I’d like to start this rendition of Head in the Clouds with an apology. Tardiness is not something we aim for here at Wake the Deaf, and this post has arrived a week or two late. Please forgive me.
There are, in fact, several reasons for this delay. Firstly, I spent the weekend in Copenhagen and got somewhat sidetracked. Secondly, every single time I went to post this, someone dropped a new track that merited inclusion. Life was only made more difficult by my indecision on whether to include artists who had already been mentioned; tracks/remixes from Cloud Boat and Kidnap Kid merited inclusion but I felt for diversities sake that I should aim for artists that, thus far, had not been mentioned in this series. So, without further ado, here is Head in the Clouds, Vol. 3:
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/84057449″]
First up is Shlohmo. Bo Beep (Do U Right) is absolutely everything that Shlohmo does right. The vocals, the beat, the driving, bouncing bass. It’s both pressing and relaxed at the exact same time, both a serenade and a call-to-arms. And it’s free to download.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/84409412″]
Next is new music from Mount Kimbie. These are massive WtD favourites (they’ve been mentioned/posted about at least five times since our inception) and the sounds that have found their way to our ears from their sophomore release have excited us. Two snippets have been released, Made To Stray and Blood And Form. I’ve decided to feature Made To Stray here. It’s more beat driven, a little more traditionally MK and just lovely. The full length is to be released on May 27/28th.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/84950116″]
Our third entry come courtesy of SMΛЦG, Bijou and With Joyful Lips. My one criticism of With Joyful Lips is that there just isn’t enough from him. What that does mean, however, is that every release and remix is truly worth hearing. His remix of Moonlight is no exception. The track builds and builds with stuttering guitars and drums only adding to the sense of urgency. There’s a brief soujorun at 2:56, but everything kicks back in post-haste.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/86983234″]
Welcome the return of TNGHT. We love them, their eponymous EP received our EP of year award for 2012, and they’re back with a massive-big-fuck-off-bang. I’m currently reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula and it’s genuinely creepy but nowhere near as disturbing as the music box sample in Acrylics. Somehow TNGHT blend it all into the most danceable mix imaginable. I simply cannot wait to see these guys at Field Day 2013.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/86974500″]
Track five is a beauty from Jacques Greene. He’s another of our favourites here and Painted Faces (Feat. Tinashe) is everything we’ve come to expect from the the Canadian producer; lush synths and gorgeous vocals. Free to download after 100,000 plays? Help a brother out …
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/87006920″]
And we finish with a remix of one of my tracks of the year. Rhye’s Open is so alluring that I’d pigeon-holed it as one of those tracks that could never be bettered. It’s so delicate and intimate that I honestly thought no one could improve it. Step forward Sohn, who adds throbbing synths, reverb aplenty and a dense bassline. The overall affect is that Open becomes even more cathartic. This is one of those tracks that needs to be heard again and again.
And that’s your quota for April. I hope you enjoy this listening to this collection of songs as much as I enjoyed compiling them. Check back in a month for our next update.