Last Flight

Photo by Ryan McGinley

Are you ready for September 5th? For your mind to be blown in a flurry of synthy, poppy, dancy, groovy, crazy amazingness? Yes? Great; because in five days, Binary Records' Fabian drops his debut album, Say Goodbye. The Guardian hails it as the album most likely to "Put the "oh" in Studio 54", and while I'm way too young to have ever been to the place, on principle I have to agree. Serving as a testament to that is the album's first single, Last Flight. You know that certain type of disco-influenced feel-good pop music I'm absolutely crazy about? Well this is it exemplified; tenfold. I just started school back up a week ago, and every morning on my commute, when I'm tired and hating the world, I put this song on blast. During the duration I'm guaranteed a total 180 mood swing, complete with handclaps and a serious I CAN DO THIS attitude. That is at least, until it ends.

Stream Last Flight below, and buy the single (with a formidable lineup of remixes to boot) HERE.



Also be sure to check out the remix by Justin Faust; so shimmery it can only be called a gem. Justin is currently on a US tour with Fabian as support, check out either of their Facebook pages for date-- you don't want to miss this duo.



And for good measure (and because it's crazy good), here's a free download of the club-ready RESET! remix.

Last Flight (RESET! Remix) - Fabian

Comedown Sunday : Morgan's Bay

Photo by Drew Innis

Goldroom is Josh Legg, one-half of the Binary Records/Management company, the fabulous LA band NightWaves, and a good friend. Over the past year Josh found himself recording a good deal of material that didn't quite 'fit' with the NightWaves vibe. Wanting to give the songs their time in the sun, the side project Goldroom was born. His timing couldn't be more perfect, as his beachy electro tracks are the perfect accompaniment to lazy hazy summer days with a drink in your hand and a girl (or guy) on your mind. It's so tropical I almost want to venture to say it reminds me of Jimmy Buffet… but without the campiness. Jimmy Buffet is annoying; Goldroom is very very good. Morgan's Bay in particular is the perfect Comedown Sunday tune, with breezy guitars and a jiving drums. And if you're really in the mood for some chillout tunes, check out Goldroom's first Mixtape. It's entitled Verano, which apparently means summer in Spanish (thank you anonymous commenter!), but I think it really translates best to "put this on, pop a xanax, get a mojito, and ruminate a bit."

Download Morgan's Bay and the Mixtape below, and be sure to Like Goldroom on Facebook to stay updated on future releases and shows.

Morgan's Bay - Goldroom


Goldroom - Verano Mix 2011 by Goldroom

LOOSE L!PS M!X: Take It To The Pool

A month ago I posted up the first-ever LOOSE L!PS M!X with the promise that there would be more to come. Well, here's the second! While last months was all about 'Spring Music,' this one is all for summer. Specifically, my favorite summertime activity: being completely and utterly useless while lounging by the pool. As far as I'm concerned, it isn't really summer until I'm propped up with a book by the side of that crystal-clear chlorinated water, smelling like tanning oil and without a care in the world. Here's a playlist for those moments. At just under an hour long and filled with breezy, dreamy electro. It's perfect, uplifting background music while also being chill enough to allow you to nod off for a mid-day nap. This mix is tested and true (though certainly not tired) : Though a few of these songs are new, the majority are from last summer, where they faithfully served as my daily playlist.

// You can preview/stream/listen-to-on-your-iPhone the entire mix via 8tracks. The player is embedded above. get it on your iPhone via the 8tracks App.

// You can download the entire playlist (minus the Moullinex track--you'll have to buy that on Beatport here) below in a Zip Folder.

// Or, if you're the type that doesn't like to commit to 12 new songs at once, you can download a choice handful by clicking on the track names in blue below.

LOOSE L!PS M!X 02: Take It To The Pool
An hour's worth of easy breezy dreamy music,
meant to accompany every poolside bronzing session of summer.
Tracklist:
1. Sometimes (G.L.O.V.E.S. Remix) - Miami Horror
2. Heatwave - Fabian
3. Cruisin' - Zimmer
4. Tear Club - Moullinex
5. Keep On Shining - CSLSX
6. Hot Girlz In Love - FM Attack
7. Unspoken (Anoraak Remix) - Pacific!
8. Proof - Banxter
9. I Think I Like U 2 - Jamaica
10. Hammock - Million Young
11. Destination Pt. 1 - Damn Arms
12. In Love With You - The Paradise

Download All By Right-Clicking: Zip Folder

*If you like this mix, be sure to check out the blogs Binary and Kiyoshi. At least 50% of these songs of from one of those blogs. They're both fantastic. Binary also provided me with the sexy picture, so if you're into hot girls in minimal clothing to accompany your music, it is the blog for you.

Now, take it to the pool!

Like LOOSE L!PS on Facebook // Follow on the Hype Machine.

Golden Eyes

Denver's electro-duo Flashlights are Binary Records' newest addition, and I'm surprisingly digging on their EP. I'm a little leery on electronic music (as I've stated before, that's more Mikayla's alley...rather, it's definitely her alley), and I'm a lot pickier on what I like when it comes to the genre. The fact that Flashlights aren't completely geared for the dance floor is what I like most. Their sound leans more toward the Binary-coined "dreamwave" genre, and it's definitely more haunting and introspective than the electronic that I'm used to. Listen to Glowing Eyes below and be sure to check out the rest of Flashlights' EP, Hidden Behind Trees, here and buy it June 6th when it comes out on Binary.

Glowing Eyes--Flashlights

Dreams

"Up is the only way out."

Photo by Ahermin

A little over a year ago a friend of mine changed my life. During a music-sharing Skype session he sent me a handful of beautifully uplifting, synth-heavy electro songs that sounded unlike anything I had ever heard. He told me they were examples of a genre called Dreamwave, and that he had found nearly all of them from a blog called Binary. Binary quickly became my favorite music blog, while the music it featured ultimately became the soundtrack to all my sunny days. What resonated most with me—how Binary spoke to me—was the blog’s acknowledgment of and attention to the emotional nature of music. That is, how music makes you feel. I had never seen a blog present music in such an intimate way; I was used to reviews that spoke a little of the artists and the technical aspects of the song at hand. Never had I seen a review concerned more with emotional interpretation than technical aesthetics. Finally, the girl who had always been a little over-enthusiastic about her latest favorite song had found someone else who really got it. Eventually by virtue of chance, luck, or perhaps fate, I found myself a part of the Binary family. But even though I work closely with the label today, I am first and foremost a fan, and consequently still feel the same sense of excitement and inherent camaraderie I felt in the early days following my introduction. Essentially, it’s a music love affair.

Futurecop! - Dreams (ft. Keenhouse) by Binary Records

I therefore find it only appropriate that today, Valentine’s Day, I can share my love of Binary with you. Binary Records have given us quite the present, considerably more enduring than chocolate or flowers. Today Binary has given us the label’s first release in six months. Ushering in the grand resurgence of the label/collective’s publishing department is the Dreams EP, brought to us by Binary cornerstone Keenhouse, as well as London's Futurecop!, making their first appearance on the label. Both acts are major players on the feel-good-electronica scene, and their combined talents have produced one of the most anthemic, joyous pieces of music I’ve heard of late. The production, melody, and structure are top-notch; they mark a new level of maturity for the artists, as well as the label itself. Dreams, with it's infectious chorus, seems destined to be my, your, our new favorite song. I think it’s impossible to listen to without feeling amazing. And after all, that’s what music should be about: feeling amazing. So, on this Valentines Day, whether you are with a lover or alone, put this on and I guarantee you’re going to walk a little taller. After all, up is the only way.

Stream the original mix above, and buy it for yourself on iTunes.
Look below for a free remix (in 320 kbs) by SoCal's Ride the Universe, courtesy of the generous guys at Binary.

Dreams (Ride the Universe Remix)--Futurecop! (ft. Keenhouse) *320



*Thank you to photographer BJ Enright for the introduction to what is now not only my favorite label, but also more or less a way of life. BJ is getting married this summer, and I would like to wish him and his beuaituful fiancée that absolute best Valentine’s Day imaginable.

Let Go

“Your love is just a game, I’ll teach you how to play. Your life is just a phase, I’ll never let you go.”
(And I'll never be able to get this song out of my head.)
Photo Credit Tim Walker

“Let Go” is a killer indie-dance/electropop track by Short Circuit. He releases music through Binary Entertainment. Binary is a music collective/record label based out of LA, which features some amazing electronic artists, including (most notably) Fabian, NightWaves, LexiconDon, and the aforementioned Short Circuit. To quote Binary themselves:

“All artists are first and foremost songwriters and producers, unlike the DJ centric dance scene in Southern California. Binary’s mission is to bring the song back to the dancefloor…Binary has established itself as a tastemaking entity, spreading its own brand of dance pop and dreamwave music.”

Ever heard of the “Dreamwave” genre? Well, these guys not only coined the term, but also all but wrote the book on it. If you have yet to hear any Dreamwave, you've been missing out. I suggest you read the Binary Blog to collect some seriously mood-lifting, spacey jams that tend to evoke glistening beaches and starry skies.
**I guess this is a bit of a plug, but Binary is especially close to my heart because I just recently started writing for their blog. Check out my first post on Vancouver’s FM ATTACK here.


As for “Let Go.”
À la the classic Police song “Every Breath You Take,” this song is at its heart a bit stalkerish and kind of creepy. But in the grand scheme that doesn’t matter in the least because it’s so goddamn catchy. This song showcases the power of the four-to-the-floor kick pattern as it stomps along, commanding your attention. Synthesizers arrpegiate under a robot voice singing about his inability and unwillingness to let go of a failing relationship. His lover wants out, but he's incapable of coming to terms with the fact. Instead he swears “I’ll never let you go.”

The singer may be a controlling lover, and he may be a bit delusional, but his walk matches the talk. His melody is so infectious, the beat so driving, that you can’t help but be convinced by him and indeed sympathize with him. My bet is that before the song is over you too will be singing along with his “Woah oh oh oh oh.” Call me a sucker for an infectious hook, but I know that if I were the girl in question, I wouldn’t really mind if he kept on ‘coming back for more.’

Download: Let Go--Short Circuit