Playlist of Reference: Alt Rock

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The next installment of our Playlist of Reference series turns up the volume. “Alt Rock” is a collection of bangers curated by our man Stefanos. As is the tradition, let’s get the story behind the curation: 

When did you start listening to Alt Rock?

I was a rock fan since the 70’s . When I was a student in Glasgow, Scotland in the late 70’s and early 80’s I used to listen to BBC Radio 1 and the famous DJ John Peel who had his program every night.

Peel played many of the new groups who sent him their demo tapes. He gave them airplay and made them known.

I loved groups such as Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division, Siouxsee and the Banshees, The Cure, Cocteau Twins, etc…

Did you ever have a moment when you felt like Alt Rock started speaking to you?

Yes. Echo and the Bunnymen and Siouxsee and the Banshees really impressed me.

What are some example situations when you would listen to this playlist yourself?

On a long haul flight to a holiday destination.

When feeling a bit out of energy and needing a recharge.

Concentrating on the music on a good stereo. listening in the dark.

To make me optimistic and put me into a fighting mood.

If you had to choose just one track from this playlist, which one would be your favorite?

SPC ECO: Push

Aquilo Answers Your Questions [Interview]

Hello Aquilo! Who does what in your duo?

We write and produce the music together at our flat in Manchester. We both play a bit of guitar and piano, but Tom primarily sings lead vocals.

How did you start playing music together? Did you have a clear vision of the sound that you wanted or is a compromise between your two different styles?

I found a song that Ben did online, he lived across the road and we decided to try and write something together.

I don’t think we had a clear vision, it came from a lot of experimentation and combination of our individual music tastes.

Where do you draw your inspiration from? Are there contemporary artists that you look up to?

We suppose we’re inspired by people like Mount Kimbie, The Weeknd, Bonobo, Fleet Foxes, Fink, Washed Out, Steely Dan and maybe even D’Angelo.

Can you tell us about your new EP? What can we expect?

This EP feels bigger than the other 2 EPs. The old EPs sort of shows our mellow side and this EP (although still holding emotion and thoughtfulness) feels as though it has more bursts of Energy. We almost see it as a stepping stone to our album.


You will be playing at Melt in Germany, are you doing any other festivals this summer, maybe in France?

We’re dead excited for Melt Festival. We’ve never been to Berlin before so it should be a good one. We’re playing a few festivals this summer but unfortunately for now we don’t have any dates booked in France (yet!) although will do very soon. 

EP Review: MiM - “Samsara”

This week’s EP Review sees the release of MiM’s new EP “Samsara.” Hailing from Paris, MiM made the music for the opening of the Canal+ series “Bref.” Now he’s teamed up with a bunch of talented artists and released “Samsara” on Chateau Bruyant Records. Let’s get to the details:  

Released: April 20, 2015

Genres: hip hop, trap, grime, deep

Tracks: 5

Who would like this EP?

Fans of Grimes’s vocals and mixes, people who like The XX’s vibe

Our thoughts:

Never before in the history of music has there been such a convergence of trends and styles. Today it’s possible to take samples, spin them towards diverging directions, lay down some fat beats, get some seductive vocals and somehow you have music - music that actually sounds pretty good. MiM is the latest to follow in the steps of this trend. “Samsara” is like an international banquet of finger foods with each morsel delicately prepared and served on a toothpick for our enjoyment. 

Blow” featuring Anna Kova is without question the most poppy track, but it still manages to weave between a dozen genres and come out on the other side feeling complete - no easy feat. 

Sometimes it feels like there is too much going on, and in these moments MiM’s personality gets a bit lost. This is the risk with being so eclectic. Luckily these moments are few and far between. The overall result is a satisfying adventure through the world’s urban cultures that leaves you wanting more. 

Listen to “Samsara” by MiM

Track of the Weekend #131: RATATAT - “Cream on Chrome”

Another week in the books, and another weekend on the horizon. The minutes of the clock tick slowly towards evening. With each tock the excitement builds. Layer upon layer, until the excitement explodes into the freedom of the weekend. Summing up this feeling of building is the experimental rock duo from Brooklyn: RATATAT, back on the world scene with “Cream on Chrome.” 

For the fans of RATATAT who have known them since the days of “Loud Pipes,” you wont be disappointed with “Cream on Chrome” which carries the signature electric guitar, funky bass beat, and mathematical construction that enables RATATAT to weave stories and narratives through music with no lyrics. And that’s why it’s #1 on Whyd this week.

Thanks to Maxime M for getting his, like, 25th track of the weekend!

Bâton Blanc + 3/3 Party - Featuring SE62 - Lille 30/4 [INTERVIEW]

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For our music lovers in Lille, you might remember when we interviewed Bâton Blanc on the occasion of their first techno party. For a smaller town like Lille, with a limited nightlife, a techno party was a big moment of celebration. Now, after planning and a lot of work, the team at Bâton Blanc has a new venue and partner in 3/3. A new party has been announced, this one happening on Thursday, April 30th at the Tchouka Club. You can find the details here

As the headliner for this event, they are bringing in an up-and-coming Ukrainian producer. His name is SE62, and we had the pleasure of interviewing him: 

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Hello SE62! Can you introduce yourself? Where are you from originally?

Hi there, my name is Yura, I am 27 years old. I have been living all my life in Kiev, Ukraine.

How long have you been making music? How did you get started?

My music background started at 10-12 years old. My grandfather was a musician, he showed me a lot of folk instruments. I started producing my first music at university when i was a student. Somebody dropped me Ableton CD.

What’s the character of SE62 now? Who would like to listen to your music?

At the moment I’m listening to house music and a lot of instrumental hip hop from the golden era (early 90’s). Love that gritty stuff. And jazz & soul records. I am trying to make more clubby music. I am happy to see when people dancing and have fun!  

What kind of things do you have planned for 2015 and beyond?

Travels, my first album, wedding, hope Magister Study and a lot of work with the music and design.

Looking forward to visit Lille. Henri (Inner Sense) made awesome gift for me. It’s a book about French cities, such a cool book ! I am so exited to come!

Playlist of Reference: Country

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It’s one of the nicest days of the year here in Paris, and while we took advantage of the weather yesterday to light up the grill, today the sun just won’t stop pouring down on us. It’s the big blue sky, a quality of the world that begs for movement, for exploration, to keep going further and further – or just lay back and relax. 

Among the potential soundtracks for days like this is Country, a genre that exudes travel, open spaces, being on the road. Harmonicas, guitar strums, songs about whiskey and cheap cigars. Today’s Country Playlist of Reference is curated by Hedd’zding, who was kind enough to give us the story behind the curation: 

When did you start listening to Country music?

The first country songs that I listened to were in my father’s car when I was younger and when we were doing a lot of driving.

However, I rediscovered this music style thinks to Whyd and its passionate users.

Did you ever have a moment when you felt like Country music started speaking to you?

Country music is a style which, whatever the song, transports me in a whirlwind of feelings and freedom. So when I take the car alone for a long trip, it’s sunny and the highway is all to me, country music is definitely speaking to me.

What are some example situations when you would listen to this playlist yourself? 

Like I just said, it’s awesome when you’re on the go.

But also, and it’s a bit contradictory but I love listening to country music when I’m working, it motivates me.

The third moment when I like to listen this playlist and country music in general, is the day after a night of partying when I’m tired. Some calm country songs are just incredibly peaceful and relaxing for this kind of moment.

If you had to choose just one track from this playlist, which one would be your favorite?

It would be  “I got a name” by Jim Croce for many reasons. It’s a beautiful song it represents one of the most beautiful scene of Django Unchained, a movie that I love, when J. Fox and C. Waltz cross the mountains to reach the Mississippi. This song really makes me think about the great American spaces, I love it!

So do we Hedd’zding! 

Sunny BBQ in Paris

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Whyd’s Chief BBQ Officer had a chance to dust off the tools, scrap the rust off of the grill in the little backyard of our incubator, and under a blazing sunshine, kick off year with our first BBQ of 2015. 

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After the usual challenge of lighting the grills, we got the charcoal smoking and enjoyed Tony’s signature burgers. 

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Sadly, it was most likely the last BBQ at our incubator, before our lease is up at the end of May. The BBQ had become synonymous with Whyd, and it was in this very location that we first launched our music community exactly three years ago, with Gilles, Jie, Adrien, and Loick. 

For those of us with us from the very beginning, you remember how crazy things got

We’ve come a long way since then - as evidenced by the new team members in this photo: Laurent, Jeremy, and Damien’s arm. Luckily, they are fans of BBQ too. And whether we are in Paris, San Francisco, or China, we are all in complete agreement that the next chapter of Whyd will contain at least a BBQ or two. 

In the meantime, bon appetit, and never stop jamming! 

  • April, 13 2015
  • update
  • whyd
  • community
  • japan
  • music lovers
  • tokyo
  • kyoto

Come Say Hello Japan! こんにちは日本

Konnichiwa! We’ve recently seen a surge in music lovers joining us from The Land of the Rising Sun, and we’re super excited about that! As a team, we are passionate about meeting our music lovers in person, hearing their stories, and sharing a beer. Our trusty Community Manager Tony will be visiting Japan for two weeks from April 25th to May 10th, stopping in Tokyo, Kyoto, and bouncing around between a few other places too. If you’d like to meet him for a beer and some conversation, just send him an email: tony at whyd dot com.

He will be very happy to meet you, in addition to learning more about your culture and music! 

Never stop jamming! ジャミング停止することはありません

Track of the Weekend #130: Tame Impala - “’Cause I’m A Man”

Who’s going to be drinking some rosé tonight? These guys! 

Yep, the sun is out here in Paris and even though our team is scattered around the world from San Francisco to Shanghai, we’re all feeling the spring vibe. Few bands so well evoke the hope and pleasure of spring and summer than Australia’s Tame Impala, whose debut album featured a picture of Paris’s Jardin des Plantes. 

The psychedelic, shoe gaze group has been sprouting back onto the world scene recently with a few new singles, including their latest, the hottest track on Whyd this week. As light as a nap in the sunshine, “Cause I’m A Man” is weightless, lofty as a daydream, and sweeter than a fresh wild strawberry picked from deep in the woods. 

Thanks to Maxime M for nailing it this week! 

Playlist of Reference: Trance

The next installment in our Playlist of Reference series sees things get a bit more epic as we dive into the world of Trance music. This Trance playlist contains electronic rises and falls - a roller coaster of different energies accelerating through our ears, all curated by Mathis Lorenzo. As usual, let’s get the story behind the curation: 

When did you start listening to Trance music?

I really discovered Trance during the first festivals I attended when I was 16 years old. I already knew a little bit about it then, of course, but it was during that specific time that the music took on a new dimension in my eyes. 

Did you ever have a moment when you felt like Trance started speaking to you?

Yes, and not just once! The most interesting thing with Trance in my opinion is the internal voyage that it permits. Making you dance, galloping on a bewitching beat, it lets you have a certain experience, solitary and subjective, or “transcendence.” 

What are some example situations when you would listen to this playlist yourself? 

I don’t always listen to this playlist, as opposed to others because I think that certain conditions are necessary to really appreciate it. So I normally listen to this playlist when I know that the quality and volume will be high, and then when the ambiance and I are ready to go! 

If you had to choose just one track from this playlist, which one would be your favorite? 

I would say “Vitamin T” by Terranoise, because it’s the most representative sound for what I like in a genre where there is a lot of mix of numerous different sub-genres. With a fast and aggressive beat, I am incapable of keeping myself from dancing when I listen to it!