Paces Interview: "I'm a big believer in letting people do what they're good at."We chat to Oz electronic music's smiling assassin about his bangin' sophomore LP, ZAG.
Electric Feels: Your Weekly Electronic Music Recap
The best of the electronic world in the past week, including Bajillionaire, Kito, Disclosure and more.
Posted By Hayden Davies
6 years ago
Bajillionaire - Take It & Run feat. etcetera
If you're yet to familiarise yourself with Sydney musician Bajillionaire, it's probably a good idea to get on top of that as soon as you possibly can. After a quick run of singles placed him on our radar across 2017, his first track for 2018 - the Anna Jane-featuring Goin' On - added a pop-like twist to his production catalogue, something he's well-and-truly reinforcing with the release of his latest, Take It & Run. Featuring rising Sydney vocalist/musician etcetera, Take It & Run is a bubbly and playful electro-pop single that'll pick you up and drop you in the warmth of the Australian summer, uniting this tropical-leaning saccharine synth melody with etcetera's bright vocals for a track that is as refreshing as it is replayable. "As soon as I laid down the first chords I immediately knew this was going to be a really angsty song about my love life," he says on the single, which arrives ahead of more to come throughout the rest of the year. "I’m not going to act as if it was some huge tragedy, but it definitely did shape me in a way."
Kito - Strawberries
Formerly known as a half of dynamic Perth duo Kito & Reija Lee, a few months back saw the now-LA-based producer launch her solo project with Ego - a warped and twisting return that combined clanging, left-field electronica with this sultry R&B feel and pop mannerisms for a track which even Anna Lunoe ended up loving. With a full EP, HAANI, out September 7th (with guest features from names such as Hudson Mohawke, Broods and more), she's just revealed the release's next tease with Strawberries, a guest-loaded collaboration that further deepens her sound while getting us very, very excited for her debut solo release. Featuring Elley Duhé, Vera Blue collaborator Kodie Shane and Trinidad James, Strawberries is another warping, genre-leaping single that unites this thumping bassline with glitching synth and vocals which twist between pop and hip-hop, depending on who they're coming from, combining together for this thick, yet also broken-up sound which is a whole lot of fun. Keep an eye out for the full EP release - it's a must-listen at this point.
Disclosure - Funky Sensation
In case you've been living under a house-music-resistant rock over the last week, chances are you caught the news that Disclosure, fresh off a long break recording their upcoming third album, dropped five singles over five days last week, each one bidding a return to the older, more sample-driven work that was stepped aside in favour for guest features on their latest album, Caracal. The whole set is pure, garage-leaning house gold, but our pick of the best goes to Funky Sensation - a nostalgic, soul-driven epic that reminds us why we fell in love with Disclosure in the first place. Basing itself on a disco-like classic from Gwen McCrae, Disclosure whip up a funk storm on Funky Sensation, uniting this 80s disco drive with the catchy vocal sample, glitzy synth work and Disclosure's signature percussive-house bassline for a song that is simply irresistible.
Godlands - Wild
A solid run of singles and a heap of shows - headline, support, festival or otherwise - has placed Adelaide producer Godlands amongst the top of Australian electronic's heavier side. With shows at Listen Out quickly approaching, she's just returned with another single that places her in front of the pack, returning to her glitching, bassy sound for Wild. Taking a nod from the 2015-ish side of experimental trap, Godlands brings this sound forward to the future on Wild, intertwining it with tribal sounds and vocal samples before a change in direction adds a touch of rising, ear-piercing synth to the equation later on - switching things up and keeping us fresh on our toes. 2018 has been a stellar year for Godlands, and considering the trajectory she's currently set on nationally, it wouldn't surprise me to see her follow a similar path to ex-Australian exports like Alison Wonderland internationally over the next few years.
Ekali - Leaving feat. Yuna
Initially emerging with the 'Soundcloud wave' of trap music a few years back, Canadian musician Ekali has ensured that he's one of the very few acts to survive the post-Soundcloud downfall of the genre, constantly keeping himself one step ahead of the rest. 2018 has been no different, with collaborations alongside rising star Elohim and internationally-dominating homegrown lords SLUMBERJACK leading the way to an upcoming EP/mini-album due out later this year. Leaving is the release's latest tease and it's a bit more of a radio-friendly track than those past, with Yuna's soft, yet at-times soaring vocal adding this pop-centric twist amongst Ekali's signature production which is loaded with thick synth work and clever sampling. With another K.Flay collaboration to come from the producer's forthcoming six-track release, it's definitely a release to check out when it arrives via OWSLA / Atlantic Records, so get around it when it drops later in the year.
Spotify Playlist:
Paces Interview: "I'm a big believer in letting people do what they're good at."We chat to Oz electronic music's smiling assassin about his bangin' sophomore LP, ZAG.
Introducing Melbourne party-starter MIMI and her debut single, Bad Girls KnowAfter flexing her skills as one of the country's most versatile DJs, the Melbourne musician launches her solo project with an irresistible tune.