New Tune Tuesday (4/7/15)
–Written by Kevin Madert
A smattering of new music from across the genre spectrum. Did we leave out your favorite band’s latest material? Let us know!
Kill The Noise & Tommy Trash – Louder
Having lived a relatively math-free life since I skated a B- in my requisite lecture hall course freshman year someone may have to check my calculations here, but I’ll give it a shot. A longtime bass music powerhouse + a longtime house music don = one hell of a tune. Accompanied by Rock City on vocals, Kill the Noise and Tommy Trash turn in here a dark hard-electro tune that’s got a little bit of everything: growling basslines, massive syncopated drum hits, shouted lyrics, and a surprisingly nuanced drop that’s sure to tear up festival mainstages this summer. In tandem with the release, the duo announced a short co-headlining tour – including a stop at Washington, DC’s Ultrabar. You can find more information about that here.
Au5 – Snowblind (Prismatic Remix)
Local bass baron Prismatic has been a busy bee of late, but his latest release shows he’s no worse for wear. Tapped to remix Au5’s “Snowblind,” the Baltimore native took the future-dub soundscapes of the original and ratcheted up the stakes (and the BPM). The result is a quality drum ‘n’ bass tune with a stuttering backbeat and synth riffs that oscillate between uplifting and demonic at a high rate of speed. Tasha Baxter’s original vocals are kept almost wholly intact, providing a deceptively calm intro to the track before giving way to the aforementioned madness.
Toro Y Moi – What For?
This most recent offering from man of many musical faces Chaz Bundick – the creative mind behind the Toro y Moi project – falls closer to psychedelic rock than anything else. That’s not to say it departs wholly from his chillwave roots. In fact, much of it listens like a combination between the two. “Buffalo,” (included in our weekly playlist) is a dreamy tune that features some noodling guitars and ethereal vocals, and is one of the more accessible songs on the record.
Kaskade – Never Sleep Alone (Ft. Tess Comrie)
The storied house maestro puts his own twist on future house with “Never Sleep Alone,” the most recent track released from his upcoming artist album. It manages to be both chill and upbeat, with a satisfying vocal turn from relative unknown Tess Comrie. If this is what’s next for Kaskade, AltFreq is all for it. Anyone else remember the “It’s You, It’s Me” redux tour a few years back? If the man starts putting out more nuanced house tunes, we won’t be complaining.
Snails – King Is Back (Ft. Big Ali)
Since we last highlighted this musically inclined gastropod, he’s done everything right. He’s churned out bass-laden tune after bass-laden tune, released two mixes in his “Snailed It!” series, and played massive stages at festivals like Tomorrowworld and Ultra. He even caught the ear of some pretty big fish, with several artists singing his praises and huge names like Skrillex playing his tunes and even offering to collab. That brings us to today, as the French producer releases “King Is Back” on Kannibalen Records. It has all the face-scrunching, bowel-punching bass insanity you could want in a Snails tune, plus a guest spot by fellow France-based artist Big Ali. Listen and enjoy.
Dance Gavin Dance – Eagle Vs. Crows
In case you couldn’t tell, we’re big fans of DGD here at AltFreq. Our excitement for their newest album Instant Gratification – due out April 14 on Rise Records – is reaching fever pitch. As if they knew we couldn’t wait until next week, the Dance Gavin Dance boys released the album’s third single “Eagle vs. Crows” today. For longtime fans of the group it may be a bit different, but if you’ve heard their previous album Acceptance Speech it won’t be much of a surprise – think Fall of Troy without the math breakdowns. This more restrained approach doesn’t mean the group is any less musically talented, nor that their work is any less enjoyable. Rise Records is currently streaming Instant Gratification in full over on YouTube, so we recommend you check that out.