Electric Feels: Our fave new electronic tunes this week

It would almost be a crime to talk about this past week’s electronic releases without discussing Justice. The French electronic pioneers finally returned this week to drop their very long-awaited third album Woman, out through the famous Ed Banger Recordings. Between some insane, pop-leaning singles such as Safe and Sound and Alakazam!, the duo managed to squeeze in a couple of nostalgic heavier tunes too – take Chorus or Heavy Metal, for example. Justice aside, we also managed to nab a new Daft Punk tune too, with the duo’s vocalisers feeling right at home alongside a funk-orientated beat on The Weeknd’s new single I Feel It Coming. Jai Wolf released his long-awaited debut EP Kindred Spirits, which joins this week’s Australian EP releases from Polographia and Enschway. Furthermore, Indian Summer dropped a refreshingly cool new single, as did Asta and Vallis Alps. Oh, and on top of all this, Perth boy Elk Road burnt down the triple j studios with Lisa Mitchell with one of my favourite Like A Version sessions so far this year. It’s been a big week, so here’s some stuff you might’ve missed (or that we forgot to write about because we were too busy frothing over Justice).

Christine and the Queens – Saint Claude (Tourist Remix)

Oh Tourist, you magnificent genius. The Australia-bound English producer has returned since dropping one of our favourite albums of the year to remix Saint Claude, a 2014 cut from French songwriter Christine and the Queens. Tourist’s re-do of the track can only be described as purely magical – with twinkling keys and building orchestral synth setting the tone for an absolutely phenomenal remix that has us feeling feels we didn’t even know we had. The remix breaks away from its sparkling intro just before the three-minute mark, with Tourist layering the original’s delicate vocals with a driving accompaniment weighed down by an almost funky bass-line you wouldn’t find out of place in a Bonobo track. When paired with this year’s fantastic U, Tourist’s set at next year’s Laneway Festival is one of the most anticipated, especially for us Perth folk who missed out on his most-recent Australian venture.

Concepts of Colour - Lowered Standards

For those unfamiliar with this piece of Soundcloud gold, Concepts of Colour is a relatively-new alias for LA / Barcelona producer TÂCHES, formed at the start of this year. Created as a platform to release production exploration without needing to jump through the hoops of major labels and signings, Concepts of Colour has delivered us some amazing tracks thus far, none however, as amazing as Lowered Standards. Created in just over an hour, Lowered Standards envelops with a tidy, mellowed-out tone that builds and builds with house flavours throughout its five-minute duration. Whether it be those deep pulses of synth or that tribal-esque, frenzied percussion work that rallies underneath, Lowered Standards has something for everyone, and actually does quite the opposite of what the title suggests. In a message written in the track’s description, he notes “tonight I challenged myself to make a song in an hour; working quickly and without developing the emotional attachments to sounds and ideas that would otherwise keep a production hidden in the deep and dark depths of the hard drive, silently hoping that maybe, just maybe, it might just one day see the light of day.”

ZHU - Generationwhy (Big Wild Remix)

Continuing on this groove we’ve got going on is Big Wild, an on-point Californian producer who has consistently impressed us since he released Aftergold through ODESZA’s Foreign Family Collective over a year ago. His latest track is a euphoric, house-tinged remix for US mastermind ZHU and his single Generationwhy – taken from the album of the same name. Blending ZHU’s now-familiar vocal work with licks of guitar and organic percussion work, Big Wild’s take on the track quickly heats up into a warm, house re-do oozing with an energetic yet chilled-out tone. The smacks of broken-up synth that shakes up the centre of the single does exactly what it has to in the best possible way, offering something new and different before that pulsing house sound returns for the remix’s final length.

Midnight Pool Party - Waiting

Dabbling in their signature disco-house sound, Midnight Pool Party are a Sydney-based outfit who have been remarkable time and time again over the past couple of years. Their new single Waiting, the first from their forthcoming debut EP, continues this trend, charming with a funked-up disco beat that grooves and grooves and grooves. Taking on more a slow-burning sound, the duo finds more a sophisticated pace, striking with in-sync vocal work and the occasional, teasing lick of bass guitar. The track is taken from their upcoming debut EP, which boasts a co-production credit from Luke Million. Speaking about their new-found collaborative partnership, that duo announce that they’ve “worked with Luke [Million] a few times over the last couple of years and he has been a massive influence on us. That made it an easy decision for us when deciding who we wanted to work with us on our debut EP. He understands where we’ve come from, as well as where we are going artistically.” Keeeeeeeeeeeeen / 10.

Roland Tings - Eyes Closed

Ever since last year’s sweeping track Hedonist I’ve been paying a close eye on Roland Tings, with the Melbourne-based beat-maker becoming one of my unexpected favourites of last year. Now, between recent ventures in supporting RÜFÜS and Chrome Sparks and upcoming shows at Beyond The Valley and Laneway Festival, the don has returned with Eyes Closed, his most enlightening piece to date. It sports that tasty, building house sound that I’ve come to really love from the producer in recent times, with punches of bass kicks layered underneath gradually-building layers of synth melodies, sampling and percussion. It has a really light, airy tone in comparison to some of his past work which has been significantly darker, contrasting a cool, refreshing sound with warmth and joy.

GRMM - Give Me Up feat. River

Yeah ok, we’ve had five tracks of house-leaning productions thus far so it’s only fair that we shake things up a little here and what better way to do it than through our main man GRMM. Despite some initial Soundcloud problems halting listens, the Sydneysider has returned again, this time teaming up with London based artist River for a synth-saturated future tune. Boasting his now well-known cleanness in a production sense, Give Me Up takes everything we’ve loved from GRMM’s two years in the limelight and bundles it into a tasty, Of Leisure-released number. The vocals of River sit perfectly on Give Me Up, continuing GRMM’s trend of A+ hand-picked vocal features. Aside from this, the beat is pretty sick too, with GRMM toying with a slick, synth-soaked sound loaded with tropical, summery nuances.