Midsummer

via Calvin & Hobbes

Relax with me. One track that I’ve been going back to lately, an ambient clap-driven little  minimal-tech pleasure released on Workshop late last year, is Lowtec‘s “Untitled A1.” The first of three songs on the single, it features a bottled energy that I’ve been really looking for lately in the music I’ve been listening to. If you’re liking this, I’d urge you to check out Kassem Mosse‘s new release on Workshop, dropped late last month.

Lowtec – Untitled A1

Released on Kompact initially in July and once more in August for a Kompact compilation, Nicolas Stefan put together a track titled “Time Is Now” that is a very nice listen. A driving melody complimented with bongo drums, it is a perfect afterhours anthem and one of my favorite tracks of the year so far.

Nicolas Stefan – Closer

For one of the more active minimal producers around these days, Ben Klock sure has put out some interesting work. One would think that a whole year being dedicated to his Before One EP and a full length album, One, would be enough. But completing these two tasks in under six months has left Klock time enough to complete a remix for Rekids, and a single with Elif Bicer, titled “OK” featured on an Ostgut Ton remix single and it’s only August. Very prolific.

Ben Klock – OK (featuring Elif Bicer)

Influence

R.I.P. Ted Kennedy. Our liberal lion.. You’ll be missed.

Gotta credit Get The Curse for this one. Micatone put out this vinyl-only single in 2007 on Sonar Kollektiv containing this remix by Tiefschwarz. You can’t find the track on Beatport, or anywhere else for that matter, which makes this one a gem. I’ve been able to catch Tiefschwarz’ act twice this year, once at DEMF & once at Spybar, making me only wish that they’d come back more often..

Micatone – Plastic Bags & Magazines (Tiefschwarz Remix)

Oliver Huntemann has been on a roll these past few months. “Shanghai Spinner,” an original put out only a few weeks ago, has been on heavy rotation around here alongside the featured remix by Joey Beltram. But more recently I’ve been playing the shit out of this Kollektiv Turmstrasse track he remixed titled “Melodrama.” Hypnotic synth lines that demand a second listen.

Kollektiv Turmstrasse – Melodrama (Oliver Huntemann Remix)

This one I have to credit to Jared over at Mola Super Poco. I went and saw ’500 Days of Summer’ the other day and there’s an excellent scene where Joseph Gordon Levitt covers the Pixies track “Here Comes Your Man” piss drunk at a dive bar karaoke session. A great musical moment in the flick, among many, that set me off on a mini-Pixies hunt through the hype machine, eventually ending on this Allez-Allez remix that I have played repeatedly since discovery. Want more? Try the Fever Ray “Triangle Walks” remix.

The Pixies – The Thing (Allez-Allez Remix)

Closing this one out I’m going to throw down my favorite Juan Maclean remix, thrown together by Audion (aka Matthew Dear). It’s one of the remixes we’ve seen surface recently alongside other excellent renditions by the likes of Will Saul & Mike Monday, Paul Woolford, VHS or Beta, Lee Douglas and fellow Grinder, Lazaro Casanova. This seems to be quite a year for Maclean, and quite a year for DFA in general. No doubt. A final big ups to Data Sapiens for this guy.

The Juan Maclean – Happy House (Matthew Dear vs Audion Remix)

$750

via Oliver Hibert

Sorry for the hiatus- I made the unfortunate mistake of placing an ‘empty’ beer can on my windowsill and a strong gust of wind blew through and knocked the can right onto my laptop keyboard. Sucks. The Apple Store  ‘genius’ guy told me the logic board was damaged, so I didn’t touch it until I received another macbook. Got it for a good deal, too. So for almost two weeks of being down, now we’re up & running once again!

I’m sure some of you kids probably heard this last night in LA. West coast party favorite, Them Jeans, threw together a new remix of The xx that has caught my ear the other day, adding to the sizable list of remixes that he’s completed within the last couple years. Like this track? Check out The XX’s single, Basic Space, that came out earlier this month when you have a chance.

The xx – Shelter (Them Jeans Drum Edit)

The Metronomy remix of Joakim‘s “Spiders” became recently available on K7 Records, that is coupled with the original as well as another track titled “I Can See” (Long Lost Demo) that is well worth checking out. Love love love Joakim’s production. For some incentive? Take a listen to Joakim’s rework of the Metronomy track “Not Made For Love.” It’s a nice lo-fi listen that will be sure to leave a smile on your face.

Metronomy – Not Made For Love (Joakim Remix) [fixed]

Some new glittery, disco-y remix work by Breakbot. This time it’s another heavily vocalized piece, originally done by Severin, titled “On The Edge of a Sunday” that fits in quite nicely with Breakbot’s previous works. Nobody captures a carefree, bubbley vibe like Breakbot does. Looking forward to the full-length that Breakbot has been working on lately, that will be out later this year on Ed Banger. Also check out “Penelope Pitstop,” another track of his that’s been floating around.

Severin – On The Edge of a Sunday (Breakbot Remix)

Nearing

via Marina Loram

Valerie had been heating up on this blog for months at a time, but I haven’t had anything floated my way by Russ Chimes for a minute now. Glad to see him remixing this Frankmusik piece “Confusion Girl,” of which, Frankmusik himself holds very high praises. You Australians might want to watch out for the Russ Chimes tour that is coming your way.

Frankmusik – Confusion Girl (Russ Chimes Remix)

Back to the Epic Banger crew for a minute here, once again we have us a “Lisztomania” track to gush over! Chico Love is back for this Phoenix remix that I copped straight from the source: My Other Computer Is A Sunset. It’s a smooth ride. Enjoy!

Phoenix – Lisztomania (Chico Love Remix)

Housse De Racket are two French guys who recently released their single, Synthetiseur, on Discograph with remixes by Van She, The Teenagers, Mixhell and this Das Glow one posted below. If you’re liking this one, not only should you hunt down those remixes, but you should get ahold of Das Glow‘s original track, “I Want To Wake Up With You,” dropped in late June.

Housse De Racket – Synthetiseur (Das Glow Remix)

Countdown

Spicing things up with a little bit of Tiga, this guy has been super-busy in the last year. Recently releasing his Beep Beep Beep single with countless remixes by big names like Emperor Machine, Loco Dice and Soulwax, right after his own Fever Ray remix, now we have us this Zombie Nation rework of “What You Need” popping up on the radar. Keep ‘em comin’!

Tiga – What You Need (Zombie Nation Remix)

And here’s to another tight remix following up that last Style of Eye piece I put in my last post. The acclaimed Dirty Bird sign, and recent Essential Mix artist, Style of Eye recently threw his own blend of minimal-tech into a Little Boots track titled “Remedy.” Glad to see some more killer ‘Boots remixes coming out, with the Remedy single dropping later this month.

Little Boots – Remedy (Style of Eye Remix)

Just like Beats, who turned me on to this track to begin with, I had never heard a Mighty Mouse produced track until now, and I have to say that I’m liking what I am hearing.  This Bent remix has a Nu-Disco vibe similar to the vein of music much of the DFA artists fall into, I get lost in the spacy synths. Very nice. Go snag the Trevor Lovey track at hotbizzies.

Bent – Always (Mighty Mouse Remix)

Joris Voorn also has a new track that came to my attention. After releasing a single on Cr2 the other day titled “Sweep The Floor,” this is the second time in 4 weeks that he’s cleaned up. Specifically, I’m referring back to the remix he did of “Kobra Dance” by Wigald Boning, released last month on Compost. Simply stunning work, along with the Ost & Kjex piece as well.

Wigald Boning – Kobra Dance (Joris Voorn Reinterpretation)