We've got a pretty eclectic group of music lovers working the controls here, so each week, we put together a batch of our favorite tunes for your listening enjoyment. We do this on the regular, so keep hitting up the Work & Playlist tag to see the latest sounds we love.
Tchami x Malaa “Prophecy”
I opened up my promo email box to find this gem from Tchami and Malaa last week and couldn’t wait to tell the world about it. Tchami and Malaa are the perfect pairing (or the same person?) in this jackin’ piece of filth. It seems like your average deep-bass-house affair until that rubber-band-slap bass drops in and imprints a permanent bass face on you. It’s available now, so don’t sleep. —Alexander Dias
Follow Tchami on Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud
Follow Malaa on Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud
Tame Impala “Let It Happen” (Soulwax Remix)
My Tame Impala phase was largely over by the time this year started, but this remix brought me right back into it. The Australian band that made massive—like, tsunami-size—waves in 2015 with their Currents album received a remix of its first single, “Let It Happen,” by none other than Soulwax. All in all, a good portion of the remix was left very similar to the original, but Soulwax decided to throw in some brilliantly eccentric intros, outros and upbeat effects to bring the track out of the dreamlike state it found itself in originally. I must have missed the hype on this one when it hit the web a year ago, but better late than never—especially when it brings back some great memories of seeing the Aussies live at various festivals along the 2015 circuit. —David Matthews
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Jan Blomqvist ft. Elena Pitoulis “More”
Sunrise sets at Burning Man hold a special place in my heart. Nothing quite beats venturing out to a set of speakers (art car, stage, whatever floats your boat) at the break of dawn and dancing till 8 or 11am with no real clue of how you’re going to get back to camp. Over the past few years, Robot Heart has made itself into one of the most iconic morning destinations, with its 70,000-watt sound system pumping out performances by some of the most venerable artists on the Playa. I didn’t spend much time at Robot Heart this year, but the one morning I aimlessly stumbled there for a few moments, their sound system was hooked up to the Mayan art car, with both setups transmitting in tandem the slightly depressing vocals of Jan Blomqvist (listen to his sunrise set here ). My favorite of the tracks performed, “More”—with its bittersweet concepts of modern satisfaction—managed to fit that moment perfectly. —Charles Liu
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Sano “Hasta Abajo”
I’ve been a cheerleader of Cómeme for a minute now. I love techno and funky things, as well as pretty much anything Latin. So when those worlds rub up against each other, it’s like, I dunno, carnal fulfillment—which is exactly what Sano delivers here. No, this isn’t a Cómeme release, but Matias Aguayo’s imprint is how I discovered Sano, so why not give Cómeme a nod—it’s been one of my go-to imprints for more than five years now. They’ve got a sound, and if you like your rhythms with a Latin flair, you’ll appreciate the discography they’ve compiled since launching in 2009. But forget Cómeme for a second. Brand-new for Munich-based imprint Public Possession, Sano is about to drop a three-track EP dubbed Latino Body Music Vol. I on October 6, and it will surely shake things up on the right dancefloor. All the tunes are worthy of your attention, but “Hasta Abajo” is my pick of the bunch, with its slow-mo chug, acid sleaziness, and well-placed Instant Funk sample: “Get it girl, anytime” will get me everytime. —Boojie Baker
Follow Sano on Facebook | SoundCloud
Culture Shock “Low Frequency”
Before I hand over my compliment to Culture Shock, there’s some shade that’s gonna get thrown. What’s with artists not crediting their peers when releasing a remix of their work? There has to be some unwritten law against said practice. It’s pretty wack, tbh. Culture Shock is lucky I love what he did to Denny’s “Lower Frequency,” so I’m going to let it slide this time. The original was a massive slab of ravey four-floor brilliance, and CS nudges it slightly out of context by slapping it atop a raucous drum & bass rhythm. Surprisingly enough, his version feels almost like it could have come first—mostly because of how natural the vocal sample sits between the irresistible drum programming and metallic stabs he splices with the warehouse-shaking horns. Despite my having to overlook the semi-serious no-no, Culture Shock did some serious good here. —Sam Yu
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