• February, 5 2015
  • music
  • ep review
  • thylacine
  • exil
  • closing
  • dyllan
  • whyd
  • critic

EP Review: THYLACINE - “Exil”

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The French artist THYLACINE, originally from Angers, just received the honor of the track of the weekend with “Closing” feat. Dyllan. It’s the third track on his new EP “Exil” which came out last week. So how does the EP stack up?

Released: January 26, 2015

Genres: Electronic, minimal, trip hop

Tracks: 4

Who would like this EP? 

Fans of Wood Kid’s orchestral harmonies, and people who like Kavinsky’s beats. 

Our thoughts: 

Though there are certainly some unique elements at play, mashing harmonies on top of the hollowness of something deep, this EP is a product of a lot that came before it. The highlight track, “Closing,” features the pleasantly subdued and haunting voice of Dyllan, an element that could’ve taken the other tracks on “Exil" much further. Instead the three other tracks swerve between strings, minimal beats, and trip, making for a pleasant listen but one that remains more shallow than complex.  

Listen to Exil by THYLACINE 

Playlist of Reference: Rock!

The next in our incredible series of Playlists of Reference we tackle a beast: the world of rock music. This week’s playlist is curated by Tom P. who has dedicated a significant amount of time into this monster of a playlist with 871 tracks for your listening pleasure. It has earned the exclamation point. But first, let’s get the story behind the playlist. 

When did you start listening to rock music?

In the late 60’s, a vibrant time with some great music. 

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

Yes, many of these songs spoke for a generation of your people then and left us with many good memories. For me, early favorites included Iron Butterfly - “In A Gadda Da Vida,” Uriah Heep - “Salisbury,” and later classics like Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” and “Black Dog.”

I really enjoyed classics from the Doobie Brothers and Kansas (especially “Dust in the Wind” and “Incomudro.”) Also can’t forget great jazz-fusion-rock from Santana and Jethro Tull, as well as hard-driving blues-rock from the Allman Brothers and Little Feat. Where do I stop? There’s also BTO, Bad Company, Lynyrd Skynyrd - “Free Bird,” Fleetwood Mac - “Hypnotized,” Van Halen & Sammy Hagar - “I Can’t Drive 55” and on and on. 

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

I enjoy many diverse musical styles now, including jazz, blues, gospel, world, and classical. But classic & fusion rock are still great for pumping up the adrenaline. Can’t think of a bad time to listen to good rock, except perhaps when it’s time to chill. Listening to many kinds of music now, occasionally I’ll “cleanse the palette” with some good rock. 

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

Hard to choose, but I’ll go with “Salisbury” by Uriah Heep, for great musicality and an early mix of styles. 

WiseSound - Playlist Series, Live Reviews + Albums of the Month [INTERVIEW]

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Hello! When did you start WiseSound? How did you get the idea?

Hello Whyd! Before I was in the habit of sending a bunch of MP3s of new discoveries in electro-pop, rock, or techno-house in monthly emails to about 50 of my friends, along with a list of concerts coming up that month with the question: “who’s coming with me?” Basically it was to share my new favorites and have some company when I went to see their shows… The lists got longer and longer and a few people recommended that I put it online. WiseSound has existed since January 2014. It’s our first birthday! 

You do a lot of live reviews on WiseSound. What are the fundamental parts of a good live review? Do you ever give bad live reviews?

To give a great show, you need emotion. Whether it’s the crazy jumps of Birth of Joy or the crystal voice of Goldfrapp with a classical orchestra, the performance must be felt like a trance that connects the group to their audience. I try not to be objective, that’s not the goal, but to be faithful to what I’m witnessing in that moment. I even admit sometimes to shedding a tear, completely transported. 

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I also write when I am disappointed about shows, when I was bored with the nonchalance of The Drums or the last sloppy performance of WhoMadeWho who seemed like they preferred to have fun rather than playing their tracks properly. I describe the scene but also the audience, and in doing that there are also a couple of fun bits that come out of it all. 

For festivals, I would like to do more video reports like for the Plages Electroniques but I don’t have a good camera yet! Check this out! 

How do you pick which album of the month to review? 

Now that is purely subjective. The album of the month is supposed to be the album where I appreciate every track without skipping any of them. For example I didn’t find an album like this between the new Black Strobe in October and the Ghost Culture album in January, so I didn’t do the feature. 

Sometimes, I feature an album that’s not very recent, like PVT's album from 2013 for example, where I just absolutely had to talk about it, so much had I listened to it enthusiastically on repeat. Taking a step back, I realize that these are usually very rich albums presenting sonic research or unexpected rhythms, and an explosive mix of multiple genres. The group must not close itself into producing the same pop track from 1 to 12, that's boring as hell. So that's why I love groups like Bot’Ox, those who touch everything and with verve! Everything that stays in my electro-pop, rock, and techno-house head, of course. 

How do you select tracks for your playlist series WiseList? Who should listen to these playlists? 

Everyday, I listen to the latest releases and the small lines in festival line ups to find new tracks, I also keep up to date with magazine, blogs, and other publications. And as soon as one resonates with me, hop! I add it to Whyd. Then I go through those tracks every two weeks cutting out everything except for 20 straight up bombs. 

Who should listen to WiseLists? Well everyone in the world, of course! The alternative rock barflies, just like the dancers at electro parties, or people let down by what’s on FM wavelengths. Maybe even people with a penchant for underground or those who are sick of commercial dance and R&B.

From the synth-pop to the house-techno passing by rock, the specter is rather large to please everyone. Dare to discover something else: very talented artists who need you to hear them or simply to continue to create!

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Do you have any plans for 2015 and beyond?  

For the moment the project is still small and new but ideas are coming together. Maybe starting to build a voluntary team, constructing partnerships around events, finding a webmaster to improve the site and propose different interactions between visitors, bring in video formats for interviews. I’ve received a few propositions, need to consider them… In any case, I will continue to promote people that deserve it and I will try to bring more and more people with me to concerts using contests with free places to win! 

Milky Chance Interview: Passion, Spontaneity, and Creating “Sadnecessary”

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You know their song “Stolen Dance,” you know how well it rhymes with their name, but what else do you know about Milky Chance? The German duo answers your questions in this Whyd interview:  

Your humble beginnings are well-documented. When you were in your home-made studio cutting “Sadnecessary" what were your realistic expectations?

We did not have any expectations. We just enjoyed the time making music and producing. There was nothing special we wanted to achieve. Music was just always our passion! 

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How long had you been writing the songs on “Sadnecessary?” The depth of the lyrics implies that they are polished, or were those songs more spontaneous?

Stolen Dance took two and half years to write! We had some parts very early but the rest came to us very late. But there were other songs who came into existence in the studio within 15 minutes. In whole the album took us about two years… in any case, sometimes there are these strong feelings that make you write a song in a very short time. 

You probably get asked this all the time, but where does the name Milky Chance come from?

There is no story behind the name but there are often days when we ask ourselves how we came up with this stupid name :)

It was just that we had always several bands where we played, and we had written down some potential names and there came the day we had to choose one - we decided spontaneously! 

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What was the best concert you have ever attend?

One of the best we’ve been to was the concert of James Blake, last December. 

What was it like to perform at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC?

It was our first gig in the USA, so a very big step for us! 

Track of the Weekend #120: THYLACINE - “Closing” feat. Dyllan

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Heavy wet snowflakes are falling here in Paris, and winter feels real. There is an indoor feeling, something cozy and warm, calling for a musical cocoon to envelop us. A perfect track for that cocoon is this week’s Track of the Weekend. “Closing" by THYLACINE feat. Dyllan is steady like the ocean waves, elevated on the wings of a soft, angelic voice until it drives through the build and attaches itself firmly into your memory.

The emerging French artist THYLACINE (which was the largest marsupial carvinore, also known as a Tazmanian Tiger, but is sadly now extinct) released his EP “Exil” this week, something to definitely get your hands on

Thanks (comme d’hab!) to Le Coup du Lapin for slipping it into our streams this week!

Collective Soul: Playlist of Reference

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Another week, another installment in our new series delivering you trendy subgenre Playlist of References curated with love and attention from our community of music lovers. But it’s not enough just to accept the music, we also want the story behind the curation. This week it’s Collective Soul curated by the creator of Underground Playlist, Sal Cannata.  

When did you start listening to Collective Soul?

Collective Soul is a recent addition to my playlist catalogue on Whyd. Soul music has always been one of my favorite genres and I have seen a big change in how it has been implemented in music the past several years. Generally when one thinks of Soul they tie it in with R&B but with all the cross-genre experimenting going on, a lot of Soul-based music has translated into a unique style of Indie music that touches the boundaries of other genres. Despite the different genre influences of these particular songs they all sound so right when placed next to each other. I thought it would be great to put together a sample of this kind of music that we feature on Underground Playlist and showcase a new wave of Soul music to the Whyd community.

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

Totally. I live for this kind of music. Soul singers bring a lot of passion to each lyric. The artists in these songs have a great way of conveying emotion and I connect with that a lot. It seems like whether these particular songs contain certain elements of Pop, Rock, R&B, or Electronic, the aspect of Soul brings everything together and connects with me in a big way.

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

I find that the overall tone of this playlist centers around relaxation. That could be useful in pretty much any situation except for maybe the dance club. For me, I’ve found this playlist to be a great listen towards the end of the day as things wind down. Everyone listens to music differently so this playlist can be used for all sorts of things like during work, cooking dinner, lounging with your friends, the list goes on!

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

It’s hard to choose just one track out of the 80+ in the playlist. From a Whyd experience the Robin Schulz remix of “Waves” is one of my favorite finds on Whyd. I remember just browsing around and clicking on the song to see what it was about and instantly became a fan. I love how a bootleg can turn into a mainstream hit a year or so later. It’s rare and awesome that I was able to witness that journey early in the game. When I would hear the song on the radio in front of my friends I’d make sure to let them know how long ago I first heard this song and where I found it. Thanks for the bragging rights Whyd! :)

From a more musical standpoint, Ben Howard’s cover of Keisza’s song “Hideaway” blows me away every time. I love how an artist can flip a song and give it a brand new feel. A few others that never get old to me are Jordan Bratton - “The Grey,” Harper - “Animal,” Shy Girls - “Renegade,” Ari Lennox - “Bound,” The Prince Fox remix of Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me,” and the newly added Kevin Garrett - “Coloring.” There are so many that I love but those are some standouts in this playlist. Stay tuned as I plan to update Collective Soul with new additions as time goes on!   

Thanks Underground Playlist! Check out the personal account of the creator of Underground Playlist, Sal Cannata for more Indie Soul and extra tracks! 

  • January, 26 2015

Presenting: Vinyl It! Print Your Own Customized Vinyl (And get 2 EURO off your order!)

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Where did you get the idea for Vinyl It?

After having launched our own record label One One Six (which is not one anymore) with some friends and produced the dub producer DLSM we wanted to press some vinyl records of his Abyssum EP. But the problem was that we would have been forced to press 300 copies for about 1,200 euro, and we knew that between our family, friends, and fans, we would’ve sold only 50 copies: the loss of money and 250 copies in the flat was not the goal of the release…

Then we understood that a lot of small indie record labels had the same problem, actually, even bigger record labels can’t afford to press their entire catalogue on vinyl. It’s too risky and too expensive. We understood that nearly 90% of indie music was not available on vinyl, but diggers want to have access to those tracks. So we decided to create the Vinyl It platform, a place where diggers can create their own unique vinyl record from a catalogue of unpressed, indie tracks. 

How does it work?

Once a record label decides to come to the platform (via a license contract we sign together) their catalogue becomes available on vinylit.co. If you are a Jarring Effects fan, for instance, you come on vinylit.co, you select your favorite tracks in their catalogue (28 minutes maximum, 14 on each side), then you create your own sticker (if it’s a gift you can put a picture of your friend) and select the sleeve you want. Your record, which is unique because you made the tracklist from tracks that have never been pressed before, will be delivered in 8 days (for French customers). 

On our side, we launch the production of your record, and because we have the masters delivered directly by the record labels and because Valentin has been cutting vinyls for more than 10 years now, you will be happy with the finished product! 

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When did you launch and what are your plans for 2015?

We launched on December 9th, 2014, with more than 1000 tracks and 20 record labels. Our plan for 2015 is to get your more choice of tracks on the platform, we think we can reach 100,000 tracks by the end of the year. Another thing is to improve the navigation and user experience for the diggers, as it’s not perfect today. In two months, a good music player and recommendation system will be implemented and your experience to dig another way will become a real pleasure. 

The English version should also arrive, soon!

What kind of music lovers will enjoy it? 

It’s really a platform for indie music lovers, who listen to vinyl records :)

I think the Whyd community will love this: we only have indie record labels that produce obscure tracks in their own niche. 

And we created our playlist “Killer Unpressed Tracks,” 4 out of 5 tracks were already added in playlists by Whyd members. Does it mean that we have the same good taste as the Whyd members? I don’t know but one thing is for sure, go to vinylit.co and you will be able to create one of the best records you have ever had in your collection. 

Follow us on Whyd, and create a Vinyl It account, you will be able to add tracks to your wish list.

Feel free to send us questions at: pierre at vinylit.com

Thanks for the opportunity, and from today until February 1st, Whyd members have a 2 euro reduction on their record by entering “WHYDIGGER” voucher on vinylit.co!

Track of the Weekend #119: Ibeyi - “Ghosts”

There were snowflakes in the air this morning as dawn broke over the city of light. For a moment, it looked like everything was frozen calm. Civilization at peace. But the heartbeat of life pulsed anew. For a city cannot have two identities. 

That double moment is best captured by this week’s Track of the Weekend by the Franco-Cuban twins know as Ibeyi. “Ghosts" is as delicate as a snowflake, and as unique too. The twin voices combine in jerking refrains that pull you in and out of time, not sure who is who, what is what. Their debut album is due out mid-February, so expect a lot more to come from these talented women. 

Thanks to RDCC for getting it to Whyd

Selecterz: Playlists by Artists You Love

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Hey Pierre! How’s it going? Can you tell us about the main goal of Selecterz?

Hello Whyd! Everything is really good. The year started strong with the launch of the new version of Selecterz. The idea is simple: artists that I like make selections to share so I can discover new music. The site also proposes playlists, music videos, a focus on record labels, music channels, magazines. The goal: offer the best of what’s being made today, without being limited to style, and to guide music lovers through the vast desert that is the internet. 

How do you choose the artists that make playlists for you?

It’s just the artists that I like. There is no logical choice. The feeling that leads to it cannot be described. It comes from everyone. It’s also the feeling that makes me want to share. Know who listens to what. Smile when listening to certain tracks. Realize that an artist will be able to add tracks to their playlist that are completely separated from their universe. I tend to say that we are what we listen to, and I want to share these “stolen” moments, where we can get into the artist’s head for a few seconds. These playlist are also the best way to discover new tracks. 

Tell us about the new design for the site!

The new version is more user-friendly. You can finally search for the artists and playlists by style, shuffling from one style to another, learn about an artist, listen to their tracks on Soundcloud, YouTube, Deezer, and Spotify, and share them on Whyd! I wanted to make the site more visual, more attractive, and offer fast access to music without having to search. 

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What are your objectives for 2015?

Keep evolving the site, developing new functionalities, welcoming new collaborators, and continued to make people discover new music from the ears of the artists. 

Follow Selecterz on Whyd and Like Selecterz on Facebook. 

Electro Swing: Playlist of Reference

Continuing with our latest initiative of delivering high quality playlists meticulously curated by our top music lovers, today we bring you a subgenre that combines old and new, and is rapidly pushing its way into the mainstream. It’s Electro Swing curated by Louis de Sentenac. Let’s get the story behind the playlist with this quick interview: 

When did you start listening to Electro Swing?

When one of my friends told me about Parov Stelar, who was releasing their album “That Swing” in 2009 with tracks like “Wanna Get” or “Kiss Kiss” that are big references in Electro Swing for me. You’ll see a lot of Parov Stelar in this playlist!

Did you ever have a moment when you felt like Electro Swing talked to you? 

I immediately attached myself to Electro Swing, I loved the vintage jazz and swing influences mixed with contemporary electronic that made it very danceable and excellent to listen to. 

What are some examples of situations when you listen to Electro Swing?

Most often it’s during aperos with friends, before heading out or to a concert, listening to Electro Swing gets me ready to go! 

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

Man that’s not easy. Being a big fan of jazz I would lean towards a jazzier track: Dimaa - “Andrew” 

Thanks Louis! Here’s his Electro Swing Playlist in all of its glory. Please share with your friends who are in to Electro Swing!