Star Wars Embraces EDM on Headspace Album

It's a sign of the times that electronic music and nerdiness are becoming more and more intertwined by the day. Sure, you've got the whole part about how electronic music relies on a lot of digital manipulation, which requires a lot of skill and artistry with computers that nerds have been known to know how to use pretty well. But until recently when video games started knocking on a lot of EDM artists' doors, there hadn't been a lot of soundtracks that were predominantly EDM focused.

Keeping all that in mind, today was a big day for electronic music. You don't get much bigger whales than Star Wars when it comes to hardcore fan bases. The fact that big names like Baauer, GTA, Kaskade, Galantis, and Troyboi were all featured on the new Star Wars Headspace album is nothing short of awesome. After giving the whole album a listen, I thought the album as a whole was a really solid mix of Star Wars samples and synths. It was not easy picking a favorite, but if you held a gun to my head, I'd go with Röyksopp's Bounty Hunters. If you close your eyes, you might think for a minute that you're listening to the Tron soundtrack, but around the 4:30 mark, the beat fully hits its stride. Really dope track overall, but by all means, give the full compilation a listen because Rick Rubin did an excellent job putting together a top notch collection of new music...#Headspace

Röyksopp - Bounty Hunters

Videos of the Week February 19th

You'd be hard pressed to find a more stacked week for videos. Truth be told, it was hard narrowing down the ten or so videos that were in the running for the top five. Between the Grammy performances and Kanye performing on SNL, there was a lot of content to pick from. In my opinion, the Kendrick Lamar and Justin Bieber/Jack U performances were the most memorable, but I'd give Lady Gaga's David Bowie tribute a solid honorable mention. And as far as Kanye goes, I don't really have word for Ultra Light Beams. It's dramatic, it's emotional and it's everything you'd expect in a Kanye performance.

In the land of non-live performances, Flume came through with some trippy and emotional visuals for his new single Never Be Like You. Love everything about the slow trap movement, which includes slow bangers like that one. And for some a humorous ending to the week, there's the third incarnation of musician Mean Tweets from the Kimmel Show. My favorite digs were on Ed Sheeran, Common and of course the creative Mumford jab in the end was worthy of mentioning...#MeanTweets
Kendrick Lamar Performs The Blacker the Berry and Alright at The Grammys

Jack U and Bieber Performance at The Grammys

Flume feat Kai - Never Be Like You (Video)

Kanye West Performs Ultra Light Beams With Chance the Rapper on SNL
Mean Tweets Music Edition #3 on Kimmel

Photo Credit: CBS

"No One Wants to Fall Out of Heaven"

Initially, it seemed like Kanye was hell bent on keeping his new album on ice Tidal. Now it looks like he's continuing with that plan, but with a revamped version of his new album. First came the new version of Wolves and now there are rumors of tracks becoming longer. Whatever the case, I'm blindly guessing that the new track below is a leftover and won't be on the final version of the final album that may finally come later this week. Fall Out of Heaven showcases plenty of autotune from both Kanye and The Dream and is packed with plenty narcissism. It has a low key synth aided, slow jam vibe to it that is tempting to attribute to Bon Iver's influence on the track. There's not a whole lot that's unpredictable about this one, but in case you wanted an update on the debacle that is becoming Kanye's latest album release, then I hope you feel caught up...#FallOutOfHeaven

Kanye West feat The Dream & Bon Iver - Fall Out of Heaven

Disclosure Takes Nocturnal to the V.I.P.

What's better than a Disclosure original? A V.I.P. mix with slightly more tempo than the original. If you didn't catch the original version of Nocturnal off their recent album Caracal, then catch up before you enter the V.I.P...
I'd call the original a fresh slice of funky house music that The Weeknd shines all over. The tempo is measured, to a point that it's almost difficult to dance to. And as you should know by now, Disclosure is all about the womp womp style Deep House that you'll find on their V.I.P. mix. The new version is much more their tempo, showcasing bouncy bass and a playful repetition. Basically if you liked the original, but just wished it had more tempo, they did you a solid on the new mix...#Noctural

"Could You Carry Me, On and On and On?"

So first off, let's get the bad news out of the way. Kygo's upcoming album, Cloud Nine, will be delayed a bit from it's planned February 12th release...

Hey guys, Im sorry to say the album is going to be a little delayed. Ive been working on this album for a year and a half, so I dont want to rush anything now in the end and I want it to be perfect when I release it! Its 99% done so its very close now! - Kygo (via Soundcloud)

To his credit, when he shared the news, he let us down softly by giving us a sneak peek into what is coming next. They're mostly minute long snippets, so keep your expectations in check before you get too excited...

All that being said, the above news isn't what this post about. It's about a new track currently called Carry Me with the understanding that both the track's name and completion are a work in progress. It's inspirational, symphonic Tropical House tracks like this that landed my fandom squarely in his corner in the first place. The vocals are on point and the beat is mesmerizingly awesome thanks in large part to the keyboard wizardry that his notoriety is built on. If I'm being honest, the track below has me more excited than any of the snippets above, but that's probably biased because there were a few snips that didn't even really take off before moving on to the next one. Even though we're going to have to wait just a little bit longer for the full release, I'm cool with chewing on this one for a bit to bide the time...#CloudNine

Kygo - Carry Me

Marshmello & Slushii Wanted You 2 Have a Happy V-day

Sticking with the Valentines Day love for just one more day since there was so much love in the music world yesterday. It was near impossible topping Macklemore's stellar effort on Spoons, but since I'm partial to EDM, I feel the need to not entirely skip of Marshmello and Slushii's electronic slow jam version of WaNt U 2. If you're confused about the phrase electronic slow jam, that makes two of us because as I typed it I was thinking to myself "wtf is an electronic slow jam."

Well, I'll put it this way, I've never heard a slower, more exaggerated drop than what I witnessed below on the VIP edit. I haven't listened to much Slushii, but the high pitched sample and overall happy tone has Marshmello's style written all over it. It's the first time I've thought to myself, if a 90s slow jam were to made of entirely synths, this is what it would sound like. There's a nice, bouncy tempo leading up to the drop, but the drawn out, sappiness of the drop is somethin' special. It's a rare remix where I'm finding myself liking it more than the original version. In a an electronic world where it's becoming harder and harder to be different, this one sure threw more for a loop that I actually kind of like in a weird way...#WaNtU2

Marshmello x Slushii - WaNt U 2 (Valentines Day VIP Edit)

"I'm Spoonin' You, You're Spoonin' Me"

Man, there's something about offbeat humor that has made this Valentines Day weekend better than expected. First, it was the movie Deadpool. If you haven't seen it yet, you need to, but not with your kids or a even little cousin. It's about the funniest superhero movie you're ever going to see on the big screen and it covers all bases of humor from situational to ironic to circumstantial humor, it's got it all.

Now today, we've got a brand new modern ode to love from Macklemore. Featuring the vocals of Ryan Bedard on the hook and packed with plenty of sexual innuendo meant to make you nod and smile all at once. It's one of those, "man you gotta hear this sh*t type of tracks" that you need to hear to believe. It's so real and quirky that it ends up being incredibly endearing. Some people will brush it off as too corny, but for those of you grown folk out there who have experienced real, committed love, you'll get more than a few kicks out of it. That whole bit about the Netflix queue had me rollin', but there's so much content to latch onto that you'll hopefully find a way to make it fit into this revered day of love...#TwoSpoons

Macklemore feat Ryan Bedard - Spoons

"I Hit the Gym, All Chest No Legs"

As we all continue to wait with baited breath for Kanye's new album, The Life of Pablo, at least have a new track to chew on to pass the time. According to the latest news, the album is being mastered now and the track below will be song 14 on the official release...

The album is being mastered and will be out today… added on a couple of tracks… pic.twitter.com/6lBxcd83N2

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016

30 Hours is an accessible track that relies on Kanye's penchant for storytelling. There are plenty of one liners sprinkled throughout that will garner a chuckle or two, which in a way, shows Ye's endearing side. It's a smooth addition to the tracklist that is evidently still a work in progress if you're believing the company line that it's now Chance the Rapper's fault for the delay. Let's all collectively hope that super villain wannabe Martin Shkreli's $10 million offer to buy his new album has nothing to do with the yellow light we seem to perpetually be stuck in as we wait for that iTunes link...#LifeOfPablo

Kanye West - 30 Hours

Videos of the Week February 12th

Was it me or did all the news this week in music center around Beyonce and Kanye? While it was tempting to post snippets of Kanye's Madison Square Garden album launch fashion show, it was much better consumed live. Instead, let's pivot to Beyonce who is hilariously being threatened to be banned from Canada. Anyone who saw the Super Bowl performance was probably inspired by the aggressive and controlled demeanor of Queen B. The same description could be given to her real video for Formation where she steams ahead, proudly proclaiming Black Pride.

It's hard to follow that type of video, but if you haven't heard of Parson James, here's another example why he's going to be a household name soon enough. The dude is such a talented vocalist, there's no denying it. Word it has it Zoolander 2 comes out this weekend and it's receiving sub-part reviews. Along the same silly comedy lines, Peyton Manning and Magic Johnson played egg roulette on Fallon. Anytime you can see Hall of Fame athletes making a fool of themselves, it's going to be a good time. Speaking of making a fool of yourself, Kevin Hart is legitimately scared of reptiles. Not just little lizards, but also big snakes. In his words, "Snakes are racist!" Yea lots of laughs this week for sure...#Ophidiophobia

I forgot to post this video yesterday....I tried to conquer my fears!!! Shit didn't work, snakes can kiss my ... http://t.co/m3N0JzVRqc

— Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) March 8, 2014

Beyonce - Formation (Video)

Parson James Performs Temple on Late Night With Seth Myers

Zoolander 2 (Extended Trailer)

Egg Russian Roulette With Peyton Manning and Magic Johnson on Fallon

Kevin Hart is Afraid of Snakes...Hilarity Ensues

Photo Credit: YouTube

"Oh, Ophelia, You Been on My Mind, Girl, Since the Flood"

Without hesitation, I'm taking a night off from the usual stream of Hip Hop and EDM to give you one of the better songs I've heard this year. The Lumineers? Folk music you say? You better believe it because their new single Ophelia is one of their better singles in recent memory. The quietly moving track showcases excellent vocals from lead singer Wesley Schultz, a mellow piano-led beat and an undeniably catchy hook. If you're not singing along to the "Oh, Ophelia..." at the beginning of the hook, then you're missing out. For those of you keeping score at home, this is the first of fifteen tracks that will be surfacing on their upcoming album Cleopatra that is scheduled to hit e-shelves on April 8th. We can only hope that the album is half as good as their lead single...#Ophelia

"Red Lips Always Lie"

Some remixes don't require much introduction or hype, they practically force you to press play on name recognition. File this one under that categorization as Dillon Francis and Skrillex went absolutely buckwild with GTA's Red Lips. You know how we do, we like comparing things in this hood of the internet, so check the original before imbibing in the "rebirth"...

Where the original is trappy and carried by some superb horns, the remix takes more on more of a skittish, tribal vibe. On one hand you've Dillon Francis covering the boomy Moombahton angle and Skrillex chipping in an speaker rattling, robotic samples. Definitely two very different sounds when comparing the original to the remix, but that's probably why they called it a rebirth. Can't complain about that free download via Soundcloud, though. Better get at that before the magical down arrow disappears....#RedLips

GTA - Red Lips (Dillon Francis X Skrillex Rebirth)

Haywyre Keeps It Rolling With Impulse

Now that I've had a minute to do a full swan dive into Haywyre's new Two Fold Pt. 2 EP, I think I've found a favorite track. Topping previous favorites like Do You Don't You and Endlessly was no small task, but Impulse proved to outlast them all. What I like most about it is the mix of slow, rhythmic bass and experimental samples sprinkled throughout. It takes about a minute or so to ramp up, but the beat that follows is worth the wait. When he brings in the middle eastern sounding horns around the 2:16 mark, I almost lost it. Just a cool all around track that is growing on me with each listen. Best part about, Haywyre is coming with Seven Lions to SF on Thursday. See y'all there?...#TwoFoldPt2

Haywyre - Impulse

"Let Me Hit You With That Pep Rally"

As tempting as it was to re-post Super Bowl commercials, the national anthem or even the halftime show, I'm going to operate under the assumption that you probably saw the majority of it. What I'm going to highlight tonight was a somewhat unique release of a new single via Super Bowl commercial. Can't say I've seen that before, but we can thank Amazon and Missy Elliot's partnership for breaking new ice...
As as side note, it's pretty cool that Amazon Echo is becoming a new platform to develop on. Not sure Uber would be one of the top ways I'd utilize it, but Spotify integration looks pretty cool.

As far as the new Missy single goes, it's just as turnt up as her previous release WTF (Where You From). It doesn't have quite the catchy lyrics, but the steady 808 thump is impossible to ignore. The marching band vibe adds to the dance worthiness too, giving Pep Rally plenty of party starter appeal. At the very least, it's great to hear an artist from my upbringing come back to the game like she never left. Hoping this streak of great music continues on the way toward a new album at some point...#PepRally

"Haven't Seen You Naked For a While"

With more people latching onto Tropical House through the Kygos and Thomas Jacks of the world, Sam Feldt is quietly making a name for himself as a player in the genre. I've posted a few of his tracks, but it's exciting to hear that he has a new five song EP coming out in early March. His new single, Been a While, should be more than enough to get people excited for what's to come in the next few weeks. Featuring plenty of flute, some easy-going whistling, and some horns from Q on the Trumpet, it has everything you'd want from a Trop House track. Not only that, if you're looking for a relaxing tune to combat the bumper to bumper Super Bowl traffic on your way home from the game tonight, this will hit the spot...#BeenAWhile

Sam Feldt - Been a While

"Don't Let Me, Don't Let Me, Don't Let Me Down Now"

There are few things I've enjoyed watching more than The Chainsmokers meteoric rise. Despite the fact that they've come up, they're still trying their damnedest to maintain a real connection with the fans who helped boost them to where they're currently at. I say where they're currently at because they're killing it right now, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Bieber, Adele, and Selena Gomez on top iTunes singles...

And the best part about it? They haven't stopped churning out great music. Case in point their newest creation, Don't Let Me Down, which features the vocals of Daya...who sounds strikingly similar to Rihanna, which is a big compliment. It's not their usual party starter, but it falls directly in line with a lot of vocal driven tracks they've done in the past. It's a testament to their ability to be comfortable at any tempo and know when they need to play the Chris Paul role by dishing out an assist every now and then to a talented vocalist in order to achieve a successful result. Tip of the cap to Alex and Drew for continuing to push the envelope creatively and for finding a way to resurrect this gem from the grave after losing the original to a hard drive crash...#DontLetMeDown

The Chainsmokers feat Daya - Don't Let Me Down

Videos of the Week February 5th

Sticking with a NFL theme this week seeing that the Super Bowl is this weekend. Although it was tempting, I resisted posting a few of the entertaining commercials before they air on Sunday. It truly wouldn't be the Super Bowl without crazy, ridiculous ads, so we'll leave those cats inside the box.

First, the novelty. The 2016 Bad Lip Reading video Part 1 might be one of the more entertaining videos I post all year. They never disappoint, year after year. Similarly, Fallon did an excellent job of roasting some of the players who will be taking part in the big game this weekend. On the music front, The Chainsmokers continued their EDM conquest on Fallon by performing their now #1 iTunes dance single Roses. Coldplay also released a new video with Beyonce's help, but I was a little confused about the lyrical content being about drunk and high...on life? Definitely a celebratory video and much more feel good than I imagined. To end the week, how about some dap for Ohene Savant. There are plenty of people who can either play a live instrument, or produce music or even rap. But can any of them do all of them with a degree of skill? Needless to say, he's much more the exception to the rule, so give him a look and don't be afraid to be amazed like I was...#GeniusLevel
2016 Bad Lip Reading NFL

NFL Superlatives on Fallon

Coldplay feat Beyonce - Hymn For the Weekend (Video)

The Chainsmokers & Rozes Perform Roses on Fallon

Ohene Savant Shows What It Takes to Be a Producer/Rapper

Photo Credit: YouTube

Marley's Is This Love Gets a Stellar Update From Vicetone

Risky doesn't begin to explain how dangerous it is to try and re-imagine a Bob Marley classic. There's so much potential for failure and nobody has the audacity to think they can transform something as sacred as a track like Is This Love. All that being said, Vicetone stared down the aforementioned risks and said don't worry guys, I got this.

The resulting remix is nothing short of magical. It manages to capture the nostalgia of the original, while adding in a relaxing chord progression and sped up vocal sample to match the increased tempo. The electronics take the back seat in this "EDM" remix, finding a way to add in just the right amount of rhythm to compliment the vocal highlights from the original. Tip of the cap doesn't do justice to what I just listened to, so let's go with a full on *slow clap* for the Dutch production duo...#IsThisLove

Bob Marley - Is This Love (Vicetone Remix)

Autograf Dishes Out a Warm Bowl of Future Soup

Hopefully you came to this neighborhood of the internet for some high energy, crisp house music tonight because Autograf came correct with his new one. With the help of some soulful vocals from Patrick Baker, Future Soup excels in its mix of wobbly chords and heavy bass. As an added bonus, you're in for a head massage treatment if you have some decent headphones. On a personal note, I appreciate it when there's a concerted effort made to set the tone on a track before brining in the vocals. That's exactly what Autograf did on his new one, which made me appreciate the complimentary vocals that much more. If you're a fan of the track, it will be released as part of a five song Future Soup EP that will be arriving on digital e-tailers on March 11th. Until then, join me in keeping this one on heavy repeat for the next month...#FutureSoup

Autograf feat Patrick Baker - Future Soup

"Do You Hear What I Hear, Do You Care if I Care"

I can't quite put my finger on why, but I really like Haywyre's brand of unique, quirky electronic music. He comes correct with noteworthy samples, some funk and a good deal of House vibes to boot. On his new one, Do You Don't You, you initially get smacked in the face with high pitched keys and thumping bassline. What follows is a swanky, upbeat house vibe that offers plenty of reasons to dance. The track is set to surface on his upcoming Two Fold Pt. 2 album that will drop next week. Looking back, the single comes almost exactly a year after I first posted Haywyre's crazy talent on the keys. All in all, it will be tough to top his Two Fold Pt. 1 album, but I'd say the new one below is a step in the right direction...#TwoFoldPt2

Haywyre - Do You Don't You

A Brand New Acronym That We Should Know - YWMO

It's been quite a while since we've heard from Wolfgang Gartner. Looking back, 2012 was the peak of my fandom when we he tearing it up with tracks like We Own the Night and Love and War. I'll always remember his DJ set at The Bluebird in Bloomington, Indiana where he basically poured gasoline all over my interest in EDM.

A mere four years later, Wolfgang now finds himself in a crowded EDM marketplace where it takes that much more to impress. But a little competition never bothers the best and Wolfgang is in fact back with a vengeance. Call it new Nu-Disco or just funky electronic music, whatever you want to label his new single Y.W.M.O., it works for me. It's a bit bold inventing a new acronym, but when you've got the vocals of Gene Noble to pave the way, it's all good in the hood. Simply put, I dare you to try not to dance to this one. Better yet, I dare you not to dance to his entire new album, Ten Ways to Steal Home Plate. It just so happens to have landed on Spotify and iTunes this week, which means there's a whole lot to catch up one...#YWMO

Wolfgang Gartner feat Gene Noble - Y.W.M.O. (You Wear Me Out)