"In the Air" - L.A.B.

It seems fitting that my latest musical addiction was introduced to me by a cute boy with excellent taste in music.

“In the Air” is a funky love song by New Zealand reggae band, L.A.B. With a seductive bass line and sultry vocals, it’s the perfect song to kick off a blissful night in the bedroom. The added bonus of the call and repeat of the male and female voices make it extra fun to sing along. Luckily I found a fella who knows how to respond when I call out “you can take me home tonight.” 

Go ahead and add it to your sexy playlist or go ahead and check it out on mine here.  

Listen to In the Air on Spotify. L.A.B. · Song · 2019.

"Maggot Brain (Maribou State Edit)" - Funkadelic

This quarantine has given me a good opportunity to organize my music and dive back into some old favorites and I thought I’d finally get around to sharing this gem.

I was hesitant to choose the Maribou State edit, as the original song is an absolute work of genius on its own. That said, I find the Maribou State interpretation to be more accessible.

The original Funkadelic song, released in 1971, is an epic 10 minute album opener with an oozy and mind-bending guitar solo that speaks to the soul. Legend has it that during the recording session George Clinton, while on LSD, told Eddie Hazel to imagine that he had been told his mother had died but then discovered it wasn’t true. The result was this emotional guitar solo. The song was originally planned to have other musicians supporting it but Clinton, recognized the power in that solo and wisely faded them out to focus on the guitar solo.

I like to think about the emotions that Maribou State created on the dance floor by adding some drums to this classic. Beyond speeding up the original and laying a steady drum beat, they pay a nice homage to the original creator by adding in vocals from a George Clinton interview describing the creation of P-Funk. This is a song made to get an audience to think about something more powerful. I can’t help but feel a little envious of everyone who heard it on the dance floor after a night of giving it your all.

As we're getting closer to finishing our 2nd album, we thought we would feed out the edits that have fuelled our DJ sets over the past couple of years. We've made quite a few and there's been requests for us to put them up online - so here's one of the most recent ones... More to follow! MS x

"Struggle" - Tinush

A friend recently shared that he couldn’t imagine me on a bad day, which is absolutely crazy. We all go through shit. It’s part of the human experience. This song was written for those hard days when you need that extra push.

Berlin producer, Tinush, takes his own spin on Aretha Franklin’s “A Deeper Love” by first titling the cover “Struggle.” To me, this song is an example of flawless production. The timing is perfect and the music is particularly expressive and made even more so with its perfect timing.

The slow, soulful, piano solo at the beginning paints the picture of rougher times. As Tinush begins to layer in drum loops over the piano, I can feel the motivation rolling in. At minute 2:00, he introduces Aretha’s powerful voice and I’m instantly ready to start moving.

“People let me tell you I work hard every day
I get up out of bed, I put on my clothes
‘Cause I’ve got bills to pay
Now it ain’t easy but I don’t need no help
I’ve got a strong will to survive
I’ve got a deeper love, deeper love.”

After a brief pause in tempo, the song picks back up at minute 5:00 with Aretha’s voice, a synthy guitar riff and the female gospel choir. The instrumental solo coupled with interjections of the gospel choir singing “It ain’t easy” that finish the song give me goosebumps and the rocket fuel I need to power through a rough day.

Struggle - Extended Mix, a song by Tinush on Spotify

Hace poco un amigo me dijo que no puede creer que tengo días malos pero eso no podría ser más lejos de la verdad. Todo el mundo tiene días así, es parte de la experiencia del ser humano. Esta canción fue escrito para esos días cuando buscas un empuje.

El productor de Berlin, Tinush, hace su propia versión de la canción “A Deeper Love” de Aretha Franklin usando el nombre “Struggle” para el cover. Para mi, esta canción es un ejemplo de producción totalmente perfecta. La música es muy expresiva y aún más con su temporización perfecta.

"Don't Call My Name" - Skinshape

While I would never wish heartbreak upon anybody, I am grateful for the creativity it often inspires. I’m not sure why but I’ve always been drawn to breakup songs. One of my all-time favorite songs is the “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, which I only realized was a breakup song a few years ago.

Lately the universe has been acknowledging my single status by sending epic breakup songs my way. This psychedelic song by Skinshape, a.k.a William Dorey, is a slow and oozy tune that gave me goosebumps the first time I heard it. The steady drum line, simple guitar licks, and trippy guitar pedal create an intentionally somber song.

I can feel the heartbreak through the guitar alone but it’s made even more apparent with the lyrics:

Don’t call my name
Don’t pray for me
I’m sad to go
But space I need
Don’t wait for time
We can step to the side
Just be true to yourself
You’ve got nothing to hide

Dorey claims his sound to be heavily influenced by a variety of genres including 1960s-70s funk, soul, reggae, psychedelic rock, and afrobeat music. His last album, Life & Love, is a great representation of this variety of influences. I’m a big fan of the album in its entirety but would highlight these: “Take My Time” and “Inside” featuring Aaron Taylor.

Don't Call My Name, a song by Skinshape on Spotify

Aunque nunca desearía para el desamor de alguien, estoy agradecida para la creatividad que inspira. No tengo ningún idea de la razón, pero siempre he gustado las canciones de las rupturas de relaciones. Una de mis canciones favoritas es “Dreams” de Fleetwood Mac, y solo me di cuenta de que era una canción de las rupturas hace poco.

Últimamente, el universo ha reconocido que estoy soltera y me ha enviado un mogollón de canciones sobre las rupturas. Esta canción psicodélica de Skinshape (William Dorey) es una canción lenta y limosa que me dio la piel de la gallina la primera vez que la escuché. El uso estable de la batería con la pedal de la guitarra crea una canción intencionalmente sombría.

Puedo sentir la angustia de la guitarra pero es aún más obvio con la letra:

No me llames
No ores por mi
Estoy triste por ir
Pero necesito el espacio
No esperes para el tiempo
Podemos dar un paso hacia el lado
Solo sé fiel a ti mismo
No tengas nada que ocultar

Dorey dice que su sonido tiene una influencia de muchos géneros incluyendo el funk de los años ‘60s y ‘70s, soul, reggae, psychedelic rock, y afrobeat. Su último álbum, Life & Love, muestra esta variedad de influencias. Me encanta el álbum en su totalidad pero quiero destacar estas dos: “Take My Time” y “Inside” con Aaron Taylor.