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Download: Deft "Jungle Jim"

First Listen
Label: Raised By Records

Before dropping its introductory compilation, Terrain, UK label Raised By Records shares this beat-driven cut by Croydon-based producer Deft, a bonus tune from the second part of the aformentioned release (artwork above). "Jungle Jim" boasts plenty of crisp drum sounds and eclectic percussion elements, but nonetheless remains a fairly understated and smooth production rife with vinyl crackle, deep bass rumbles, and lush synth pads. Look for an early batch of Terrain—featuring another tune by Deft, among original tracks from the likes of Fybe:One, Memotone, and more—to arrive on June 25, with the official release date coming July 23. 

Average: 8.7 (105 votes)
 
 

Download: Lianne La Havas "Lost and Found (Maya Jane Coles Remix)"

First Listen

Sounding a bit like something we might've heard from the Tri Angle imprint last year, this remix of Lianne La Havas' "Lost and Found" from British house DJ/producer Maya Jane Coles (pictured above) is a slow-grooving and soulful piece with just the right touches of club-ready rhythms and poignant vocal hooks. Sparse synth blips and piano chords occasionally adorn La Havas' soft performance, while the garage-y percussion carries the whole thing to its understated conclusion—making for a nice companion to the percolating version of her "Forget" tune that Shlohmo delivered at the beginning of the year. 

Average: 8.5 (312 votes)
 
 

Download: Reid "Miami"

First Listen

Dancefloor tracks that seemingly provide the perfect accompaniment to a late-night drive through the winding hills of Southern California or the neon-streaked streets of South Beach aren't exactly a new idea, but the fact remains that these updated '80s templates continue to provide compelling tunes. Furthermore, they are quite the stage for young producers to show off their production prowess and melody work, as we see on "Miami," a wistful number from Irish artist Reid. His track hits all the familiar touchstones including a hefty, rounded kick that propels glassy keys and a chugging bassline into a tropical-tinged sunset. Heavy compression and some spacious vocal textures add a sense of depth and verve to the proceedings, placing us in the cockpit with dark shades at the ready.  

Average: 8.5 (132 votes)
 
 

Download: Ólafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm "a2 (Max Cooper Remix)"
Label: Erased Tapes

"We got together in April 2011 and after having a big pizza, I plugged in some old analogue synths and we played for four days until late in the night." So goes an excerpt from the press release for Ólafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm's new EP, Stare, which was released on Record Store Day this past weekend on limited-edition vinyl (as well as digitally) via Erased Tapes. The new, three-track effort comes on the London/Berlin-based imprint's fifth anniversary, and as a digital bonus, we have this remix of "a2" by labelmate Max Cooper (pictured above), which transforms the duo's original ambient piece into a starry-eyed house experience that fits seamlessly into a soulful, deep-felt dancefloor dynamic. Swells of low end surge into a crisp, percussive breakdown that never seems to shift too abruptly, leaving Arnalds' & Frahm's original melody work to come humming through the compressed kick in a blissful wave of moonlit elegance. Listen to the original and have a look at the cover art for Stare, after the jump.  Read more » 

Average: 8.5 (183 votes)
 
 

Download: Sean Byrd "Woke Up Missing You"

First Listen
Label: Plastic Sound Supply

Over the past decade, Sean Byrd has composed music for television and film, while also releasing a handful of minimal and deep-house records. The producer is now preparing a full length, titled Always Was, for a March 19 release on the Denver-based Plastic Sound Supply label. "Woke Up Missing You," the fifth track from that upcoming release, is an ambient whorl that also features some subtle drum-and-bass rhythms. Imagine that the Discovery Channel commissioned Byrd to score a miniseries called Underwater Techno Mummies; this piece of emotive, dramatic material could have easily been part of the soundtrack. 

Average: 8.5 (144 votes)
 
 

Download: B-Ju "Mia Got a New Haircut"
Label: Error Broadcast

Hamburg, Germany resident B-Ju returns to the Error Broadcast imprint with Prozac People (artwork above), a forthcoming EP featuring four original tunes and a trio of remixes from Monolithium, eLan, and 813. "Mia Got a New Haircut" kicks off the endeavor with a decade-spanning jaunt through synth-laden G-funk, juke-indebted drum programming, and a slowed-down assemblage of sounds culled from the depths of spacey house music. After giving Prozac People's opening cut a listen below, you can check a preview video for the effort—before it drops January 23—after the jump.  Read more » 

Average: 8.5 (231 votes)
 
 

Download: Lianne La Havas "Forget (Shlohmo Remix)"

Aside from putting the finishing touches on his three-song release due next month for Friends of Friends, NYC-via-California producer Shlohmo has also found time to remix this tune by rising UK singer Lianne La Havas (pictured above). On his remix, Shlohmo removes the acoustic guitar from the original break-up tune, and, after some playful chopping and pitch-bending, places the chanteuse's smoky vocals over simple synth tones and hip-hop beats, resulting in a tender and passionate refinished product. "Forget" will be released on February 13 as the lead single for Lianne La Havas' upcoming debut full-length on Warner Brothers, and will contain a remix of the song by London beatmaker Two Inch Punch.  

Average: 8.5 (406 votes)
 
 

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