Heavy Rotation: the latest old school and indie house
Here’s our round-up of our favorite dance music sent to the blog in May so far. All of this music has been on heavy rotation here at TNLF HQ.
Stimming – Sugar and Lemon
From a very early age, German producer, Martin Stimming knew music was his calling. As a child he learned how to play the violin, piano, and drums before taking a step into producing electronic music. Stimming‘s productions are unique because of the way he is constantly creating new sounds. His charismatic field recordings always keep his sound fresh. Samples are never repeated and nothing is sacred. Sources of sound have included a coffee machine, children’s toys, loose change, a vinyl pressing plant, a 22.000 HP ship engine and an Ikea pizza cutter. His music continues to explore interesting and progressive territories with his trademark sense of texture, emotion and discovery. His new single, “Sugar and Lemon” is no exception. With a warm danceable groove, the track delivers a sound that’s both experimental and undeniably catchy.
Mushina x Noëlle Sol – Delulu
I first came across Portuguese Mushina when he released his homage to International Woman’s Day — a track called “Stronger.” He is known for his influence of the Ecstatic Dance scene and magnetic charisma on stage. His sound is irresistibly danceable with a flavor of big bass tribal energy. For his latest single he teams up with Noëlle Sol to record a track called “Delulu” (short for “delusional”). “In order to be successful as an artist, you have to be Delulu,” explains Mushina when talking about the new single. “We were deep in a studio session, in full creative flow, when a random reel popped up — an artist talking passionately about what it really takes to succeed. She said that to go all-in on your dreams, you need to tap into a different mindset, one that feels totally unrealistic, even delusional. But in that so-called “delusion” lies the magic: the courage to believe in your wildest visions and overcome every fear and obstacle. That was the spark that lit the fire behind our new track.”
“We made this track for all the dreamers who dare to be delulu, for those flying high in the clouds, turning visions into reality.”
Syird – Syird
Dutch producer, Sjoerd Huissoon, is carving a name for himself as a versatile creator in the scene. A self-proclaimed tech nerd, Sjoerd’s work is fueled by curiosity and a thirst for learning. He draws inspiration from artists like Overmono, Chemical Brothers, Bonobo, and Bicep, yet as you can hear on his new single below, he’s charting his own path.
Sjoerd reveals that what inspired him to create his latest track is that feeling of “Dancing with a smile on your face and closed eyes.” Who can argue with that?
KIDSØ – Fjell
For their new single, Munich-based band KIDSØ, mixes a potent bit of funky bass with ethereal vocals and jamming synths. What’s even more is that it’s all an organic-live-electronic performance. “Fjell” dance music that finds away to be both funky and groovy.
Mr-Z – Back and Forth
On his latest release, Mr-Z pivots from his Chicago house style to a bold big room sound. “Back And Forth” revolves around a all-encompassing brooding bassline and complimented with little vocal snippets. You could feel the energy of the dance floor on this one. And then the floor falls away at the middle of the track when it switches up into the pyschedlic synth-led break down.
Jose Zaragoza – Jack’s House
Now look. I’m not a big fan of the use of the “Comic Sans” font on the album artwork of this new Jose Zaragoza single, but I had to look past that because the track is a banger. “Jacks House,” combines a slick drum pattern, with a filtered bass, piano keys, brass to make a funk house tune ready for the dance floor. Pure energy.
Swamp People – Resurface
The Swamp People project is the result of a long lasting friendship and love of dance music. Their new track, “Resurface” is a journey through deep, shifting textures and heavy low-end rhythms — a track built for late nights and quiet awakenings. This is music for those moments when you come up for air — slow, steady, and undeniable
Lori Asha – There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (Indy Lopez remix) (The Smiths cover)
It’s not often you get an electronic version of an old classic right. Especially when you are trying to cover such a well known track from a band like The Smith. But all credit to Indy Lopez and Lori Asha for putting this one together. It captures the spirit of the original but walks it onto the dancefloor.
Cover photo is Syird
