Is it too soon to think about naming the album of the year? Because I think we already know one of the top contenders. Word is out that DAFT PUNK has a new record due in May — their first studio release in eight years — and the EDM community is already breathless with anticipation.
Since the limited release of their debut single “The New Wave” 17 years ago, this enigmatic French duo (Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo) have been massively influential players on the international EDM scene. Their commercial breakthrough was the 1995 banger “Da Funk,” and these days just about everybody from your baby brother to your grandma can hum their hits — especially the 1997 classic “Around The World.” Their most recent release: the 2010 soundtrack for Disney’s TRON: Legacy.
Word is that the new album has been in the works since 2010. While everything’s pretty hush-hush at this point, there are some prestigious names attached as contributors — among them Animal Collective’s Panda Bear, songwriter Paul Williams, Chilly Gonzales and Giorgio Moroder. The month of May can’t come soon enough!
Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.
If the world was gonna end — as it’s supposed to do today! — what would your tracklist sound like? My own taste in music is pretty diverse; the following are the tracks that will take me through the imminent apocalypse. (There are so many more, but I’ve narrowed it down for you. Last day on planet earth, and all: I figured you’d be busy.)
In which Toronto’s Warrior Music goes dubstep all over “Zia’s Theme,” a folky tune from the soundtrack of the video game Bastion, and makes vocalist Ashley Barrett‘s promise to “build that city on a hill” sound ominously like a threat. You can download for free at warriormusicbass.com. Level up!
Extreme! The Red Bull generation is coming into its own — and dubstep seems to be its soundtrack. Now, I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to sports, but not so much when it comes to music. You could say the same about Johannes Bürmann.
A graduate of musicology at Germany’s University of Giessen he has released outstanding remixes and originals under the names Brand Blank and Burman –notably “Take Me Away,” posted below.
Bürmann is in fine form on his cutting-edge remix of Bob Marley‘s “Sun Is Shining.” While that track deserves attention on its own, what really makes it worthy of a post is the amazing video below, which uses it as the soundtrack to footage of extreme athlete Jokke Sommer in his wingsuit, flying through some of the gnarliest places in the world. The images and sound together are truly inspiring. Enjizzoy!
Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.
