S2, #3: Laugh So We Don't Cry

Memes are one of the best ways to express frustration and literally laugh so we don't cry.  There was one that took off this year that I feel like has truly expressed a lot of the frustration with the current cultural shift of the United States.  It was originally sung, and then put to some very dancy and fun music.  The contrast is pretty stark, it's truly a heavy and important topic, but I find myself singing this at random intervals because it is SO catchy.  

A little less directly political, let's shift over to a favorite Drum and Bass artist of mine, Fox Stevenson.  This one is called That Choice and truly is a bop and a half.  Fast paced but with a great message and truly a great song that evokes a sense of nostalgia and disillusion (Feeling that void everyday).  Would we all be alone if we sympathized?  I thought these songs would go well together!

Hostile Government Takeover (EDM Remix) - AGiftFromTodd, Vinny Marchi

Fox Stevenson - That Choice

0693 - How Ambient Do You Like It?`

Today we are going to cover some very beautiful and simplistic tracks that I basically use as the background noise of my everyday life.  Let's start with the Eleve remix of Toby Hedges' track Miria.  This one is so beautiful and well produced, that it actually put me to sleep with its peacefullness the other night!  Second up today is the Blood Groove and Kikis remix of Stendahl's song Synthetic Love and this one had me feeling so much real love.  The piano is so beautifully interwoven into the tonality of this progressive masterpiece.  Enjoy guys and I will see you back here again soon!

Toby Hedges - Miria (Eleve Remix)

\

Stendahl - Synthetic Love (Blood Groove & Kikis Remix)

0692 - Never be Alone

Cosmic gate have been on my radar for quite some time, so seeing an Andrew Rayel remix of Alone got me really excited!  This song has such beautiful vocals from Kristina Antuna, mixed in with a really killer tonal drop.  I couldn't resist holding onto this one during the hiatus and am so excited to share it with you now!

Cosmic Gate - Alone (Andrew Rayel Remix)

0691 - What Happens Next?

Meraki by Cormak is a roller coaster of a song, that took me though so many different expectations in such a short amount of time.  The beginning of the track is beautiful and tonal, and then it gets beautifully melodic as it starts to build.  The build feels like it may drop into something big and unexpected, but it moves to a tonal guitar funk drop.  I sure as hell didn't see it coming, but I love the feeling of "What Will Happen Next" that this one inspires!
Another track that gave me this feeling was a remix of Arcade from Dimitri Vegas, Like Mike, and W&W by Magic Wand.  Hearing the start of this one and then the movement into the build, I sure as hell did not expect the funky and groove-worthy drop that followed.  It caught me off guard, and I loved every second of it!

Cormak - Meraki

Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike vs. W&W - Arcade (Magic Wand Remix)

0681 - You Be the Shit

Florian Picasso comes in hot today with a new track called Hanoi.  This one is pretty good, I love the feel and the energy that comes off it.  Not too heavy of a track but big enough drops and transitions to make you want to jump out of your seat.  And best of all, it is free!
Evan Berg really delivers with this remix of Lost Kings' track You, the main chorus is catchy as shit and I absolutely love it.  This one was stuck in my head for a good three or four days before I realized it.  Give it a listen and enjoy!

Florian Picasso - Hanoi (Free Download)

Lost Kings - You (Evan Berg Remix)

0679 - Clearest Heartbeat

Pegboard Nerds are finally getting back on my good side, and the MIU remix of their track Hearbit only helps the cause.  This remix is killer, with a huge bass, great fast tonal scaling, and just an intense "in your face" vibe.  I'm not sure if this would be considered hardcore or dubstep, but one of the last drops makes me think it might just have a killer bassline.  I love this remix and I hope you like it too.
Second up today is the Gryffin Remix of CHVRCHES track Clearest Blue.  This one is absolutely gorgeous, with a drop progression that had me swinging and got stuck in my head immediately.  The vocals are pretty on point, and the entire song just has a very uplifting and intense feel.  Enjoy these 2 tracks and I will see you back here tomorrow!

Pegboard Nerds - Heartbit (MIU Remix)

CHVRCHES - Clearest Blue (Gryffin Remix)

0678 - Welcome Back, I've Missed You All

I'm hoping this is the start of more daily updates.  My life has been absolutely insane lately with my job search living situation, and life is just chaotic.  But I realized I wasn't giving myself time to relax, and writing these posts has always been one of my favorite parts of the day. So lets get thing goin again.

Faded by Alan Walker is one of my favorite songs, Period.  Now, finally, everyone is getting their hands on it for the official remixes.  One of my favorites is Tiesto's Deep House remix.  Right from the beginning I could tell I would love this.  The intro was so smooth and just went perfectly into the main sequence.  Smooth, beautiful, and my favorite remix (but still behind the original and the restrung version).
I've said many times how much I respect people that can play music live using beatpads, the memorization and coordination is incredible.  I love watching people play on them and I feel the music they produce has so much more power because you aren't just watching someone push play.  This mix is from Nev highlighting some 250 songs from the Youtube channel MrSuicideSheep.  It is incredible, enjoy!

Alan Walker - Faded (Tiesto's Deep House Remix)

(Nev Plays) Best of MrSuicideSheep

0674 - Morning UnderRush

Let's kick things off with a stellar track from Rhodz called Morning Rush, and the title couldn't be more fitting in this scenario.  The track feels like you are driving to work just a few minutes behind schedule and are hauling ass on the freeway to try to make up the time.  It has such a happy upbeat feel to it, added perfectly with a sense of urgency in some sequences and with a calm "GOOD MORNING" energy in other parts.
At this point everyone and their mother has heard of Undertale and no matter what their opinion on the game is, you can't deny that the music for the game was absolutely incredible.  Some of the remixes of the tracks have been horrible, but some have also been very good.  One example of one I really enjoyed was the Holder remix of Bonetrousle, its a lot faster than the original but I love the unique spin put on the song while still keeping the feel of the original.  Enjoy!

Rhodz - Morning Rush (Free Download)

Toby Fox - Bontrousle (Holder Remix)

0671 - Nothing Matters but Your Eyes

First for you today I have a remix from Havsun and Lindhjem of Matt Nash's track Nothing Else Matters.  This remix is smooth as butter, a remix that I actually like better than the original.  It is smooth with is mellow points and then hits big and often with the drops.  Extremely dance-worthy, this one has been stuck in my head for some time.  The melodic drop really puts the nail in the framework of a beautiful track!
Continuing with artists with really strange names, we have Aiobahn and Jh Anu with their killer track City in my Eyes.  It is a really nice melodic track that has a bit of a repetitive nature to it but is overall a very solid song.  Great vocals mixed with amazing tonality make for a truly quality song!

Matt Nash - Nothing Else Matters (Havsun and Lindhjem Remix) (Free Download)

Aiobahn & Jh Anu - City In My Eyes

0669 - From Uptown to the Ocean

Boy Kiss Girl is the perfect name for an artist who makes tropical house, and the track Ocean from Boy Kiss Girl is just a quality tropical track.  With great instrumentation, vocals that flow with the track really well (I'm not saying they're good), and just a happy flowing vibe!  Enjoy!

Nick Havsen brings us this next remix which is a beautifully melodic deep house remix of Tim Gartz's song Uptown Girl.  This one just flows so well, the tonality is perfect, although the vocals could be dropped to make the song better in my opinion.  A killer track that's been stuck in my head for some time!

Boy Kiss Girl - Ocean

Tim Gartz - Uptown Girl (Nick Havsen Remix)

0661 - Stuck in my Skull

In homage to one of my other favorite music blogs, today will be about two songs that I have had stuck in my head for quite some time.  The first is the Jerome Tropical remix of DJ Antoine's track Thank You.  This song is beautiful in every sense of the word, the vocals are amazing and beautiful, the message is great, and the smooth tropical sounds are infectious as they come.  This track has been stuck in my head for weeks and I don't want it out!
Second up is perhaps my favorite song I have heard this year, Faded by Alan Walker.  This song is the definition of beauty in music.  It brings out some strong emotions in me, seeming to hook me emotionally every single time that I listen to it.  It is a bit slower and not as intense as other tracks, but carries so much weight and beauty.  I hope you like it as much as I do!

DJ Antoine - Thank You (Jerome Tropical Remix)

Alan Walker - Faded

0659 - Give Me That Sweet Funk

Let's get our funk groove back with a wonderful remix from the Lost Kings of Sugar.  This song has such a great happy upbeat vibe and had me grooving in my car like a crazy person, to the point where people were staring.  This track has all the funk that you need to help you get through the day!

Wild Culture Vs. Carmin - Sugar (Lost Kings Remix)

0656 - Bottle of Groove

The first track that I have for you on this Tuesday is the Achtabahn remix of Milky Way's track Bottle of Jack.  This track is amazing, such good groove and great vocals that mimic the beat perfectly.  I love everything about this track and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do!

Mikey Way - Bottle of Jack (Achtabahn Remix)

0654 - Tchami

Tchami is a legend and I was so pleased to meet him on the final night of Holy Ship.  His originals are mind blowing and his remixes just come into the realm of legendary status.  For sure one of the people I was most excited to meet, especially after seeing his amazing sets on the boat and the beach!  I have two tracks for you, an original and a remix.  The first is Tchami's original After Life, this one has a killer drop that I'm pretty sure I lost it to on the boat.  The second track is Tchami's remix of AlunaGeorge's track, You Know You Like It.  This was the first remix of the song I ever heard, and now it's the only one that sounds right.  Enjoy and see you next week!

Tchami - After Life

AlunaGeorge - You Know You Like It (Tchami Remix)

0651 - Thomas Jack

Thomas Jack was one of the people I as most excited about going into Holy Ship so of course I almost peed myself when I met him coming out of the buffet on night 1 and on the beach party on Day 2.  Being basically one of the founders of tropical house, I have loved his music from the first time I heard it.  And he was such a cool guy too!  So I will share with you two of my favorite Thomas Jack songs, an amazing remix and the best original tropical house songs since the genre was founded.
The first is the Of Monsters and Men track Little Talks, a masterpiece of a track if there ever was one.  Working so well with the vocals and original sounds of Of Monsters and Men, and then adding his signature Tropical house love to the track.
The original that I would like to share with you is Rivers, a really beautiful and super vibe heavy song that just stirs up a lot of emotions whenever I hear it.  It is just such a well put together track that is very dancey, with a vocal sequence that adds perfectly to the tropical sounds.  Give it a listen and I hope you enjoy this wonderful artist as much as I do!

Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks (Thomas Jack Remix)

Thomas Jack - Rivers

0642 - Mellow Monday

I think Mondays will now be Mellow/Melodic Mondays.  I like this theme.  So let us kick it off with some mellow and relaxing tracks, the first of which comes from Cj RcM called 1,000 Ways.  This one starts off beautifully, and its hard to tell the direction it is going to go!  It moves into a beautiful melodic sequence, full of great instrumentation and beautiful progression.  Enjoy!
Second up on this new day is MitiS remix of Seven Lion's track Fading Away.  Beautiful vocals, a great relaxing melody and killer piano really take this one away into a spot of relaxing and wonder.  Closing my eyes I envisioned myself on a cliff overlooking pastures.  No huge bass, just beauty!

Cj RcM - 1,000 Ways

Seven Lions - Fading Away (MitiS Remix)

641 - A Funky Palette Cleanse

As much as I enjoyed talking about music I don't necessarily love yesterday, I feel like we need a funk filled palette cleanse today.  Let's start with the Falcon Funk remix of  Hoverboots' track Bells, a funky heavy hitting piece of art.  This one has the funk flow mixed in perfectly with a heavy hitting bass that gives it a fantastic vibe, and tonal sequences that were exactly what I needed to finish out my week.
Also for your musical enjoyment we have the Bit Funk Remix of Pineapple Pop's track RVLTN.  This one is a bit more on the simplistic side, but you can't contest the groove it has if you tried.  The instrumentation is wonderful with a simple tonal bassline drop that surprised me a lot.  Give it a listen and have a wonderful weekend!

Hoverboots - Bells (Falcon Funk Remix)

Pineapple Pop - RVLTN (Bit Funk Remix)

0635 - An Elephante For Christmas

First up is the Jenaux remix of Elephante's track Age of Innocence.  This track starts off absolutely beautifully with soft tones, then it starts to go into some funk beats as it builds.  Finally it moves into a beautifully wonderful piece full of funk and crazy tonality.  I hope you enjoy it!
Most Christmas remixes feel tacky and overdone, but this one was the perfect mix of the original and some subtle Christmas sounds thrown in.  The song is Reality by Lost Frequencies, mixing in some of the normal instruments with sleigh bells and deeper pitched bells really bring this track to an interesting place.  I know it is way past Christmas but I really enjoyed the vibe that this one gave off!

Elephante - Age of Innocence (Jenaux Remix)

Lost Frequencies - Reality (Christmas Mix)

0633 - 3LAU DAY

So 3LAU's birthday was 3 days ago, and as part of his celebration he released Dance Floor Filth 5 for free!  10 free tracks including remixes, mashups, and even an original track!  I'll be sharing my favorite mashup, remix, and the original from the album but I encourage you to download the entire album and find your own favorite!

DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM 

So we will start with the remixes.  As much as I hate Justin Bieber as a person, I have to say his music is maturing and I am actually starting to enjoy it.  When 3LAU got his hands on Bieber's new track Sorry, he really produces something exquisite.


My favorite remix from the album 3LAU's track Always and Walk the Moon's top 40 smash Shut Up and Dance.  This remix is amazing, I love the great transition into the drop after the vocals are used flawlessly.  Enjoy!


The original off the album from 3LAU is HSTFU and it features Lazer Lazer Lazer.  This is more of a big room feel track and is different than the other stuff on this album, but I actually enjoyed this one a lot.  Great feel, a great bounce vibe that I can totally see myself jumping to in the front row!

0626 - The Trouble With The Strong Ones

First up this week is a remix from Le Visiteur and My Oh My  of Armin van Buuren's track Strong Ones off his recently released album.  This remix keeps all the wonderful tonality of the originail, something which seems really hard to find in remixes of this song.  Adding a deep house feel really takes this one to a new level, groovy and tonal levels of fabulosity.
Second up is a really groovy and just overall well done track from Marcus Marr and Chet Faker called the Trouble With Us.  It just has a very classic sound and a great groove that is complimented by the vocals, the bassline, and just an overally great design.

Armin van Buuren - Strong Ones (Le Visiteur & My Oh My Mix)

Marcus Marr & Chet Faker - Trouble With Us