It’s Friday the 13th and The High Note Blog is scared the machines are taking over. Electronic sounds dominate the albums released today and they’re better, stronger and more fascinating than before. Tell us what you’re listening to #TheHighNote on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest.
Here are the new albums released today, Friday, May 13, 2016:
- Pump up the volume on “Cloud Nine,” the debut album by electronic dance music producer Kygo [jump to]
- Go deep into a mashup of jazz and EDM with “Fool” by Dutch producer Jameszoo [jump to]
- Chance the Rapper changed the name of his latest mixtape to “Coloring Book” from “Chance 3” but it’s still amazing [jump to]
- Islands released its sixth and seventh albums – the indie rock “Should I Remain Here At Sea?” and the electronic influenced “Taste“
Kygo – “Cloud Nine”
Norwegian DJ and producer Kygo released his debut album of island-inspired electronic dance music “Cloud Nine” Friday, May 13. Featuring John Legend, Foxes, James Vincent McMorrow, Tom Odell and Labyrinth, the tropical house music on “Cloud Nine” is irresistible. The world has embraced Kygo and listened to his songs more than a billion times on Spotify ahead of his first album. Singles like “Firestone,” “Stole the Show,” “Nothing Left” and “Stay” have attached themselves to the the feeling of summertime carefree euphoria. That tempo continues throughout “Cloud Nine” on songs like “Happy Birthday” and make the 15 tracks sound like the soundtrack to a blurred evening. Get “Cloud Nine” from iTunes, Amazon, Tidal and Spotify.
Jameszoo – “Fool”
There are two playlists on Tidal that have been getting a lot of plays at The High Note called “Not Your Parents’ Jazz,” by Theo Croker. That’s a more fitting description of the debut album by Jamezoo, “Fool,” released Friday, May 13. The Dutch producer Mitchel Van Dinther created what he calls “naive, computer jazz” – 11 tracks filled with layers of jazz, rock, electronic dance music and the occasional electrical-sounding blip and scratch. The mashup of electronic music and jazz comes together cleanly throughout “Fool” with incredibly talented musicians such as pianist and bandleader Steve Kuhn and Brazilian composer and arranger Arthur Verocai, completing Jameszoo’s vision in the studio. Get “Fool” from iTunes, Amazon, Tidal and Spotify.
Chance the Rapper – “Coloring Book”
Chance the Rapper released his latest mixtape today, Friday, May 13 as “Coloring Book.” Previously known as “Chance 3,” the rapper dropped a few songs prior to its release such as “Angels,” “No Problem” and “Blessings” which have all received love from Chance fans. The tape features tracks with the likes of Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Future, Jay Electronica, Young Thug, T-Pain, D.R.A.M., Jeremiah, Kirk Franklin, the Chicago Children’s Choir, Lil Yachty, Towkio and more. Get it from Apple Music.
Islands – “Should I Remain Here at Sea?”
Canadian indie-rock band Islands has released two new albums Friday, May 13 – “Should I Remain Here at Sea?” and “Taste.” The band’s sixth album is a sonic epilogue to its 2005 debut album “Return to the Sea.” The album is an organic collection of unpolished indie pop songs that are upbeat, dramatic and at times just said. Compared to “Taste,” “Should I Remain Here at Sea” sounds lo-fi. See Islands Sunday, May 22 at Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia, Pa. Get “Should I Remain Here at Sea” from iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and Tidal.
Islands – “Taste”
The seventh studio release by Islands, “Taste” is sonically opposite from its sixth album. Composed entirely of drum machines and synthesizers, “Taste” is a moody take on upbeat pop songs. The band’s leader Nick Thorburn has been incredibly prolific for the past few years and “Taste” is just one extension of his creativity. After writing the music for two seasons of the podcast “Serial,” Thorburn turns those ironic keystrokes into a melodically charged electronic album. Get “Taste” from iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and Tidal.
