Friday means one thing here at H&E – Playlist time! As always, we have you covered for new tunes this week, narrowing it down to just 10 of the very best. We’ve got everything from remixes to originals;angsty indie rock to late night NYC club sounds; homegrown talent and international acts. It’s an eclectic mix, with both editors contributing this week – but that just makes it all the more interesting for you!
Everything Everything, Regret (Oceaan Remix)
I love Everything Everything, and I love Oceaan. So news of a remix between them was pretty amazing, and the track doesn’t disappoint. Okay, admittedly, I’ve mentioned a few times that I’m over pitch-shifted vocals, but the stunning atmospheric layers make it absolutely worthwhile. The eerie vocals slowly phase in and out of clarity as the track moves on, whimsically decorated with all manner of synths and beats. Soulful, sensual and with just the right amount of weirdness, this is what a remix is supposed to be: unique and different, showing us a beloved track in an entirely new light.
Highasakite, Keep That Letter Safe
News of new Highasakite made me just about jump for joy. Ever since I first heard them last year with iSince Last Wednesday, I have been endlessly hypnotised by their original and encapsulating music. Their last release was a cover of Bon Iver’s Heavenly Father, and it certainly sounds like they’ve taken influence from the folk legend. Far more subdued than much of the work on their debut album, they play to the angelic melodies and (occasionally) distinctly-Scandinavian curls. Exploding on the chorus with a full instrumental swell, this is a dazzling, euphoric-sounding song that marks an interesting new chapter in HAAK’s career.
RAC, Back of The Car (ft. Nate Hendricks)
When I hear good folk-inclined music, it makes me really happy, and that’s because I usually fall asleep when I listen to folk. When I hear a song that starts like folk and turns into pop-punk, and I still like it, it’s gotta be pretty special. Bright and poppy, this is a fun, nostalgic track – and they’re not afraid to blare it. It’s one of those songs where, there’s nothing particularly mind-blowing about it, but it’s just good, and you can just let loose and enjoy it, without trepidation or reservation. Evoking MGMT-style euphoria with those spindly synths and singalong choruses, it’s refreshing as fuck to hear a song like this today.
Woodes x Elkkle, Cocoon
We hear a lot of slinky, female-fronted electronic music every day. Literally every day. Everyone is grasping at a genre that only few do well enough to make it really stand out, so it’s nice to hear a song that does its own thing. Woodes’ vocals have a sense of innocence and vulnerability to it, almost as though it’d be better fitted fronting a Feist song than a smooth electronic track – and it works for that very reason. On the production side of things, it’s brilliant – dense and diverse, I’d be equally interested in hearing this as an instrumental track as I am this version.
Ali E, Track One
Taken from her forthcoming EP out June 19, Creatures, Melbournite Ali E (Ali Edmonds) is one exciting lady indeed! Track One is the kind of angsty indie-rock that makes you sit up and listen, with a soft but captivating chord progression, delicate but fed-up vocal harmonies and easily relatable lyrics (at least for me anyway) like “I’ve tried a billion times before / It just don’t feel the same at all”. She’s gearing up to tour nationally, and is definitely going to be worth keeping an eye on!
5amurai Sam, Grey Days prod. J Dilla
Mysterious, unnamed 5amurai Sam is a new comer from Brisbane, and that’s really about all we know about him. However, I would advise him to enjoy his anonymity while it lasts. He just dropped a 5 track EP, and I am predicting big things from the masked rapper. Jumping on beats by MF Doom and Cocoon, as well as this one with J Dilla, 5amurai Sam is demonstrating lyricism and flow that immediately puts him miles ahead from the rest of the pack. Also keep an ear out for the beautifully smoky vocals by guest vocalist Squidgenini on two of the tracks. To die for!
Eli Escobar, Your Sweet Love
Eli Escobar is part of the NYC Night People crew, famous for throwing huge parties across the famous city. He released his debut album late last year, but only on a limited run of vinyl – which of course sold out pretty quickly. Thankfully, he took a moment to think about all the other people that didn’t get their hands on a record, and released Up All Night digitally this week! Featuring three bonus tracks, Up All Night and in particular Your Sweet Love, is the soundtrack to NYC nightlife, and an insight the world that Night People rule so damn well.
Alpine, Foolish (Hopium Remix)
*soigh* Ah, Hopium – every time I think you’ve done the best you can, you go and do even better! This Alpine remix comes hot on the heels of their latest single Right Now, and is one of the better remixes I’ve heard pop up this year. Slowed down, turned up and with a heavy helping of thudding bass notes, Hopium really do a number on Alpine’s latest single, turning it into a slow moving but totally explosive rework that I haven’t been able to stop listening to since Wednesday. It’s a big step forward and another feather in their cap, as they continue to prove why they’re ones to watch – because they continually push their limits, and outdo themselves every. single. time.
Retiree, Heard You’re Doing Well
Sydney boys Retiree are making a lot of noise in the lead up to their EP, This Place dropping this month. Having just released the first single from the record, Gundagai, they aren’t wasting any time getting more and more out – luckily for us! Now they’ve just dropped Heard You’re Doing Well, which is actually the second in a three part series of “conceptually related yet geographically distant” videos of Melbourne, Sydney and London. They covered Melbourne first, and next will be London; but this one shot as a day-in-the-life living in Sydney’s Redfern could well be my favourite. I’ve included this one separately as you’ve gotta see the clip as well to get the full effect!
The Chemical Brothers, Go ft. Q-Tip (Edge of Control Dub)
This is a LOT of fun. We were overjoyed with the recent news that The Chemical Brothers are finally releasing a brand new album – Born In The Echoes, out July – and their new single Go ft. Q-Tip was fucking brilliant – and the video clip was gorgeous. Now, they’ve released their very own remix, titled an Edge of Control Dub. Crunchy, and strange, it sort of jumps between a fairly standard remix and completely warped, glitchy craziness. It’s really interesting to see The Chemical Brothers spin their own song in such a different way. It’s like there’s a Chem Bros parallel universe – something they’ve grown quite the reputation for.