Hey all! Anna here from Seoul, so happy to be a part of HS!  For my first post I'm gonna put out there this dude named Bara Blaque, born in the UK and raised in Nigeria.  Bara has a tinge of that A$AP Rocky grit but with a bit more finesse in his production and lyrically sanded edges to draw the listener into his sound.  His tracks are diverse yet could all be attributed to the same source, an individual abstraction that seems to work and not venture too far out as to limit his fan base.  If Shabazz Palaces and Isaiah Rashad had an audio baby, it would be something along the lines of Bara Blaque.

XOXO
+ Soundcloud + Facebook + Twitter + Website STREAM Artist Name - Titlehttps://soundcloud.com/barablaque/on-a-spirtual-lean-bara-blaque

NAOMI PILGRIM NO GUN

Swedish songstress Naomi Pilgrim brings us her new single No Gun which is a mix of funky garage and blues wrapped up in a nice little pop package. Off beat and quirky in a decidedly non-indie way, we can't wait to hear more from her EP due sometime this fall. 

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STREAM Naomi Pilgram - No Gun 

WAYWARD LOVE JONES

We found out about Wayward a few days ago and have been hooked on this Leeds duo's infectious melodies and killer vocals. Their new single Love Jones is trendy enough to be current, yet still holds a unique corner in the genre with a mix of lounge and throwback vocals that culminate in this tropical-dance-pump-up jam that I am sure you'll have in your head for days to come.  The single is out December 2 on Aesop Records so be sure to check it out!

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 STREAM Wayward - Love Jones 

JOHN HOPKINS BREATHE THIS AIR FT. PURITY RING

Breathe This Air is a nice product of John Hopkins and Purity Ring. Megan James's voice is a perfect pairing for Hopkins' EDM based sound. An unlikely yet pleasantly surprising pair, these two toured a bit together towards the end of this summer and it shows in this work. 

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STREAM John Hopkins - Breathe This Air (Feat. Purity Ring)

Watch the video below (NSFW) directed by Anthony Dickenson:

QUADRON HEY LOVE CLASSIXX REMIX

Danish duo Quadron get the latest makeover treatment from LA duo Classixx on their single Hey Love. At first I liked this based solely on the fact that it could give me an opportunity to make people uncomfortable while dancing to it's wonky beat, but once the piano came it I was hooked and it's been on repeat all morning. It's bright and has a unique beat sequence that hooks you in until the second half where it all unfolds. Classixx does their usual fine job on this remix and some nice touches come out the more you listen to it, always a bonus.

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STREAM Quadron - Hey Love (Classixx Remix)

JEAN TONIQUE THE LOOK IN YOUR EYES

Jean Tonique's first ever EP, The Look In Your Eyes, released on the 16 September, basically has this effect on us over at HS. This French producer is one of our favorites (heart) and we're loving the familiar yet fresh disco beats he is pumping out on this new EP. Check out the title track below and head over to his Soundcloud page to stream Best Thing Ever, and to give him some love.

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STREAM Jean Tonique - The Look In Your Eyes

CH CH CH CHANGES

After a month or so of taking some time to make my way to Amsterdam, I'm finally here anf ready to get back into things. Look for some big changes in the coming months to in regards to the site. We secured a domain name and are going to be making the move to WP, getting this blog up to where it needs to be. 

Feel free to comment on any features you'd like to see - a streaming player is high on the list! and we'll do what we can to incorporate it into the new site. Also if you are interested in contributing on a semi to regular basis we are looking for writers who are into indie-pop, older, more obscure techno tracks, or any other genre you have a firm grasp on. Email us at hardlystable AT gmail DOT com with writing samples and a list of the top five tracks you are listening to right now, as well as how often you could commit to posting. 

FOR ONE OF OUR OWN.

We will be taking a short hiatus to mourn the loss of one of our friends and contributors at the blog. She was a kindred spirit, a light in my life, and a constant inspiration to discover more in this world. You were taken from us too soon and we will miss you always.

MIDLAND CHECKBOB

Music for charity can go one of two ways: ridiculously cheesy and overdone (think anything U2 has ever touched) or a damn near perfect homage that's designed to empower, not victimize. Midland's recent release called Checkbob for "Autonomous Africa Vol. 2" falls into the latter category. Basically, "Autonomous Africa" was created by Optimo's JD Twitch to raise awareness about the issue of external interference in African affairs. Midland's contribution to this volume is personal; proceeds from the EP will go to a charity called the Mtandika Mission, which is run by his parents in Tanzania (so awesome!) If you're into Afrobeats, you'll dig this jitterbug.

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STREAM Midland - Checkbob

HENRY KRINKLE STAY PHAM BOOTLEG

Polish producer Pham's latest is a bootleg of Henry Krinkle's Stay, and I would try to say something except I can't get my jaw off of the floor. The original has a beautiful ringing melody and catchy bass, but is minimal with a lot of "whoosh" in its delivery. Pham takes this base and slowly builds up a lush scene with pitched down vocals, methodic bass beats that keep the pace and let small details pulled from a few genres build the structure. Wait for the 1:40 mark for it to really stretch its legs.

//Free downloads off of his Soundcloud page!

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STREAM Henry Krinkle - Stay (Pham Bootleg)

LOVE :: FLIC FLAC

I got a little link happy with this one. I stumbled upon Flic Flac as a result of their remix of Bon Iver's Blood Bank re-making the rounds on hypem, and then found that, "oh", everything they touch is amazing. The Vance Joy remix isn't listed in this post because I think that four just might make me crazy but check it out anyway (Soundcloud link below). If you're looking for a new artist to dive into be sure to check out this Austrian duo's tracks. They stick mostly to indie remixes, and they are delicious! Free downloads galore too if you like them on Facebook!

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STREAM + DOWNLOAD James Yuill - This Sweet Love // Flic Flac Edit

STREAM + DOWNLOAD James Yuill - This Sweet Love // Flic Flac Edit

STREAM + DOWNLOAD Bon Iver - Blood Bank //Flic Flac Edit

CLOUD CONTROL SCAR

London indie group Cloud Cult releases an infectious new single titled Scar. Part indie-pop, part vintage, their sound is well built and it shines with this track. If the beginning isn't enough to reel you in, just wait for the first chorus to come in. I'm almost at a loss of how to describe how much I love this song. They fall into the genre seamlessly, yet still carry their own sound; a feat in the over saturated land of girlie-man voices dominating indie-dance these days.

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STREAM Cloud Control - Scar

BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH BRUTAL HEARTS DOCTOR DRU REMIX

German house producer remixes Bedouin Soundclash's single Brutal Hearts into a mesmerizing tale of fading vocals and heavy, grooving synths. A deep pumping bass line compliments the track and makes you preemptively wish the track would just keep going past it's set time. Check it out!

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STREAM Bedouin Soundclash - Brutal Hearts (Doctor Dru Remix)

SOUL CAPSULE LADY SCIENCE (NYC SUNRISE)

If there was such a thing as a comedown from a movie, this song would be the perfect soundtrack for the moments after you watch Kids. Off of the 1999 Soul Capsule EP "Overcome", this minimal tune transcended its time to remain fresh and relevant even in today's crowded house landscape. Organ drones, ethereal vocals, and a steady beat make Lady Science a must-hear tune for when you're coming down or just getting started.

WATCH Soul Capsule - Lady Science (NYC Sunrise)



Get it on vinyl or you can get the digital version here.

PS: Soul Capsule is playing in London next week (Aug. 13, 2013) at Egg. Only £8 advance!!!

SAN CISCO FRED ASTAIRE JOYWAVE REMIX

I've been hooked on Joywave ever since their track Tounges ft. Kopps came out. They're unpredictable and ever changing with their sound and they nail it every time. Seriously. The light pop single from Aussie's San Cisco has been transformed into a dark, experimental house remix that you could watch drip down some walls like tar compared to some of this summer's mixes and it's AWESOME. I love what's been coming out summer-style wise, but when you stumble upon something like this it's like a breath of fresh air. Stay weird Joywave, I'm loving it.

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STREAM San Cisco - Fred Astaire (Joywave Remix)

SOME MINOR NOISE UNDERSTANDING

Toronto based duo Jane Void and Wayne Doe aka Some Minor Noise are our with their new single Unserstanding. This one took a few listens and then it had me hooked. Initially the electronic parts of the track sound really separate to the vocals. Almost as if they laid the vocals and a basic melody and someone tried to do a remix around the song. While that contrast remains, the two parts begin to blend into each other as the song progresses into something really unique and intricate. Void's vocals are beautiful and keep the whole piece grounded, letting the beat spin around her. 

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STREAM Some Minor Noise - Understanding

ANNA KENDRICK CUPS JELLOSEA REMIX

Lovely remix of Pitch-Perfect's Anna Kendrick's song Cups by Toronto's own Jellosea. It's a tuned down remix that takes a wide departure form the original and delivers delightful results. I can't say that I am a huge fan of the original track to begin with so it is awesome when you stumble over something like this. It gives a new apriciation for the original while creating something completely new in the process. Props to Jellosea for taking full advantage of the tuned down vocal trend and seriously killing it.

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ARTIST INTRO :: BISHOP NEHRU

I think 2013 is the year of young rappers that are: 1. Cooler than me and my whole life and 2. Are in their teens making me question any so called accomplishments I've had with my life. This shit is like watching the olympics.

And with that we bring you our new favorite New Yorker, 16 year old Bishop Nehru. His sound harkens back to the early 90s era rap scene, and one that NY is beginning to lead in terms of a comeback. His flow is as laid back as his beats and it takes almost nothing to slip into one of his tracks. His new mixtape is called Strictly Flowz and his UK tour with The Wu Tang Clan begins this summer.

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STREAM Bishop Nehru - Mob Dizzle

STREAM Bishop Nehru - Flow 1


STREAM Bishop Nehru - Angel

L'EQUIPE DU SON THE WOLFMAN MOUSTACHE MACHINE REMIX

Let's just start with an excerpt of the Facebook Bio:

"So he starts programming but when his computer reaches capacity, he decides to hack into a government mainframe for more processing power and data storage capacity. But, unknowingly he has actually hacked into a secret government program and at the exact moment he hits "enter" to execute his program, a lightning bolt strikes his house leading to a series of supernatural occurrences and a violent explosion!
After the smoke clears nothing seems different at first but when L’Equipe du Son starts making music again he discovers he has superhuman abilities and can digitize himself into the mainframes of his synthesizers and computer to really make the most awesome music the world had ever heard."

Wolfman epitomizes what I love about the throwback 80s electronic genre. Super treble synth melodies, a bass line that sounds like a crime fighting movie montage accompaniment, and some nice added touches, like the Teen Wolf excerpt. Such a badass track.

Also included is Beauty Is the Light. I kind of fell down the rabbit hole with this label and artist and couldn't stop. Beauty is a heavy banging house track that could quite possibly knock down walls. I really can't say enough good things about L'Equipe du Son or his Dutch label Silhouette Records. Check them out!

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STREAM L'Equipe du Son - The Wolfman Moustache Machine Remix 

STREAM L'Equipe du Son - Beauty Is The Light

THE SONGSTRESS SEE LINE WOMAN

As a general rule, you can't go wrong with a Nina Simone sample. This 1998 gem blends Nina's smooth vocals with an uptempo beat that brings you a blend of deep house/UK garage. Add to that a bit of jazz flute and you've got yourself a bonafide classic. Produced by electro pioneers Kerri Chandler and Jeremy Sydenham, this track has been remixed/re-edited by the likes of Todd Edwards and Kerri himself. Check it out and get yourself a download below.

STREAM The Songstress - See Line Woman