ListenUp
A Boiler Room birthday mix, Todd Terje’s debut album, a Frankie Knuckles tribute and more in the music we tweeted this week
Todd Terje: It’s Album Time
Next week dance fans will finally be able to get their hands on the highly anticipated debut album from the self-dubbed “remaster of the universe,” Todd Terje. The aptly titled LP, It’s Album Time, arrives 10 years after the Norwegian DJ and producer dropped his first 12″ (which includes the brilliant cover of Cloud One’s “Don’t Let My Rainbow Pass Me By”). The new album leaves behind the remixes he’s so known for in favor of original tunes, but Terje still offers listeners a dose of his jazzy sunbeam style with tracks like “Strandbar,” “Preben Goes To Acapulco” and the strung-out version of Robert Palmer’s “Johnny and Mary,” which features vocals by Bryan Ferry.
Frankie Knuckles: Baby Wants to Ride
A pioneer of Chicago house music, the legendary Frankie Knuckles has passed away but his influence lives through the artists, producers and club-goers he’s inspired through his minimalist dance tracks. Particularly memorable and ground-breaking was 1987’s “Baby Wants to Ride,” a collaboration with producer Jamie Principle. Over the four-on-the-floor drum machine beat, the vocalists don’t sing melodies but speak—almost pant—lyrics tinged with politics, religion and love; like “ride me baby, ride” to “South Africa, let my people go.” Using synths that are almost haunting, Knuckles takes us for a sexed-up, never-ending ride throughout the night.
Slough Feg: White Cousin
Last week we interviewed brothers Tom and Matt Berninger, the latter known as The National’s frontman and the former, a burgeoning filmmaker. The pair have drastically different taste in music, but when asked for a tune they could agree on, Tom offered “White Cousin” by San Francisco heavy metal band Slough Feg. A song about the genetic relationship between albino apes and humans, Matt agrees it perfectly summarizes their own relationship, but asks, “Which of us is the ape and which is man?” Tom captures the spirit of their disparate interests, but inherent connection by replying, “Well, that is the question!”
Thris Tian Boiler Room Mix
Having spent the last few years traveling the world creating immensely popular live-stream DJ sets, the Boiler Room crew returned home to their original London location (which inspired the project’s name) to celebrate their fourth birthday. Fittingly, BR co-founder and music curator Thristian Richards took to the decks and provided a range of tunes which reflect his days working at the record shop Sounds of the Universe and his time spent as Gilles Peterson’s right-hand man at BBC Radio. His eclectic mix and historical anecdotes offer insight on BR’s foundation, and demonstrate why the underground show so quickly became a global favorite.
JIHAE: Illusion of You
After a successful crowdfunding effort for her new album “Illusion of You,” NYC-based JIHAE released the record’s first single of the same name, now available for download. The soulful songstress shows her vocal range in this dark, smoky track, which calls to mind a dodgy lounge from a film noir scene. With executive production from Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, this lead single is a strong showing of what’s to come from the multi-talented artist on an album that takes a deep, intellectual look at mysticism and the illusion of self reflected on another.
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that takes a deeper look at the music we tweeted throughout the week. Often we’ll include a musician or notable fan’s personal favorite in a song or album dubbed #PrivateJam.
