ListenUp
An impressive live mash-up by Shawn Wasabi, dogs running to Christian Tiger School’s beats, Sia remixed and more in this week’s music
Christian Tiger School: Chorisolo
South African electronic duo Christian Tiger are set to drop their debut full-length Chrome Tapes this summer on NYC hip hop label Tommy Boy Entertainment. In anticipation the Cape Town-based producers have released a video for their lead single “Chorisolo.” The pulsating rhythm is paired with picturesque shots of dogs running in time with the music. According to Sebastiano Zanasi, one half of Christian Tiger School, “The idea for the video changed a bunch of times but the theme of something cyclical happening remained.” After throwing out a beach dogsled idea, directors Chris Bisset and Ross Hillier gave the instrumental track a more open-ended visual narrative with their simple but detail-driven approach casting their friends’ dogs as the stars.
Shawn Wasabi: Marble Soda
Music producer (and MIDI controller magician) Shawn Wasabi makes a comeback after almost a year with the intensely stimulating “Marble Soda,” a mash-up of samples culled from 153 different songs and sounds. In the video, Wasabi’s fingers fly over a custom-made 64 button controller as he twists his hands to press up to six to seven buttons simultaneously—and reminding viewers of the mastery and hours of practice required by virtuosic classical pianists. Prepare for a pop music eargasm like no other as Wasabi whirls you through Anamanaguchi to Cashmere Cat to Ryan Hemsworth with a dash of J-Pop thrown in.
Gwilym Gold: Unknown
In anticipation of his June album release A Paradise, musician and singer Gwilym Gold debuted three music videos today—all of which feature morphing, haze-y visuals by artist Colin Henderson. Of the three, “Unknown” is the stand-out track, featuring arrangements by contemporary composer Nico Muhly, offers a spacious, airy and enjoyable foray into what can be expected of Gold. Beautiful vocals intertwine with thoughtful lyricism and introspective instrumentation—and the resulting song settles the soul.
Sia: Big Girls Cry (E.A.S.Y. Remix)
Sia’s mega-star status may have only been solidified globally in the last few years, but the truth of the matter is she has long been creating music of remarkable depth and power. And with this caliber of craft at their core, Sia’s dynamic tracks lend themselves to stellar remixes. The latest in this line of reworkings, DJ duo E.A.S.Y take “Big Girls Cry” and draws upon the singer’s sensitive lyricism and knack for a catchy chorus, and then undercuts it with epic bursts of synth, trap drops, an assault of percussion and a beat begging listeners to dance.
The High Maintenance (Unofficial) Soundtrack
Cult web series “High Maintenance,” created and written by Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair, stars the latter as your go-to marijuana dealer; each episode centers on a different customer and their personal (if on the verge of neurotic) life in New York City. Full of “pot” twists, comedic laughs and poignant feels, High Maintenance also features great, under-the-radar music from indie artists such as Connan Mockasin, Prom Queen, Nitemoves and more. In perhaps the most perfect timing ever, on 4/20 HBO announced that it has picked up “High Maintenance” for six new episodes, making it one of the rare instances when an online series has made the successful transition to premium cable.
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that rounds up the music we tweeted throughout the week, also found in Listen. Hear the year so far via Cool Hunting Spotify.
