Third Attempt - Serve Chilled (Beatservice Records)

Third Attempt is Torje Fagertun Spilde, a 20 year old artist and DJ originally from Asker, just outside of Oslo. Now established in Tromsø , Norway, he is one of the young forces in the rising new generation of electronic producers from the birthplace of the Northern Disco Groove.

Third Attempt has a distinct and uplifting flavor, firmly planted in the smoother areas of deep house. His influences range from jazz to ambient, trip hop to classic house. Third Attempt creates a fusion between pulsating electronic rhythms and his own field recordings to create atmospheric dreamscapes. His last Beatservice single, “Shoreline,” accumulated numerous accolades and tens of thousands of plays on various streaming platforms.

This latest single finds Third Attempt expanding his sound into soulful directions, applying the rhythmic punch and sleek electronics to a groovier vibe. “Serve Chilled” mixes a classic deep house sound with soaring monophonic synth melodies, floaty breakdowns, and a quick, emotive vocal. The combination builds elegantly to dance floor bliss. “Control” hugs with a warm, low bass line that anchors undulating pads, gently rising echoed arpeggiations, and a powerful sung vocal snippet. Unassuming at first, “Control” stealthily develops into a prime time nightclub contender before it hits midpoint.

Al Bradley (3am Recordings) – “I really love the last 'Shoreline' release from Third Attempt & this is equally captivating - both tracks are great, but 'Control' really is a gorgeous slice of deepness!”
Andrew Emil (Four Play Music) – “Best record I have heard in a long time.”
Lee Jones (Buslife) – “The A side is simply delicious. Can’t wait to play it on a rig.”
Tyler Stadius (Dialtone Records) – “Classy beauties here.”
Dutchican Soul (Strictly Rhythm) – “I love the work of Third Attempt. I’ve been playing his previous release a lot as well.”
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) – “Brilliant release. Serve Chilled is wonderful!”
Craig Turner (Profound Sessions, Ibiza) – “Just wow … I will play both tracks on my show.”
DJ Osric (Black and Blue Show) – “Nordic deep house is very chilled indeed. Classy stuff.”
Distant People (Soul Elements Radio Show) – “Control is just lush. Instantly hooked me into it’s hypnotic groove.”
Deepshizzol (Deepvibes Radio) – “Outstanding production and a brilliant 2 tracker. Will play both for years to come.”

Available Now From: Bandcamp, Beatport, Apple Music, And Spotify.

Gone Beyond & Mumbles - Notes From The Underground (The Content Label)

Ten years in the making, Notes From The Underground is an essential and evocative album from acclaimed producers Gone Beyond and Mumbles. The journey began when Cut Chemist enlisted the duo to participate in a 2007 concert series titled The Pravda, held at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. The series was a tribute to the Russian classical musicians living under the rule of Joseph Stalin, primarily Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich and Prokofiev. One night featured DJs and producers incorporating these works into their beats, and included the likes of DJ Spooky, and Amon Tobin. Gone Beyond and Mumbles spent months scouring through hundreds of recordings from various classical performances and put together five tracks for the show.

Ten years later and the spark of this performance has ignited into a full album, made even more relevant by current events and the socio-political atmosphere. Notes from the Underground is named after Dostoyevsky's classic existential novel, pointing the way to the themes presented by the music. The album is an artistic commentary on the ability of the human spirit to overcome oppression, adversity, and fascism. Gone Beyond and Mumbles have remixed and given a modern, empowered voice to the great composers of Russia who wrote under the yoke of Stalin during the early 20th Century, exposing the struggles and this compelling music to a new generation.

The remarkableness of the project is transmitted in how natural the contemporary beats sound accompanying these vintage compositions. Take “Appropos for the Wet Snow” which uses a melancholy piano motif and flavors it with dusty rhythms, subtle, staccato horn blasts, and echoing soundscapes. Rather than obscuring the feeling of the original piece the production embellishments serve to enhance. “Knight In The Panther’s Skin” is another extraordinary moment, including lush strings, gentle piano, and an operatic vocal over the drums for an especially dramatic effect.

Gone Beyond and Mumbles previously collaborated on the 2005 album S.E.V.A. for Mush Records and on 2012’s A Duet For Space And Time 10” for The Content Label. Both producers are revered as beat-making legends, with an expressive sonic palette that takes the listener deep into the duo’s mindset. Notes From The Underground is a startling and important document from Gone Beyond and Mumbles, and a welcome return of this collaboration to The Content Label. Hip-hop sampling and remixing is a powerful way to interpret classic themes, and Notes From The Underground is meant to stir the listener toward thought, motivation, and empowerment in these challenging times.

Kid Loco (Flor) – “This is just great. Congratulations.”
Anatoly Ice (Funk and Beyond Radio Show) – “Heavy and Drummatic! Great release.”
Nori (Posivision mag) – “Nice, intelligent.”
Brewster Brigham (Kiss FM) – “Magic.”
Ennio Styles (Stylin’ 3RRR) – “Dramatic headnot beats.”
Aja Allsop (Ketch A Vibe Radio Show) – “Atmospheric and a massive orchestral sound. This is the business people!”
Andrew Emil (Broadway & Wilson) – “The whole album is really amazing.”
Jon Wesley (Music Goes On Radio Show) – “Excellent Music. I love all of the great drumwork and the strings. I’ll play all of these!”
Hober Mallow (Mighty Reel, Sydney) – “Beautiful music. Even before reading the notes, I got a cold sense of foreboding from these. Much deeper than most beatmaker releases I've heard. Thanks for sending, its a genuinely moving set of tunes.”
Jon Fugler (XLNT Radio Show) – “This for me is truly outstanding. Some classy drum programming, beautifully integrated classical elements and the subtle electronica edges make this a real winning package. A well deserved 5 stars.”

Available Now From: Bandcamp, Juno Download, Apple Music, And Spotify.

Shinji - In Colour (Cold Busted)

Australian rhythm-twister Shinji refers to his music as “eclectic hip hop instrumentals with no regard for genre or tempo” and promises that he’ll “flip even the most obscure samples into soulful beats.” This modus operandi is evident in his debut long-player for the Cold Busted label, In Colour. Twelve captivating beat constructions reveal the breadth of Shinji’s record collection and the absence of stylistic boundaries. This makes for an impeccably cool listen, working both for the beat-heads and in the headphones.

Highlights include the chunky soul groover “For Some Reason,” the spacey Spanish-flavored guitars and percussion of “Pioneer,” “Menace” and its evocative electronic treatments and drum breaks, and the delicious ‘70s soundtrack funk of “Grand Mash.” There’s something juicy for any discerning listener within Shinji’s inventive sample concoctions. In Colour, loud and clear.

Ohmega Watts (Ubiquity Records) – “An eclectic blend of styles with a hip hop backbone. Right up my alley.”
Mister T. (Cold Busted) – “You can hear so many colors on this one. Excellent beats and vibes combined with amazing synths.”
DJ BMF (Eighth Dimension) – “Cool sampladelic jazz biz. Dig it!”
Aja Allsop (Ketch A Vibe Radio Show) – “Stunning beats and rhythms.”
ALTZ (Altzmusica) – “Nice exotic hip hop.”
Floored Capri (Kane FM) – “One of the most exciting artists on the Cold Busted label at the moment.”
Igor Marijuan (Ibiza Sonica FM) – “Awesome release, as usual.”
DJ Jazzy L (Jazzy Lounge Radio) – “We’re talking jazzy cuts and funky grooves. My kind of album.”
Found Sounds (DJ Magazine) – “Solid instrumental beats. Nice artwork too!”
Hober Mallow (Mighty Reel, Sydney) – “Absolutely fantastic set of tracks. Love the dreamy jazz vibes on these.”

Available Now From: Bandcamp, Beatport, Apple Music, And Spotify.

Mariana Cañadas - Love The Journey (Joe Silva Remixes) [Purespace Recordings]

The soulful voice of Mariana Cañadas makes another appearance on Purespace Recordings, combined with the unique electronic stylings of veteran house music producer Joe Silva. Mariana made a strong appearance on Silva’s 2016 album Memory Fade, contributing a rich spectrum of vocal textures on two memorable tracks, “Surrender” and “Gonna Leave U”.

Now she’s back, adding her freestyle artistry to “Love The Journey”. The original is slated to appear on Mariana’s upcoming solo debut album. But today Purespace presents three inspired Joe Silva reworks of the R&B original.

First up, the Main Mix falls squarely in the classic, funky house vibe that Silva is known for. With his signature chord stabs, funky percussion lines, and vocal treatments, the music almost flies at you with uplifting, spiraling chords of jazzy goodness, wrapping Mariana’s positive-message lyrics in love-charged vibrations. Playful and fun, this mix would sit equally well at a poolside lounge event or a peak time house night.

Next is Joe’s Deeper Mix. The tempo is slower, the kick lighter, with a hypnotic monotone bass line and sultry velvet chords elevating a vocoded Mariana performance to an almost spiritual level. The track expertly builds to a beautiful climax of shimmering delights. Drenched with light and a sincere hopefulness, this sound is an antidote to today’s challenging modernity.

And then there’s Joe’s Darker Mix. Silva goes in a slightly moody, more dramatic direction with his final remix. Adding a persistent bass progression that juxtaposes Mariana’s voice in a new light, Silva exploits new vocals not found on the other mixes. Rising and falling pitches perpetually pan from side to side, leaving the listener just a bit on edge, while silky string pads plow out the chord progression. In the ensuing break things take a more percussive, harder tone.

Rise Ashen (Balanced Records) – “Very nice. Feeling the deep mix a lot. Nice summer tune.”
Ollie Blackmore (Soul Heaven) – “SUPERB! Thanks for sending it through, can’t wait to play this out.”
Blueshift (Nurvous Records) – “Great chill vibes. The main mix is hittin’ for me.”
Aja Allsop (Ketch A Vibe Radio Show) – “A love villed variety of beats!”
Pete Williams (Natural Rhythm) – “Woo! This is awesome. Joe’s Main Mix is for me.”
Wilbour Craddock (Groovewest) – “The main mix has such a complex, full sound with a great mix of vocal and instrumental to play in any house set.”
Bart / Soulfulbros (Soul District Radio Show) – “Nice soulful vocal, and a great voice.”
Sole Notes Of House (Online magazine) – “This tunes is infectious, with that bounce around product and honey-sweet vocals of Mariana that make you Love The Journey.”
Distant People (Soul Elements Radio show) – “Vocals are so lovely, what a feel!”
Dean Serafini (Frisky Rhythms) – “All mixes are excellent, as are the vocals. I’ll likely use Joe’s Main Mix in my shows.”

Available Now From: Traxsource, Beatport, Apple Music, And Spotify.