Justin Bieber – What Do You Mean?

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When you’ve got a formula for a winning record, why change it? Thanks to a feature on Jack Ü’s (the super duo of Skrillex and Diplo) inescapable 2015 anthem “Where Are U Now?,” Justin Bieber’s music career looks primed for a comeback. While the Biebs is only collaborating with Skrillex this time around, the new question he’s asking in the form of a melody is “What Do You Mean?,” a beautifully crafted, pop radio friendly tune that features production far removed from the dubstep and heavy hitting wubs we’ve come to expect from Skrillex. The dancey clicks and clacks, rainforest-like sounds that come in around the chorus, and catchy-as-hell lyrics are what make this song so great. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself getting this stuck in your head or singing it in the shower. Check out the official lyrics video below.

Amtrac – Hold On

Photo credit: http://www.toolroomrecords.com

Morehead is a small town in Kentucky with a population of slightly under 7000 people. It’s far from the big city, bright lights type of environment you would expect a talented dance music producer such as Amtrac (born Caleb Cornett) to come from, let alone live in after signing with a well-known label such as Mark Knight’s Toolroom Records, yet despite his success he chooses to stay and call it home. Commissioned for official remixes by dance music stalwarts such as Axwell ^ Ingrosso and Kaskade, Amtrac has a knack for using soulful samples from legendary artists such as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye and turning the smallest bits of vocals into funky deep house-influenced tracks. It’s something that’s a talent in and of itself and speaks volumes to his creativity as an artist.

“Hold On” is his latest track and it’s an absolute banger. Per an interview with Billboard, Amtrac elaborated on how love and being away from home inspired the track:

“It’s inspired by travel and relationships,” Cornett says. “With the vocal being ‘come to me when I call your name,’ ‘you’re not here,’ ‘I need your love,’ it’s talking about people who have long distance relationships, in a sense. The feel of the song as well comes from traveling, seeing different sounds from all over the world coming together.”

He’s not touring at the moment, but given that he opened for Kaskade Atmosphere and Redux tours I wouldn’t be surprised if Amtrac joined Ryan Raddon on his upcoming Automatic tour set for later this year. Check out the song below.

Kiiara – “Gold” and “Feels”

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If you’re unfamiliar with Kiiara, you’re not alone. It wasn’t until 2 months ago when she uploaded “Gold,” a glitched out mid-tempo pop-friendly track that’s catchy as hell, to SoundCloud that the young 20-year-old singer from Illinois started gaining some buzz. It’s gained more than a million plays since then and “Feels” certainly looks like it could keep that buzz going. Produced by Brenton Duvall and SZA collaborator Felix Snow, it’s a chill R&B track that sounds like something Banks would make if she were ever to collaborate with Drake’s longtime producer Noah “40” Shebib. Listen to both songs below.

Kove – Love For You

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Kove’s star has risen considerably since he first came onto the scene in 2013. Since being discovered by fellow producers Chase & Status and signing to MTA Records, the London-based producer has become a mainstay on the festival circuit having played both EDC and Ultra in addition to joining fellow DnB producer Netsky on his recent Stay With Me Tour. While his remixes for pop stars such as John Newman and Bastille have played a prominent role in his breakthrough, “Love For You” is the track that made me a believer in his talent. When you think of DnB and all the bass heaviness that comes with it, love is probably the last word you would associate with the genre, yet somehow Kove finds a way to make that connection. By mixing some of those bass heavy elements with a soulful and infectious house beat, Kove’s given us a feel good song that works just as good in the club setting as it does for the ensuing ride home when you’re still feeling the music and aren’t ready to go home just yet. Watch the music video below to be sure to check out the rest of Kove’s work here.

JAHKOY- Still in Love

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With the Toronto Blue Jays playing better than ever and the radio dominance of Drake and his R&B labelmate The Weeknd, it’s an exciting time to be a Canadian. Drake’s OVO label may be making the most noise at the moment, but if “Still In Love” is any indication, JAHKOY looks to join them in asserting Toronto’s musical dominance. Just 21 years old, the former rapper made the switch to singing full-time last year and has made some famous fans along the way – gaining support from the likes of both Willow and Jaden Smith.

To continue his growth as an artist, JAHKOY recently moved from the 6 to LA and has been hard at work on his upcoming debut album Temptations which is set to be released some time this fall. Its lead single “Still In Love” is a monster of a track comprised of smooth sultry electro grooves, JAHKOY’s awesome voice and the kind of lyrics that’ll make your heart melt. Check it out below and be sure to check out the rest of his work on his SoundCloud as well.

Husky – Let It Happen (Tame Impala Cover)

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I’m still buzzing from attending Outside Lands this past weekend. There were definitely a ton of noteworthy performances, but Tame Impala’s set on the second day of the festival was the one that really stood out for me. As a fan, seeing them play the main stage in beautiful Golden Gate Park with a cool breeze, clear skies and the sun setting in the background, you couldn’t have asked for a more perfect setting. The fact that they opened strong by kicking off their set with “Let It Happen,” the funky psychedelic lead single from their latest album Currents, made their performance all the more special.

Given that Tame Impala’s roots are in Melbourne, it’s fitting that fellow Melbourne-based folk rock band Husky decided to give their own interpretation of the song by stripping it down to the bare minimum of vocals and instrumentation. The end result is a very relaxing rendition that you can simply sit back and chill out to after a long day at work or a long weekend of partying. Listen to it below.

Joker – Midnight (Cavalier Version)

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One of the beauties of SoundCloud is that it gives unsigned artists and producers direct distribution of their work to a wide audience. While this means that there is more music (not all of it necessarily good) flooding the internet, it also allows people in search of new music to find occasional diamonds in the rough such as Cavalier. Based in Long Beach, the young Californian producer has a knack for taking the most alluring sounds of songs and turning them into smooth sounding sample-based instrumentals as is the case with his rework of Joker’s bass heavy track “Midnight.” Listen to it below and be sure to check out the rest of his SoundCloud as well.