscapes like no other out there. It'll be precisely 2 years since the release of their previous LP "Uyai" when Ibibio Sound Machine drop their brand new album "Doko Mien" via Merge Records on 22nd March. The title track serves exactly the kind of pick-me-up explosion of vital beats, synths and dancefloor-friendly energy we all need to cure these January blues.

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "CHANCES" - Kaytranada feat. Shay Lia /// "ANOTHER LOVER" - VanJess

How about a double portion of Kaytranada magic? The ever so prolific Haitian-Canadian producer is back with his brand new EP including another collaborative gem featuring one of my favourite vocalists right now - Shay Lia. "Chances" is a mid-tempo oldskool-flavoured groove which serves as a delicious warm-up to the house-meets-afro-beat banger that is "Another Lover" which the beat wizard has recently arranged for a Nigerian-American sister act VanJess. The single is accompanied by one of this year's most vibrant music videos directed by Mahaneela.
Kaytranada seems to be absolutely unstoppable right now between his own releases, guest appearances and production duties. And long may it last.

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LA MURPHY SAGA CONTINUES: "JACUZZI ROLLERCOASTER" / "CAN'T HANG ON" [with Maurice Fulton & Ali Love] - Róisín Murphy

So here it is, the 3rd chapter in the ever so captivating collaborative saga between Róisín Murphy and Maurice Fulton. The "Jacuzzi Rollercoaster" / "Can't Hang On" single is featuring London based singer Ali Love whom you may know, aside from his solo projects, from his previous joint efforts with Freeform Five, Luca C & Brigante & Hot Natured, all of whom would have also joined artistic forces in the past with La Murphy herself. "Jacuzzi Rollercoaster" is a full-flavoured slice of mid-tempo electronic-funk-meets-synth-pop, embellished with some rather delectable 1980's R&B reminiscences. The track certainly fits into the Irish artist's very own description of her current sound "My kind of dancing: all low and funky, allowing itself to be a little out of control". The throbbing "Can't Hang On" on the other hand is an invincible dancefloor-ready stomper with layers of Murphy's vocals.

The single was preceded by the equally vibrant double offerings of "All My Dreams" / "Innocence" and "Plaything" / "Like".

"Jacuzzi Rollercoaster" and "Can't Hang On" are both available now on all digital outlets and you can pre-order your own copy of the limited edition 12" via The Vinyl Factory ahead of its 22nd September release.

The very talented Portuguese New Yorker Bráulio Amado designed all the exclusive artwork for the whole series of these four exhilarating 12" singles produced by Maurice Fulton. Roll on October release of "The Rumble" / "World's Crazy" combo.

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "JUST A LITTLE" - Lauren Faith /// "FUNKY THANG" - Shay Lia

2 new talented singer-songwriters and one prolific producer. Following his work with Kali Uchis, Mary J Blige and Katy B, among others, the omnipresent Haitian-Canadian producer Kaytranada expands his vast catalogue of collaborations with these two fresh singles by Lauren Faith and Shay Lia.

For the uplifting summer afternoon groove "Just a Little", Kaytranada teams up with British vocalist Lauren Faith. Her smooth vocals paired with his signature modern take on contemporary R&B create a luscious listening experience.

As for Shay Lia, I have blogged about this Djiboutian artist on a number of occasions already, "Cherish" and "What's Your Problem?" being my favourites of Lia's songs to date. It's always a pleasure to see her back. "Funky Thang" is a 90's house flavoured anthem in the making. Pure fun!

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "SCORCHED MOTH" - Miink

The mysterious Miink beguiled us last autumn with his hypnotising debut single "Who Are You?" which landed him a secure spot among the Top 10 Hottest Newcomers of 2017. Now the fascinating London-based vocalist returns with "Scorched Moth". Floating effortlessly between genres, styles and sounds, it creates a unique sonic hybrid which leaves us gasping for more at its modest yet aurally abundant 2.41min. The artistic future is bright for this multi-talented, curious and inventive young gentleman.

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SHREM'S LIST OBSESSION: "Damn, dis-moi" - Christine & The Queens feat. Dâm-Funk + Top 10 Greatest DāM-FunK Collaborations

The wonder-child of French Pop Christine & The Queens is back with a fresh and unexpected collaboration with a Californian maestro of electronic funk and neo-boogie, the mighty DāM-FunK himself. The 1980's flavoured "Damn, dis-moi" (also available in an English version "Girlfriend") is a sublime cocktail of vintage synth pop, post-disco and the producer's signature funktronica. This truly delectable joint effort, which I have had on the loop for the past 2 weeks, is already shaping to be one of the strongest contenders for the track of the year and I can't think of a better occasion to re-visit Dâm-Funk's impressive back catalogue of previous projects.



Top 10 Greatest DāM-FunK Collaborations:

10 "What's On Your Mind" - with Tony Cook (2010)

9 "Glyde 2nyte" - with Leon Sylvers III & Leon Sylvers IV (2015)

8 "What's Up" - with Ekkah (2016)

7 "I Know (That You Are the 1)" - with Ikonika (2014)

6 "Bail Me Out" - with Trus'me (2009)

5 "Warm Eyes" - with Fatima (2010)

4 "Space Between Us" - with Ekkah (2016)

3 "Can U Read Me?" - Nite-Funk (2016)

2 "Damn, dis-moi/Girlfriend" - with Christine & The Queens (2018)

1 "Let Me Be Me" - Nite-Funk (2016)

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