Daft Punk – Something About Us
I used to love me some anime. I dunno if I’m old school but I just don’t find the new stuff as engaging…let me stop before I offend someone. I had seen the music videos for One More Time and Harder Better Stronger Faster but it was years later when I found out there was a whole movie, “Interstellar 5555”. I watched it over and over. So good!! I had never picked up a guitar but opened up my first tab to try and learn this solo.
Montell Jordan – This is How We Do It
I remember being in my car seat going OFF when this song dropped on the radio. Always my go to for karaoke night.
Teedra Moses – Just Wanna Be Your Girl (Kaytranada Remix)
I heard this at a party in a hallowed out finca in Mallorca and couldn’t stop dancing. I had no idea who it was and searched and searched until finally it popped up on my Soundcloud. Kaytra fan for life after that.
The Neptunes & Vanessa Marquez – Good Girl
N.E.R.D. is a huge influence and I have a soft spot in my heart for Vanessa Marquez. Her delivery is like the sunshine on a morning after the rain. Please come back to us Vanessa! Give us one more!!
Slave – Slide
When I was a teen and started getting interested in playing in bands, my dad would take me around to the music shops to try out guitars and basses and see what I gravitated to. He would always pick up a bass and hit this bassline. Slave was my gateway into funk and falling in love with those grooves. Dream collab would be with Steve Arrington.
Fit of Body – 56k
My homie heard some stuff I was working on and asked me if I had heard of Fit of Body. I listened to this and immediately looked for a connection. An acquaintance in Atlanta introduced me and I fanboyed hard…he was super cool. Love his taste in music and his art. Check out the Harsh Riddims label and support the underground ATL scene!
Steve Monite – Only You
I think this one hit hard for a lot of people at the same time. There was a good minute where I would hear it at every afterparty. I loved it so much I wanted to bring it to the dancefloor a little earlier so I did a cover on Soul Clap Records. I think its also such an interesting tune coz nobody seems to know anything about the man. The hit has had its resurgence, been in rotation for years and no ones found him. There was some guy on reddit that said he was Steve but I think it was fake. Steve, are you alive? Did you have a family? Where are your people to tell your story?? The full original Only You album is on Youtube if you want to hear more songs from Steve.
Toro Y Moi – Say That
I had been playing in bands, doing more live and acoustic stuff when I heard this record in my friend Josh’s car. It really turned me on to a sound that could be indie and electronic and danceable. Huge fan of Toro and his different experiments. It’s always danceable but there’s still a story, which can be hard to pull off. It seems like people usually want to dance OR listen. But there’s a perfect synthesis here. Was fortunate enough to catch him live in Miami a few years back, watching his band jam and then slowly transform the wiling out into a song you know and then break it down again. Hopefully get to check him out again once things open up again.
Wande Coal – So Mi So
I was hanging with my boy Dudubembe in Colombia when he showed me some of his favorite Afrobeat records. This flow over a 4/4 gave me a rush! So smooth. If I hear this song, I have to stop whatever I’m doing and hit a couple moves. Dudu and I have some killer collabs and afrobeat remixes coming soon.
Minus The Bear – Thanks For The Killer Game of Crisco Twister
Minus the Bear was actually my entry point into playing guitar. I was back home from college on holiday, driving around listening to Menos El Oso and my boy Mike was like, “We can play this, easy!” We went to his crib and jammed and I fell in love with guitar. It was much much much harder than I thought to play some of their stuff though hahaha. Should’ve started with “Ain’t No Sunshine” but I went the other way around. I think the first song I learned was actually “This Ain’t A Surfing Movie” but this one is hands-down my favorite.
Life On Planets – Grateful (Radio Mix) (Studio 54 Music)
Launched back in May of this year, Studio 54’s official record label has announced their final single of the year ‘Grateful’, by Baltimore bred, Brooklyn underground mainstay Phill Celeste aka Life On Planets. The track is a hard hitting future disco and r&b banger, a description that many may debate as its unique sound is hard to put in a box. ‘Grateful’ will be followed up by second single and feel good groover ‘Everyday’ to be released in January 2021. The record will include two versions: the Life on Planets ‘Original Mix’ featuring Phill’s signature sexy & minimal sound and the ‘Studio 54 Remix’ a feel good disco version perfect for the dancefloor, beach, and living room, mixed by Studio 54’s in house producer Morgan Wiley and featuring mesmerising additional production work by Kris Vanderheyden. Loved in Brooklyn for years now, Life On Planets was a game changing mainstay at the legendary Wolf+Lamb Marcy Hotel events before going on to tour worldwide with Soul Clap’s funky collective, Crew Love, hitting the likes of Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Mexico City & Paris. ‘Grateful’ and ‘Everyday’ come after the prior hot release, ‘Only You’ which dropped on Soul Clap Records and has gotten top of the line remix treatment + major transatlantic love on Sirius XM, and by tastemakers like Pete Tong in the UK. The Studio 54 Release was mastered by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service, known and loved through his work with LCD Soundsystem and will be followed up with remixes in the near future.
