VIdeos of the Week November 17th

It was definitely a performance-centric top five this week. Led by Travis Scott's memorable performance at the 2017 MTV Europe Music Awards, the week got off to a noteworthy start. Not sure about y'all, but I would be pretty hesitant to be jumping around while performing when I'm standing on top of a giant floating bird about 30 ft about the crowd. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Butterfly Effect and the performance was lit, but join me in hoping he never falls off that big, menacing bird.

On a less dangerous note, both Daft Punk and RL Grime put out tour videos this week to give everyone a glimpse of what they're missing. Having recently seen RL live, it was cool to be reminded of how hype of a show he's capable of putting on. Switching to a more calming, intimate setting, Anime did his thing on NPR's Tiny Desk stage this week. He cycled through a few Good For You favorites like Caroline, Slide, and Wedding Crashers during the short set. And of course last, but always the most entertaining, Macklemore stole the show with his Corner Store performance on Fallon. Such an uplifting track and those horns man...such a solid track...#CornerStore

Travis Scott Rode His Huge Bird Performing at the EMA's

Daft Punk Alive Tour Video

RL Grime - Nova Tour Video Part 1

Anime Puts on a Tiny Desk Concert

Macklemore, Dave B & Travis Thompson Perform Corner Store on Fallon

Photo Credit: YouTube

RL Grime Kicks His Tour Off With Dope New Single, Era

Here he goes again with those loud, arena filling horns. RL Grime has always had a reputation for being able to turn up to a level that most DJs could only dream of reaching. Need some recent evidence? Look no further than his latest single, Era, where he shows off that ceiling yet again.

The track takes a full minute to rev up and take off. When it does, it unleashes a symphony of bass, whiny horns, and a steady click-clack of percussion. What's cool too is the complete tear down and start back up of the beat multiple times throughout the track. Sure, all DJs love to follow the formulaic build up and drop model, but nobody does it quite as thoroughly as RL Grime. If you listen real closely, you might hear Redman cameo in the mix too.

Simply put, words won't do justice to how pumped I am to see him in concert next weekend in SF at Bill Graham. As an FYI, his tour kicks off tonight in Vancouver and will go all the way through Thanksgiving. Someone in between his upcoming Nova album will presumably drop, which means there's plenty of RL on the horizon in this neighborhood of the internet...#Era


RL Grime - Era

Videos of the Week July 21st

It's impossible to sugar coat it, this was a sad week due to the loss of Linkin Park lead man Chester Bennington. It's unfortunate that we continue to lose such talented people to depression at a young age. Hopefully one day mental health is taken as serious as physical health.

Regarding videos this week, Linkin Park still let loose new visuals for Talking to Myself the day that Chester passed. The video will serve as a bittersweet bookmark in history, unfortunately. If you're in need of a boost of energy after the previous video's punch to the gut, then RL Grime and Miguel have you covered. Let's just say they brought the energy at EDC in performing Stay For It. In case you haven't gotten enough of the genius that is Kygo, I've got good news. He'll be releasing a documentary soon that will give more of an in-depth look into his life as a rising artist. If a bit of novelty is what you need, then seeing your favorite Game of Thrones characters spliced together singing Smash Mouth's All-Star will provide some much needed humor in a tough week. And last, but most interesting was a behind the scenes look at Odesza's creative process. Let's just say they do a LOT of tinkering to manipulate and bend sound to until they come up with something unique. Such a cool way they go about inventing chords...#Odesza

Linkin Park - Talking to Myself (Video)

RL Grime and Miguel Perform Stay For It at EDC

Kygo's Stole the Show Documentary Teaser

Smash Mouth's All-Star Sung by Game of Thrones Cast

Inside Odesza's Creative Process

Photo Credit: YouTube

"Save Me From Myself 'Cause I Can't Go Much Longer"

When RL Grime does it big, he does it WAAAY big. A symphony of raw electronic power is what you can expect when you press play on his new single below. Everything from the slow build, to the arena filling synths, to the vibrant bass all works together in such beautiful harmony. And I haven't even mentioned the vocals from Miguel yet. Stay For It isn't a collaboration you'd expect, but often those turn out to be the most novel. His soothing vocals fit the vibe of the track to T, adding another calming element that contrasts well with the eye popping drop. Mark my words, this will go down as a top 10 favorite on GWDJ Favorites for 2017...#StayForIt

RL Grime feat Miguel - Stay For It

RL Grime is Back With New Banger Reims

Few things excite me more than reading "new single off RL Grime album that he's been working on for the better part of two years." Reims is every bit the thunderous trap anthem you'd hope for from someone who has stretched and pulled the genre of EDM to its limits. Like most things Henry touches, it's more controlled chaos than disorganized noise. There's an ebb and flow to the track that comes off as theatrical and dramatic the more you listen. At points you may find yourself waiting for the excitement on the track, but the gradual build makes it all worth it. I'll put it this way, if you like tracks like Scylla and Always, you're going to enjoy the direction of his new one below. Cop it at the usual outlets if you're as pumped as I am about his new one...#Reims

RL Grime - Reims

The Weeknd's Hills Gets Triple Remixed

It sounds silly saying this, but you haven't truly made it until you create a track that someone has triple remixed. What's a triple remix you ask? Good question, it's when you create a track so good that it can be re-imagined three times and still sound fresh. Case in point The Weeknd's The Hills.

Over a year ago, RL Grime slapped his usual Trap treatment on the original, which was deserving of some GWDJ love. The remix must have been awesome because Porter Robinson then took it upon himself to flip it once more into what I'd describe as an ethereal, borderline epic reboot. Then, a YouTube user by the name of Red_ Hokkaido took Porter Robinson's version and transformed it into an even more epic, face-melting version. Better buckle up and hold on before subjecting yourself to the drop on that third mix, kids. This one runs the entire gamut of intensity, which somehow allows it to distinguish itself from the previous two versions. If your head is spinning, that makes two of us, but the good news is you've got three electronic versions to pick from now...#TheHills

Photo Credit: YouTube

The Trifecta of Awesome Get Together on Waiting

Stop the presses y'all, you're not going to see a more high powered collaboration than this one. It's not a typo, RL Grime, What So Not, and Skrillex got went all in on a track together. Before you expect an earth shattering, festival inciting party starter, check your expectations at the door. Waiting is filled with tidbits that will remind you of all three of the producers. You've got the gritty, twisted horns, and sharp drums that will remind you of a lot of RL Grime's experimental style. Then there's the storytelling ebb and flow with plenty of bass that What So Not brings to the table. And if you're not nodding in anticipation while thinking to yourself "this has to be a Skrillex architected drop" then you've been missing out in his music. It's an interesting blend in that there's a really cool mix of dark and melodic. My guess is if you're a hardcore fan of any of the three artists, you'll find a way get into this one...#Waiting

RL Grime & What So Not & Skrillex - Waiting

What Happens When You Put a GoPro Into Outer Space?

Despite the fact that GoPro's stock continues to take on water, there's no denying it's utility. Video recordings have never seen such mobility, providing new perspectives to life on a daily basis. Without GoPros we wouldn't be able to see what paddle boarding with a dog looks like or even shopping at IKEA.

I hear ya, though, what the hell does this have to do with music? Well, RL Grime decided to attach a GoPro to one of those super balloons that have the ability to rise to outer space. Don't know what it's like to slowly ascend into outer space? Don't worry, RL's got you covered with a full four and a half minutes worth of instrumental ebb and flow to document the trip. Spoiler alert, the balloon popping may or may not coincide with a drop. Contrived-ness aside, when it comes to atmospheric music, it doesn't get any better than RL. His ability to tell a story through instrumentation is unparalleled and Aurora is a perfect exhibit to prove that point...#Aurora

RL Grime Gives The Weeknd's Hills a Trap Treatment

Now that The Weeknd has officially become a household name, here come the onslaught of remixes from his latest album Beauty Behind the Madness. While everyone's favorite summer jam was Can't Feel My Face, The Hills has maintained a steady simmer over the past few months. The sappy R&B track was ripe for a Trap remix and it like a boss, RL Grime came through with a winner. Take the original vocals, throw in a sizeable amount of bass and a whole lot of slow clap and you've got the beauty below. If you're looking for a party starter, this won't help quench that thirst, but it's an underrated baby makin' track. Time and place matter, so queue this one up for the nightcap y'all...#TheHills

The Weeknd - The Hills (RL Grime Remix)

RL Takes Scylla From Great to Greater

You have to have some serious audacity to reimagine your own music when it was successful in the first place. Shoot, Avicii made it look easy with his entire album of re-takes from his True album. Enter RL Grime who felt the need to let loose a free-take in anticipation for his upcoming SummerStage concert in September. Before you go nuts over the remix, take a minute to enjoy the visuals from the original below...

It's not a huge departure from the original, but the drop is every bit more epic. Instead of a predictably ebb and flow of synths, the drop is choppy and a bit more energetic. I'll put it this way, if you liked the original, there's a more than 70% chance you'll like this version just as much. Comparing this to the original is like choosing between strawberry shortcake or a strawberry smoothie. Both are great, it just depends on what you're in the mood for...#Scylla

RL Grime - Scylla (VIP Edit)

"Whip Game on Bruce Wayne"

Suffice to say RL Grime isn't getting complacent and riding out the success of his debut studio album VOID. He's back at it in a supporting role, helping Tory Lanez with his new single In For It. The beat has RL's paw prints all over it, but the R&B vocals and verse continue to remind you that it's a heavy Hip Hop track. It's another shining example of how Trap and Hip Hop can make intriguing bedfellows when the two forces combine. If you're looking to cop it, you're going to wait for the new Tory Lanez EP to drop. Until then be on the look out for more from Argentina Fargo and continue livin'...#Swavey

Tory Lanez - In For It (prod by RL Grime)

The Sky Keep on Fallin' With RL Grime & Salva

Yea, this is that dopiness you've been waiting on. Continuing a hot streak of Hip Hop songs turned Trap, RL Grime and Salva gave Travi$ Scott and Young Thug's Skyfall a shiny new paint job. For about the first minute, you're wondering what madness is going to ensue post drop. Then at the 55 second mark, you get a play-action-fake beat switch for ten seconds. That's when the addition of some heavy bounce is thrown in the mix with the bubbly synths.

After only a few listens, I'm not afraid to proclaim that this is one of my favorites from February. The depth and pace jives so well together that it hits home with the core of what I like going on between Hip Hop and electronic music right now. Best part about it, it's available for free via Soundcloud. Free things do come wrapped this nicely in packages, so do it justice and play it loud when you see that .part file become .mp3 in your downloads folder...#Skyfall

Travi$ Scott feat Young Thug - Skyfall (RL Grime & Salva Remix)

RL Grime Goes Low on TNGHT's Acrylics

It doesn't get much more exciting than seeing RL Grime remix a track by TNGHT. Acrylics is one of TNGHT's more noteworthy tracks, but the trap re-work injects a shot of life into the original. Peep the original video below for reference...

Don't get it twisted, the remix isn't a huge departure, aside from the 808 bass that takes it from a energetic track to a speaker rattling, crowd igniting jam. If RL wanted us to get excited about his upcoming tour, this was one hell of a way to stir up some excitement...#VOID

TNGHT - Acrylics (RL Grime Edit)

Baauer Unleashes Unspeakably Awesome Tell Me Remix

When a new EDM track is played live for the first time, I'm usually really hesitant to post it because of quality issues. Sometimes waiting for months to post a track can be agonizing, but I like to err on the conservative side because I'd be pissed as an artist if a low quality leak with the camera bouncing all over the place was the way that my new creation was leaked to the masses.

Tonight I'm going to make an exception to that unwritten rule for a couple reasons. 1) I already posted the original version of the track back in March and 2) What Baauer did to the original version of RL Grime and What So Not's Tell Me should be considered illegal it was so filthy. Whatever you do, don't skip around when listening to the live version below. Even though the first minute and a half sound identical to the original, what follows is a trap masterpiece. I need not say anymore, press play below and witness a music and light display that will amaze...#Baauer

The Perfect Strain of EDM for Futuristic Animation

It feels like you have to have some sort of schtick to stand out these days in the world of electronic music. Skrillex has the whole spaceship thing going on with his live performance, while deadmau5 has always had the big mouse head. A lot of it is branding, but it's understandable why someone would see a need to try and carve their own niche in a genre that is expanding with new artists by the second.

Recently RL Grime decided that his new album was going to be known for killer sci-fi, space age warfare stuff. Every single release from his recently released album Void has been accompanied with some form of crazy futuristic airborne theme. It's hard to imagine any other type of music other than trap being played as the soundtrack to his animated movies, but suffice to say, the rhythms do the visuals justice. It's half head nodding tribal goodness, half loud raucous bass. Not sure about what you think of that mix, but in my eyes, that's a formula for awesome...#Valhalla

Scylla Gets After It, Filling RL Grime's Upcoming Void

RL Grime's new album Void comes out on November 17th. Why does that matter you ask? A month back RL gave us the first good reason in the form of Reminder and now he has taken our modest expectations and thrown gasoline all over it with Scylla.

My goodness, between the bass and aggressive synths, the track below gets AFTER IT! My suggestion is to have that seatbelt fastened when you hit the drops around the 1:08 and 3:25 marks. Unless you are feeling like getting a speeding ticket or wilding out like nobody is lookin', I'd exercise extreme caution and consume accordingly...#Scylla

RL Grime - Scylla

RL Grime Reminds of "When You Were Mine"

...speaking of stepping outside of an artist's usual sound, I did not see this coming from RL Grime. After hearing his latest single, Core, I was pretty convinced that RL's upcoming album (Void) was going to be chalked full of loud, bangin' trap music. Then I heard his new track Reminder, which flipped the script completely, similarly to his album announcement video (below)...
Featuring the vocals of Justin Timberlake How to Dress Well, Reminder is more of a power ballad than anything. It's methodical, emotional and sounds more like a track The Weeknd would have put together. Whatever the case, it's an intriguing development in the sound of RL's debut release...#RLGrime

RL Grime feat How To Dress Well - Reminder

A Little Saturday Night Grime

As I continue to get caught up in trap, I'm finding myself gravitating more and more toward RL Grime. A big reason for that is the incredible amounts of bass the LA native is able to infuse into house samples. For example, this week he released a new one featuring the duo What So Not called Tell Me. The track starts off with an innocuous harmony that forecasts a peaceful track. Then, around the half minute mark a slow build up emerges, giving way to a drop that begins and entirely different chapter of the track. The resulting cacophony of horns, bass and vocal sample are awe inspiring. Yep, this one is a must add to the Best of Trap playlist I've got cooking in iTunes...#TellMe

RL Grime & What So Not - Tell Me

Baauer & RL Grime Give Out Infinite Daps

Wow...you want to talk about awesomeness personified through a beat. Holy moly, Baauer & RL Grime just woke my neighbors up with their deck rattling 808 bass and poppin' percussion on Infinite Daps. If this is what trap music is supposed to sound like, then show me where to sign on the dotted line.

This is one of more awesome tracks you might have heard on Baauer & RL Grime's summer Infinite Daps tour. In fact, they made a whole mix of music you can check out here if you're wondering what the tour entailed. I'm always apprehensive when I see two big time DJs come together on a collaboration, but it's pretty clear the two artists mentioned in this post have a whole lot of chemistry together. Not sure about you guys, but when Hip Hop and EDM combine, this DJ is one happy camper...#InfiniteDaps

Baauer & RL Grime - Infinite Daps