Features Tracks: Warpaint, A$AP Mob, & More

Hello and a very happy Friday!

What with the season of goodwill well and truly in full-swing, the writers of DIY have filled up a stocking fit to burst with the latest new tracks to surface on the internet. Why, if we could, we’d sidle up to this selection of music with a hopeful sprig of mistletoe. It’s really that irresistible.

Warpaint - Biggy

Bouncing along with the hypnotic motion of a light-up yo yo in a Dali dreamscape, Warpaint’s latest taster of their hotly awaited second album is saturated with reverb, and drips with technicoloured textures and kaleidoscopic melody. Gathering momentum like a sneaky game of Grandma’s Footsteps, ‘Biggy’ slowly creeps into a large-looming powerhouse, with the original foundations present all the way. Only a band like Warpaint could make creating a track this beautiful seem like no biggy at all. (El Hunt)

A$AP Mob - Trillmatic (ft. A$AP Nast & Method Man)

‘Lords Never Worry’ was frogmarched into the world of hip hop with 34% effort having gone into it, and unsurprisingly died of exhaustion after three weeks when everyone realised that a $ sign in a rapper’s name is not always indicative of quality. This next foray into the ever-changing hip hop market from A$AP Mob has been a marked improvement; the beat from Ty Beats is a refreshing 20 year throwback complete with salubrious snare hits, but the piece de resistance comes in the form of A$AP Nast brimming in confidence as he steps into the A$AP limelight. He’s always had bars and a impeccable flow - ‘Purple Swag: Chapter 2’ from Rocky’s LiveLoveA$AP is a testament to that - but even alongside a feature from Wu-Tang Clan’s Method Man it seems like Nast has been at this for as long as Mr. Meth. In reality Nast was only 3 when 36 Chambers dropped. Awww.(Nathan Butler)

XXYYXX - Chaser

Lo-fi producer Marcel Everett (better known under the ‘Xbox button-bashing’ moniker of XXYYXX) dishes out a masterclass in minimalism with surprise release ‘Chaser’, a hazy celebratory track dedicated to two childhood companions. Structured around an unconventional percussive backbone comprised from a bricolage of backyard noises, the initially subdued atmosphere of perpetual ambience is occasionally disrupted by subtle surges of what sounds like deep house submersed underwater. There might be a blatant lack of the ostentatious experimentation that flooded his self-titled debut to be found within the confides of ‘Chaser’, but it’s the sheer passiveness of it all which makes this offering all the more enticing. (Joshua Pauley)

Com Truise - Declination (ft, Joel Ford)

It’s been quite a while since we’ve heard from the curiously named producer Com Truise, but ‘Declination’ is a wonderful reminder of what he does so well. Continuing his unique brand of intergalactic thuds, ‘Declination’ is the first single from the upcoming ‘Wave 1’ EP and features an unsurprising collaborator in the form of Joel Ford (of Ejecta and Ford & Lopatin). The wonky synths tremble as the thunderous beat kicks in, allowing Ford to glide over its Sci-Fi squelches in all his pitch-shifted glory. It’s not too far removed from what we’ve come to expect from Com Truise, but it’s thrilling nonetheless, as further proof that his sound is just as exciting as its ever been. (Joe Price)

Dornik - Rebound

Appearing with little explanation, Dornik’s debut track ‘Something About You’ captured the attention of the internet instantly with a laid-back, driving into the sunset vibe that permeated Frank Ocean’s ‘Channel Orange’. His music and the idealistic images of swimming pools and palm trees that accompany it feel a world away from the bleak, rainy London that he calls home. Now signed to PMR Records, the Londoner has shared new track ‘Rebound’. Showcasing a more high energy sound, Dornik’s rich, textured vocals echo into the distance as he enquires persistently, “Am I just a rebound?” over a dizzying beat. You can catch glimpses of how Michael Jackson’s vocal style has influenced his vocals here with high-pitched vocal inflections, soulful self-harmonising and the occasional ‘huh’ throughout the song. With an insane amount of talent, this is the start of something great for Dornik. (Aurora Mitchell)

E X R O Y A L E - Give it Up

All we know about E X R O Y A L E is that they’re a three-piece residing somewhere between Toronto and America’s new-music hotspot Portland, with a knack for creating R ‘n’ B infused electro hits. This debut effort lies in the same realm as the elusive, synth-suave Blood Cultures with its neat structure, poppy hooks and intriguing falsetto vocals, with some of Toro Y Moi’s glitchy, dancy sensibilities and Dive In’s off-kilter vocals chucked in for good measure. An insatiably catchy slice of soul-bathed synth-pop. (Laura Eley)

Spring Offensive - The River

Leaving their twinklier roots behind, Spring Offensive released this reworking and re-naming of older track ‘I Found Myself Smiling’ as the second taster of upcoming debut album ‘Young Animal Hearts’. A pulsing, heaving, omen of a track, ‘The River’ sees the band opt for the kind of doomy post-rock-esque soundscapes that Mogwai made their name on. Alongside the ominous lyrical anecdote of a scorned lover’s revenge, trickles of ambient electronics are beginning to work their way into the band’s set-up, nestling comfortably alongside the predominantly acoustic ebb and flow that the band have built their sound on thus far. Consistently one of the most awe-inspiring live bands on the toilet circuit, the importance of catching them on their soon-to-be-announced UK tour cannot be over-emphasised. As 2013’s best of year lists begin cropping up all over, ‘Young Animal Hearts’ is already looking fit to top 2014’s. (Tom Connick)

Manhattan Love Suicides - (Never Stop) Hating You

A few years back, Manhattan Love Suicides (think proto-Veronica Falls, but with acres more volume, feedback and swagger. Oh, and what seems like a penchant for violent b-movies) disappeared. But then, out the blue and much like Alf, they’re back - albeit not in Pog form. Instead, they’ve turned up to the party with the Rolls-Royce of comeback singles - all clattering drums, rolling guitar lines and a truckload of immediate pop nous. Embittered menace never sounded so damn catchy. (Gareth Ware)

The Slowdown - Digital Gold

When bands practically have an orchestra of instruments (I’m looking at you, Arcade Fire) it always seems a little pretentious, and usually poses questions along the lines of: What does a snakeskin Tom Tom really add to the music? Six piece indie-rockers The Slowdown, however, use a triple threat of guitars (sans reptilian percussion) to optimum effect; creating angular riffs that are hooky enough to catch an entire family of salmon. The first track from their upcoming second album of the same name, ‘Digital Gold’ is both the poppiest and the most electronic the band have been; mixing scattershot riffs and TV On The Radio style synths. It’s a wickedly groovy slice of funk-rock, but it should carry a slight warning for those around you: it’s a catalyst to fling-away your dignity and whip-out a good ol’ rendition of The Robot. (Kyle MacNeill)