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[BASS] “TROPHY” BY CHARLI XCX

That indie producer on his MacBook doesn’t play by the rules anymore. Actually, London producer SOPHIE had been busy writing his own with the release of his debut LP “Product” a couple months ago, delivering a lasting shockwave representing the desirable scene of the tongue-in-cheek Play-Doh bass genre, and spearheading their anti-mainstream aesthetics with his sisters from PC MUSIC records. Yesterday, Charli XCX (recent ally of Mr. Oizo) releases “Vroom Vroom EP” with instrumentals produced by SOPHIE, of which “Trophy” is the 1000 horsepower engine.  Mainstream hip-hop is hardly “the game” to play, it’s a joke, and no one seems to be telling it better while having more fun than the blokes with fish in their chips (with an album cover that borders Vaporwave imagery), pushing out a piece marking the end and the beginning.          

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[Progressive House] EROL ALKAN - "A HOLD ON LOVE" // The UK remix king made famous by his re-interpretations of the French touch golden age... Erol Alkan produces a sonic love letter to capture the emotion of finding a true love: electronic music

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[Electro House] A-TRAK & OLIVER - "ZAMBONI" // Quintessential club rocker - brainchild of the legendary A-Trak and talented electronic LA producer Oliver. 

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[MINIMAL HOUSE/TECHNO] ZETA99 - "CROP" // "Something new" as ZETA99 humbly describe themselves. ZETA99 has proven again to be talented producers of boiled-down house madness, a fresh blend of blunt minimalism and sophistication.  

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[FUNK] DAFT PUNK - "RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES" LP (2013)

Is the new Daft Punk album a "perfect" album? 

Conceptually, it is.  Chords yearn emotionally towards a timeless quality in their sum. Pacing and instrumentation is incredibly meticulous, and were obviously written and played by those top in their game. "Perfection" is the theme here, there's no mistake, Daft Punk expresses this intent through every facet of rhythm, melody, and emotion. Perhaps it is a bit too formulated... sterile at times... but how else can it happen - to make music... perfect?

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[ELECTRO/???] HANDBRAEKES - "THE QAT" // Boys Noize + Mr. Oizo = Handbraekes, the ultimate musical experiment. 

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[INDIE DANCE] EMPIRE OF THE SUN - "ALIVE"

// New Empire of the Sun! An exciting preview to their upcoming album "Ice on the Dune." EotS trademark vocals invoke feelings of great nostalgia. Maybe it's the nasaliness.

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[ELECTRO STEP] DOG BLOOD (BOYS NOIZE + SKRILLEX) - "NEXT ORDER" // Kings of their genres, Boys Noize and Skrillex combine to form Dog Blood, a ferocious project outputting the finest of Skrillex' trademark synths to the rhythm of Boys Noize aggressive electro genius. 

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[ELECTRO] OLIVER - "NIGHT IS ON MY MIND" // Swagger struttin'

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[NU-DISCO] DAFT PUNK - "GET LUCKY"

// Alright, so we've all heard it by now. Daft Punk's journey back to sun-kissed West Coast vibes and tru-disco brings them to "Get Lucky", a warm, groovy invitation to all Daft Punk-ers into their new vision. The result: it's okay. It's when big-brand-like names such as Daft Punk gets back into the game that you make yourself step back and look with new eyes - or listen with new ears. Like their French cousins Justice, Daft Punk takes a well-educated and well -meaning step back towards a cherished era, but as this single headlines, it is, as sad as it is for me to say as a personal fan, a disappointing impression. It is safe: it has Nile Rodgers in it, the riff is cool, the electro breakdown is cool, but the combination is as lack-luster as Pharrell's vocal performance. Justice waddled through the same fate along 80s Rock in their sophomore album Audio, Video, Disco, their opening single "Civilization" leaving fans confused. Of course it is early to say, but it seems Random Access Memories will be polarizing Daft Punk's audience again. 12 more tracks to go, perhaps "revolutionary" will strike on May 21st, but not today. 

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[ELECTRO HOUSE] BOBMO "SONIC SOUL EP" // Plays fun, but safe. A new Bobmo with bolder electro elements pockets the beat so well it's hard to overlook the growth in production quality and musicianship. Exceptionally solid EP.

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[INDIE POP/ELECTRONIC] THE POSTAL SERVICE - "A TATTERED LINE OF STRING"

// A meaningful return, perhaps even a triumph for Indie lovers. "A Tattered Line of String" is a delightful victory lap for Postal Service's debut "Give Up." It is among 6 new original releases (yes six!) that comes with the 10th anniversary release of their debut, but the quality of the other five are questionable. Ideas seems rushed and hooks are uninspiring, song structure suffers. If Postal Service 2013 is merely a fan pleaser, and not in genuine interest for Gibbard, it doesn't need to be revitalized as a cash grab. Here's to hoping it isn't.

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[HOUSE] ZETA99 - "ULNAR"

// Who is ZETA99? They are house music boiled down to the primal essentials of club-pumping kicks and sizzling cymbals, beneath a very fresh coat of subtle sophistications and gloss. It is a familiar, minimalistic ode to the golden years of house, while inducing an emotional rapport with visions of dance floors and chrome.