S.P.Y - BRSTL Hardcore [NEST046]

We're going in heavy this Wednesday, cause we know sometimes you just need a boost to get through the hump day.  Hospital Records and Drum & Bass veteran S.P.Y. has come through with a dark and driving EP through Skrillex's Nest HQ label. If you haven't heard anything about Nest HQ yet, definitely check them out - they are a label dedicated to releasing great music for free, mostly on the heavier side of dance and electronic music.

As mentioned earlier, Hospital Records is one of the biggest labels in Drum & Bass, and S.P.Y. is a label veteran. So you know anything they're putting out is going to be big, and this EP is no exception to that expectation. The title track sets the tone for the rest of the EP, starting off dark, semi tribal and ominous before dropping into the heavy, old school dnb reese and drums. My other favourite on this is Leave Me Alone, with its unique use of the synth to create both melodic and additional percussive elements.

If you're a fan of dnb, grab these tracks below directly from Soundcloud for free.

As an additional little bonus track highlight, and to show a bit more of S.P.Y.'s production versatility, I'm also including one of his more atmospheric works that I absolutely love. Here it is, S.P.Y. - You. Enjoy.

- KJ

Bambarra - Can Feel It

This is a bit of a throwback, as it was uploaded last summer, but it's a track that continues to sneak its way back into my DJ sets fairly often as it's just a quality tune.

Can Feel It is appropriately titled, because if you can't feel the summer vibes that come across in this track, there is something going seriously wrong with your perception and/or hearing. The organ line at the start really sets the mood for the entire track, and Bambarra expands on that introducing a deep, bumpy bassline at the 1:30 mark, and then bringing in a beautifully cheesy synth around 2:40.  The whole track oozes chill summer beach vibes.

Can Feel It was set to be a free download at 1K plays, but it has long ago passed that mark - so grab it with the download button in the player below! Make sure to check out Bambarra's Soundcloud page for more, as well as his duo Mob Serenade.

- KJ

Low Steppa - Troubles (Free Album)

Big news if you're into house, garage, bassy house, deep house, piano driven house, breaks, olds school sounds, or pretty much any dance genre.  Because he's just a stand up guy and appreciates his fans, Low Steppa has released a full 15 track album for free and available on his Facebook page.

The whole album oozes with that signature Low Steppa low frequency vibe.  Blends of house and garage with intense low end basslines, with tracks that bring an old school flavour into contemporary house works (notably Good Old Days, Interlude 2 and Play Around), alongside piano driven tracks (Burnin and That Old Dust Groove).  If you're looking to add in a little more low end into your music for the day, look no further.

Check out the album preview in the player below, or head directly to Low Steppa's Facebook page for the downloads.

- KJ

Uknowy music - Free Downloads

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

Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk (Jump Ship Bootleg)

This Thursday I'm all about the pop influence on freshdrops I guess. Hard not to be though, with tracks like this showing up! Once again, a free download, this one courtesy of Jump Ship.

The original is a great funk pop track, and Jump Ship's take on it is a great house bootleg. There is just enough of the main vocal left in to make it obviously recognizable, but definitely a departure from the original. The bootleg keeps the funkiness of the original track, while also integrating a kind of deep/future house hybrid sound to give this a unique feel.

Make sure to check the bootleg out below, and if you want a copy, just send a message to the guys themselves and they will get you a copy!  So far it looks like they haven't uploaded it for general download yet, but they also have a number of other free bootlegs and originals through their Facebook page if you're feeling their style.

- KJ

SoySauce - Broken Record (ft. Joni Fatora) (Louis The Child Remix)

What style would this be classified as? Electro Pop? Future Beats? Chilled Bass Music? Whatever style you try to pigeonhole this one into, it's hard to deny the fact that it's super enjoyable on so many levels.

The intro threw me off a bit I have to say, it sounds kind of like a lo-fi digitally distorted synth, and I was already wondering where this was going to go. Enter Joni Fatora on vocals at 0:32, and the track went from what I thought was going to be just a happy, different sounding instrumental, into full blown sugar pop territory - and I say that in all the best ways. If this one had me hooked when the vocal dropped, I was long gone when the drop came, still under a minute into the track.

Check out Louis The Child's Soundcloud, and hit the shopping cart in the player below to get to the free downloads page, where there are a bunch more remixes for free as well.

If you want to hear the original from Soy Sauce, I also have to give it a full plug, if only for the awesome way that they released it.  Broken Record is available both as a free download, and as a paid track through iTunes. However, if you purchase it through iTunes with Soy Sauce's Lunch Money EP, all proceeds from the EP are going toward setting up school lunch projects in some of the world's poorest communities through the project Everybody Eats. It's hard to concentrate fully at school on an empty stomach, and many kids who have this issue are also faced with other difficult issues that affect their ability to be successful in school. If you decide to purchase through iTunes, you are helping to feed a child and enable them to succeed in school by lowering at least one of their barriers. Check out the original below and watch for the iTunes release sometime in February to help out with the cause.

- KJ

David August - Her Myth

Just had to sneak one more track in for Mellow Monday - a really laid back David August track called Her Myth. Not much needs to be said about this one, it's just a spectacular, ambient, deep house track. This was released as a free download for reaching 100,000 likes on his Facebook artist page. If you know David August, you need no more introduction. If you don't know David August, get acquainted below.

- KJ

NVOY - Going On

London deep house duo NVOY have done it again, putting out a fresh deep house track with their signature production style - deep synths with just the right percussion elements to still make the track bounce and slide simultaneously. This one was upped by XLR8R and is available for free download direct from their website.  Just hit the shopping cart icon in the player below to go to their post and pick it up.  This one has been out for about two weeks now, but it's the kind of track that will still be fresh for some time.

- KJ

Mark Johns - In Paris (Prod. Sable)

It's not often you hear a drastically different cover of Kanye West and Jay-Z that really makes you stop and say "Wow, what IS this?".  This is one of those rare tracks that makes you sit up and pay attention.  

An amazing cover by Mark Johns with production chops courtesy of Sable that is a drastic departure from the the original N***** In Paris by Kayne West and Jay-Z.  I hardly have words to describe this, other than amazing.  Have a listen for yourself, and pick it up for your collection, as this one is a completely free download! Hit the shopping cart in the player below to follow Mark Johns on Soundcloud to unlock the download.

- KJ

MORRT - All I Want

MORRT is an English producer that I have been watching for a while, and has put out some great music both free and paid. This is a great little disco-y house track, which isn't a huge surprise for a style given the vocal sample in his contribution to the Fat! Records compilation Fat! Tracks Vol. 1 1979 "In the beginning before house, before acid, techno, before all of that, we had disco". MORRT has obviously decided to bring back the disco vibe on his latest work All I Want, which is also available from his Soundcloud page as a free download.  If any doubt remains that MORRT is bringing the disco back, you may also want to check out his latest mix for Fat! Records right here - some great house and disco vibes.

Make sure to explore his Soundcloud here, which has several great tracks, as I said, both free and paid. Some of these have definitely made it into my DJ sets, but I can't do ALL the digital crate digging for you! In any case, check out his latest work, and pick up this disco house track for free by clicking the shopping cart icon on the player below.

- KJ

Templeton - Better Represent

All about the free downloads this week, and this is another one sure to please - Better Represent by Templeton. Better Represent utilizes the vocal sample from My Love Is The Shhh by Something For The People, released back in 1996 and reworks it into a heavy bassy deep house version. Templeton does some great work with this, getting the throwback points for both the vocal sample and bringing that old school dance vibe back with a contemporary deep house spin.

Don't sleep on this one, grab that free download - all you have to do is follow Templeton on Soundcloud to unlock the download.  Hit the shopping cart in the player below to get access.

- KJ

Amtrac - Truly

Amtrac tossed this track up on his Soundcloud page over the weekend as a free download, and it is a massive tech house roller.  Just back from BPM, he says this was produced while he was Playa Del Carmen for the festival. If this is the type of track inspired by the festival and surroundings, I may have to start looking into booking a trip next year.

In any case, just hit the shopping cart on the Soundcloud player below and put in your email address to add this one to your collection. Simple as that. How can you go wrong?

- KJ

Harrison & Seamus Hamilton - Mugen

I love it when I come across a track that I am enjoying, and then finding out it's also a Canadian producer's work. That was exactly the case when I stumbled across Mugen, by Harrison and Seamus Hamilton (a.k.a. Yung Child), two Toronto based producers.

This is a laid back chill house track, fitting for the title "Mugen" - which translates from Japanese to "Dream" as an english equivalent. The soundscape offered up in this work definitely shows the influence of a light dreamworld.

If you're looking for something to wake you up, this probably isn't the track for you at this moment. But if you're looking for something to chill out to, or to take your mind into a waking dreamspace, check this out.

As a bonus, I am also including a track from Harrison's back catalogue  - a funky free download from back in May of 2014 - Help Yourself To My Love.  

- KJ

JackLNDN - Don't Forget

This JackLNDN track was released for free download back in late November, but it has been in rotation in my listening playlists ever since.  This one is a bit more progressive than his typical productions, but the lack of previous production in this style does not seem to have created any issues at all - this is a great house track with some real proggy elements.

This track has such a wide range of appeal - if you're a house head, if you enjoy epic trance breakdowns and buildups, or if you're really into progressive house, this has aspects of all of these styles, wrapped up neatly into a free download.  Actually, Jack LNDN has a fairly large body of work all available for free, so head over to his Soundcloud page and start downloading!

- KJ

Mike Metro ft. Livingstone & Simon Milan - Start To Dance

Mike Metro hit a million plays on Soundcloud yesterday, and put out his collaboration with vocalist Livingstone and guitarist Simon Milan for free as a thank you to his fans. 

Start To Dance is fairly standard future house track, made more unique with the original guitar licks thrown in courtesy of Simon Milan around the synths and drums, with Livingstone's vocals wound throughout. Honestly, there's not much more that needs to be said about this track - it's quality new house music and it's free!

This one is simple - just hit the download button in the Soundcloud player below. While you're at it, why not check out Mike Metro's Soundcloud page for more like this?

- KJ

Just Kiddin - Thinking About It (No Clue Remix)

I've been salivating over Just Kiddin's Thinking About It ever since #Unknown released it as an untitled track on their Soundcloud page back in the spring (though it no longer exists there - but I'm quite confident they posted it...) and even more so when it was revealed to be Just Kiddin through Eton Messy's release on youtube. In my opinion, the original still kills everything at anytime and was only officially released through Eton Messy in early December of 2014 (pick up the original here), but you can't beat a creative remix, especially as a free download. On this front, No Clue really shines through - this is one of my favourite remixes of this that I have heard. Check it out for yourself below, and grab the free download while it's fresh :)

Direct Link to Free Download

- KJ

Mad Villains - The Salmon Dance (Mad Villains' 2015 Revibe)

This is a classic track from The Chemical Brothers that I hope needs no introduction.  This Revibe however - is something new altogether.  Mad Villains comes in hard on this one, reworking the original into a two-step track with deep basslines dropping in around the 1:30 mark to give it the vibe that continues throughout the rest of the track.

The vocals that he maintains from the original ensure that recognizability factor while really bringing the overall track into new territory.  I've heard a couple of remixes of this track over the last while, (notably Wuki's bootleg from his Wuki leaks series), but this revibe really takes the cake out of everything I've heard.

Do yourself a favour and hit the shopping cart button that will take you to Mad Villains' Facebook page.  All you need to do to get this track is like the page and you'll have access to this, along with an older collaboration between Mad Villains and Holt Blackheath.

- KJ

Montgomery - Pinata (Japanese Wallpaper Remix)

This indie pop track by Montgomery gets an interesting but still very laid back remix treatment from Japanese Wallpaper. Make sure you check out his Soundcloud page for much more like this. The work on his page is quite impressive, especially when you take into account that this is a 17 year old from Melbourne. I'm looking forward to keeping an eye on his productions coming in the future! 

Also, in case you hadn't picked up on this yet, this one is a free download - a simple click on the little down arrow with the line under it in the top corner of the embeded Soundcloud page should be all it takes to add it to your collection! :)

- KJ

This Ain't Bristol - More Selections [TAB002] (Compilation)

We wouldn't be able to call ourselves freshdrops if we didn't give you all something to download the day of release. We're following through on that today and posting about a great compilation coming from a group out of Germany - This Ain't Bristol. The best part about this compilation - it's great music ABSOLUTELY FREE, and was just released today - January 5th.

If This Ain't Bristol is a new name to you, you may also like to know that this is the second compilation that they have released for free. The first is also a massive release and is still available via their website here.

I could go on about the quality of names and sounds in general on this compilation, or try to pick out some of my favourite tracks, but honestly - it's all great. With artists such as South Soul Project, Hostage and Nick Olivetti featured, and with really creative sample use such as Dead or Alive's You Spin Me Round and Estelle's vocal from Kanye West's American Boy, there's something in here for everyone. Bonus for DJ's and audiophiles - you can choose your download format between mp3 or wav files. 

If you like your house deep, techy and bassy, this release is for you. Take advantage and jump on that free download!

This Ain't Bristol - More Selections Download

- KJ

Soundpalette - Questions

Soundpalette has created something magical with Questions.  This one has been out on Soundcloud for a while now, and is up for free download.  Questions is a great mix of elements that are reminiscent of both chillwave and trap.  A melodically emotional journey of a track with percussive elements that maintains the track's energy while retaining the emotional power throughout.  With this one being a free download, what are you waiting for? Click the link above and add it to your digital music collection!

-KJ