by Toni Tileva
In this column, I cover songs for you to nod your head to in the EDM scene [electronic dance music, not extra dancey music, for those not in the know].
1. Tokimonsta–Go With It feat. MNDR
Tokimonsta, the turntableista/producer potential heir apparent to DJ Shadow’s crown? The Little Dragon of trip/hip-hop downtempo noodlings? This fresh track is a preview of what’s to come with her first full-length release, Half Shadows, dropping this spring. Tokimonsta calls this “one of the more uplifting tracks I’ve made”–effervescent and ebullient come to mind. Go with it.
2. Grimes–Skin [Four Tet Remix]
Four Tet [or is it Burial] played this track during his set on Rinse FM, later on tweeting “It’s just some track I made the other day using a loop from her record… no remix going on or anything.” Featuring the vocal loop from Grimes’ “Skin,” it definitely bears the signature Four Tet sound.
3. SEXTRAP Vol. 2
No, this is not the subject of a Maury Povich show, title notwithstanding [you are definitely not the father]. Trap’s dalliance with 90’s r’n’b slow jams lends itself especaily well to…various amorous pursuits, seemingly a lot starting with the letter s. Producer BlkkMorris is a master purveyor of what he calls “luxury trap” and he is not joking–this is next level lushness.
4. Missy Elliott–Sock It 2 Me [Kaytranada Remix]
There is Nostradamus, Flosstradamus, and now Montreal’s Kaytradamus, who recently changed his moniker to Kaytranada. I talked about his remix of Erykah Badu’s Love Of My Life a couple of months back–his recent remixes of TLC and Janet Jackson and now Missy have only continued to yield sonic gold.
5. Rhye–Open [Ryan Hemsworth Remix]
Ryan Hemsworth [whom I also talked about before] de-mawkifies Rhye‘s original tune introducing some noirish tension into it, lifting it out of Lilith Fair into Massive Attack-Safe-From-Harm territory.
