bring the drugs, baby, i can bring my pain

     

Abel Tesfaye, more commonly known as The Weeknd, has had quite a year, but my guess is that this has been nothing compared to the possibilites and expectations of coming year. This past spring, Abel committed to releasing, not only one, but three albums for free over the span of 2011, titled 'House of Balloons', 'Thursday' and 'Echoes of Silence' in chronological order.  All of the three mixtapes has been self-released, and every release has exceeded the former in terms of "buzz/hype", especially with 'Thursday' featuring the track 'The Zone', that included a guest appearance by Drake, who has played an important role in getting The Weeknd out in the public. To have been able to tour at all with a schedule like this, along with being starred in Drake's new album, 'Take Care', remixing tracks for Lady Gaga and Florence and the Machine, is a performance in itself. 

The first album of the three, 'House of Balloons', came out of nowhere, and exploded out in the public soon after release. It contains an overpoweringly fresh take on what has come to be the r'n'b genre, and manages to captivate the listener in an atmosphere of describing depression and over-indulgence, and the incredibly lush and nocturnal feel can only be likened to that of what the 'the xx' did to the pop genre two years ago. The nine songs featured in the release manages to be both beautiful and enthralling, while at the same time being deeply disturbing and unsafe. This is an incredibly close-to-heart production, no doubt about it, and what's even more clear; someone hurt mah bro'. bad.

the third greatest album of 2011 is 

The Weeknd - House of Balloons

best track - 'the party & the after party'

below you will find the five greatest mashups of this year, in a particular order:

Daft Punk x Ellie Goulding - 'Something About Us Under The Sheets'

       

and here it is, ladies and gentlemen, the mashup of the year. words can't describe my love for this. the groovy, sexy blend of ellie goulding's voice and daft punk's seducing composition just gets me going. listening to this gave me a huge crush on ellie, and man, there's a massive amount of great mashups/remixes on her stuff if you'd be interested; but this is the best. the tip of the iceberg. instant classic.

Star Slinger x Whitney Houston - 'How Will I Copulate'

       

i recently discovered star slinger, aka darren williams, and his album from last year, volume one; a fantastic little work of art, with a refreshingly overpowering warm and innocent layer on every single sound he uses. when browsing his soundcloud, i discovered what apparently is a fan mashup between his track 'copulate' and 'how will i know' by whitney houston, which makes for an inappropriately cute title. and a fantastic mashup. this will make you happy.

James Blake x Drake - 'Measure It All'

       

this is probably the most interesting and extensive mashup here, as it is actually an extract from a mixtape, cleverly named 'james drake' by bombé and mr carribean. this track is a mash between james' very subtle 'measurements' and drake's throwaway track 'do it all' (which i didn't like very much), and therefore i'd definitely see this as an improvement on both parts. though i still consider the former to be a great song, drake's contribution adds another interesting dimension and quite frankly this mashup reminds me a lot more of james blake than the original. cool. cool, cool, cool.

M83 x Kanye West - 'Midnight Life'

       

next up is a mashup of m83's (hint: there'll be more of  him later on in my 2011 wrap-up) hit single 'midnight life' (you should absolutely check out the remixes for this track, which was also named pitchfork's 'track of the year') and kanye's 'good life'. excellent build up, and kanye's lyrics are a nice addition that breathes new life into the song. this is the absolute basics of the mashup formula, with excellent execution, add something recognizable to something fantastic. bam.

Little Dragon x Kelly Rowland - 'Union Motivation'

       

i've had little dragon on my 'yet to listen to'-list after i first heard her excellent collab with producer sbtrkt, and when i recently found this little gem i atleast got a small taste. though i have to admit, i hadn't initially heard either of these songs before, but i was instantly impressed by the excellent timing and the flow it brings. it's a great track, and after listening to both originals, i definitely prefer this version.

i wonder who is like this one

     

'For Emma, Forever Ago', was, without a doubt, one of the biggest successes accumulated from an independent self-release in a very long time, and well-deserved at that. Bon Iver, in particular Justin Vernon, became a musical phenomenon, and if this wouldn't be his rise to fame, then his guest appearance on Kanye West's latest solo album, 'My Dark Beautiful Twisted Fantasy', surely did the trick. He has had quite a journey, to say the least, from recording his first release as Bon Iver in a cottage out in the middle of nowhere, in solitude, to being one of the biggest names in music. Therefore springs the question; what might have been lost?

When listening to the self-titled 'Bon Iver', you instantly realize that things have changed, and what you'll first notice is probably that this time around, Justin has spoiled himself with the power of electricity, luring you in with an enthralling electric guitar. He now has the resources, and the peace of mind to create this album as an evolution of what 'For Emma' was, and you could absolutely see his EP 'Blood Bank' as a transition of sorts between the two albums. Though some might be intimidated of his change of scenery, this should be considered a good thing. We already had 'For Emma', and with the scenery changing for him personally, it's only natural that this is reflected in his music as well. While his freshmen release was beautiful and moving in it's solitude, this is beautiful and moving in it's grandeur. His two releases shouldn't be seen as different as such, but rather as complimentary. We have been waiting for a sequel, not a remake. This is the sequel. This is Bon Iver 2.0. This is, in spite of what he might think he knows, magnificent.

the fourth greatest album of 2011 is 

Bon Iver - Bon Iver

best song - 'michicant'

below you will find the five greatest remixes of this year, in a particular order:

Adele - 'Rolling in the Deep' (Jamie xx Shuffle Remix)
       

with a release date of 06/01/2011, this is definitely cutting it close, but i just couldn't leave a track such as this to chasing pavement. 'rolling in the deep' is probably one of this years absolute hits, and to have such a prominent up-and-comer do a remix feels as unsurprising as refreshing. the beauty of the lingering bassline, along with the added contrast from the pitched voice of john legend does nothing but add to the simplistic depth that has come to define our dear jamie xx. excellence is the bare minimum.

Lykke Li - 'I Follow Rivers' (Tyler, the Creator remix)
       

yet another simple yet hard-hitting beat, signed by, of course, none other than tyler, the creator. with what instantly feels like a match made in heaven, tyler blends his, to put it lightly, daunting rap with the haunting voice of lykke li. best of two worlds, in both of which i'd dive in, head first.

Frank Ocean - 'Thinking About You' (SBTRKT remix)
       

frank ocean has had quite a year, between seeing his fellow friends from the odd future wolf gang kill them all clan tour the world from afar and releasing his debut album, he found himself starring on jay-z and kanye's collab 'watch the throne', which was, without a doubt, the most anticipated release of the year. 'thinking about you' was just a flick of a brick away from making the top 5 original songs, but this remix by sbtrkt [subtract] had a spot guaranteed. disregarding the shoddy production value, this absolutely breathes the essence of frank ocean, while adding the experimenting that has come to define sbtrkt. i need this remastered. 

Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans (The Internet remix)
       

another odd future addition, this time together with who is probably the most talked about artist of the past couple of months, lana del rey. gahwd, the remixes has been pouring down over her two only released songs 'blue jeans' and 'video games', primarily the latter, but the sensual feel of this production is so thick you could probably use it for all kinds of things. i still, several months later, can't got over the sensual addition the ambient background strokes brings. i just can't. they say chocolate is an aphrodisiac. sure, spend your money on that; i have this.

New Navy - Zimbabwe (Flume remix)
       

and here we have it, mambo number five. probably the least controversial of the bunch. flume previously provided a first class track in 'sleepless', and after this i've no doubt that we've lots more to expect from this man. i suggest that you listen to the original after this, just to see the amount of change he actually brought to this song, and how well it works. that said, if you like this, you'd probably be better off turning to flume or foals, since that's more up the alleyway of this remix than new navy. and that, ladies and gentlemen, is what makes remixes so great - the added dimension.

strange nostalgia for the present

     

For someone who grew extremely tired of their sophomore full-length 'In Ghost Colours' past the first year of release, Cut Copy is a band that has now managed to reinvent themselves while still keeping the original core that set all of those hearts on fire three years ago. With their obvious retro disco feel, there's really not much like it out there nowadays, and to be honest, there doesn't need to be. This band managed to follow a critically acclaimed album with an even better one. 'Zonoscope' is an album that shelters the mindset of their past, but brings it in to a new, modern, era.

Where they will take this next, I don't know. 'Blink and you'll miss a revolution', they sing in one of their singles off of this album; this, however is just an evolution, but a pretty darn good and well needed one at that.

the fifth greatest album of 2011 is 

Cut Copy - Zonoscope

below you will find the five greatest original tracks of this year, in a particular order:

James Blake - 'Wilhelm Scream'
       

simply this years greatest track. james blake is not only reinventing modern music, but is also constantly reinventing himself. managing to pull off a song with what essentially is two sentences does nothing but showcase his variety and potential as an artist. this track was not the beginning, nor his ticket to fame; it was his ticket to history.

Tyler, the Creator - 'Yonkers'
       

the biggest, baddest, and yet simplest beat of the year. this, combined with the outlandish voice of tyler, the creator/wolf haley, is, simply put, nothing short of hypnotizing. this song will make you feel like the king of the universe. swag.

Jamie Woon - 'Shoulda'
       

voice, finesse, lyrics, production. 'shoulda' showcases all of these things; from the mesmerizing production, through jamie's soothing voice, to the descriptive yet restrained lyrics. jamie woon does really have "it", but i'm convinced that we have yet to see him in his prime.

M83 - 'Raconte - Moi Une Historie'
       

without a doubt one of the most interesting songs of this year. without a doubt one of the most heartfelt productions of this year. to be honest i could've picked anything off of this new album as a top five entry, but there's just something captivating in how the bouncy production and trippy lyrics are presented in such an assuring and harmless way.

Drake - 'Marvin's Room'
       

i've never been a fan of drake, but one thing led to another and so i ended up listening to 'marvin's room'. i wasn't instantly hooked. i wasn't impressed, though i did respect, but not fully understand, his choice to release this as his first track from his then forthcoming and much anticipated sophomore album, 'take care'. so i ended up listening to it again, and again. and if you wouldn't consider the above, 'raconte - moi une historie', to be one of the most heartfelt productions of the year, then this is the one. tell me, have you heard that lately?

echoes, silence, patience, etc.

     

stream - download

third and "final" entry in the mixtape trilogy from the weeknd, though I can promise you that we'll see more from this guy, especially with drake backing him up.

below is an outstanding track from his first mixtape - house of balloons

The Weeknd - The Party & The After Party

       

one, two, you're the girl that I want

     

The Roots - I Remember

   

your ink is the pain in my side

     










James Blake - Love What Happened Here

       

4 p.m.

get off work, signs out, clocks out. gather my things, say my goodbyes. gather the group - there's nils, there's petra, coolio. heading towards the buss, random chitchat about our forthcoming night out.

-

Eastern Girls (David's Lyre Remix)

       

4.30 p.m.

on the bus, naptime.

woop, cool, almost there. i throw a few glances behind me - yup, they're all here. everyone equally tired from a hard days work. soon things will be different.

-

The Hood Internet - VCR (feat Freddie Gibbs, Telli of Ninjasonik, Elizabeth Harper of Class Actress)
       

5.30 p.m.

off the bus. time to hit the shelves for some beer and what have you. need some nasal spray also - the lack of which is probably the only thing currently standing between me and a great night.

-

The Internet – Cocaine (Little Dragon remix)

       

6 p.m.

inside! open up a beer, bring forth the sweet stuff. peace out.

(this better last you for the weekend!)

        

            (advent with david wilson, follow him)

new directions

i have resigned.

     

hence, the countdown has begun. the countdown to the end of this chapter. the countdown to the beginning of a new chapter. an unusually short, but equally well deserved and needed chapter.

twenty seven days in sweden.


speaking of advent - why don't you celebrate it with david's lyre who is releasing a song (cover, original, remix, what have you) every day up until - that's right - christmas day, with an accompanying video for the song. follow the spectacle here. (and watch his contribution for day six below)


       

not to fall short, i am hereby also starting my advent celebration countdown shindig. i'm aware that i am a bit late (i'll catch up). so, every day, i'll share something nice, but only up 'til christmas eve (sweden style!)

p.s. this will probably the only time i'll embed a youtube entry with video d.s.

a strange place without snow

     

so, once again winter is upon us. once again the days are being counted.

once again I'll spend my days leading up to christmas drinking mulled wine and listening to sufjan stevens excellent album 'songs for christmas'; I've attached my favorite excerpt below.

Sufjan Stevens - Holy, Holy, Holy

       

since a couple of years back, this has been, literally, the most played album of mine every december (though there might have been a slight sidetracking of that last december with 'my beautiful dark twisted fantasy'). lööv it.


the only thing that does not seem to repeat itself is that, for the first time, my surroundings lack the comfort of white, pure, comforting snow.

though I'll have my fair share of that in about a month, I reckon.