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Download: Jodeci "Freek N' You (Tokimonsta Frickinyoo Remix)"

Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, LA beatmaker Tokimonsta (pictured above) has flipped "Freek N' You," the classic slow jam first released by Jodeci back in 1995. While Tokimonsta's snappy percussion and punchy synth riffs might render her version a little too hyper for the average summertime BBQ, the rework isn't without its own sense of sultry funk, even after she tosses in a double-time drum pattern and amps the energy level nearly four minutes into the track.  

Average: 6.5 (35 votes)
 
 

Download: Policy "One Last Time (FaltyDL Remix)"

First Listen
Label: Rush Hour

Two of NY's finest dance-music operators are teaming up for a new release on Rush Hour, with Policy's "One Last Time" single being backed with a FaltyDL remix (as well as another reworking by Dutchman Tom Trago). FaltyDL takes the track's atmosphere and velcro edges into a shimmering, dew-heavy forest, planting percolating rays of color and synthesized charm that seem to grow, shuffle, and come alive just as frenetically as the percussion. Bright and bouncy, with plenty of sidewinding slices of snare and a shrill synth lick that sounds like a pixie chortling in the background, it's a track that works especially well towards the end of a night or in an extended home-listening session (particularly after the breakdown halfway through). The One Last Time EP will be available on May 28. 

Average: 7.5 (22 votes)
 
 

Download: Eprom "Realization"

First Listen
Label: Rwina

Amsterdam's Rwina crew recently rolled out its first release of 2012, Eprom's venomous "Regis Chillbin" single, which comes backed with a high-octane Machinedrum remix. The Portland-based beatmaker also has a full-length on the way later this summer, Metahuman, also dropping via Rwina. Ahead of that, here we have "Realization," a neon-spiked, non-release track that demonstrates Eprom's production prowess. The song oscillates like a slow-building third-eye experience, streaming vibrant arpeggios and detuned synth textures in a whirlwind of melody that revolves around a steady, juke-stepping beat. The tune constructs its rhythms and progressions with fluidity; it's only when aspects are dropped out at various breakdowns that we become aware of their individual impact, all prior to being lifted rambunctiously into the next phase of the song. Apart from his releases, Eprom will also be keeping busy on the road in the months ahead; his upcoming US tour schedule has been posted after the jump.  Read more » 

Average: 8.4 (43 votes)
 
 

Download: Downtown Party Network "The Machine Man (Best Kept Remix)"
Label: Best Kept Secret

Disco-pop is one of many flavors the Lithuanian duo of Downtown Party Network specializes in, and with a new EP out on Best Kept Secret, the pair has allowed the label to incorporate some Detroit techno and even trance-like elements into their vibrant sound. The Linn-drum setup behind the beat on "The Machine Man (Best Kept Remix)" proclaims its allegiance to summertime '80s vibes while a Motor City-influenced bass synth rolls out some deliciously funky accompaniments. As the track grows, it becomes apparent that a hot July afternoon in the sun is exactly what this jam was intended for. Even when blissfully washed trance pads spill over the proceedings, they only bolster the sense of humid, sweat-infused fun, refreshingly acting like mist machines on a scintillating day at the waterpark. The Machine Man EP is out now on digital and 12". 

Average: 8.1 (50 votes)
 
 

Download: Subp Yao "Chjords"
Label: Saturate

While synthesizer chords certainly have their place in this track from the Netherlands' Subp Yao, the song's most obvious characteristic is a booming rumble of a bass, which sounds heavy and throaty on computer speakers and just might test a club's structural integrity while blasting out of an oversized soundsystem. Pitched-up and heavily processed vocal snippets are scattered throughout the piece, as are off-kilter percussion sounds that shuffle about in a frenzied manner. "Chjords" is taken from Subp Yao's latest full-length, Smoke Up, Drink Up, which was released earlier this month through Saturate and can be downloaded in its entirety free of charge at Bandcamp. Subp Yao also released a remix album earlier this month, 1000 Remixes, which is available for free download here. The tracklisting and artwork for both of those releases can be found after the jump.  Read more » 

Average: 8 (51 votes)
 
 

Download: Bok Bok "Dance Report"
Label: Enchufada

In the late '00s, Buraka Som Sistema introduced much of the world to the energetic Angolan sounds of kuduro (which translates literally as "hard ass"), most notably with the release of its seminal album Black Diamond in 2008. Since then, the Portuguese outfit has put plenty of its own spin on the genre, and has actively encouraged other producers to cross-pollinate diverse types of dance music such as baile funk, tropical bass, cumbia, and of course house, bass, and techno. Through its Enchufada imprint, the group has also released six mini compilations called Hard Ass Sessions, in which BSS recruited producers such as Douster, Dubbel Dutch, Brenmar, and Kingdom to try their hand at the kuduro sound. Next week, the best of the various Hard Ass Sessions will be available as one 21-track compilation that will also feature a mix from founding BSS member J-WOW and a previously unheard tune from Slap in the Bass. Bok Bok's "Dance Report," which originally appeared on Hard Ass Sessions Volume II, is a hard-edged bit of kuduro-inspired bass/electro that will be featured on both the CD and digital versions of the comp. Take a look at the artwork for the Hard Ass Compilation, above, and check out the full tracklisting after the jump.  Read more » 

Average: 6.3 (38 votes)
 
 

Download: Temples "II"
Label: Ecstasy

Ecstasy Records, the Portland-based imprint run by party-starting house outfit Miracles Club, has just released the label's first full-length record, a seven-song LP from Temples (a.k.a. Avalon Kalin, pictured above). The track titles are nothing more than ascending Roman numerals, with the entire work having been dubbed I-VII. Here, we have "II," a floating bit of spacey four-to-the-floor with polyrhythmic percussion and a complex arrangement crafted with what sounds like a xylophone. I-VII was released on Monday, and is available on either limited-run vinyl or digitally with two bonus tracks. After the jump, you can take a look at the record's artwork and view the subtly trippy video for the song "III."  Read more » 

Average: 7.6 (23 votes)
 
 

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