The original GRiZ remix features big-sounding horn-filled verses, sprinkled with bouncy bass licks, accentuated by a one-two-three-four count off in the beginning.  GRiZ keeps all of these elements (even the count off, tastefully, of course) in the song, while liberally adding his own signature flair.  The result is a hard-hitting funk jam that stays true to the original, while building itself into a fresh, legendary track.

Being a saxophone man himself,  Grant Kwiecinski (GRiZ) injected some of his own magic into the song with a perfectly placed solo in the latter half of the song.

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Combine that with the sassy vocals of guest Jessica Breanne, and you’ve got an insta-classic birthed from the ashes of one of the best funk bands of all time.

Did we mention it’s free to download? Get it.

GRiZ

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Lettuce

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The post Lettuce – Slippin Into Darkness (GRiZ Remix Ft. Jessica Breanne) [Free Download] appeared first on Just Noise To Me.

Argonaut&Wasp – In The Drown

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JNTM: What is it like to combine live instrumentation with electronic music? How do you guys pull it off?

Argonaut&Wasp: By having the live musicianship combined with electronic elements we are able to design a show that has the effect of an electronic music performance (akin to a dj set – think disclosure) with the live instrumentation of a rock set (think the strokes). It is the best of both worlds.

We utilize ableton live to trigger electronic samples (drums, pads, synths, and FX) combined with live drums, guitar (kevin the guitar guy), bass (Alec Peanut Donkin), and vocals . Through sending a click track (metronome) to our drummer, (Willoughby the Shark) our songs are able to be tight, but have the live element that every band should employ and exercise.

JNTM: Your biography says that you two come from very different musical backgrounds. How so? How did these interests blend to create your sound?

Trey: Radiohead, I am obsessed with Radiohead. Some other large influences are the Strokes, Animal Collective, Modest Mouse, The Rolling Stones, and Kanye West.

Theo: James Brown, Wilco That said – we both use modern technology and the use of electronic production to enhance our sound to blend a mix of socially contrived “genres”.

JNTM: What new music are you listening to at the moment?

A&W: It seems like we are both really digging Charles Bradley, Lee Fields, Sharon Jones (Soul)- and the whole contemporary resurgence of the UK Garage scene.

JNTM: What’s next for you musically?

A&W: We are planning on the release of our brand new Single “Pistol Pump Funk” with a new music video in about a month. Stay tuned.

JNTM: What’s your favorite movie?

A&W: Hard to say – Trey and myself both thoroughly enjoyed the documentary Muscle Shoals (The legendary recording studio(s) in Alabama) – but we also always down for Shrek.

We’ll definitely be watching these guys through the next year as they grow — As for right now, We’re huge fans.

Argonaut&Wasp: An inside look 2014 HD

Argonaut&Wasp

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Pretty Lights is at the forefront of the EDM scene at the moment– in the last year, he’s run a record label and released a hugely innovative and popular album, as well as several awesome singles.  His last album, A Color Map of the Sun, brought a calm, yet enticing vibe to the otherwise loud and in-your-face sea of dubstep artists.  I liked it so much in fact, that it secured number three on my list of the top 5 albums of 2013.

That’s why I was so stoked to see that Derek Smith had a little bit more up his sleeve after the release of ACMOTS.  Yesterday, Smith released a “b-side” that didn’t quite make it on the album, appropriately named “Lost and Found”.

The song is a smooth and fresh continuation of the rest of the album, and with samples so groovy, it’s a wonder it got thrown out in the first place.  Either way, we’re glad he dug it up.

Download the album here.

The post Pretty Lights’ Unreleased B-Side — Lost and Found appeared first on Just Noise To Me.

And for those with a curiosity for Denis’ producer setup–

Of course, the rabid internet fans couldn’t help but try and coax some secrets out of the Slovenian DJ, and try they did.  Unfortunately, we only got promises of collaborations.

We’re not surprised to know that we haven’t heard the last of Grizmatik.Throw Big Gigantic into the mix? Funky as shit indeed, fatroony5.

As I previously mentioned, it’s never strictly business with Gramatik.  So, when the time to came to revel his cannabis-consuming preferences, Denis did so jovially.

Seems like he knows what he’s doing.

Feel free to read the entire Q&A here.  Also, Gramatik released his newest album, The Age of Reason last month, and we’ve had it on repeat ever since.  Download it for free here.

The post Gramatik does Reddit AMA, Addresses Music, Collaborations, Weed appeared first on Just Noise To Me.

GRiZ has all the makings of an EDM susperstar– the kickass lifestyle, a die-hard commitment to his fans, and (of course) a divine prowess in music production.  In addition to a sneak peek at what we hope is an upcoming EP, GRiZ announced a slew of new dates for 2014 for what he’s calling the Power in Numbers tour.

THU | 4/3/13 | Marquette, MI | N Mich University
FRI | 4/4/14 | Fargo, ND | The Venue
TUE | 4/8/14 | Lincoln, NE | Bourbon Theatre
WED | 4/9/14 | Iowa City, IA | Blue Moose
THU | 4/10/14 | Milwaukee, WI | Eagles Ballroom
FRI | 4/11/14 | Grand Rapids, MI | Intersection
SAT | 4/12/14 | Athens, OH | #Fest
TUE | 4/15/14 | Pittsburgh, PA | Rex Theatre
WED | 4/16/14 | Charlottesville, VA | Jefferson Theatre
THU | 4/17/14 | Charlotte, NC | Chop Shop
FRI | 4/18/14 | Charleston, SC | Music Farm
SAT | 4/19/14 | Orlando, FL | Firestone Live
SUN | 4/20/14 | Miami, FL | Grand Central
WED | 4/23/14 |Tampa, FL | The Ritz Ybor
THU | 4/24/14 | Jacksonville, FL | Freebird
SAT | 4/26/14 | Counterpoint Music Festival | Kingston, GA
TUE | 4/29/14 | Fayetteville, AR | George’s Majestic
WED| 4/30/14 | Columbia, MO | Blue Note
THU | 5/1/14 | Tulsa, OK | Cain’s Ballroom
FRI | 5/2/14 | Dallas, TX | JMBLYA
SAT | 5/3/14 | New Braunfels, TX | JMBLYA

We’re excited to see what he and the Digital Liberation crew have in store for us.

GRiZ: Facebook // Twitter // Soundcloud

The post GRiZ Debuts New Track Alongside Tour Recap Vid appeared first on Just Noise To Me.

Needless to say, Gramatik is ready to let his music speak for itself, and so are we.

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The beats are as heavy as ever, and the grooves are just as fresh and funky.  This one’ll be on repeat around the Just Noise To Me offices until something more intense and bodacious comes around.

Love it? Hate it? Let us know below.

The post Gramatik Drops “The Age of Reason” Despite Leaks appeared first on Just Noise To Me.

They’ve received several nominations for various awards, including the 4 BRIT awards, and a Grammy nomination for best dance/electronica album.

Their most recent album, Settle, was a their biggest hit yet, and gained them heavy notoriety in 2013.  “F For You“, began as a funk-house track on Settle, but began to grow more popular after a certain Mary J. Blige preformed the song live with the brothers at a show in New York.  Apparently, they enjoyed her soulful flourishes and sassy tone enough to take her into the studio, record an official version, and make a music video.

Is it better than the original?  We sure think so.  Disagree?  Comment below.

In the meantime, we’ll be following Disclosure’s posts to see what they’re up to.

Disclosure // Facebook // Twitter // Soundcloud

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Today, Maarten Hoogstraten, the other half of the duo, has released a heartfelt statement on their website claiming that Bingo Players will live on.

Dear All,

Firstly, i want to thank each and every one of you for the massive amount of support and kindness shown in the past month. I was overwhelmed with the heartfelt messages and the stories shared by people… thank you, it means a huge amount to me and Paul’s family and friends.

Many people have asked if they can donate to a charity in Paul’s name. He had asked for those that wanted to please be directed to KWF (The Dutch Cancer Society) –www.kwf.nl

So, understandably there are lots of questions you all may have about what’s going to happen next. Well, the first thing I want everyone to know is that I’m still continuing Bingo Players. We’ve come too far to stop now and Paul’s spirit will always be a part of anything I do as Bingo Players.

Before he passed, Paul and I spoke and he made it clear he wanted me to continue Bingo Players. He and I have worked so hard to get to where we are, and it feels as though our journey had only really just begun. There’s so much more ahead for Bingo Players.

I want to continue because I love what I do and I want to do it for both of us. There is a lot of music that we worked on together before Paul passed away that will be coming out in the next months and years, more on that soon!

Bingo Players will always be plural.

We’re happy to know that Bingo Players will continue to funk around the festival world, and bring us fresh, euro-house beats.  We’re excited to see what Hoogstraten has to show us in the coming months.

What do you think about  Maarten Hoogstraten keeping the Bingo Players plural? Tell us on our Facebook page! 

The post “Bingo Players Will Always Be Plural” appeared first on Just Noise To Me.

Disclaimer Part 2: Singles and short EPs didn’t make the cut for this list, there would simply be too much to consider.

Disclaimer Part 3: You’re getting tired of disclaimers, I know.  It’s a little late for a best of 2013 post, and I realize that.  But I needed the time to gather my thoughts, okay?

It was a massive year for EDM.  We saw the rise and fall of trends, the emergence of new artists and the dissolving of old.  Through it all, some artists really pulled themselves together to create masterpieces which broke trends, made us take a step back, and really think about where our music is headed.  I had a huge amount of fun discovering and sharing the diverse sounds of 2013, but there were just a few albums that really stuck with me.  Albums that I had on repeat for weeks on end.  These are my top five.

5. Aleph By Gesaffelstien

French House producer Gesaffelstien saw a big rise in popularity in 2013, from his collaboration on  Kanye West’s Yeezus, alongside big names like Daft Punk and Brodinski.  He also found a huge following with his remixes, taking on huge songs like Lana Del Rey’s Blue Jeans, and Justice’s Helix.  His hard-hitting, dark industrial style was a refreshing change of pace from the upbeat, happy-go-lucky vibe that was prominent in EDM in 2013.  Gesaffelstien’s newest album, Aleph, which was fully released in October, began to catch attention earlier on in the year with the release of “Pursuit”; an angry, progressive house song complete with unintelligible chanting, vicious beats, and intimidating melodies.  Although the album as a whole was not met with the same success as the single, Aleph’s disregard of trends in the industry and dedication to originality secures it as the number five spot on the list.

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4. Teddy Massacre by Teddy Killerz

Okay, so technically, this release is an EP.  But the exclusive tracks released alongside Teddy Massacre bumps it up to a nine-song production, making it an acceptable album-length.  These Russian producers have been around for a few years, producing small EPs and singles with a classic dub/drum and bass style.  Their newest release, Teddy Massacre, sponsored by the one and only OWSLA, made a splash with its diverse take on the horror-oriented sound made popular by juggernauts like Knife Party and Dog Blood.  Featuring songs with swing and jazz influence, supported by interesting bass lines and thick drum sounds, the Teddy Killerz proved themselves to be powerful innovators in EDM, and we hope that they continue their streak into 2014.

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3. A Color Map of the Sun by Pretty Lights

Derek Smith (better known as Pretty Lights) has long been credited for creating music that easily introduces people the concept of EDM.  His remixes of popular classics like Pink Floyd’s Time and Steve Miller Band’s Fly Like an Eagle began to turn heads and sway opinions as early as 2008.  Since then, he has become the proprietor of his own record company, Pretty Lights Music, which has gone on to sign funk-soul legends Grammatik and GRiZ, as well as push the Digital Liberation movement, encouraging artists to release their music free of charge for distribution.  In July, Pretty Lights released his newest album, A Color Map of the Sun.  Relying heavily on Smith’s gift from combining samples (all of which he created himself) with groovy beats, the album creates a pleasant, yet distinctly funky vibe front start to finish.  Although it leans slightly towards the mainstream with a premier on Conan, as well as a nomination at the Grammys, A Color Map of the Sun has cemented itself in the EDM scene as step forward for funk and soul.

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2. Random Access Memories by Daft Punk

What “Best of 2013” list would be complete without the earth-shaking release of everyone’s favorite robo-duo?  I’ll spare you the Daft Punk backstory that you’ve surely read 20 times this year, and get straight to the praise.  RAM was a massive wake-up call for EDM is 2013, proving that the bar can be raised in more ways than one.  This album collected tons of hype in the month preceding its release, and many weren’t sure what to expect.  Would Daft Punk follow the trends and progression of the genre they helped create and release a dub-centered, aggressive and heavy production? Nope. Instead, Daft Punk shocked old and new fans alike by releasing a smooth and thoughtful yet goofy album that shook the scene by its roots.  The first track off of RAM, Bring Life Back to Music perfectly summarizes their not-so obscure message, and we hope more artists will take heed of these legends in 2014.  Here’s to hoping for more ground-breaking material from the boys this year.  (Also, Coachella?)

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1. Rebel Era by GRiZ 

Grant Kwiecinski has been called a pioneer of musical expression, and that powerful, emotional expression shines bright and clear in GRiZ’s newest album, Rebel Era.  The album flaunts an air of defiance, Kwiecinski claiming it to be an act of rebellion against the oppression of capitalism, as well as a democratic government.  Besides the potent (and important) political statement carried with the production, Rebel Era contains the best combination of electronic music and live instrumentation I’ve heard thus far.  The beats in the album are, at times, slow and sensual, though the samples and horn instrumentation laid over the top build the songs in a visceral way, creating an outstanding and unavoidably danceable experience.  From the James Brown-influenced funk guitar licks to the perfectly placed and balanced electronic riffs, this album quickly became my go-to for every situation.  At parties, nobody hesitated to move to the main room and start dancing, all the while leaning over and asking “Who is this?”.  Rebel Era perfectly blended the fantastical, off-the-wall style of EDM, and the sultry, emotional style of funk and soul music.  We can only hope that GRiZ continues on his quest to liberate music, all the while keeping us on the dance floor.

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Honerable Mention: Rollercoaster by Skream (feat. Sam Frank)

I’m a massive disco-house fan, and to see Skream take a full 180 from his dubstep career to focus on disco was both hilarious and awesome.  Luckily for him, he completely nailed it, and I wouldn’t at all mind seeing Rollercoaster become the quintessential party anthem of 2014.

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So that’s it, I hope I didn’t step on too many toes.  Feel free to give your input in the comments, I’d love to hear it.  Happy 2014!

The post Zak’s Top 5 Albums of 2013 appeared first on Just Noise To Me.

The day begun under the Arizona sun with a collection of local artists from all around the state.  While the park stayed pretty desolate for the first few hours, we had no trouble getting down and dirty with some of AZ’s finest (and hugely under appreciated) talent.

The Black Moods kicked off the festivities, and laid down a grungy, 90’s-esque set, while members of Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor Gang, Berner and Chevy Woods drew the other half of the crowd to their side of the park with their consecutive rap sets.  We were lucky enough to run into lead man of the Black Moods Josh Kennedy, who was more than happy to share his sentiments on TMF.

JNTM : How did you get in contact with TMF? Was it tough to get a spot?

Josh : “Yeah, we came to them.  We had to fight tooth and claw to get in here—And we’re the ones playing right when the gates open”.

JNTM : That being said, what do you think of the festival as a whole?

Josh : “Oh, well it’s a great vibe in here already, it’s great!”

These Zeppelin and Creedence influenced rockers have been playing the AZ venue circuit for a while, and it seemed that they were happy to break into the world of festivals.  Oh, and of course they were willing to take some glamour shots with us.

The nine-piece, “Gypsy Funk” group Dry River Yacht Club was up next, and having seen them a time or two already alongside He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister, we thought we knew what we were in for.  Lead hottie Garnet and her motley assortment of musicians gave us a huge-sounding, trippy and completely unique experience.  Somewhere in between the oboe, the violin, and the sultry vocals, we fell in love.  After their set, we flagged them down to see what they had to say about their music and the festival.

JNTM : “You guys have an incredibly unique style.  How did you all come together to create the Dry River Yacht Club?”

Fred : “All of us are like one big group of producers—It’s like working on one big piece of wood, we all bring something to the table and widdle away at it.”

JNTM : “So how has your experience with True Music Festival been so far?”

Garnet : “We’re so proud to be playing here alongside such great acts.  He’s My Brother, she’s My Sister, The Flaming Lips? Awesome.”

As the day progressed, things only got more diverse, and exponentially more massive.  Lord Huron’s hippie-folk vibe flowed perfectly into the smooth, almost lounge-style rock of Black Carl on the other side of the field, and kept us moving until the big names began to arrive.

After a long few hours of rock in the hot sun, nothing was quite as refreshing as GRiZ’s funky, saxophone-accentuated set.  He laid down a medley of songs off of his new and critically acclaimed album Rebel Era, such as “Getting Live”, as well as the James Brown-influenced “DTW to DIA”, remembering of course to drop his collaboration track with Grammatik, “Digital Liberation is Mad Freedom”, sprinkling little sax solos whenever possible.

About midway through GRiZ’s set, people began to turn their heads to the sky to see the colorful parachutes begin making their way down towards the festival.  The skydivers continued to roll in through his set, and into Capital Cities.

We were wary of Capital Cities at first.  After all, all we had known were a few of their most poppy tracks, such as “Safe and Sound” and “I Sold My Bed, But Not My Stereo”, and we half-expected a somewhat boring, clap-your-hands pop set.  Instead, we got some thick and groovy funk sounds, with all the goofy nonchalant-ness of Chromeo, and the musical prowess and diversity of Breakbot.  They even gave us a slowed-down, soulful rendition of the BeeGee’s “Stayin’ Alive” that had us spinning and snapping like a couple of dudes right out of the late 70’s.

Sweaty from a couple hours of dancing and mingling with the Scottsdale folk, we traversed the field once again to feel the folky sounds of both The Kopecky Family Band and He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister.  Although HMB, SMS was missing their trademark lead woman, they had a medley of female vocalists cycle through their set in what they called “A big game of musical chairs”.

Stoner sensation Wiz Khalifa went on next, and as the night began to get cold (who knew it actually gets cold in Scottsdale?) everyone flocked to the main stage to watch him and his band do their thing.  He laid down hit after hit, from party anthem “Young, Wild, and Free” to “Black and Yellow”, and although his set was in every way opposite of the few before him, everyone seemed to get down without missing a beat.  It seemed that everyone had a certain act that they had come especially for, and for many of the people there, it was Wiz.

Next up, on the opposite end of the musical spectrum, but the same stage, The Flaming Lips went on, bringing their trademark freaky sounds and stunning visuals with them.  Lead man (and legend) Wayne Coyne stood atop a pile of massive silver spheres adorned with rope lights directly in the center of the stage (and he cradled a baby doll through the majority of his set, because sure, why not?).  After playing  variety of songs both new and old, and dazzling the crowd with their huge and all-encompassing light show, Coyne and the gang touched some hearts with “Do you Realize?”, and finished off their set leaving people dazed and confused on their walk over to Kill Paris.

Another polar opposite, Kill Paris brought some funky and heavy electro-beats to the table, playing fun remixes, and raising our heart rates for the big man himself, Bassnectar.

After seeing Wiz Khalifa and The Flaming Lips, I had come to a realization about TMF.  What I thought was directionless scheduling before was actually a cleverly-designed lineup designed to attract people of all walks of life.  They actually scheduled three different headliners with three completely different styles and fans.  Still, the same people who were awe-stricken at the Flaming Lips were right up front, getting weird with Bassnectar.

Now, we had recently had a Bassnectar experience at HARD Summer, and it was interesting to see how his set had evolved since then.  It seemed he had mellowed out his set slightly to accommodate the types of people who may have not been die-hard electronic music fans.  Either way, he still brought it insanely hard with heavy tracks like “Raw Charles”, and left us at the perfect point for the end of the festival—exhausted, confused, and grinning like children.

The True Music Festival Experience was weird, definitely.  That, however, did not subtract from the fact that the festival was one of the most interesting experiences we’ve seen in music.  From the added perks of picking up a VIP pass (Skydiving, exclusive areas, ect) to the seemingly clashy lineup, True Music Festival definitely took a few big risks for their debut show.  Fortunately for them, it paid off in what seemed to be a very successful and universally enjoyed experience.  We’re glad they invited us there to show their stuff, and if we’re lucky, we’ll be there next year to see what’s changed.

Photos by Quinn “TurtleGravy” Tucker

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