Nuage - Spring Ghosts [Project Mooncircle]

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Another post for Mellow Monday.  Though this one may not be necessarily mellow, it's definitely deep, brooding and emotional. Nuage's EP "Neida" was recently released by Project Mooncircle, a label and creative collective based in Germany that focuses on experimental electronic music.

Spring Ghosts is one of the tracks from the release that is a little more experimental in its use of percussion and beats, where some of the other tracks on the EP lean more toward a house style. Nuage also uses some really interesting and haunting vocal loops on this production that enhance the feel of the track throughout.

If you like how this one sounds, you can stream the entire EP on Project Mooncircle's Bandcamp page, where you can also purchase the digital or limited edition vinyl release. I also included one of the other tracks (Erased) from this release on my last mix for Underground Sound Canada, so watch for that upload as well.

- KJ

Aquilo - Better Off Without You

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Aquilo dropped Better Off Without You on their Soundcloud a couple months back in advance of the release of their EP. It was originally available as an instant download when you pre-ordered the EP, but the full release is already out, so you can pick and choose from iTunes or grab the whole EP at once.

Better Off Without You is a great piece of laid back and smooth vocal work with electronic production and a slight pop feel, perfect for a mellow Monday evening. The lyrical content is also quite powerful and masterfully woven - a tale of two people who are on their game, but just not working well together. The realization comes that it's just not a match, but it's still a bittersweet and melancholic situation though also for the best. Aquilo's work on this is in a similar niche to other tracks we've featured from Patrick Baker and Mar.

Better Off Without You  was released at the start of June by B3SCI Records as part of the Calling Me EP, now available on iTunes for just under 3 bucks.

- KJ

Pools - Woods and Trails

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If you haven't heard of Pools yet, you need to get yourself a Soundcloud account - as that seems to be where Pools has gained the most traction (Pools also has twitter and instagram accounts, but neither come close to the 13,000+ followers on Soundcloud). I came across Pools a while back as there was early support from Louis The Child, and I am glad for that.  There has been a ton of quality material on Soundcloud, though there are very few tracks that extend even past the 2:00 mark.  The short track length is partially what kept me from posting much of the material before, but definitely check the previous material.  They're all great productions, albeit short on time.

Woods and Trails is another example of this, clocking in at only 1:46.  Even in that short amount of time though, there are some really great places explored, with a really mellow and chilled back soundscape and an interesting vocal sample. It's got a bit of an electronica/hip hop vibe to it, but it's hard to pin down.  It seems that all of Pools' work has a strong experimental vibe to it, which is quite refreshing.  Check out the body of work available here.

- KJ

The Kount - Kount Edition 2

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Toronto based producer The Kount has just uploaded Kount Edition 2, an EP of 4 edits. This is some really funky stuff on here, with an experimental blend of disco, hip hop, soul and electronica. My favourite from this EP would have to be The Kount's edit of FKJ's Lying Together with its laid back vibe and late onset synths. These elements paired with the percussion and tight vocal chops give it both a laid back and tight feel at the same time. But really, it's hard to find fault with any of the tracks on the EP - all 4 are thoroughly enjoyable.

The Kount has also gone through and made a bunch of his older work available as name your price/free, so browse through the albums on his Bandcamp page and pick up what sounds good to you!

- KJ

Xander Lewis - Honeydew

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This is some summery new age electronic funk if I've ever heard it before. I don't think I have. Is this some funky glitch hop? Chilled funky trap? I'm not quite sure what to call it, but if you're looking for something to work you through your Tuesday, this is it. Xander Lewis has created something really different here, and just in time to get downloaded before you have any holiday road trips. Honeydew features some really interesting synth work and forward thinking sounds while still keeping a steady funky vibe throughout the entire piece. Supported and premiered by the new collective Soda Island.

This is up for free download as well, can't go wrong.

- KJ

Ratatat - Cream On Chrome

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It's been a minute since I've heard some new Ratatat material, so I was pleasantly surprised to stumble across this little number on my Soundcloud stream. Cream On Chrome has that distinct electronic rock Ratatat feel that anyone who has heard any of their previous work should easily recognize.

Ratatat released this as a single, and it is available via iTunes here. If you want to check out the music video made on what look like an array of fluorescent lightbulbs, it's up on YouTube here.

- KJ

Nocturnal Sunshine - Take Me There

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If you enjoy your electronica deep, grooving, and on the dark and dubby side, Take Me There by Nocturnal Sunshine will be right up your alley.  This is the first production taken from the debut album by Nocturnal Sunshine, Maya Jane Coles' new alias. If you have been around the deep house scene for any length of time at all in the last several years, Maya Jane Coles should not be a new name to you.

The album is available for pre-order through iTunes, and you can download Take Me There immediately to hold you over to the full release on May 25th.  However, if you would rather just grab the single on its own without pre-ordering, it is also available as a single from Beatport.

 

For those of you needing a refresher on some old Maya Jane Coles, here is one of my favourite tracks of hers, and arguably one of her most well known tracks, What They Say from back in 2010.

- KJ

CRWN - Better Together

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Today's Mellow Monday vibes are brought to you from Manila based producer CRWN. He brings a chilled funky vibe to this free download on MIRAJE, a net-label based in Paris. This track bridges a number of genres, with elements of funk, electronica, future beats and hip hop, Better Together comes out with a distinct feel that fans of any of these genres should appreciate, while also appeasing an appetite for something new.

Speaking of Better Together, this track and your music collection would be better together... and with no economic barriers in your way, why not pick it up through the download button on the player below?

- KJ

Just Kiddin - The Getaway Mixtape

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We've been rocking this mix here and there for some time now, as Just Kiddin published it to their Soundcloud not quite a month ago.  We thought it would be a good time to post it though, as it is a promo mix for the new EP that Just Kiddin is releasing for free through Bit Torrent today (March 2nd). The two tracks that Just Kiddin are releasing are Getaway and Always There, which appear in the mix at 12:50 and 27:50 respectively.Grab the two track EP (the pack includes the mix, and both mp3 and wav files) right here. All you have to do is submit your email address and download the bundle torrent file.  You will need a torrent client to finish the download.

This is a great summery mix that follows a nice energy progression throughout, with each track building on the last, and with a nice mix of fresh faces and established artists featured. If there was a mix to get you through the Monday blahs, the midweek slump, or the last bits of winter, it's definitely this one.  The mix is up for free download as well, so you can take it wherever you like by hitting the shopping cart button on the player below.

- KJ

Uknowy music - Free Downloads

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This post is a bit of a label spotlight, uknowy music is a label based in Munich Germany, and has a unique flare for releases that seem to share a vibe combining elements of hip hop, rnb, and electronica in addition to mixing in a healthy dose of sampling and remix culture. The label was nice enough to combine a a playlist on their Soundcloud page of all their free downloads in one location, which is embedded below.

If you like what's on show for free below, make sure to check their Soundcloud page for more full releases, including really awesome looking and quality filled physical (limited production) releases like this.

- KJ