ListenUp
Experimental Julian Casablancas, Rub ‘N’ Tug, Joey Anderson, a #PrivateJam from MICK and more in the music we Tweeted this week
Plastic Mermaids: Drømtorp
While the title of their new EP Drømtorp may channel a Nordic vibe, Isle of Wight five-piece—the Plastic Mermaids—is actually made up of Anglo avid surfers laying down ethereal folk melodies with atmospheric beats. This weekend, the band played their beloved hometown music fest Bestival, where they entertained the crowds with psychedelic harmonies like “Polaroid” and “Drømtorp” to set an idyllic tone for the island festival. Matching their sepia-toned, soft psych pop is an equally alluring analog self-shot video filmed on their island home.
Joey Anderson’s ’90s Dance Tunes
New Jersey’s own Joey Anderson caught the critical acclaim of the global house community this year with his full-length debut After Forever. Anderson is set to perform this September at small-scale experimental music festival Sustain-Release. In anticipation of his performance, Dazed caught up with the producer for a rundown of his favorite ’90s dance tunes. Anderson spent many years as a professional dancer and the tracks are a throwback to his time on the other side of the music. Expect deep cuts and to find a few new favorites from one of the golden ages of house.
Julian Casablancas + The Voidz: Human Sadness
Almost five years after his debut solo album, and a year after the Strokes’ last record, Julian Casablancas is set to release his second solo effort Tyranny on 23 September 2014 (in vinyl, CD, tape and even USB-disguised-as-lighter form). The album’s lead single “Human Sadness” is an epic, 11-minute experimental journey breaking free of the cookie cutter verse-chorus-bridge format. Percussion doesn’t even kick in until after the five minute mark—with virtuosic electric guitar licks, string and organ pads, highly processed vocals and some video game-like flourishes filling up the space—and ups the emotional intensity that Casablanca typically wields.
Dummy Mix 224: Rub ‘N’ Tug
London-based Thomas Bullock most recently made waves at Cool Hunting with his mezcal obsession, but to most he’s known as one-half of the celebrated DJ duo Rub ‘N’ Tug, along with Eric “Dunks” Duncan. Typically splitting their time between parties on either side of the Atlantic, the pair got together this week at “Eric’s flat in New York” to lend their talents to Dummy for the magazine’s weekly music mix. The 50-minute sonic journey feels like a condensed version of their nights throwing wildly popular (and just straight-up wild) underground dance parties, where house music ruled and sweat was everyone’s best friend.
Vic Mensa: Down On My Luck
With endless opportunities to boogie during NY Fashion Week, we asked MICK—prominent DJ to the style setters—what he plays to kick the party into full gear. His #PrivateJam is Vic Mensa’s “Down On My Luck,” which he tells us: “As a DJ, I love great, soulful hip-hop and I love great, soulful dance music. Especially with a classic house vibe. This song by Vic Mensa flawlessly captures all of those qualities. I have played this record everywhere from NYC to Cannes and people go nuts every time. Plus, the video is cool and makes you think.”
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.
