Ah, here we are again, another Beats & Pieces playlist curated by another Daily Beat team member - this time by myself, Milli. This weekly series is truly one of my favorite parts of our publication. Music trends change by the hour and blazing tracks premiere almost every day now, it seems. Without further ado, enjoy these tracks by Eli & Fur, Housing Corp, Rufus Du Sol, Josh Jacobson and Skela, and The Orb.
As always, check out the continuous playlist at the bottom!
1. Eli & Fur - California Love
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After a hot stint on the Mad Decent Boat Party last November, Eli & Fur returned to Anjunadeep with a three-track EP. Soaring and melodic, "California Love" exposes the duo's moodier side in a vein similar to Dusky or Bob Moses. Hypnotizing waves of wispy vocals clash into a charming beat. If you don't already feel like you're melting into a vanilla sky above the Hollywood Hills, then listen again.
2. Scooter Island - We Could Smoke (Housing Corp Remix)
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Housing Corp aren't your average DJ duo. With one half based in Brooklyn by way of Los Angeles, and the other in Australia, the two are quite literally a global force in music. Locally, they've headlined the Chromed warehouse events and BangOn!NYC's music festival, Elements. They've wowed on a wider scale also, with a spot on the We Are Your Friends Tour alongside Keys 'N' Krates. Housing Corp's remix of "We Could Smoke" chips off a bit of '90s house nostalgia with its emcee samples and stripped-down drumbeat.
3. RUFUS/RUFUS DU SOL - Say A Prayer for Me
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Having just released their sophomore album, Bloom, on ODESZA's new Foreign Family Collective imprint, Rufus Du Sol are already making big moves. The trio is set to perform at Coachella and they've pocketed an ARIA, Australia's equivalent of a Grammy. Similar to their label-heads, Rufus Du Sol bring live elements to the club atmosphere when they perform, adding an authentic touch to their style of indie-electronic. "Say A Prayer For Me" is impressively circulating the blogosphere - and we don't blame anyone for appreciating the track's moody, atmospheric quality.
4. Josh Jacobson feat. Skela - Not Alone
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Josh Jacobson and Skela blur the lines between electronic and indie in "Not Alone," the two musicians' interpretation of a ballad. I've spent the better part of the last five minutes trying to come up with an artist who their sound resembles, but it's impossible; what Josh and Skela create in their mystic collaborations is simply unique. Skela, AKA Alexandra Aller, has a voice synonymous with the sound angels must make upon fluttering their wings in this song of true love. Both artists are based in Brooklyn, and both are multi-talented instrumentalists and singer-songwriters. With the growth of live acts, such as Autograf and Lido, bringing their instruments and vocals to the stages that DJs so popularly champion at this moment, I can certainly see this trend making a mark in the heart of Williamsburg. (Watch the official music video here, directed by Chiara Gerek.)
5. The Orb - Little Fluffy Clouds
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With interest growing in a more modern and ambient-inspired style of house, I thought I'd throw in this 1990 throwback from the ambient house group, The Orb. "What were the skies like when you were young?" repeats a curious interviewer as singer Rickie Lee Jones responds in a curiously nasal voice, "The skies always had little fluffy clouds in them." The track has an airy essence to it, and the light-hearted speech samples work with the beat in harmony. The song went on to rank Number 275 on NME's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time."
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