This Ain't Bristol - Amsterdam Selections

One of the first blog posts on freshdrops was the original TAB Selections back in 2015. Now they’re back with another massive compilation of driving tech-house in preparation/commemoration of the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) coming up at the end of October. 14 tracks from artists like This Ain’t Bristol regulars like Maximono and Nick Olivetti, along with some new faces. The sound throughout is signature TAB though - grimy, deep, dark and pounding tech-house.

My two standout picks from this compilation are definitely BYOR - Call Me Up, and MKJAY & Lowdown’s Afterhours.

The official release isn’t until October 12th, but check out the sampling of the entire compilation below.

-KJ

Rampa ft. Meggy - Everything (c.Rius Remix)

This one is a slow burning but hard hitting deep house track for your Monday night.  Reworking the 2012 track Everything from Rampa and Meggy, Berlin producer c.Rius brings a little grimier club feel by amping up some classic house percussion while still keeping the understated sexual lyrics from the original. If you're somehow still rocking that afterparty vibe from your weekend or looking for something to get your evening activities started, this is the vibe for you.  Nothing too fancy or overly complex, just a solid rework of a great release from Keinemusik - and this one is available to you as a free download.

-KJ

Loote - High Without Your Love (NAKID Remix)

Fresh New York duo Loote has come out with what I can only imagine will be a 2017 summer anthem. The original is fairly stripped back and reminds me very much of the Chainsmokers hit that seems to keep holding popularity, Closer. If the radio can get over the mild references to drug use, High Without Your Love is bound to follow in the same footsteps. At the same time, this is a call to love as opposed to a drug fuelled anthem, and the musical production follows in the same feel good path laid out by the lyrics.

The remix we're supporting comes from Swedish producer NAKID that turns up the energy slightly with additional percussion while still keeping the emotional feel of the original. The result is a danceable romantic ode to a significant other.  Give it a listen and make sure to add it to your Spotify summer playlists.

-KJ

Watermät & Moguai - Portland (Oliver Adam Remix)

I came across this remix today on my Soundcloud stream, and really liked the spin that Oliver Adam put on this Watermät and Moguai track. This is (in my opinion) a huge improvement from the original track, which I have to be honest, I probably would not have given a second listen. Oliver Adam has worked some magic here on this remix though. It's a bit tropical, but also has a really deep feel to it, with a touch of a future vibe as well. He also makes ample use of the vocal throughout this remix, making up for how little it is used in the original.

Oliver Adam created this track as an entry into the Spinnin' Records remix competition, so if you want to see it released, or if you just like the track, vote for it here.  Make sure you also check out his Soundcloud page for more of his work.

- KJ

Tony Quattro - My House ft. Showtime Willy

Here's a house track with a really interesting production story behind it.  The track itself is pretty great as well, but the most interesting thing about it is actually buried in the background details of the vocal.  New York based producer Tony Quattro was riding home from work on the subway, and happened to be on the same train car that was treated to an impromptu stand-up comedy session.

The stand-up routine was put on by New York local homeless man Showtime Willy, and Tony was taken by his infectious delivery and vocal qualities. Showtime Willy is a long-time resident of New York City, and has been living on the subway cars for over 30 years, performing his stand-up routines for audiences throughout the day.  Before Willy could leave the train, Tony made his way over to Willy and offered him $20 to record some vocals with him for a house production.

My House is that production, and apparently the whole session took about 45 minutes to lay down the vocals that ended up on the final version.  When they wrapped up, Tony sent Willy home with a bit more money along with some alcohol and cigarettes.

My House was released as part of the Plates compilation on Main Course, a forward thinking label run by Bot (Formerly of Crookers).  Pick up the compilation on iTunes here. Also, credit to Thump for the original premiere of the track.

- KJ

JackLNDN - All I See

If you've been following freshdrops for any length of time, you will know that JackLNDN is no stranger to the blog, especially in Mellow Monday features.  His sound just fits so well into the vibe we go for on Mondays - chilled out, laid back sounds and feelings.

All I See once again hits that mark, with a nice mix of instrumentation and vocals, setting the tone for your mellow monday.  Just hit play and enjoy the laid back piano and house sounds... and hit the shopping cart icon in the player below to be taken to a page that lays out options to buy or stream the track on a number of major outlets.

- KJ

Golf Clap - Feel It (Mad Villains Remix) [Country Club Disco]

We've featured and posted in the past about both Mad Villains and Golf Clap, and they're both back with a remix on Country Club Disco.

Mad Villains brings a deep garagey vibe to Golf Clap's Feel It.  If you've heard any of Mad Villain's productions before, you'll recognize his tight production style right away.  If you haven't heard any of his previous material before, you best get on that and browse his Soundcloud page now. A healthy mixture of both house and garage in this remix, and Country Club Disco is just giving it away. Download through the shopping cart link in the player below or click here.

- KJ

Dislexik - Bird Song

So this one was released a while ago already, but I just came across it relatively recently, and thought it really deserved a bit more promo.  Bird Song is a driving tech house track from local Saskatoon producer Dislexik, a veteran DJ and amazing producer in our local scene. A lot of the material I've heard of his leans more toward techno, and Birdsong captures much of his feel while also having a bit of a house vibe on it as well.  It's also been released through Prescribed as a free download, so jump on it and support your local artists!

- KJ

MORRT - Adore U

MORRT is back today with another free download follow up to his 3AM EP, Adore U. This is a funky sample-based piece fusion of a number of styles from hip hop to funk to house in the way only the producer from Derbyshire can. Clocking in at just under 3 minutes, it's short but oh so sweet. The horn section and vocal sample throughout really set the stage for the whole track with a nice summery vibe.

Seriously, this one is downloadable straight from the player below, so what are you waiting for? Follow MORRT on Soundcloud and grab all his other free downloads, or pick up his latest offering on iTunes - Dive Right In.

- KJ

Calvin Harris - How Deep Is Your Love (Ben Dooks Bootleg)

While Calvin Harris needs no introduction, nor any promo from underground blogs at this point in his career, this bootleg of his newest single with Disciples by Ben Dooks may not be as widely promoted - but it is a hell of a bootleg.

Ben Dooks' spin on the original gives the piano a much more central role in the bootleg, while still keeping a bit of a nu deep house vibe.  The stream below is only a two minute preview, but the full version is available through the link as a free download. 

- KJ

Fennec & Wolf - Cocoon

We've been a bit slow this week for posts, so we're adding a couple posts today in advance of dropping the Friday Care Package.

First this awesome track from Fennec & Wolf called Cocoon. This one oozes house funk and groove from every bit of the track, from the percussion, to the bassline, to the vocals. It's a lesson in groove - literally. The vocal sample in this says all that needs to be said in this one. Cocoon is both laid back and driving, in what could be used as a very versatile house track, particularly over the summer in any number of sets and locations.

Stream Cocoon below, and pick it up as it is available on Beatport as part of the compilation Set In Stone from Incroyable Music.

- KJ

Years & Years - King (Røse Summer Edit)

Røse recently dropped a clubby remix of Years & Years' King. Røse's reimagining of the track strips back much of the production from the radio edit, and puts a large focus on the piano and strict melodic elements of the track while incorporating a driving house beat. The remix here has a really nice mix of driving sections as well as more mellow breakdowns where it is mostly keys and vocals. Overall, Røse has done a great job at keeping much of the feel from the original and keeping the recognition factor by retaining the vocals, while giving this a house vibe - not quite straight up house, but not future house either.  The title "Summer Edit" is very fitting though.

So far I'm unsure if this is getting a release or a download link, but keep an eye out for this one. This post will be updated if we can track down a link to anything. For now though, enjoy the stream!

- KJ

Sigala - Easy Love (Re-Edit)

"ABC is easy, it's like counting up to three, sing a simple melody, that's how easy love can be."

If these lyrics don't mean anything to you, there is a legitimate case to be made for you being born yesterday. For the rest of us more than two days old, it's obvious that Sigala is channeling the King of Pop's early days through sampling.

Easy Love has got to be one of the freshest and catchiest house tracks that I've heard using this sample, and I'm always a sucker for a well used Michael Jackson sample. Sigala has used a bit of looping, a bit of vocal slicing, and a lot of production talent to weave everything together in to a driving deep future piano house track with just enough vocal to make this one that you'll have trouble deciding if you want to dance or sing to more.... So just get on board and go with both.

It looks like this is set to be released on iTunes soon, but I haven't found a date yet. This link was provided to pre-order, but so far it only takes me to Sigala's discography on iTunes. In any case, keep a look out for the release of this one soon.

- KJ

Low Steppa - Raw Cuts Vol. 1 EP

Low Steppa is a name that should need no introduction on freshdrops, as we have featured a number of his tracks already.  And there's a good reason for that - he is a producer that continues to kill it, track after track. He has been teasing that he would be doing a free download through his Facebook and Instagram accounts for the past while, and followed through yesterday with three banging house tracks that feature the signature Low Steppa bass/house/garage style. 

There's really no need to wax on about this little EP, just dive in there and listen to it, and hit the download button on all the tracks either before or after... It really doesn't matter, since it's pretty much inevitable that you'll be downloading them anyway.

- KJ

Dom Dolla & Go Freek - Define (Cassian Remix) [Sweat It Out! Music]

Dom Dolla & Go Freek brought out this massive tune earlier this week, with EDM.com premiering the original mix.  A couple days later, Cassian threw his remix up on his Soundcloud page. The original is a really nice blending of Dom Dolla and Go Freek's somewhat similar bass-house styles with a melodic kick and great lyrics. Cassian's remix takes things a little deeper, utilizing the vocals throughout, and applying a healthy dose of reverb. The first drop at the 1:50 mark gives a little taste of where he's going with this and starts to set the tone, with further percussion coming in with the vocals a bit later.  The breakdown and buildup later on culminates in an awesome hit of energy, bass, and vocals at 3:56. This is a huge tune that's going to be getting heavy rotation over the rest of the summer and well into the fall.

If you haven't heard the original from Dom Dolla and Go Freek, make sure to check it out here. The full EP will be coming out soon on Sweat It Out! Music.

Update: Club Mix and Remixes available here on Beatport, or you can get the single here on iTunes.

- KJ

The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face (Rumor Has It Club Edit)

Rumor Has It brought a club ready crossover edit to Soundcloud early last week. His edit of The Weeknd's Can't Feel My Face stays very true to the original, keeping the majority of the instrumentation and vocals along with a continuation of the original feel of the track. The whole thing is sped up to typical house bpm, and the percussion is built around this, along with some nice breakdowns and buildups. Sometimes you don't have to reinvent the wheel to make a banging edit for the club, and that is exactly what is on display in this one. It's also available as a free download, so hit that shopping cart and take advantage.

Make sure you check out Rumor Has It's Soundcloud page if you're into interesting club edits of some recognizable pop tracks, there are a number on offer.

- KJ

John Bull & The Bandits - Going Under Cover (Flaurése Leis Remix) [Eton Messy Records Free Download]

Eton Messy is back, and presenting just another example of the great sound coming out of London, and another case of finding budding producers making quality tunes. According to their description, "Flaurése Leis has been quietly preparing several remixes along with plans for a debut EP", so keep an eye on this up-and coming producer for more work down the line.

With his remix of John Bull & The Bandits' Going Under Cover, Flaurése Leis brings a smooth and summery house feel to the indie rock original. Much of the main vocals remain, though there has also been a bit of creative vocal slicing and looping. The end result is a really nice laid back vocal house track for any of your summer activities, and on offer as a free download.

This is the 20th release in Eton Messy's Free Download series, so if you are just getting on board, make sure to check out the playlist linked for a ton of great free music.  While you're over at Soundcloud, make sure to follow Flaurése Leis as well, as there is more music coming from him likely in short order.

- KJ

Honest - ?????

"I know that you've got everything but I've got nothing here without ya." Honest brings some authentic lost-love house and garage vibes to this untitled (or titled ?????) stomper that was uploaded about a month ago. 

Working off the pre-chorus vocal sample from Ariana Grande's single One Last Time, Honest brings what will sound familiar to many following the top 40 scene, and twists it into fitting into this vibey house jam, producing a catchy club tune with some crossover value that sounds fresh and very different from the source of the sample. This is a solid and creative rework of the sample, and overall a great bit of production work that only gives the faintest tinge of guilty pleasure.

There doesn't appear to be anything hinting to any official release, and this one isn't looking downloadable at this time.  Settle for the stream, and stream the hell out of it - it's that good.

- KJ

Chase & Status - Time ft. Delilah (Luke①Hundred House Bootleg)

This little house bootleg is a great low key remix for Tuesday evening. Luke①Hundred just dropped this bootleg of Chase & Status' poppy drum and bass track Time that features the vocals of Delilah from back in 2011.

Luke's house bootleg is great in that it doesn't try to be something super epic and complex - sometimes house music is most powerful when it is stripped back to some of its more minimal elements. The Time bootleg does this really well, with a simple but effective percussion setup to open up the track, leading into an early breakdown and buildup with some melodic pads and Delilah's vocals. This buildup is followed by the drop into a nice bassline groove accented by the occasional vocal cut and the continued backbone percussion throughout. This is a great house reimagining of the original, and definitely one I would play out at any time of night - perfect in an opening or afterhours set.

It looks like this is currently just up as a stream, but hopefully you will be able to get your hands on this tight little bootleg soon.

- KJ

WDSTCK - So Free (Millesim Remix)

Millesim have come up with a really laid back and summery remix of WDSTCK's So Free.  While the original has a bit of a tropical feel, it has a much quicker pace and heavier drums. Where Millesim really shines is their stripped back and lounge style indie tropical vibe that allows a lot more expression in the melodic elements of the track. Even the vocals seem more expressive and free in this, a bit of a fitting description for its title. We hope you enjoy this remix wherever you happen to be spending your mellow Monday.

The Millesim remix was released back in mid-june as part of the remix package for So Free, with 4 other remixes. It is available from iTunes here.

- KJ