Tag Archives: Diplo

Weekly Gems 46

WILLA – Cause You Did

WILLA

Much like Charli XCX, Toronto-based pop artist WILLA has music and colour synesthesia; a cross-sensory condition which allows those who have it to experience things with more than one sense.

Channelling a new sparkling colour in ‘Cause You Did,’ WILLA confronts the feelings of pain associated with the person that hurt her the most.

Sounds like: Billie Eilish, VÉRITÉ, Charli XCX

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Coach & Ref – Decisions Feat. Mike Taylor

Coach & Ref - Decisions

Boston-based futurist nu-electro/synth-pop duo Coach & Ref team up with Los Angeles-based talent Mike Taylor on their highly optimistic new single, ‘Decisions’.

Speaking of the track,

“Decisions is a song that answers a question people ask me all the time “Why are you so damn happy” and the answer for me is, “I choose to be so damn happy”. It’s as simple as that.”

Sounds like: Sofi Tukker, Taylor Swift

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RKCB – Know Love

RKCB

RKCB is Los Angeles-based twosome comprised of Riley Knapp and Casey Barth.

Their single ‘Know Love’ is about accepting change, inspired by a book written by Alan Watts during the duo’s time in London, and is full of R&B leaning pop melodies and waves of synths loops and impassioned vocals.

Sounds like: Talos, Aquilo, Solomon Grey

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CUB – Don’t Wanna Know Feat. Clara Hurtado

CUB - Don't Wanna Know

Rising young producer CUB shares his new single ‘Don’t Wanna Know’.

Once again featuring the vocal talents of The Voice UK’s Clara Hurtado, CUB and Hurtado manage to perfectly unite electronic dance and pop realms.

Sounds like: Draper, Jake Alder, Diplo, Mura Masa, Zedd

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Joakim Molitor – Back To You

Joakim Molitor by Niklas Åkerlund

Arguably Sweden’s best kept secret, Joakim Molitor today shares his short and snappy single ‘Back To You’, out on TEN (Zara Larsson, Icona Pop, Niki & The Dove, Benjamin Ingrosso).

All good things come to end, but luckily SoundCloud has a repeat play button for this uplifting romantic, electronic ballad.

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Weekly Gems 40

kidsun – Keep It To Yourself

kidsun

kidsun (aka Ben Kidson) is a vibrant young electro-pop producer from the UK.

Going against the grain of his peers, kidsun decided he would forge his own musical path, by skipping class to teach himself drums and write music in a similar vain to Sigrid and Twenty One Pilots.

His latest result is ‘Keep It To Yourself’. Listen below.

Sounds like: Twenty One Pilots

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Madge – How To Play

Madge - How To Play

Who is Madge? Well, you’re about to find out. Possibly.

Madge is a DIY-pop project from L.A, who creates candy-licked songs about dark emotional matter. her single ‘How To Play’ is more literal and fun than her usual endeavours, “something simple, repetitive, and literal.”

Sounds like: LCMDF, Annie

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CUB – Obsessed

CUB by Matt Stephens

CUB by Matt Stephens

Wow, we cannot get enough of CUB‘s new single, ‘Obsessed’ featuring Clara Hurtado.

Naturally slotting into the pop and electronic dance realms, Clara’s smooth vocals float between a quirky guitar hook and pounding bass line to create a club-infused pop cocktail.

Sounds like: Jake Alder, Diplo, Mura Masa, Zedd

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Country Line Runner – Wide Eyes

County Line Runner

Country Line Runner writes ballads with heart and meaning.

‘Wide Eyes’ is about that pivotal moment when you realise going back is harder than moving forward. The pain, but also the revelation.

Sounds like: Bruce Springsteen, Ten Fe, War On Drugs

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New Spell – Like Water

New Spell

New Spell is an electronic duo comprised of singer-songwriter and trainee therapist, Leanne Kelly, and drummer Jacob Frautschi.

They enjoy using music to heal whilst they discuss topics such as relationship challenges, mental health, and the digital age.

Sounds like: Phantogram, Portishead, Hundred Waters

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Deliah – Infinite

Deliah

Deliah, is the collective name for a group of four musicians and producers from Liverpool and London with a unique and distinctive fusion of cinematic, almost musical sounds, taken from influences within soul, electronica, funk and indie.

Speaking of their new single ‘Infinite’, the band say,

“Infinite: focuses on the next part of the journey – mastering a craft. The time and effort put into creating, and achieving, potential can be lost through a struggle and ambition that can have no definitive end point.Who defines something as ‘good’, or a success? Who defines someone as ‘good’, or a success? When is the artist, or craftsman, finished in this endeavour? And, was the finished product worth the struggle.”

Sounds like: Madonna

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Weekly SubmitHub Gems 8

LAVID – BURN feat. Klei

LAVID

LAVID is Emanuel Bender’s new modern pop project.

‘Burn’- one Emanuel’s first releases under this new alias – firmly confirms his place amongst other pop writers and electronic producers.

Vocals and co-production are courtesy of Klei.

Sounds like: Halsey

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Secret Weapons – My Blue Heaven

Secret Weapons

It turns out Secret Weapons have been keeping a few things from us, the unfortunate news of lead singer Gerry Lange being ill. Whilst touring with bands like Weezer and Panic! at the Disco, the band kept Gerry’s health struggles quiet and as Danny Rocco says “strangely, the album became about making the album.”

Their latest single ‘My Blue Heaven’ embodies that very struggle.

Sounds like: Future Islands, The 1975, Lionel Richie, The Levity, The Island Club, Ghost Beach, Backstreet Boys, LANY, Great Good Fine Ok, The Knocks, Dagny

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Alexander Bernard – Wax

Alexander Bernard by Courtney Kimmey

Los Angeles-based producer/songwriter Alexander Bernard gives us a taste of his musical swagger on ‘Wax’.

Like wax melting in the sun, Alexander offers us warm bass lines of nu-disco and psych, synth sounds of pop with his soulful pipes.

Listen below.

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Elizabritz – The Other Side

Elizabritz - The Other Side

Elizabritz is an electro pop/R&B duo composed of producer ‘Fantom’ from North Carolina and singer Rachael Eff from Los Angeles.

Their offbeat track ‘Other Side’ reminds us of an early Clean Bandit, and considers being becoming complacent with a long term partner.

Sounds like: Clean Bandit

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Paris and Simo – Come As You Are Feat. Karen Harding

Paris & Simo

Canadian electronic dance duo Paris and Simo have teamed up with Karen Harding for ‘Come As You Are’.

The ultra-positive dance-tinged anthem is grounded in the belief that “everyone should have freedom of expression without being judged”, according to Paris & Simo.

Sounds like: RAC, The Him, Goldroom, Flight Facilities, Pusha T

Paris & Simo

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Karen Harding

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NOVAA x LO – Go There

NOVAA x LO

A collaborative album sounds exciting to us, especially when it’s written and produced by rising singer/songwriter/producer NOVAA and UK bedroom producer LO.

‘Go There’ is the third single from their ‘LIGHTS’ album, and “is about empty promises and letting go of someone that doesn’t really want you. It’s the moment you realize that you’re put on hold and that it’s not a romance but a game. The bubble you lived in pops and you find yourself playing a role and being someone that you don’t want to be.”

The album is out now on 29 September via Majestic Casual.

Sounds like: FØRTE, Mura Masa, Aurora, Diplo, AlunaGeorge, Grimes

NOVAA
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LO
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Playlist: Highasakite

Highasakite

Highasakite

These guys must be as high as kites at the moment, following some fantastic reviews of recent releases, ‘Golden Ticket’ and ‘Someone Who’ll Get It’.

Giving us a snippet of their pre-show rituals, Highasakite have shared with us their pre-show playlist.

Enjoy!

The Knife – ‘Silent Shout’

A masterpiece of a song, love the vintage drum-machine and synths, and the vocal effect is dope!

Purity Ring – ‘Obedear’

Like getting sucked down into a dark hole where you get a glimpse of light here and there. Love this band!

FKA Twigs – ‘Water Me’

Beautiful vocal sampling, and the video is amazing too!

Grimes – ‘Dream Fortress’

Violin from another world! So moody and beautiful.

Like The Movie – ‘Cruel Thing’

My little electronic side project. Started working with this when I produced all of the electronic drums for the new

Highasakite album.

Purity Ring – ‘Amenamy (Jon Hopkins Remix)’

Love Jon Hopkins, and Purity Ring… so, this is just perfect!

Highasakite- ‘Golden Ticket’

Our new single, felt like it could fit on this playlist!

Justin Bieber – ‘Where Are Ü Now’

Can´t help it, this is just so cool! Fantastic production by Skrillex and Diplo!

Gordi – ‘Can We Work It Out’

Gordi joined us on our UK tour in May, and you should check it out!!

Emilie Nicolas – ‘Pstereo’

One of the best voices from Norway, and this song must be one of the best pop songs from Norway.

Björk – ‘Hyperballad’

What to say, this is so beautiful! The mix between electronic and acoustic instruments pushing the song forward with Björk’s vocals swimming on top.

Die Antwoord – ‘Ugly Boy’

Some people hate this, we love it!

Sounds like: The Knife, Lykke Li, Kate Boy, MØ, Raindear, Sóley

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Major Lazer – Be Together feat. Wild Belle

Major Lazer - Be Together feat. Wild Belle

Major Lazer – Be Together feat. Wild Belle

The video has finally arrived for the fabulous ‘Be Together’ by Major Lazer, featuring the gorgeous husky vocals of Wild Belle‘s Natalie Bergman, who, in the video, is snuggling up to, you guessed it, Diplo himself (although it doesn’t end well for Diplo).

It’s another part of Major Lazer’s Peace Is The Mission collab.

Watch below:

Sounds like: MØ, Santigold, MS MR, Lykke Li, Zella Day

Major Lazer

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Wild Belle

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Sia – Elastic Heart (feat. The Weeknd and Diplo)

SIA

SIA

Australian singer/songwriter, Sia teams with The Weeknd and Diplo for ‘Elastic Heart’.

‘Elastic Heart’ is your usual catchy track from Sia with a bit of added soul from The Weeknd (aka Abel Tesfaye) and some neat production from Diplo.

The video is pretty querky and follows a Sia impersonator recovering from a breakup, and eventually climaxes with the ultimate f-you at the end.

‘Elastic Heart’ appears on the soundtrack for ‘Hunger Games: Catching Fire’, due out on 19 November 2013.

Sounds like: Ellie Goulding, Air, Zero 7, The Weeknd, Doll and the Kicks

Sia:
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The Weeknd:
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Diplo:
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