You know this guy can play guitar when he’s got me off my ass dancing better than any edm. Most music takes vocals for me to connect, but Josh J’s guitar talks wonders.
Just listen to Babble’s Sundazin for me, all the way through. That ending! Woof.
But he’s got much more than that. That’s what’s so amazing about him. Consistency. And he sets up his guitar well (he can produce).
We start this off by sampling some of the best styles in electro soul and go from the playful down to the more sedentary. There are a few songs that deal with heartbreak, but the sound is still right.
Have fun with your loved one with this one.
Doja Cat wasn’t on our best of last year for the very same reason she will be this year. She’s always had a flow and a way with words, but now she’s teamed up with some legitimate producers to have it all.
[Musically]
I feel like Peter Rosenberg talking about Nicki Minaj, before their whole shit show, but Doja’s got the personality & style I haven’t seen in hip hop since I started this thing. I loved her original Nunchucks this time last year, but this new album has one that might top even that.
[Beautiful]
We were so close to putting Zhu at the top of our 2014 R&B list. And even though he didn’t make the cut, he did help us distinguish the difference between today’s R&B and electro soul.
Before, the most notable difference the two was whether it was vocal or producer based, respectively. Where as R&B is focused on the soulful voices of today, electro soul generally cuts & chops memorable voices from the past and blends in heavy electro influences. Zhu is really the perfect intersection between the two, but we eventually came to the conclusion that his deep house influence was more fit for electro soul than the more traditional R&B (“traditional” in loose terms).
Also, keep in mind that even the musicians featured here are still electronically influenced in some way. Most music is nowadays. However, they play much more of a balancing act than their counterparts in electro soul. Hear for yourself and let us know your thoughts on today’s soul music and how you define it.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/150638283" params="color=000000&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%" height="20" iframe="true" /]
I know I focus too much on chorus too much of the time, but Corinne Bailey Rae’s is damn near perfect in ‘Put Your Records On.’ It quite literally put me to tears. She’s as inspiring in words, for the most part, as she is in vocal zest and Nehzui’s remix gives it the extra oomph it deserves. His electro brass is a bit… brass but essential for the sing-a-long.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/156126166" params="color=000000&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%" height="20" iframe="true" /]
The original clip of ‘Feelin’ hints at a real talented voice, minus the auto-tuning, but Tonefeld gave it a much needed production boost. And turns the tuned vocals into something tasteful.
On another note, this beat is so strange. I like it, especially with Samantha.
Sometimes I just cannot handle these downtempo producers. You know what I want to hear. So stop teasing me and get to the good stuff. Though I guess the tease is part of the trick. I’m just trying to say I like radio edits. But let’s be honest, I’ll never be happy, I’m a “critic” Ha.
SevnthWonder may only be taking on some already gorgeous vocals from a 90’s semi-hit, but I don’t see anyone else trying to top him. Vocals need updating every generation or so, so stop bitchin bout it and let’s actually do something for once. [note to self] And I’m not just talking about this song.
Check this out tomorrow in our Remixed Right 2014 (Vol. 2) (Vol. 1). I just wanted to preview a track from it, don’t mind the scrambled ramblings from above.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/153916253" params="color=000000&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%" height="20" iframe="true" /]
‘So High’ was originally released bout a year back but needed the mastering this latest release brings. Still does nothin for me compared to her ‘Nunchucks,’ now I’d love to see some fuckin around with that. But with this accompanying music video, ‘So High’ will do much more for her mass appeal. It’s Doja’s first fully produced track and it’s a polished prize to showoff that cunning lip of hers.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/146931372" params="color=000000&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%" height="20" iframe="true" /]