ListenUp
KAYTRANADA remixes Gorillaz, plus new tunes by Xenoula, Tourist, Lindstrøm, Syd and more
Phantogram: Funeral Pyre
With their eerie, emotional (and NSFW) video for “Funeral Pyre“—found on last year’s album Three—Phantogram have unleashed an experience that’s set just outside the passenger window of a moving automobile. Traveling in slow-motion, the scenes of the Gianluca Minucci-directed video address everything from violence and sex to the extraordinary and even the ordinary. Truly compelling, the visuals engage with an unexpected power supported by the track.
Syd: Bad Dream/No Looking Back
On the heels of Syd’s solo debut Fin (released earlier this year) comes “Bad Dream/No Looking Back“—two hazy, mellow and sultry tunes, seamlessly connected in the middle. The track is the lead single from Syd’s upcoming Always Never Home, which is set to be her second solo release this year. She’s also working on a new The Internet project, so we have plenty of her gauzy brand of R&B to look forward to.
Tourist feat. Ardyn: We Stayed Up All Night
There is a moment in time, perhaps at five or six or even seven in the morning after the night has been spent dancing or talking to friends with fervor, when the sun quietly and powerfully rises in the distance. Tourist’s track “We Stayed Up All Night” captures this beautifully. Now, the song—which features vocals from Katy Pearson of Ardyn—has a Daniel Brereton-directed music video that encapsulates this magic further.
Xenoula: Chief Of Tin
Xenoula’s new track “Chief of Tin” is a little creepy, but at the same time blankets the listener with a calming energy. The Wales-based, South Africa-raised artist’s atmospheric electronic pop tune was produced by CH favorite LA Priest (aka Sam Dust). Accompanying the song, a brilliant music video reveals Xenoula’s origin story—how she appeared on Earth and subsequently explored and experimented with her new planet.
Gorillaz: Strobelite (Kaytranada Remix)
Premiering on BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac show, this breezy KAYTRANADA remix of the Gorillaz’s “Stroblite” is a luminous rework. The track features Peven Everett, as well as Toronto-based KAYTRANADA’s signature smooth touch. With a touch of dub, it’s entirely danceable.
Lindstrøm feat. Grace Hall: Shinin
A seven-minute disco banger, “Shinin” finds Norwegian producer Lindstrøm partnering (once again) with American singer Grace Hall. It’s an epic adventure that begs the body to move along with its beat. The track will lead Lindstrøm’s forthcoming It’s Alright Between Us As It Is, out 20 October.
Iron & Wine: Claim Your Ghost
The lead track on Iron & Wine’s brand new Beast Epic album, “Claim Your Ghost” wins listeners from the start. It’s been four years since Iron & Wine, namely Sam Beam and collaborators, has released new music. There’s much here for longtime fans to love—beauty and sadness mingling throughout, lyrics of thoughtful consideration, empowered arrangements—but a renewed simplicity defines the album from start to finish. “Call it Dreaming” was the first single, but “Claim Your Ghost” is our choice because it’s where this new emotional adventure begins.
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that rounds up the music we tweeted throughout the week, also found in Listen.
