George FitzGerald – Full Circle feat. Boxed In (Bonobo Remix)

Since rising through the ranks of Hypercolour and Hotflush Recordings, George Fitzgerald has proven a master of house music in all of its more refined variants. Earlier this year, however, the UK producer delivered his debut album, Fading Love, eschewing software for hardware and club tracks for sentimental songwriting.

Now Fitzgerald’s emotional work finds a perfect counterpart in Simon Green, AKA Bonobo, who has remixed lead single “Full Circle.” As he does so well, Green provides a delicate touch, treating the original song with an air of reverence and respect while taking it in a new direction. Swapping the original synth hook for clean guitar lines reminiscent of the XX, Bonobo’s remix feels beautifully organic.

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It’s been a couple years since we last heard from LA pop outfit Kisses, the makers of such breezy synth tracks as “Funny Heartbeat,” “The Hardest Part,” and “Huddle.” The band comprises couple Jesse Kivel of Princeton and Zinzi Edmundson, editor of the magazineKnit Wit. “Control” is the first single from their third studio album, Rest In Paradise, which will be released later this year. Kisses are still thriving in their ’80s-inspired synthpop vein. The new song features muted horns playing under the recurring electronic loop. Kivel’s signature subdued voice makes sure “Control” still feels like indie pop even if it’s more of an upbeat funk vibe than usual. It’s a dance song with a chill cyclical rhythm that longs to be heard.

Read the rest of this article at Stereogum

Jme ft Giggs – Man Don’t Care

If you’ve been getting into Skepta’s music recently, you’ve got to get familiar with his brother JME.

JME, who has a very different MCing style from his older brother, has been killing it for years now, and isn’t slowing down with his new album Integrity> out today alongside this new video, for “Man Don’t Care” with UK street rap legend Giggs.

Integrity> has features from a who’s who of grime stars, including JME’s Boy Better Know family Skepta, Jammer, Shorty, and Frisco, as well as D Double E, Wiley, and Big Narstie. Check out the new video for “Man Don’t Care” above and then get into the previously released video for “96 Fuckries” below.

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Zak Abel must have been spending a lot of time on Soundcloud because his next EP release features production from the hugely in demand Tom Misch, Karma Kid, and on his latest track “Say Sumthin'”, Kaytranada – who you’ll no doubt remember from countless remixes of disco classics like Janet Jackson’s “If” or his XL Recordings debut earlier last year. Like Zak’s earlier releases – which saw him reach the upper echelon of music blog aggregating site The Hype Machine – “Say Somethin’ will surely propel Zak even further into the stratosphere. It’s slinky. He’s got a good voice. It’s danceable. Essentially: every box is ticked. So fresh from premiering on radio earlier, here’s that track available in full. It’s no doubt going to send Zak even further into the upper echelon of pop’n’production music.

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Love Ssega may be a fresh pop signee, but his voice has already been heard by millions on the early Clean Bandit single “Mozart’s House.” The British-Ugandan singer was one of the founders of the classical/electronic group, who had a worldwide hit last year with “Rather Be,” during their premature days at Cambridge University. But just as “Mozart’s House” caught momentum, he walked away from the band to finish his PhD in laser sensing. Now he’s trading in his chemicals for beats as he returns to music with his upcoming solo EPMinds, sharing its vibrant funky title track. While his prior inspirations derived from the South London grime scene, “Minds” takes on a modern mix of ’80s New Wave and disco infused beats influenced by acts like LCD Soundsystem and Kindness. “Minds” layers heavy grooving bass and piano with a topping of airy trickling synths for one hip-shaking track. Ssega’s signature rap-like verses lead into spirited harmonies that take a soulful route all the way to end.

Read the rest of this article at Stereo Gum

Ladbroke Groove! The Complete Story Of Record Shop Culture In Notting Hill

Follow Portobello Road past the Union Jack flags and gawking movie tourists, and you’ll eventually find its shy sister. Running parallel to the thundering Westway, Golborne Road is an endangered remnant of a bohemian and multicultural landscape. A slum for many decades, Notting Hill’s countercultural fabric was woven from its decaying streets when newly settled Caribbean immigrants fought for their rights. Artists squatted in crumbling terraces, punks played pubs, and music lovers nurtured collectivist record shops.

And yet Notting Hill has become a byword for gentrification, a stomping ground for bankers and foreign wealth. For now Golborne Road retains its vibrant diversity and a breeze of bohemia but there are concerns about its future. The market bustles a little less than it used to. A large property development looms like the grim reaper. Records are noticeably absent.

Read the rest of the story at The Vinyl Factory

The Making Of Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen”

We’ve seen the rise of the viral rapper already. An artist releases a song that takes him or her from buzzing to Billboard’s Hot 100 and is presumed to be a success. And while plaques are cool, longevity is more important. Take Paterson, N.J.’s Fetty Wap—real nameWillie Maxwell—who saw what it’s like to skyrocket to fame after the success of his 2014 summer anthem, “Trap Queen.” Alongside his label, RGF Productions, and crew, Remy Boyz 1738, the song’s SoundCloud numbers hit six figures within weeks of its release—without initial blog love, radio play, or industry support. But his squad saw firsthand how a song goes viral in the Tri-State area—first you hear it in the streets, and then enough people search for it online that by the time Hot 97 gets to it, it’s already inching its way up the charts.

But what Fetty has done with the Tony Fadd and Brian “Peoples” Garcia-produced banger has broken records—and he’s gone on to show he’s no one-hit wonder, either. This week, Fetty has four songs in the Billboard Hot 100—”679” at No. 8, “Trap Queen” at No. 9, “My Way” at No. 11, and “Again” at No. 40. But the story of where it all began—on the streets of Paterson, N.J., with a few friends, a few studio sessions, and a free beat Fetty’s manager found online—hasn’t yet been told. We spoke to the 25-year-old new star along with RGF’s Monty, Nitt Da Gritt, Brian “Peoples” Garcia, and the song’s original producer, Tony Fadd, for the stories behind the biggest song of the last year.

Read the rest of the story at Complex

the 200 best songs of the 1980s.

Welcome to our list of the 200 best songs of the 1980s.

A great deal of today’s music looks to the ’80s for inspiration, but there are so many different ideas of what “’80s” as a descriptor can mean. Here we return to the source material.

As we did for the 1960s, the 1990s, and the 2000s, as well as our 2010-2014 list, we polled our staff and contributing writers for their favorite songs of the era and tabulated the results. Every time we do one of these lists we learn something about how perceptions of decades change over time, and how the musical ideas from a given era filter through to later generations. For many selections, we provide some of our favorite related tracks for further exploration. Thanks for reading and listening.

Read the rest of the story at Pitchfork