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Download: Lowb "Inward Outburst (Synkro Remix)"

First Listen
Label: Distiller

Lowb (a.k.a. Andy Barlow, one-half of UK pair Lamb) is prepping his first outing as a solo producer, with his debut album Leap and the Net Will Appear set for release via Distiller on June 3. A week prior however, Lowb will be releasing an EP based around the forthcoming album's lead single "Inward Outburst." The tune's languid chill, however, might be in even better hands with Synkro, whose rework begins as bleary-eyed as one might expect, with shimmering, oceanside chords trading places with a windswept synth pattern. All the tricks of Synkro's trade are out in full force—miles-deep low-end, longing female vocals, and the likes fill out the track—but in a surprising turn, the real standout element Synkro employs is a bit of enticing percussion, which gradually grows more fierce as the tune rolls on. 

Average: 8.4 (90 votes)
 
 

Download: Uffe "Valentine's Card (Envee Remix)"

Set for release at the end of this month via Pets, Amsterdam-based producer Uffe's new EP, Times All (artwork above), is a downtempo-house hybrid, traversing the line between detailed electronic pop and club-ready four-on-the-floor modes. Here we have a remix from veteran Polish producer Envee of EP track "Valentine's Card," which spreads out the sparse and melancholic house chords of the original, infusing the remix with a particularly satisfying squiggly synthline and vocals buried deep into the mix. While Envee's rework will not be included on the upcoming Times All EP, remixes by Jon Convex and Acid Pauli will be alongside a trio of Uffe's original productions. 

Average: 8.1 (77 votes)
 
 

Download: Baadman "Gambetta (BS1 Remix)"
Label: Kitsune

As of late, it seems that most producers who are on top of their game at an early age have little trouble getting noticed, but 18-year-old French DJ/producer Baadman (a.k.a. Arthur Dutil) has surprisingly remained a hidden secret, even with his first EP, Stab, out now on Kitsune. At the very end of the up-and-comer's debut six-track effort, Italian house duo BS1 takes EP cut "Gambetta" and gives it a few extra surprises; at first pushing the production into overdriven house territory before breaking the sonic pallette wide open with beautifully laced synth chords. At its core, BS1 's take is very much a hardened tune, but a sweet interlude in the middle provides just the right touch to soften its impact.  

Average: 7.8 (49 votes)
 
 

Download: Wildlife! "Oh Bondage! Up Yours! (Ital Tek Remix)"

First Listen
Label: PHREE

Ital Tek (a.k.a. Alan Myson, pictured above) has proven to be a prolific producer—the UK tunesmith seems guaranteed to always have a new release or remix in the works. Following this year's Hyper Real EP on Civil Music, Myson has quickly turned his talents to his remix duties, here warping dubstep producer Wildlife!'s sparse cover of "Oh Bondage! Up Yours!" by X-Ray Spex into an entirely new form. Despite lifting the majority of the original track's DNA, Ital Tek's take results in a much different tune, one stripped of the original's reggae influence almost completely and focused on skittering drums and furious low-end to augment the rework's ensuing synth free-for-all. There is quite a few left turns crammed into the track's four-minute run, including some downright weird chord changes that are enough to give the listener pause. Ital Tek's remix will serve as the lead track on the Roxy Reboot Remixed EP when it drops via PHREE on May 20. 

Average: 6.8 (80 votes)
 
 

Download: Stay Positive "Leipzig"

First Listen
Label: Stay Positive Industries

Although initially believed to be the work of multiple artists, Stay Positive has recently been confirmed as the sole brainchild of London-based producer Matt Farthing. Featured here, the introspective "Leipzig" comes off of Farthing's Blood Brother EP, which is set for a release on July 1 via his new Stay Positive Industries label. The track balances irresistibly catchy rhythms and pitch-shifted vocal samples with wistful breakdowns that recall Burial's penchant for ambiance. However, after "Leipzig" falls to a level of similarly sullen sounds, it cleverly switches gears and makes a run for the dancefloor. 

Average: 8.2 (76 votes)
 
 

Download: James Blake "Life Round Here (MANIK Ghost Pines Rework)"

First Listen

New York City-raised funky-house wizard MANIK has a not-so-subtle passion for hazy, doe-eyed hipster R&B. Having done edits in the past of tracks by Frank Ocean, Toro Y Moi, and another James Blake treatment prior to this, MANIK has dipped into the well again, this time delivering a smooth makeover of James Blake's slowburner "Life Round Here," taken from the recent Overgrown LP. MANIK's take fakes the listener out at the jump, starting off like a mid-'90s slow jam before introducing a silky, disco-tinged house groove which anchors James Blake's chopped vocal refrain. Really, MANIK could've called it quits right there, and it would've been worth a listen, but the producer keeps holding down the fort, slowly sweetening the groove with a funkier bassline, more percussion, and wormhole-channeled fuzz. This edit comes as MANIK is gearing up for an eventful 2013, with his sophomore album, a collaborative 12" with beat alchemist Burnski called Yellow Jacket Girl (out May 22 via Culprit), and more in the works. 

Average: 7.9 (62 votes)
 
 

Download: Lewis James "Powerchild (EAN Remix)"

First Listen
Label: Original Cultures

London-based producer EAN makes tough, skittering tunes with just the right amount of punch and a mess of hyperactive synthwork. Indebted to the warm snarl of Rustie and Chicago footwork in equal measure, his take on Lewis James' "Powerchild" packs as much wallop as it does surprise; EAN simply does not sit still on this one. Beginning with a pastoral synthline, EAN gradually warps the tune from the inside out with speedy turns on the hi-hat and playfully pitch-shifted speech that bounces off a distant vocal—there's even a wailing guitar surgically spliced in midway through. At just over four minutes, the rework manages to spread itself over a lot of territory, including an eye-opening finish too good to give away. EAN's remix is included on Lewis James' recently released Krakatoa EP. 

Average: 6.7 (36 votes)
 
 

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