BEST INDIE CHILL – WEEK 38 2014

9/19/14

All I've been listening to this week is Aphex Twin previews and Grimes' Bedtime Mix. Sorry for constantly talking shit about Aphex Twin, but I'm hyped for SYRO, okay? As for Grimes' Bedtime Mix, featuring artists as diverse as Patsy Cline, Portishead and, oh yes, Aphex Twin, it's a must for any indie chill fan. That, plus the following songs from YOUTHCULT, Poolside, Dirty South and many more, and you can rest assured BitCandy has got you covered now you've finally managed to delete U2's album from your iPhone...

 

YOUTHCULT – WHATEVER WORKS

Since when did WU LYF get back together? Oh, wait, this is YOUTHCULT. Lol. Whatever. I fucking love WU LYF, therefore I fucking love YOUTHCULT. Plus, WU LYF split up two years ago, so why have another sad fap over Go Tell Fire to the Mountain when you could be listening to this young band from Sweden instead? Trust me, zip up your flies and head over to Bandcamp to check out their new EP, W E W. It's time to move on.

 

LITTLE DRAGON – CAT RIDER (POOLSIDE REMIX)

Give me all of the Little Dragon remixes. As far as I'm concerned, another remix is another excuse for me to listen to one of my favorite bands of all time. Los Angeles duo, Poolside, deliver the goods with this take on “Cat Rider.” The original is already pretty chill, but by throwing in some yacht percussion and by opting to close the song with an extended guitar solo, the song is imbued with a little more zazz blammymatazz.

 

DIRTY SOUTH (FEAT. FMLYBND) – WITH YOU

Bangers are so 2013. Nowadays, dance producers are far more concerned with pursuing inherently beautiful art forms, and Serbian-Australian DJ, Dirty South, looks set to lead the way with his new album and accompanying short film, With You. Here's the title song, no, fucking hymn featuring BitCandy favorites, FMLYBND. It only seems like yesterday I was posting about their debut single, “Electricity.” So proud.

 

SEEKAE – MONSTER

I need some weird fucking shit after that. Seekae are some weird fucking shit, right? The Sydney trio have been going from strength to strength ever since they released their third album, The Worry, largely thanks to that remix Flume recently dropped of “Test & Recognise.” Not that they have to depend on their fellow countryman. The latest single to be lifted from The Worry, “Monster,” lures us into Seekae's world once again with its slinky guitar, sporadic percussion and seductive vocals reaching out from the track like tentacles, slowly encircling the senses and gripping tight. See, I told you this was going to be some weird fucking shit, didn't I?

 

MADE IN HEIGHTS – GHOSTS

I feel like I've been waiting for “Ghosts” since the day I was fucking born. In reality, I've been waiting 9 months, but even that seems like a lifetime. Ever since I stumbled upon their breakthrough single, “Murakami,” I've been hooked on Made in Heights. From their genre-defying sound to their post-modern aesthetic, everything about the Los Angeles duo gets me going. Ten seconds into “Ghosts,” and it's as if they've never been away. Kelsey Bulkin's vocals continue to soar effortlessly over Alexei Saba's production, which is so hyperactive and unpredictable, it may require several replays for you to fully appreciate it. Brb, going to do exactly that.

 

MIGUEL – DO YOU (EPHREM REMIX)

This is how Miguel is going to sound in a couple of years time if he keeps trying to slip in those leather pants of his. In all seriousness, though, EphRem and the rest of the Flow-Fi crew are on fire right now. Miguel be like.

 

ARMS AND SLEEPERS – TIGER TEMPO

Arms and Sleepers follow up “Hurry Slowly” and “Swim Team” this week with yet another peerless effort. Lush and layered synths? Check. Glitchy vocal sample? Check. Flying Lotus-esque skittering hi-hats? Check. Everything I ever wanted from an indie chill instrumental? Check, check, check and check. If you wasn't already hyped for the Boston duo's new album, Swim Team, you can go ahead and do that now.

 

LITANY – LOOK

Sometimes the space between the music is equally as important as the music itself. Litany continue to demonstrate this on their second single to date. Like “Slopes” before it, “Look” is a wholly minimalistic affair, choosing to focus on Beth Cornell's vocals and lyrical incantations instead of the soundscapes around them. There's so many electronic pop duos out there at the moment, it can sometimes feel like they're all vying for our attention. Litany, however, aren't afraid to stay quietly true to themselves, and in doing so, I'm happy to give them all the time in the world.

 

GENT MASON – YOU AIN'T GOING TO DEFINE ME

“This one's for 1am headphones” writes Gent Mason on SoundCloud. It's true. Even if I did find myself fist pumping in solidarity with Mason from my bed to the dismay of my imaginary boyfriend. The London producer also states that he's “using Bladerunner synth” in this song, which suddenly makes it 100 times more awesome, as anyone who's watched Bladerunner or listened to the Vangelis soundtrack can vouch for. Fuck it, I hereby declare Gent Mason my new favorite producer.

 

X PRIEST X – SAMURAI (DEEBS REMIX)

X Priest X's Samurai EP landed on the blogosphere in April in a haze of neon colors and hairspray. Although satisfying for the 1980's enthusiast, I always found the Florida duo a little too saccharine for my Generation X tastes. Now Deebs has got hold of the title song, however, and it's a completely different story. The Toronto producer turns down the tempo and turns up the bass on this remix, which has only had 568 hits so far, transforming “Samurai” into a chill trap anthem that's much more appetizing to my not-so-sweet tooth. More plays, please?

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Until next week...

About Jess Grant

When Jess Grant isn't writing on music, she can be found playing it – on her guitar, on her ukulele, and on her recently acquired mandolin. Playing it hideously, she ought to add. Jess also studies. She studies the English language, to be precise. Jess is currently on her way to a degree in the subject, and enjoys starting and never finishing novels, screenplays, and poetry in her spare time. She also likes dogs. Lots of dogs.