While waiting for the monsoon season to properly settle in, sit back, relax and zone out to this chill mix. This week’s picks feature tracks from Gallant, Shy Girls, Khalil Fong, Khai and TOYS.
Gallant serves up this soulful yet dazzling track that’s reminiscent of gospel music. Accompanied by pulsating beats and an explosive chorus, his voice smoothly transitions to a strained falsetto (in a good way, of course). Louis Futon re-interprets this song with trippy, extended additions like the drum patterns mixed with jarring synths.
Given the lovely pairing of Shy Girls (real name Dan Vidmar) and Tei Shi’s vocals laid down on heavy synths and twinkling beats, this track could very well be the embodiment of a dream collaboration between the two. It also hints at Vidmar’s progression in his career, from an artiste in a humble bedroom working his way up to this masterful production.
This guy isn’t just a crooner, he writes and produces his own music as well. This mandarin song in particular has been a crowd favorite, even if you don’t quite understand the language. It pieces together all things Khalil – buttery smooth vocals, R&B soul, catchy tunes and groovy lyrics – and draws listeners in with a captivating music video as well.
“Take” features the well-matched vocals of Khai and Cyn, peppered with experimental arrangement and new instrumentation. The synths are well-timed and easy on the ears, and the lyrics allude to something that borders on sexual undertones, while keeping things clean with a mellow beat.
French band TOYS and director Louis De Caunes worked together to release this short film/music video. It features actress Adèle Exarchopoulos (most would know her as the chick from Blue Is The Warmest Color) and her boyfriend Jérémie Laheurte. We can’t imagine a better visual sequence, as this song fits perfectly onto De Caunes’ arresting scenes in the short clip.