SHREM'S WORLDLY DELIGHTS: "DIAMANTES" + "ESPEJOS EN LAS AZOTEAS (1965)" - MULA

Anabel Acevedo, Cristabel Acevedo and Rachel Rojas formed MULA 2 years ago. The Dominican trio serve a tropical kaleidoscope of synth pop, merengue, reggaeton, bachata, electronica and South African Shangaan electro. This truly eclectic, energy-filled cocktail of beats, rhythms and genres put them on a musical map among the most innovative explorers of the so-called world music scene. I was looking forward to hearing MULA's "AGUAS" ever since I heard "No Hay Manera" for the first time (here it is among the best tracks of 2016 in our annual countdown) last year. Here are 2 stand-out tracks "Diamantes" and "Espejos en las azoteas (1965)" which are fittingly opening and closing the album respectively. Get your copy of "AGUAS" now on iTunes or Bandcamp.

Photo by María Mejía

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "SWEET" - Little Dragon /// "OCEAN" - Goldfrapp

Goldfrapp and Little Dragon both returned this year with fantastic come-back singles. The Swedish quartet beguiled us with the mellifluous "High" while Alison Goldfrapp and her artistic partner in crime Will Gregory treated us to a gritty electro feast of "Anymore". Now both bands are well into the promotion of their upcoming records and continue to impress with a second portion of tunes.

Yukimi Nagano and her team serve the impossibly addictive "Sweet" one of their most dancefloor-friendly offerings to date. Little Dragon's 5th studio album "Season High" drops on 14th April.

Tracklist:

01 Celebrate
02 High
03 Pop Life
04 Sweet
05 Butterflies
06 Should I
07 Don’t Cry
08 Strobe Light
09 Push
10 Gravity

Goldfrapp are almost ready to release "Silver Eye", their 7th record, on the last day of this month. If we were to judge the LP by the excellent "Anymore" and this intensely exquisite slice of pop noir "Ocean", produced by the enfant terrible of electronica, The Haxan Cloak, we can assume a strong contender for the 2017 Album of the Year. Magnificent!

Tracklist:

01 Anymore
02 Systemagic
03 Tigerman
04 Become The One
05 Faux Suede Drifter
06 Zodiac Black
07 Beast That Never Was
08 Everything Is Never Enough
09 Moon in Your Mouth
10 Ocean

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Crème de la crème: TOP 25 BEST OF FEBRUARY 2017

Exclusive artwork: Les Cullinan Designs

25 (N) "Thoughts 7" - Patricia (Lives Through Magic)

24 (N) "Automaton" - Jamiroquai (Virgin EMI)

23 (N) "Friend Zone" - Thundercat (Brainfeeder)

22 (N) "Future Politics" - Austra (Domino)

21 (N) "Good Life" - Soulé (self-released)

20 (N) "Numb (Borussia Remix)" - Joakim (Because Music)

19 (N) "Noonside" - Yaeji (GODMODE)

18 (N) "Alright" - KACHINA feat. Afua (Affectionate Grooves)

17 (23) "Little Bubble" - Dirty Projectors (Domino)

16 (N) "A Miracle" - Poisonous Relationship (self-released on Bandcamp)

15 (N) "CAMINO AL PARKE" - /AMBIANCE\ (Duro)

14 (N) "Fade To Me" - Hannah Holland feat. Josh Caffe (Crosstown Rebels)

13 (N) "Aleppo" - K Á R Y Y N (ANTEVASIN)

12 (3) "Pipe Dreams" - Nelly Furtado (Nelstar)

11 (N) "Growing Storm" - Shaun J. Wright & Alinka (Allergy Season)

10 (N) "High" - Little Dragon (Because Music)

9 (6) "Hans Is Driving" - Vitalic feat. Miss Kittin (Clivage Music)

SPOTIFY

8 (2) "Bebin" - Sevdaliza (self-released on Bandcamp)

7 (N) "Spicy Boyfriend" - Shawn Wasabi (self-released)

6 (N) "Грустный дэнс (Sad Dance)" - Luna (self-released)

5 (11) "Guess What" - Code Walk feat. Smerz (Ex-Local)

4 (N) "Cosmic Perspective" - Mndsgn (Stones Throw)

3 (N) "Controller" - Hercules & Love Affair feat. Faris Badwan (mr intl)

2 (N) "Give Me a Reason" - Ibibio Sound Machine (Merge)

1 (1) "Anymore" - Goldfrapp (Mute)

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SHREM'S ACADEMY OF ALL TIME BEST SINGLES: "LIVE TOGETHER" - Lisa Stansfield

RELEASE DATE: 1990
CHART PEAK: NLD #5, BEL #7, UK #10
PRODUCTION: Ian Devaney & Andy Morris

B-SIDE: "Sing It"

BEST REMIX: Big Beat Mix by Massive Attack

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "GROWING STORM" - Shaun J. Wright & Alinka /// "FADE TO ME" - Hannah Holland feat. Josh Caffe

2 imminent underground house gems on the horizon guys!

The always reliable pair of Twirl Records house magicians Shaun J. Wright & Alinka have dropped a brand new new gem for Allergy Season's charity release "Physically Sick". The pulsating "Growing Storm" is one of 42 exclusive tracks recorded for this honourable protest compilation (showing the middle finger to fascism, bigotry, violence and demagoguery) which also includes new works by Yaeji, Umfang and Alexis Blair Penney.

Buy it now on Bandcamp!

To top it all off we have a completely new hypnotic deep house collaboration by Hannah Holland featuring Josh Caffe which is just out now via Crosstown Rebels. That's your eerily beautiful, half-whispered club noir moment sorted for this Saturday.

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SHREM'S CLUB BIZARRE INTRODUCING: "ALEPPO" - K Á R Y Y N

I first stumbled upon the enigmatic K Á R Y Y N reading about Björk's inspirations in the Guardian last autumn. The Syrian-Armenian-American artist is paying a hauntingly elegant homage to Aleppo, her childhood hometown with this uncompromising slice of electronica, echoing some of FKA Twigs' most ethereal aural escapades. "Aleppo" comes from K Á R Y Y N's double A-side single "Quanta 1" and the song is accompanied by VHS home footage from her time in the Syrian city. The singer's breathy vocals, combined with the minimal, unnerving production, create an unforgettable atmosphere. K Á R Y Y N lists Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, Kendrick Lamar and Lebanese diva Fairouz as her biggest musical influences in this interview for Phoenix Magazine.

Photo by Derek Hutchison.

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