ListenUp
Animal Collective remixes M83, Justice shares a disco treat, Beck dances in a new video and more
M83: Go! (Animal Collective / Deakin Remix)
“Go!” from M83’s 2016 album Junk has just been remixed by Deakin from Animal Collective and it takes the already slightly oddball track featuring Mai Lan and creates an atmospheric, spacey soundscape. A new beautiful, soft thumping, fuzzy layer drives the track skyward. The remix will apparently appear on an upcoming 12″ record that’s slated for release in December. M83 begins a tour at the end of this month.
Beck: Wow
Eternal favorite Beck has just released a surreal music video for his excellent track “Wow.” Featuring roses with eyeballs, cowboys, Wondershowzen-esque characters, some psychedelic animations and a suavely dressed Beck dancing, the video is just the right amount of peculiar to match the plastic pop bliss of the track. “Wow” is from his upcoming album (the follow-up to 2014’s Morning Phase), and Beck begins a mini tour this week—visiting a few lucky US cities.
Justice: Randy
French duo Justice (aka Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay) just officially released another new track, the second this summer after a five-year release-hiatus. “Randy” (from the upcoming album Woman, the follow-up to 2011’s Audio, Video, Disco) starts off with a dark, industrial sound before suddenly making way for a surprise falsetto. Eventually turning into a sing-song, psychedelic tune that’s got plenty of simmering ’70s disco vibes and even some strings.
Lower Dens: Real Thing
In hazy, soft focus—with a black backdrop lit by neon pink-red light—Lower Dens lead singer Jana Hunter delivers a visual treatment for the band’s latest single “Real Thing.” Synth dominates the track, accompanied by the twang of Hunter’s electric guitar. The lyrics here, however, deliver the song’s heart—with Hunter delving into the flaws of relationships and the impact of human desire. There’s melancholy afoot, but also empowerment—all wrapped up in wisps of nostalgia.
Gabriel Garzón-Montano: Trial
Brooklyn-based Gabriel Garzón-Montano (whose “6 8” was sampled in Drake’s “Jungle”) has just released “Trial,” a gorgeous but solemn track and video in which the singer/songwriter/producer wonders about ambition and the future. Befitting the somber lyrics (“Maybe I’ll play the game and trade my trust for fame / and still be just as lonely”), the accompanying video is lush but depicts isolation—with Garzón-Montano floating on the ocean, atop a beautiful bed of flowers. Garzón-Montano also just announced he has signed with Peanut Butter Wolf’s Stones Throw Records.
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.
