Liv, the Swedish supergroup that involves prolific artists like Lykke Li, Andrew Wyatt, Pontus Winberg, Björn Yttling, and Jeff Bhasker, seem to enjoy coming together for a new release once in a blue moon. It’s always a grand event when Lykke Li and members of Miike Snow as well as Peter Bjorn and John drop a new collaboration, so I was over the moon when ‘Hurts to liv’ surfaced. Aside from its clever wordplay, ‘Hurts to liv’ is quite the twangy melancholic charmer. She states of the song: “There’s nothing more life awakening than the beginning and end of life, love and art. This song is a tribute to my mother and Andrew’s father, who passed away”. “Hurts to liv’ is out on INGRID. Stream/purchase, here.
Last month, a new supergroup surfaced comprising of Lykke Li, Andrew Wyatt, Pontus Winnberg, Björn Yttling, and Jeff Bhasker, or in other words., a conglomerate of talent involving the likes of Lykke Li, Miike Snow, and Peter Bjorn and John. Liv gave us a rather enchanting debut named Wings Of Love, which they’ve now followed up with Dream Awake. As its name suggests, this gauzy opaque mixture of folk, psychedelia, and lo-fi dream pop takes us to a place in between worlds. We hang in mid air, lost in the beauty of this desolate yet tender song. Dream Awake is out now on Swedish label INGRID.
I must have missed the memo when news of a new superband named Liv recently surfaced, but I’m one of the cool kids now that I’ve encountered the fresh video that just surfaced for their first single Wings Of Love. This collective is comprised of Lykke Li, Andrew Wyatt, Pontus Winnberg, Björn Yttling and Jeff Bhasker. That’s right, this is a Lykke Li, Miike Snow, and Peter Bjorn and John conglomerate! Wings Of Love’s video is also Lykke Li’s directorial debut, a rather free spirited and Bohemian clip to go with the song’s folksy inebriating psych rock. Lykke Li describes the video as an ode to Swedish summer. I find it all very “Summer Of Love”, too. I’m transported back to the 60′s by these illustrious musicians, and it’s a blissful voyage through time.
Ed Banger Records signed French producer Mr. Oizo unleashed a colossal EP several days ago. Off the playful dance release comes opening track Hand In The Fire, a fizzy bold collaboration with British pop sensation, Charli XCX. Jagged hooks, bombastic chops, and Charli XCX’s unique pop meets punk vocals make Hand In The Fire a blazing inferno of trap imbued dance pop. A quick look at the “liner notes” for the song has my jaw dropped wide open. Hand In The Fire is produced by Quentin Dupieux, and on writing credits alongside him, we have Charli XCX, MNDR, Andrew Wyatt (Miike Snow), Noonie Bao, Rostam Batmanglij (Vampire Weekend). No wonder this new Mr. Oizo jam is such a banger. Stream the producer’s new EP of the same name in fulll on Soundcloud and purchase on iTunes.
Miike Snow blew our minds with a funky soul and trip hop permeated song named Heart Is Full last month, and I’ve been waiting for new album details and another jaw dropping taste since. The brilliantly versatile Swedish alt dance trio fulfills my wishes today. They’ve unveiled Genghis Khan, a song that carries some of the synth smoothness of their previous repertoire on Happy To You, infused with a dash of funky chords and a playful pop cadence. Along with the new single comes news that Miike Snow’s next album, iii, will be out March 4th. Pre-order on iTunes and get both Genghis Khan and Heart Is Full as instant downloads.
I’ve been happy to see that Canadian producer XVII has been picking up even more much deserved buzz lately, and that buzz and appreciation has only grown exponentially since the release of this mind blowing remix, XVII’s rendition of beloved new Flume single Some Minds, featuring Andrew Wyatt of Mike Snow. Since that dramatic, tense song’s release, the electronic world has been offering up a multitude of remixes. XVII’s slamming trap remix might in fact be my favorite one to date. As on previous tracks we’ve enjoyed from XVII, it’s a ferocious and tempestuous edit, a dark and powerful piece of regal, majestic trap magnificence.
I’ve already mentioned countless times how enraptured I am with Flume’s new masterpiece of a song, Some Minds, featuring Andrew Wyatt of Miike Snow. I mean, come on, this song is just face melting incredible. While the original has a deliberate and slow build up with a very simmering, downtempo atmosphere to begin with, this remix is bumping from the get go. Pink Slip, who I previously featured for his original Dark In The Light, turns in a bubbly, effervescent, amd animated rendition of Some Minds. It’s a bewitching track that takes Flume’s work of art to a new region of pulsing energy, pitch shifted vocals, and spaciously deep bass. Pink Slip’s Some Minds is ravishingly riveting in a fresh way.
That wizard of future bass and chill trap from Australia named Flume, who pretty much was a worldwide game changer and influencer when he dropped his self titled debut album, released possibly my top favorite electronic track last week. Some Minds, which features Andrew Wyatt of Miike Snow, is simply incredible. Despite my devotion to the original, I found myself carried away by a killer remix by a producer from Toronto (by way of Australia) named Island Riot. Island Riot’s re-working of Some Minds retains a lot of the original’s haunting, droning atmosphere, but gives it a big bump in intoxicating, spacious energy from the get go. He adds another drop and some drums to give it that busy tempo push, bringing out more of that Miike Snow vibe brought along by Andrew Wyatt.
My jaw nearly hit the floor when I first caught wind of this track late last night. I didn’t expect to hear a new Flume song, much less one that features Andrew Wyatt of Miike Snow! I’ve listened to Some Minds countless times since this music video for the track first surfaced last night. The always incredible and obviously versatile Flume goes with a more floaty, pensive, and steady sound on entrancing Some Minds, which is a style that pairs very nicely with Wyatt’s signature vocals. Combined, they give us a haunting, gossamer effect on the skittery tune, which breaks open partway through into the wobbly, woozy, bubbly antics we love about Flume. Oh, and the video, filmed at the Sydney Opera House, is a force to be reckoned with, too. Brilliant? I think so. When is Flume NOT?
moosiq 