#BOTTOMRIGHTCORNER – JANUARY WEEK 3

January Week 03 and the month is crawling by like a dry snail… Everyone is broke as hell after the festive season and Monday mornings happen to score first place in the list of the worst things that have happened to mankind. Yes, we feel it too. But why sit around and mope? We have yet another round of good music to keep us all in check… as much as the week might have left our souls in tatters, it’s finally Friday and we’re here to bring it back once again!

 
Flume – 40 Minute Mix for the Fader

Aussie Harley Streten goes by the name of Flume and this week we feature his 40 Minute Mix for Fader. It’s just dancey enough for those with loose hips and balmy enough for those who like to stand by and idly bop their heads. Here‘s some accompanying info, but before you read, make sure you listen to the track.

 
 
 
 
Submotion Orchestra – ‘All Yours (Insightful Fondle)’

Giles Petersen from Radio 1 had this to say about Submotion Orchestra: ‘Drawing upon dubstep, soul, ambient electronica, jazz and dub, their unique music is at once delicate and heavy, spacious and dense, highly atmospheric but firmly rooted. Earth-shaking bass and drums combine with lush keyboard and trumpet textures to create the perfect bed for the fragile beauty of Ruby Wood’s vocals, and the celestial effects of sound designer Ruckspin.’ And it’s all true. This UK band is hella gorgeous, and their music seems to hit every spot imaginable. Enjoy this one via Soulection.

 
 
 
 
DivaGeek – ‘Alien’

A duo comprised of American singer-songwriter Vula Malinga and British musician Ben Jones, DivaGeek is a combination of neo-soul and electro that is simple and catchy. The track has a slow start but builds and builds to a point that is equally dance-worthy, scintillating and tasty, surprising with each added note. Bon appétit!

 
 
 
 

Ladi6 – ‘Bang Bang’ (The Liberation Of…)

Ladi6, born Karoline Tamati, is neo-soul at its most brazen. New Zealand is a goldmine of untapped musical genius, and Ladi6 is just one of many who have managed to impress worldwide. This album, The Liberation Of… has attitude, but is beautifully soulful. One might even go so far as to say that there’s a little Amy Winehouse in there too, but let’s not try to draw comparisons here… Give this one a listen if you like the versatility of a soulful-rapper-songstress.
 
 
 
 

Apparat – ‘A Violent Sky’

Dubbed ‘the face of German electronic music’, Apparat is at it again, this time working on a new release called Krieg und Frieden (Music for Theatre), an album based on the music he composed for Sebastian Hartmann’s theatre production of Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Indie label Mute will release the full album February 19th, 2013, but you can have a little taste of what’s to come, ‘A Violent Sky’ is right here to stream and download through the link above!

 
 
 
 
The City - ‘Need Your Love’

Locally born and bred The City are a fortunate addition to Cape Town’s thriving music scene. Why? Because their sound is groundbreaking, genuine, and on top of that, accessible to all. This track, ‘Need Your Love’ is dynamic and brave, thanks to vocalist Bonj Mphanza’s soulful contribution and multi-instrumentalist Clement Carr, both out of the UCT School of Music, along with bassist Ryan McArthur (Captain Stu, The Little Kings and Peachy Keen). Don’t sleep on these guys!

 
 
 
 

Moruf & Iman Omari – Euphoria (The Tape)

Some soulful hip hop if you ever heard it. These guys are a fine pair: Iman Omari (THC) on beats and Moruf on rhymes, they set the tone just right. Hard and hip hop while soulful and explicitly melodious all at once, there are quite a few gems on this tape, including the ‘Euphoria Intro’, ‘School Daze’ and ‘Fallen’ to name a few. This music is fantastic and surprising. Go for it!
 
 
 
 
Szjerdene – 4th Stranger

Uh oh. Szjerdene’s vocals are enlivening — to the extent that Yukimi Nagano would either become very nervous or very much inspired. Released on January 1st, 2013, this track is a beautifully balanced electro-tune, much like the rest of her releases which are equally flawless and versatile. This could be the result of her operatic voice against the electronic backing track, which make for an interesting contrast.