Regarding music, Christmas time can become a double-edged sword. As you have read, this celebration time brings multiple choices of parties and festivals with extremely good line ups to enjoy ourselves. But what about the horrendous carols, Britney Spears's tracks and U2 songs your brother-in-law plays during the family gatherings? In order to stop him this year, we give you some better choices to save your dear ones from the actual apocalypse.
'DJ Kicks' / Mixed by Seth Troxler /
The German label !k7 selected the party-monster Seth Troxler to put his love, talent and extravagance into the 2015 final mix. The formal product is an 18-track album halfway between pure Chicago house and deep Detroit techno with check-ins from legends such as Byron Stingily, Derrick Carter or Villalobos. The man behind the well-preened moustache has succeeded in creating a collection which can be stuck on as you go about your daily business as its full of rhythms and sounds to match your mood and ensure rich sound experiences. A highlight would be his own production with Tom Trago titled De Natte Cell, a spooky house hymn with such a funky groove that makes it a perfect track for an early-morning closing set.
'Morning/Evening' / Four Tet /
In the middle of the summer, this gem came to our ears at the hands of Brit, Kieran Hebden, better known as Four Tet. Morning/Evening comprises two tracks, 20 minutes for each, with the contrast evoking feelings of them being isolatated by the first rays of sunshine that cast light through the darkness brought by the night. The first one is represented as a happy danceable track accompanied with a characteristic cheerful English sound and Indian vocals that turn it into proper afterparty material. The second one, which starts as a simulating silence, quiet, with shorter vocal samples, builds up until it climaxes as a house track fit for the dancefloor.
In Colour – Jamie XX
Presented as his debut studio album, the eclectic work Jamie XX brought to life at the beginning of the season has made us listen to some of his tracks at multiple Ibiza venues throughout the summer. In Colour is an album difficult to pigeonhole in a specific style taking into account the diversity of its influences, from Uk Garage to House or Ambient. Without any doubt, the vocals and the synthesisers play a main role pleasing us with a mix of happiness and melancholy through its 11 masterpieces. A stand-out track is the gorgeous opener Gosh, a simple song that thanks to its deep bass and hooking vocal sample has become a dancefloor hit.
Claustrophobia – Scuba
Paul Rose aka Scuba surprised his audiences with this album released at the end of March. In his first couple of years he was immersed in dubstep and later progressed to a more eclectic approach to production and Claustrophobia proves that he can construct an intense, heavy and dark LP. Tech sounds, brooding beats and glistening synths stand out from the 10 track compilation. Big track and first release, Why You Feel So Low, is built over a techno cut and psychedelic vibes. Black On Black is another beauty; a clear deducible dark tune which becomes one of the heaviest but has some trance and progressive tints.
WORDS | Natalia Gutierrez
