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Pick Of The Week: COM TRUISE’s Decibel Festival Exclusive Mix #2

  [Emerge ‘Pick Of The Week’ curates one spectacular mix or playlist from some far off destination and repackages it for you on home turf. In other words, this is your aural guide to the freshest sounds on the planet!]

    This Week’s Mix: 

  Decibel Festival is not for the weak-hearted. Founded in 2003, it’s become an incredibly unique platform for exposing attendees to cutting edge multimedia-art from around the globe as a result of which, their choice of lineup is usually among the most progressive electronic music in the world. Usually featuring the likes of incredibly innovative electronic artists like Nils Frahm or Amon Tobin. As such, you can bet that the mixes they release as precursors to the event are as out-of-this-world as the festival itself and this 2nd edition by COM TRUISE is no different.

Who is COM TRUISE?

No, he isn’t some oddball relative of the Hollywood scientologist/ actor but clearly, he has a pretty good sense of humour. Com Truise is the stage name of Seth Haley, an American electronic musician hailing from Oneida, New York. Despite a decidedly unusual sound, the nostalgia he induces with his tunes has ensured that he’s blown up over the last few years and is hailed as something of a synth-genius by the musician community. He had actually been making music for over a decade on the side, but gave up all his other personas from art director to designer to pursue music fulltime a few years ago.

Signature Sound

An admitted synth obsessive, Com Truise  is the maker of an experimental and bottom heavy style he calls “mid-fi synth-wave, slow-motion funk.” He’s hugely influence by 1980s musical styles so of there’s one thing you can count on here, despite all the electronic brushing up, are some seriously retro melodies and synth patches. Unsurprisingly then, this remix of his even appeared on the Tron: Legacy Reconfigured album soon after.

What’s In This Mix?

Some serious throwbacks in his choice of tunes and so much of that ‘80s ‘flash dance’ synonymous synth patch that it won’t be long before you start feeling like you’re in some kind of crossover episode between Battlestar Galactica and a Kevin Bacon ‘80s movie. We know that sounds weird, but it’s really all the things you’ll love about it in the first place.

We Love It Because: it’s just so goddam cinematic. And the theatrical vibe only plays second fiddle to some seriously groovy beats which will ensure you feel like dancing. Best of all? It’s a happy, happy mix you’ll never regret tuning into!

  Stay Up To Date With Com Truise:

Website http://comtruise.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/comtruise

Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/com-truise

  Compiled by Homegrown

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Emerge Predicts: Flume

[‘Emerge Predicts’ is a monthly profile that conjectures, curates and chronicles one exciting new artist we think all our readers should know!]

If you’re still not one of those whose curiosity has been piqued enough by the constant mention of the name Flume in the past year to check him out, you should. And here’s why.

Who is Flume? 

An electronic music producer and DJ, Flume is the moniker of Australian whiz kid Harley Edward Streten. From the unlikely beginnings of finding a music production program CD in a cereal box at the age of 13 and just running with it, Flume’s rise has been nothing short of spectacular. In the past two years alone, he’s found himself propelled from being one among many bedroom producers, to superstardom of the sort that has taken many an artist years to find. A measure of this is his 910,871 Soundcloud followers and 635,256 Facebook fans – numbers that are still increasing manifold every day. At 20, Flume won a competition conducted by the label Future Classic in Australia, which then proved to be his first step to the massive success he has achieved since. In the past year, he has played at massive festivals around the world, including Coachella in LA, Pukkelpop in Belgium and Roskilde Festival in Denmark, and also toured the USA with the hugely popular London-based Disclosure.

Signature Sound

If you look under ‘genre’ on Flume’s Facebook page, it quite simply just says ‘music’. At most times, the 22-year-old lists Moby, The Prodigy, J Dilla, Justice, M83, Flying Lotus, 90s trance music and the French electro movement as his rather varied influences, and it’s not difficult to see how each of these have found their way into his sound. He tactfully avoids being boxed into genres by incorporating elements of everything from hip hop and indie to pop into his brand of electronic music. But as far as a signature sound goes, he’s got that down – Flume’s genius handiwork isn’t hard to identify if you’ve heard him a bit – and it might best be described as atmospheric dance music.  

Who’s Representing Him?

Flume has stuck with Future Classic since winning their competition in 2011, and alongside him on their roster is fellow Australian artist Ta-ku, as well as the Sydney quartet Panama.

His Spectacular Rise

In 2011, Flume released his debut EP Sleepless, and it was the title track of the EP that first began to catch Australia’s attention and get him radio airplay. For the next year, Flume put some remixes out and worked on his self-titled debut full-length album. In November 2012, he released the album, and almost immediately found himself in the spotlight, being labeled ‘the next big thing’ and the like. The album was heavy on collaborations, including Chet Faker, Jezzabell Doran, Moon Holiday and T. Shirt. It reached number one on the Australian iTunes chart and on the ARIA Albums Chart.

5 Flume Tracks You Should Listen To Today

Flume’s music is exceptionally easy to listen to and highly enjoyable. We’ve put together 5 tracks that you can begin with – including a couple of remixes that come pretty close to perfection.

I. Disclosure – You and Me (Flume Remix)

There’s something undeniably operatic about Flume’s remix of this track. It managed over 250,000 views in just 24 hours, and now has over 10 million. The original is light dance pop, and Flume’s changed it all around as he does, with much wobble.

II. Flume – Holdin On

 Flume displays his genius with sampling on this track, juxtaposing old soul male vocals with those of a female gospel singer. It’s catchy and likely to keep playing in your head for ages after you’ve heard it.

III. Lorde – Tennis Court (Flume Remix)

 Lorde’s story of success is quite as spectacular as Flume’s, and this track had a huge role to play in that. Released earlier this year, his remix has transformed the song into an electro-ballad of sorts, and it’s fantastic.

IV. Flume featuring Chet Faker – Left Alone

 A Collaboration between fellow Australian Chet Faker and Flume could be nothing but genius and this song affirms that. It was also where the two decided they work so well together, that they released an entire EP together – which is just as incredible.

V. Ta-ku – Higher (Flume Remix)

 With this remix, Flume quite simply seems to justify his fans’ belief that everything he touches turns to gold.

3 Flume Collaborations That Will Change Your World

I. Flume & Chet Faker – Drop The Game

Off their collaborative EP Lockjaw, this one is perhaps one of the best collaborations of all of 2013.

II. Flume featuring Jezzabell Doran – Sleepless

 The title track of his debut EP, Sleepless is what started it all for Flume, and it’s entirely worthy of all the love, too.

III. Flume featuring Ghostface Killah – Space Cadet

 For the deluxe version of his album, Flume got Ghostface Killah to come on for the previously instrumental Space Cadet. The result is pretty great.

What lies ahead? 

At this point, it’s a given that Flume is only going to get bigger with each release. This will mean plenty more exciting collaborations, too. These include Skrillex and Major Lazer, both of whom have confirmed working with Flume. And, of course, there’s the new album, about which he said in an interview, “From a sonic standpoint the new stuff sounds so much bigger”. Personally, we can’t wait.

Compiled by Homegrown

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Genre Spotlight: Post Rock

[Emerge ‘Genre Spotlight’ is a monthly column dedicated to breaking down sound, as far as genres are concerned anyway. Consider it a beginner’s guide of sorts, designed to not only introduce you to our chosen genre but make you a borderline expert by the end of the article too.]

  In its over two-decade-old existence, Post Rock has been called everything from euphoria-inducing to, on the flip side, pretentious and droning. As is the case with most sub-genres, the term was born out of a lack of an appropriate existing term with which to describe a certain sound, but it’s hard to pinpoint exactly by who or when. The use of the term was aided by the ‘experimental’ tag that attached itself to its description, and became increasingly recognised with the massive success that post-rock such as Sigur Ros and Mogwai found. Here’s everything you need to know about the genre.

  The Origins

The most popular theory says the term ‘Post Rock’ was coined in 1994 by one Simon Reynolds, a British critic, in a review of Bark Psychosis’ album Hex, in Mojo magazine. His description of the term stated “using rock instrumentation for non-rock purposes, using guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures rather than riffs and power chords”. In terms of sound, though, post-rock has always been tagged as largely experimental, with influences as varied as progressive rock and ambient, to jazz and reggae. In its early days, the music produced was primarily instrumental – which isn’t always the case anymore, although it’s still often characterised by a greater reliance on instruments than vocals. In 1991, two albums were released – Talk Talk’s Laughing Stock and Slint’s Spiderland – both of which, it is now acknowledged, laid the foundation for what was soon called post-rock.

  The Rise

In 1996, a Chicago band, Tortoise, released their second album Millions Now Living Will Never Die, and the classification of this album as post-rock triggered a surge in the application of the genre to more albums. By the 2000s, bands such as Sigur Ros, Mogwai and Godspeed You! Black Emperor had been given the title as well, and their popularity subsequently led to popularity for the genre. Each band had its own distinct sound, from ambient and atmospheric with Sigur Ros to explosive with Godspeed You! Black Emperor and more electronic with Mogwai. By the mid-2000s, though, many bands and critics had begun to shun the genre, and few bands ever applied the term to themselves. However, with the continued (and rising) success of these bands, as well as newer ones such as God As An Astronaut, it’s impossible to ignore the rise of the genre once again.

  How To Spot It

Trying to separate one sub-genre from another can be a massive challenge, especially when there’s no dearth of these for a genre like rock. Here are some characteristics to look for, that might indicate you’re listening to a post rock track.

  - The tracks are often longer than usual, with some extending over 10 minutes, and others even 20.

- The music is composed with standard rock instruments, guitar, drums and such, and if the track isn’t instrumental, it won’t adhere to the standard verse-chorus-verse structure, either. It will largely rise and fall, with changes in volume and tone.

  - Look out for those jazz, reggae, ambient or even IDM influences alongside your basic progressive rock.   

  But if that’s too technical, here’s the best way to get started. Listen:

  5 Of The Best Known Post Rock Acts You Should Listen To

  I. Sigur Ros

They’ve been around for as long as the genre has, and Iceland’s Sigur Ros have only gotten more incredible with time. They’re also an excellent example of the lengths you can go to with the genre.

    II. Mogwai

Starting out as a rather loud, instrumental band, Mogwai’s music is now atmospheric, electronic influenced, intense and beautiful all at once.

    III. Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Returning with their first album in 10 years in 2012, Godspeed You! Black Emperor made the world go wild, so to speak. They’ve also undoubtedly been one of the most influential bands in the genre.

    IV. God Is An Astronaut

This Irish four-piece band is a gorgeous example of the greatly varied influences of post-rock, with epic melodies blended with ambient electronica and space rock.

    V. Explosions In The Sky

Almost entirely instrumental, Explosions In The Sky make music that’s symphonic, often emotional and simply quite stunning. It’s also been used in various popular television shows and films.

    5 Lesser Known But Still Awesome Post Rock Acts You Should Listen To

They may not be as big yet, but these bands are still just as brilliant, and also serve as an excellent introduction to the genre.

  I. Toe

  II. The Sea And Cake

  III. Lights And Motion

  IV. Caspian

  V.  Russian Circles

  Compiled by Homegrown

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Emerge Country Focus: Japan

[Emerge Country focus is a monthly column wherein our team dives neck-deep into one country of choice and takes you on a trip through its most relevant musical archives. By the time we’re done, you’ll be at the beginning of a whole new adventure without ever having to leave your seat.]

  Japan’s developed a reputation for the unpredictable over the years. Blame it on their difficult history or some special prototype of a gene that seems to differentiate them from the rest of the world but the fact remains that as a race, they have a decidedly futuristic approach to life. And the sheer individuality that they maintain spills beautifully into their creative expression, whatever the medium. It’s no wonder that artists like Ryan Hemsworth and EDM superstar Porter Robinson are vocal about their love for Japanese music. So rest assured, their contributions to the world of music are definitely worth noting while you’re on this path of aural discovery.

  Where Do We Begin?

  Since we’re focussing on a basic introduction into the world of Japanese music, we’ve broken down the categories based on their level of global acclaim already reached. As such, we’ve included 5 relatively well-known artists it would be blasphemous for you not to have any knowledge about and 5 lesser known talents who you should definitely explore more.  Happy listening!

  5 Japanese Artists You Should Know (Because Most People Do)

  I. Ryuichi Sakamoto

  Claim to fame: Won a golden globe, grammy and academy award for his film score for The Last Emperor.

  Sakamoto is the euphemism for a one-man band. An actor, composer, pianist, singer, writer extraordinaire, even at 62, he shows no signs of slowing down and is considered to have played a pioneering role in the techno and acid house movements of the 1990s.  Though he’s had a lot of musical avatars over the years, he’s now a renowned film music composer and you might recognise him as the creator of the soundtrack for the Oscar-winning Babel. 

    II. Fantastic Plastic Machine

  Claim To Fame: One of the pioneers of the Shibuya-Kei movement in Japan. 

  FPM’s sound is seriously eclectic, drawing on everything from Bossa Nova to French Pop. Don’t be intimidated by the description though because this is actually extremely fun party music, created by musician-furned-DJ Tomoyuki Tanaka. He’s considered to be a part of the Shibuya-kei http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibuya-keimovement and has a background as the bassist of a fairly well known ‘80s rock band called Margarine Strikes Back. He’s had far more success as a DJ though and was recently a part of Coachella’s lineup, a sure fire sign of having made it as far as we’re concerned.

    III. Yoko Ono

  Claim To Fame: Being the love of John Lennon’s life.

  Yoko Ono’s own brand of musical exploration is all you need to see to understand that it defies categorisation. This is not to say that we love it but obviously, being the wife of the late John Lennon obviously has its perks as far as global recognition goes so yes, it’s still important that you know of her existence, as err..strange as her musical performances might be. 

    IV. BABYMETAL

Claim To Fame: Making metal as weird as it could possibly get. 

  They may not look it and you may not forgive us for this one but there’s no denying that BABYMETAL is one of Japan’s most well-known music success stories. Perhaps more for their ‘act’ than their music. Taking the Japanese schoolgirl fetish to a whole new level, their shows consist of some pretty heavy vocals as expected of metal thrashing and 3 dancing girl vocalists who don’t look a day over 15. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

    V. Perfume

  Claim To Fame: Being one of the pioneers of Japan’s very own genre, J-Pop.

  There’s no introduction into the fascinating world of J-pop, Japan’s own brand of bubblegum, commercial music, if you haven’t heard Perfume. They’re the East’s answer to the Spice Girls (minus 2 members) but a hundred times more relevant and a thousand times more experimental. And even if you hate corny, pop music, these three lovely ladies have a great overall package.

    5 Lesser Known Japanese Artists You Should Know (Because They’re Awesome)

  YMCK

  Signature Sound: Chiptune

  This stuff is particularly interesting because the music this three-piece band creates is made entirely out of music video bits. As a result, their signature sound is as unique as it gets but don’t be fooled, there’s some actual melody in here so for those of you who like to push the boundaries of experimentation, YMCK is a great place to start.

    II. Goth-Trad

Signature Sound: Experimental Electronic Music (Mainly UK Dubstep)

  Takeaki Maruyama is better known under his Goth-Trad moniker which has seen him compose dub step music since 2006. Since then, he has produced four albums, the latest of which was even released on Mala’s Deep Medi label. He’s also played a huge role in Japan’s underground music culture by hosting a renowned nigh in Shibuya, Tokyo, called ‘Back To Chill.’

  III. 80KIDZ

Signature Sound: Electronic Dance Music

  This duo is basically channeling Daft Punk and Justice and they’ve actually performed alongside the latter before too so you know exactly what to expect now. They make some seriously groovy dance music and you’d be missing out if you didn’t give this one a listen. 

    IV. Cokiyu

  Signature Sound: Ambient Electronica

  Cokiyu sort of defies labels. One of our absolute favourites from Japan this solo project of Yukiko Ito is incredibly dreamy and beautiful. She’s been lending her voice to a lot of great international artists too, right from Baths to Robert Svensson. Her 2nd album, released in 2011 is a great place to start listening and features remixes by Shigeto and Opiate among others. She’s also collaborated with other more underground icons like Bottlesmoker and Spazzkid recently and is currently working on her 3rd album.

  V. Toe

  Signature Sound: Post-Rock

  Even if you’re not a fan of post rock as a genre, Toe’s amazing atmospheric tunes are such incredible works of art that you’re bound to enjoy it. A four-piece band since 2000, they are signed to the indie label Machu Picchu and we can vouch for their wonderfully refreshing sound.

  Compiled by Homegrown

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Pick Of The Week: Outlook Festival’s Mix # 7 Featuring My Nu Leng

[Emerge ‘Pick Of The Week’ curates one spectacular mix or playlist from some far off destination and repackages it for you on home turf. In other words, this is your aural guide to the freshest sounds on the planet!]

  This Week’s Mix:

  In a single sentence, Outlook Music Festival  is widely considered to be the biggest Bass music festival and sound system culture-promoting music extravaganza in the world.  Set against the backdrop of an idyllic seaside, the sheer energy the 400-strong lineup shells out is anything but peaceful, which is all the more reason to love it as far as we’re concerned. This is debauchery at its finest and it’s their musical curation that makes it so. Rest assured, their teaser sets are always on point and this 7th edition of 2014 is no different.

  Who Are My Nu Leng?

Bristol-based duo, James Irving and Tommy Jackson came together to form this project despite both having successful solo careers as well. Thus far in their careers, they have produced a slew of high rolling remixes for major headliners like Rudimental amongst others.

     Their Signature Sound?

  These two have a self-proclaimed ‘hard-to-categorise sound, drawing on many varied influences without kowtowing to one in particular. Whilst traversing the whole spectrum between pitch shifted vocals and bass heavy rumbles, their sound is always deep and on point with the vibe.’

  What’s In This Mix?

  Undertones of grimy bass music at its old school best combined with the kind of groovy percussion that makes it relevant and makes you want to dance all at once. None of that one-hand-in-the-air stale EDM dance nonsense over here.

  We Love It Because: It stays true to their allegiance to groovy bass music from start to finish. These guys don’t believe the hype, they are the hype. 

Compiled by Homegrown

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Emerge: Decoding Dismantle Before His 3-City India Tour | In association with LIVE Viacom18

[Later this month, on the 18th, 19th, and 20th of September to be precise, Emerge is kicking off their newest property, which aims at introducing the freshest new sounds in the world of electronic music to unsuspecting Indian audiences across the country. If you didn’t know anything about him, let this article be your first foray into the world of Dismantle.]

  Bristol boy Will Knighton’s welcoming into the league of extraordinary electronic music producers, has only further proven the UK town’s reputation for being a veritable breeding ground for underground musical talent over the past decade or so. Known better under his moniker, Dismantle, his self-title does justice to the kind of eclectic beats he enjoys spinning as well.

  Signature Sound: A quirky amalgamation of house, dub step (not the overdone kind) and Dutch Techno, it’s no wonder the 21-year-old’s considered to be one of the most hotly tipped young producers to emerge from the UK Bass Scene.

  His Fast ‘Track’ To Fame:

  It was his massive single, ‘Computation’ that catapulted him into the limelight but it was his consistently great follow-ups that kept him there. Either way, it’s a must listen.

  The fire-starter track saw him get noticed and even dropped by major taste-makers from Annie Mac to Diplo, and it motivated him to start his own label, Gangoon Dubz in 2012.

  Major Influences:

  Nothing’s more telling of an artist than the others who influenced his own sound games, so here it is, from the horse’s mouth itself.

  Technically, Dismantle credits his granny for his love of dance by admitting that the two tracks that really got him into dance music were The Prodigy’s ‘Out Of Space’ and SL2’s  ‘On A Ragga Trip,’ which always seemed to be on Radio 1 late at night during long car journeys back from his gran’s when he was eight or nine. “I couldn’t find them for years afterwards, because I didn’t know what they were called, but when I finally did I was hooked. From there, I got into drum ’n’ bass through websites like Drum&Bass Arena,” he told Boxfresh.

    5 Dismantle Tracks You Have To Hear:

  If you’re looking for an introduction, we collated five tracks that are a great in-road to the kind of music he’s likely to let loose on our dance floors. We chose a lot of remixes with key industry players to ease your way into it but deeper options follow.

  I. A-Trak & Zinc - Like The Dancefloor Feat. Natalie Storm (Dismantle Remix)

    II. Toddla T - Alive (Dismantle Remix)

    III. No Doubt - Push and Shove (Dismantle Vs. Major Lazer Remix)

    IV. Dismantle - Round & Round feat. Lucy Love

    V. Dismantle - Spots

      Dig Deeper:

  In case you liked what you heard/saw and you want to get to know him better you should know that Dismantle has already released 2 EPs over the years which you wouldn’t want to miss. You can check out more of his music here:

    SOUNDCLOUD 

    You can also follow him on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dismantleofficial & Twitter https://twitter.com/dismantle_ggd.

  Festival Fun:

  2013 took Dismantle on a whirlwind round-the-world tour with Boxfresh and Vice Magazine to film ʻBefore Monday Comesʼ, taking in the nightlife of Stockholm, Berlin, Beijing, New York and London. Either side of this Will took to the road for a huge run of summer shows and festivals including Glastonbury, Hideout, Global Gathering, Tomorrowland, SW4, Pukkelpop and Bestival, cementing himself as a firm festival favourite.

  You can watch one of his live performances at Tomorrowland 2013 below:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiLX6sw2ff8

    All Trails Lead Home:

  Considering he started making drum n’ bass in his bedroom, it goes without saying that the young producer’s certainly well-travelled now. From China and New York he’s done the rounds of all the major dance capitals of the world including Berlin, Stockholm and London of course and now, finally, all trails lead to India. Namely, Mumbai, Pune and Delhi.

    Artists Who Love Him:

  And finally, we couldn’t resist showcasing some of the major players/ key taste-makers who are loving him right now. Diplo, Annie Mac, Skrillex, Mista Jam and Skream to name a few. In fact, Benga even called him ‘the new Skream!’ If you need more reason than that for showing up, we’re not sure we can help!

[Dismantle shows will be opened by Ox7gen, TripShot Crew and Mojo Jojo in Mumbai, Pune and Delhi respectively. For more event details and to see which Dismantle show is closest to you, click here]

[liveatemerge-blog]

Stay Savvy: 8 Free Music Discovery Apps You Should Download Today

[Stay Savvy is a monthly Emerge column designed to keep you on your toes as far as the marriage between music and technology is concerned. Be it the latest machine your favourite DJ is using or the best new app you have to have, we’ve got our finger on the pulse and we’re here to tell you all about it.]

  Every once in a while, you might turn to your iPod/ iTunes for a little musical inspiration and realize the inevitable truth—you’re stuck in a musical rut. You’ve navigated the same playlist/ artist enough times today to be concerned and considering we’re living in the generation of instant tunes, why settle for repetition?

  The unending catalogue of music available can be both a blessing and a curse however, so we decided to filter things down for our readers and enhance their road to musical discovery.

  Without further ado, here are four, fresh Music Discovery Apps you should download today. Rest assured, they are all free, available in India and major platforms.

  I. Band Of The Day (Available on iOS & Android, Free)

  We Love It Because: It doesn’t overwhelm newcomers with too much choice.

  As the name suggests, this app uncovers one band or artist per day for your listening perusal. It has a clean, calendar-like interface which is bound to appeal to the OCD-ridden lot and provides you with a curated list of emerging talents across many genres. In addition to giving you free access to their music, the app also provides you with photos and additional information about the artist giving you an all-encompassing music lesson.

  Pro Tip: Use it if you really want to get into more underground music discovery rather than commercial favourites.

  II. Twitter #Music (Available on iOS & Android, Free)

  We Love It Because: It turns your Twitter feed into a streaming playlist.

  Twitter’s new music app hasn’t actually been receiving the best reviews, especially since it requires users to build a whole new profile rather than syncing with others, but we discovered it’s actually great for those who may have exhausted the results of others or for those who are just getting started. It allows listens to 30-second clips of songs giving you enough time to decide if you’re into it.

  Pro Tip: Following the right music influencers on Twitter really helps!

  III. SoundHound (Available on iOS & Android, Free)

  We Love It Because: It takes Shazam to a whole new level!

  Essentially, SoundHound’s core function is not too different from Shazam—it recognises the music playing around you which we all know to be one of the most problematic things about music discovery. However, this app goes a step further to provide you with not only a track title and artist but also a 30-second steaming preview, links to paid downloads, youtube videos, similar artists, artist bios and even live-scrolling lyrics!

  Pro Tip: Use it to know more about your favourite songs, even if you already know the name!

  IV. Soundwave (Available on iOS & Android, Free)

  We Love It Because: It tracks your listening habits and gets better with time.

  This app combines the spontaneity of all your other listening habits with other services, whether its YouTube, Pandora, 8tracks or Radio, and the service then tracks it all to help you organise and compile your favourites from all over.  Like others on this list, this app also builds in an additional feature which builds playlists for specific activities you indulge in whether it’s relaxing or working out hence making the right song for the occasion effortless.

  Pro Tip: Use it to meet other music lovers because it’s also designed to be a great social platform.

  Hall Of Famers:

  We love all the above-mentioned apps but this list wouldn’t be complete without a quick shout out to the older apps that paved the way for them. Here are the ones we still love:

  I. 8tracks

  We Love It Because: It caters to every mood and occasion!

  Pro Tip: It’s got the best community of people to ‘follow’ whether it’s online DJs or other listeners.

  II. Soundcloud

  We Love It Because: You find their songs and their remixes!

  Pro Tip: Hipster alert. If you like being ahead of the pack, this is where you need to be to catch artists before they make it big.

  III. Bandcamp

  We Love It Because: It’s a great way to support the independent music/ artists you love!

  Pro Tip:Listen to their recommendations.You can even gift someone an album you love on a special occasion, which we thought is a pretty great idea in case your better half is a music nut!

  IV. Shazam

  We Love It Because: It solves the anonymous audio issue.

  Pro Tip: When capturing the audio you want discovered, try to make sure there’s as little audio interference (read: friends screaming, cars honking etc.) as possible as it can mess up the app’s ability to identify a song.

[liveatemerge-blog]

Pick Of The Week: Wilfred Giroux’s Permenant Vacation Mix For Thump

[Emerge ‘Pick Of The Week’ curates one spectacular mix or playlist from some far off destination and repackages it for you on home turf. In other words, this is your aural guide to the freshest sounds on the planet!]

  This Week’s Mix:

  Vice breathes underground culture and its offshoot channel, Thump, covers electronic music and culture at its grimy best. Rest assured, their mixes are almost always on point with global trends. Hence, it’s no surprise that this more recent mix, exclusively created for them by Joshua Mooney (under his moniker, Wilfred Giroux) is everything you could have wanted and more.

  Who Is Wilfred Giroux?

  The London-based 19-year-old producer first burst onto the scene post releasing a remix of Estelle’s everybody-knows-it classic, ‘American Boy.

’  

 And he’s managed to keep up the momentum ever since by putting out consistently cutting-edge house tracks

that people in the dance community have been lapping up hungrily.

  His Signature Sound?

  Soulful vocal samples from R&B legends a la Corinne Bailey Rae, usually make the cut for his supremely fresh & upbeat mixes. It keeps his house tunes from getting too monotonous as well.

  What’s In This Mix?

  Plenty of that signature sound we just talked about. Think 32 minutes and 10 seconds of clean mixing and unadulterated tunes that are both familiar and fresh all at once.

  We Love It Because: He keeps it seriously groovy from start to finish without upping the tempo too much! This is your chance to channel your inner moonwalker.