Crème de la crème: TOP 25 BEST OF NOVEMBER 2017

Exclusive artwork: Les Cullinan Designs

25 (N) "Energia" - Sofi Tukker (self-released)

24 (2) "Who Are You?" - Miink (self-released)

23 (N) "Paradox Garage" - FaltyDL (Aus Music)

22 (N) "Heterotopia" - Oliver feat. Yelle (Interscope/Pulse)

21 (N) "Pain" - Boy Harsher (self-released)

20 (N) "Doubt" - Charlotte Day Wilson (self-released)

19 (9) "Cocktail" - Corine (Kwaidan)

18 (N) "More Than A Woman" - Kelly Lee Owens (Smalltown Supersound)

17 (N) "지금 (NOW)" - Neon Bunny (Seoulight)

16 (N) "Rendez-Vous" - Dita von Teese feat. Sébastien Tellier (Record Makers)

15 (N) "Comeback" - SSION (self-released)

14 (N) "Have Fun" - Smerz (XL)

13 (13) "Raingurl" - Yaeji (GODMODE)

12 (N) "Ring-A-Ring O' Roses" - Charlotte Gainsbourg (Because Music)

11 (N) "Blissing Me" - Björk (One Little Indian)

10 (N) "Blue Light" - Kelela (Warp)

9 (N) "Walk Into The Unknown (Alinka Remix)" - Shaun J. Wright & Alinka (Twirl)

8 (N) "Evil" - Ruthven (Paul Institute)

7 (N) "Apprivoisé" - Calypso Valois (Le Label/PIAS)

6 (1) "Somebody Else" - Fatima (Eglo)

5 (N) "Arisen My Senses" - Björk (One Little Indian)

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4 (N) "Mustn't Hurry" - Fever Ray (Rabid)

3 (N) "Temple Of Love" - Jimi Tenor & Freestyle Man (Studio Barnhus)

2 (N) "Mountaineers" - Susanne Sundfør feat. John Grant (Sonnet Sound)

1 (3) "Larme à gauche" - Vendredi sur Mer (Profil de Face)

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SHREM'S LIST OBSESSION: Top 10 Greatest Jimi Tenor Underground Club Moments + "Sleepover" EP

Finnish maestro Jimi Tenor is famous in muso circles for his eclecticism and artistic versatility. He has always been experimenting with the sounds of jazz, electronica, afro-beat, soul, funk, techno and minimal without ever fully settling for any specific genre. One reoccurring theme across his 2-decade long repertoire is his flirtation with underground club music with his very own avant-garde twist. While Jimi Tenor is releasing a collaborative EP "Sleepover" with Freestyle Man which teleported him back to the alternative club dancefloors, I thought it'd be a rather nice opportunity go over some of his back catalogue. And what better excuse to come up with another list of mine! The magnificent 4-tracker does includes exactly what it says on the tin: "it's jam-packed with classic drum machine funk, congenial synth lines and Jimi's unmistakable lead vocals and flute-playing and it's fuelled by the two maestros' mutual love for New Jersey house music."Sleepover" EP is out now via Studio Barnhus.

Top 10 Greatest Jimi Tenor Underground Club Moments:

10 "Party Girl" - Claptone feat. Jimi Tenor (2015)

9 "Tear It Down" - Nicole Willis, Jimi Tenor & Jonathan Maron (2017)

8 "Total Devastation" (1999)

7 "House of Beloved" - from "Sugardaddy / Take Me Baby" (1997)

6 "Transcend Our Love" - Cola & Jimmu (2013)

5 "Take Me Baby" (1995)

4 "Open Up Your Chakra" - Cola & Jimmu (2013)

3 "Can't Stay With You Baby" (1996)

2 "Call Of The Wild" - with Gus Gus (2003)

1 "Year Of The Apocalypse" (1999)

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "RENDEZ-VOUS" - Dita Von Teese

 Photo by Fabien Breuil for Grazia, 2012

In the most unexpected plot twist Burlesque diva Dita Von Teese teams up with French Pop bard Sébastien Tellier for a vintage flavoured slice of synth pop. Taken from Dita's debut album, written and composed by Monsieur Tellier himself and available in early 2018 via Record Makers. Isn't it so typical we get showered by interesting releases towards the end of the year, just on time to mess up with any muso year-end rankings. Formidable!

Here's what we read in the official press released about this adorable collaboration:

Dita Von Teese: “I’m not a professional singer. In fact, I’m quite uneasy about recording my voice. But I do enjoy the thrill of doing things that are outside of my comfort zone. When I performed for the first time at the Crazy Horse in Paris, I invited Sébastien because I was such a fan, not daring to imagine that someday he would compose an entire album for me.“ 

Sébastien Tellier: “When I saw Dita dance to a piece of music I had written for her, I had a feeling that her physical presence and her personality were a perfect fit with my music and I started to compose only for her. When you think that you've finally pierced Dita’s mystery, she turns out to be more than ever, a creature of dreams, totally out of reach.“

P.S. And so the French theme continues...

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "Apprivoisé" - Calypso Valois /// "Ring-A-Ring O' Roses" - Charlotte Gainsbourg

Calypso Valois, whom you may recognise from synth-pop duo Cinema whose tracks "UV" and "Fille Sans Soucis" were among our favourites in 2013, returns with a solo record "Cannibale". It's no surprise "Apprivoisé" was selected to promote this elegant record as the funky string-laden number is an immediate stand-out moment upon first listen to the album. Less synth more pop, all in that inimitable cool aura of French Pop, the song fits somewhere comfortably between Sébastien Tellier and Exotica. My latest song obsession.

Charlotte Gainsbourg chose the sublime "Ring-A-Ring O' Roses" as the 3rd single taken from her fifth studio album "Rest". It's another flawless song written and produced by the mighty SebastiAn with the music video directed by the French actress/singer herself. Such indisputable talents on both acting and musical fronts truly are a rarity. "Rest" remains the most unexpected contender for the 2017 Album of the Year.

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SHREM'S FUTURE ANTHEMS: "COMEBACK" - Ssion

The impossibly irresistible Cody Critcheloe and his marvellously eccentric electro-pop-punk ensemble SSION return with an aptly titled "Comeback" the first new material since their deliciously eclectic "Bent" album in 2012. The track mixes genres and styles in a signature SSION manner, never holding back while balancing between sweet and vicious, slick and rough, catchy and esoteric. "Big As I Can Dream" drops early 2018 via DERO ARCADE while "Comeback" is out now.



And here are some of our favourite SSION tracks from their vibrant back catalogue:

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Crème de la crème: TOP 25 BEST OF OCTOBER 2017

Exclusive artwork: Les Cullinan Designs

25 (N) "The Sun" - Myd (Because Music)

24 (N) "Wicked Ways" - The Sound of Arrows feat. Annie (Skies Above)

23 (5) "Nostalgia" - NAO (Little Tokyo Recordings)

22 (N) "Огонёк" - ЛУНА (self-released)

21 (N) "Me4U" - Danny L Harle feat. Morrie (PC Music)

20 (N) "Are You Leaving" - SASSY 009 (Hard Up)

19 (N) "Simmer Down" - ionnalee (to whom it may concern)

18 (N) "Half Life" - Smerz (XL Recordings)

17 (N) "Fantasies" - Biyo (Future Classic)

16 (8) "Love Me Please" - Jamie Lidell (self-released)

15 (N) "Omnion (Joe Goddard Remix)" - Hercules & Love Affair feat. Sharon Van Etten (BMG)

14 (N) "Rise" - Dawit & Dolo (Future Times)

13 (N) "Raingurl" - Yaeji (GODMODE)

12 (N) "Sea Of Love" - Midnight Magic (Soul Clap)

11 (RE) "What's Your Problem?" - Shay Lia (N.O.T.E.)

10 (3) "Deadly Valentine" - Charlotte Gainsbourg (Because Music)

9 (N) "Cocktail" - Corine (Kwaidan)

8 (1) "Reflect" - GL (self-released)

7 (N) "No Harm" - Smerz (XL Recordings)

6 (N) "To The Moon And Back" - Fever Ray (Rabid)

5 (2) "Are You Certain?" - Hercules & Love Affair feat. مشروع ليلى Mashrou' Leila (BMG)

4 (N) "Caçamba Fashion" - Ellen Milgrau (self-released)

3 (N) "Larme à gauche" - Vendredi sur Mer (Profil de Face)

2 (N) "Who Are You?" - Miink (self-released)

1 (N) "Somebody Else" - Fatima (Eglo)

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