WARMER MIXTAPES #950 | by Oliver Tank
1. Mr. Carmack | Humbled
A couple of weeks back I received an email from Soulection, which is Record Label I've really grown to Love. They released a Thank You Mini Compilation for hitting 50k fans on Facebook and this track was included on there. I first heard about them through Ta-ku who's an Australian artist who'd released some Music through this label. From there I started following them on Facebook and Soundcloud, etc. and subscribed to their mailing list. I'm so glad I found out about this Label, I've got a lot of respect for the Music they release. This track in particular I thought was amazing. The Drop at 2:06 makes me feel so good, I Love listening to it in my car. I recently drove down to a Festival about 9 hours from Sydney and I must of listened to this track about 100 times. Haven't gotten sick of it yet and I don't know if I ever will.
2. Danny Brown | Float On (feat. Charli XCX)
I got Danny Brown's album Old a little while back and this track really stood out for me. I Love the Production and some of the Lyrics really speak to me, which is rare. He talks about how he always wanted to be a Rapper and was frustrated by trying to make his Music better once he finally got the opportunity to show the World his talent. He goes on to talk about he wants to live forever through his Music and have a real influence on his Genre. That was exactly how I felt last year. I really wanted to have an Impact on Electronic Music the way Artists like Flying Lotus and James Blake have had. I know I got a long way to go and much to learn. But that's the dream for me and it was nice to hear another Artist from a different walk of Life articulate so well.
3. Boards Of Canada | Dayvan Cowboy
This is an All Time track and one of the first tracks that got me into Electronic Music. At the time I was listening to a lot of Seekae, Mount Kimbie, Jon Hopkins, James Blake and BOC and it really shaped the Sound of my first EP Dreams. I Love the way they used all the Sounds in this track. The Guitar sounds incredible and was a technique I tried to mimic in my own Music early on. The track has so much heart and it's hard to do that without Vocals because people really connect with that I think. In my opinion it's one of the Greatest Pieces of Music I've Ever Heard and the Video is Perfect, it makes the song even better!
4. Thrupence | Thought 07
I had to put Thrupence track on this list. He's probably in my Top 3 Producers at the moment, along with two others who will be featured on this list. He really has an unique Sound and I like the Consistency in his Sound and Design. I've never really heard anything like it before and that's rare. All his releases are gold and he sent me a bunch of tracks that he hasn't released yet and they are absolutely incredible. I got a lot of respect for what this guy is doing and I'm finding myself trying to make some of my Music Sound a bit like his, but I'm just such a fan. This track is from a release that's just a bunch of drafts and ideas that he apparently didn't really finish, but they Sound pretty great to me. I strongly recommend you check out his tunes, great Smoking Music, if you're into that.
5. Ta-ku | ONEFORTREY
Another one of my Top 3 Producers at the moment is Ta-ku from Perth, Australia. This track is also the one that got me into Soulection. The reason I like this song so much is it has a bit of a story behind it and I think that makes it all the more special. The track was dedicated to a man named Trey who was a big Ta-ku and Soulection fan who recently passed away from Cancer. The Production has so much heart especially when the Synths come in at 0:27. I Love Music that has a lot of heart to it and this one is full of it. It's sad, but inspirational at the same time, which is also what I want my Music to be like as well. Beautiful track.
6. Lil Ugly Mane | Throw Dem Gunz
The final one of my Top 3 Producers at the moment is an Artist by the name of Lil Ugly Mane. I first heard about Lil Ugly Mane through a mix XXYYXX had put up on his Soundcloud. I think it was from the Boiler Room. It included one of his other songs Bitch I'm Lugubrious. I really liked that track so I downloaded his album MISTA THUG ISOLATION and discovered Throw Dem Gunz which is my new favourite. He has some of the Most Offensive Lyrics I've Ever Heard and some of his tracks are really Dark, but I Love the Production and the Mystery that he's created around himself. Also type his name into Google Images and see what he looks like, you'll be shocked. I'm not sure if he's being serious or if its a bit of a gag. His delivery has a lot of Conviction, but his Lyrics are really Dark and Heavy, so if he is being serious it's a bit of a concern. Overall, I really like his Production and a few of his other releases really show off his Range and Diversity. Definitely worth checking out, but not for everyone.
7. Devin The Dude | Doobie Ashtray
I've always really Loved this track. I remember on my last day of Uni after I got home quite late in the evening, 'cause we'd all had Performances, I put this track on, had a beer and just chilled on the couch for a minute thinking about what was going to happen from here. Life was good, I'd finished my Degree, my Music was starting to take off and this song just put me in a really good mood, kinda nervous but excited about what was ahead. Also a couple of my friends were on there way over to celebrate if you know what I mean. Another thing I like about this song is that it has a happy ending. Devin The Dude is the kind of Rapper that I'd Love to Produce for one day, Super Chill and Laid Back Dude.
8. James Blake | Klavierwerke
James Blake was another big influence for me and I was fortunate enough to Tour with him earlier in the year around Australia. That was a really special experience because I've looked up to him as an Artist for so long. What he's done to popularise Electronic Music is an achievement in and of itself. This track was one of my favourites that he played Live. It's from the Klavierwerke EP and I just think it's a really Original tune with some amazing Sounds in it. It was hard to pick one track from him because all his Music is amazing, but this is one I'm really enjoying at the moment.
9. Mount Kimbie | 50 Mile View
I had to put a Mount Kimbie song on this list as well, they were a huge Inspiration for me when I first started trying to make Electronic Music and I really admire their work. The first Mount Kimbie track I heard was Maybes, but I began to explore their Music a bit more and came across this song from their Sketch On Glass EP. I Love all the Clicks and Bleeps, the Vocoder and the Bass at 1:37 is insane. It's a really Unique Sound that they pioneered over their first 3 releases and their album Crooks & Lovers is one of my Favourite Electronic Albums Ever. It's Artists like these who have a real Impact on this Genre that I hope to one day be like.
10. Snoop Dogg | Drop It Like It's Hot (feat. Pharrell)
This is a Classic track and I had to put it on here. It's almost 10 years old and it Sounds like it could of been released yesterday. I Love the Production, it's so Sparse and Well Mixed and I Love all the verses. I've been a big Snoop fan for a while now. I respect what he's done with his Music over the years, but lately I've found him more interesting as a Personality than a Musician to be honest. I do an Edit of this song when I play Live which is a lot of fun and usually gets people dancing. I Love the way everyone reacts when this track comes on and the Intro Beat is unmistakable. I dunno if Snoop will ever make Music this great again, but I'm sticking with him.
