On the eve of the previews of NT006, remember that you can still bag our previous releases over at our Bandcamp store. Check out releases from the likes of Venture, EPLP, Apple Bottom, Bhava and Kid Smpl, and bag at a price a lot lower than the digital stores.
Out to all those that support the music, and help the label continue. I like to think that we do things well, and I appreciate those that still pay for tunes, and allow us to put out more music that we're really feeling at a high standard you deserve.
The day has come, and Night Tracks' latest release, Kid Smpl - Float, is now up for sale on our bandcamp page.
The release is a Kid Smpl original, "Float" backed with remixes from Venture and Mirror State. Buying from bandcamp gets you the exclusive "Kid Smpl's Accidental Devil Mix" version too. All for £2.50. We are too generous. Anyway, check out the sample below....
It's that time of year when every site gives its take on the best tracks to be released this year, and of course, Night Tracks is jumping right on that bandwagon. To avoid any bias, I haven't included anything released by Night Tracks, so read on, and check out the tunes. Maybe you'll pick up a gem that you haven't heard before, or maybe you'll just enjoy reading my rambling take on 50 tracks. Read on for the first 10, numbers 50 to 41...
50. Everlone - Starred(from 2011 (Self Released))
This track was one that I discovered some months ago, but only discovered it had been released about a week or so ago. A great track, minimal garage, with traditional distant vocals coming in amongst lush pads. A simple track, yet very effective.(Buy here)
49. Trashbat - Saraswati (Hard Mix)(from Old Manor Way EP (Dubstrict Records)
Trashbat doing what Trashbat does best, and that is ultra-dark, warping mid-range over seriously deep subs. This was on one of the most underrated releases of the year, his Old Manor Way EP, that contained 5 tracks that made it seriously hard for me to pick the best. (Buy here)
48. Kid Smpl - Gbye (from Collapse EP (Self Release))
This track almost typifies Kid Smpl's style. Immersive pads, and drums that almost sneak up on you. The slower than usual 2-step drums that come into play are a particular highlight and everything comes together in a track that has elements from the past, but is definitely forging a vision of the future. (Buy here)
47. Sweetheart Of Kairi - Approaching Farewell (from Sweetheart Of Kairi EP (Self Released))
Two of the most dynamic producers in the underground today, Owsey and Sorrow, came together in a series of collaborations for their Sweetheart Of Kairi moniker. Combining cinematic strings and pads with top notch swinging drums, they've come together to create something that doesn't sit comfortably anywhere, and it's all the better for it. (Buy here)
Everyone knew that an LV album was going to be good, just not THIS good. This track is one of the darker affairs on the album, Routes, located near the end, bringing you down after the many highs of the album. Makes for a perfect outro though, and Josh Idehen's delivery only adds to it. (Buy here)
45. Krytikal - Selfish Way(from Area Music Vol. 1(Area Recordings))
For me, this was the standout track from a seriously impressive release by the Birmingham based Area Recordings. Nobody gets the eyes down, tribal dubstep thing as well as Krytikal does, and this track is no different. (Buy here)
Perfectly straddling the line between UK Garage and Techno, this track from Sweden's Alexander Berg completely blew the A-side 'Tundra' out of the water. Whilst this hasn't taken off yet, I can see this being the sort of track collectors franticly dig for in years to come, only to find it available exclusively on discogs for £40. (Buy here)
43. Silent Mind - Farwater(from Farwater (Self Released))
Dreamy, minimal dnb as it should be done. Silent Mind is on to something here, and its great to see him amongst a group of producers that are doing something different in a scene that some say is saturated with sound-a-likes. (Buy here)
Black Box might've been pushing records since 2009, but 2011 was the year they really made their mark, thanks in part to badmen like Benton, who took things darker than ever before. (Buy here)
41. The Weeknd - The Morning (from House Of Balloons (Self Released))
Abel Tesfaye was a veritable force in 2011. Some love him for shaking up a boring RnB scene with innovative production from Illangelo, and lyrics that at least attempted to differentiate themselves from the standard. This track just oozed soul, and that's something that's always going to go down well. All for free too. Big up. (Buy here)
So that's all for now, the first ten tracks. Take some time to listen to them all, who knows, maybe even buy some of the ones you like? Check back soon for 40 to 31...
You may have read Night Tracks' recent interview with Kid Smpl (if you didn't, read it here) and listened to his guest mix full of his own productions, both signed and unsigned. After listening to that mix on repeat for a stupidly long time, I decided to try and get him on board for a release. We settled on the following track, Float.
Cinematic, futuristic vibes for me on this one. I don't really like using this word (it's become massively over used), but the drums are epic. Really happy to have this one on Night Tracks.
The flipside to Float will be a remix of the track, so if you think you can put together something sick, throw Kid Smpl a message on Soundcloud, as he's currently looking for remixers.
No date on when to expect this yet, but will update you nearer to the time.
The interviews keep on coming, and today we've got Kid Smpl to drop in and answer a few questions. He's also put together a guest mix exclusively for Night Tracks, and double bonus, it's comprised entirely of his own productions. Here's top hoping that they see a release, because they are next level. Check it out at the end of the interview!
NT: Can you give those that don’t know about you an introduction?
KS: I'm a 21-year-old producer/dj from Seattle, Washington in the US. I make music on the deeper more ambient side of things and tend to focus a lot on atmosphere and melody.
NT: Coming from Seattle, how did you get into the music you produce today, which undoubtedly has roots in dance music from the UK?
KS: When I first started producing music I was making hip hop but I became uninterested in that pretty quickly. I then discovered dubstep through the internet and also word of mouth from some college friends. Dubstep was the first form of UK bass music that I had ever gotten into. I fell in love with the sound and started producing it. My dubstep production eventually evolved into what I'm making today which, probably shouldn't be categorized as dubstep.
