BT – Every Other Way (buy this song)

Welcome back!  It’s been a long time since I actually updated the MSMOTD.  It was derailed initially because of the production and release of my album, and then continually postponed due to academic responsibilities. However, it is now back and will hopefully be updated regularly!

One of my first MSMOTDs was BT’s “Antikythera Mechanism”, from his award winning and brilliant glitch-symphony “This Binary Universe”.  However, as incredible as that album is, it is really just one facet of Brian Transeau’s musical taste and ability.  He began as a trance/house producer and has been continually building on that base.  TBU was a fairly radical departure, but his new album “These Hopeful Machines” (do I sense a theme?) brings everything full circle and combines the new techniques and style he employed on TBU with his older dance and ballad sensibilities.  It’s a huge double album, ranging from full-on house meant for the dance floor, to TBU-style electronica, to glitchy alternative and beyond.  I’ve been waiting 4 years for this album and while it’s not TBU part 2 (perhaps still forthcoming), I am well pleased.  So are other reviewers it seems, with wired.com giving it a 9 out of 10 and saying “If you’ve never liked electronica before, this is the release that could change your mind.”  High praise indeed.  BT is is a very prolific writer and this album is a great showcase of that talent, while remaining quite cohesive.

BT's latest album - "These Hopeful Machines" (2010)

I actually heard Every Other Way first as a remix by Armin Van Buuren (see below) on Universal Religion 4, a fantastic trance mix album released by Van Buuren in 2009.  It’s a fantastic remix, but it didn’t really prepare me for the album version.  Every Other Way (featuring vocalist “Jes”) is an ethereal, beautiful and glitchy ballad which flows between soaring melodies and glitchy breaks which dig into the centre of the earth.  Clocking in at over 11 minutes, it’s an epic journey, but one I keep taking over and over again, savouring every note from the opening chimes to the electronic wash at the end.  Nobody else writes music quite like this, and that’s one reason why I love BT so much.  This music is, in my opinion, immediately accessible and pleasant to the ear, but also pushes boundaries and experiments with sound in new ways.  What wizardry he uses to craft such raw emotion from electronic audio stuttering is beyond the ken of man (at least this man), but however he does it, it definitely pushes all my buttons.  I love the album version, but you can also find the radio edit (not as good) on youtube.

(BT feat. Jes – Every Other Way (Armin Van Buuren Remix)) (buy this song)

As one of the top house/electronica/dance producers in the world, BT’s releases are remixed over and over again, as indicated by the AVB remix of Every Other Way.  A number of other songs from “These Hopeful Machines” have also been remixed, including the first single (and one of my favourites from the album), Suddenly. Suddenly is actually the first track on the album, and is a much more upbeat and dancy tune than Every Other Way.  With BT himself on vocals, the original track is a fantastic melding of BT’s signature house sound and a harsher alterna-rock vibe, all brought together with robotic precision by BT’s production and trademark stuttering glitches (how I love thee!).  However, he’s also released the song as a single along with a bunch of other remixes, including one by the all-powerful Klayton Scott (aka Celldweller – check out the Celldweller MSMOTD)!  His version is even more glitchy than BT’s original production (if that’s possible), and adds a dirty industrial sheen to the song which really changes its character.  Great driving music, if you plan on weaving in and out of traffic at high speeds with no regard for human life.  The video is embedded below.

Lastly, I’ve included one of my other favourites from the album, the complex and brooding Le Nocturne De Lumiere. This song is for all of those who adored “This Binary Universe”.  The first half of the song features a dark and throbbing beat, surrounded by a dense cloud of dreamy, stuttering accents and melodies which really have to be experienced with good headphones.  The second half deconstructs the beat and breaks the melody open into a shimmering wash of sound which is then built back up into the main theme.  This song is the definition of “intelligent dance music”: unique, non-repetitive, experimental and interesting, but still inherently danceable, beautiful and easy to listen to.  Fortunately there are several other tracks like it on “These Hopeful Machines” for those of us who really want more of TBU.

(The Celldweller remix of Suddenly by BT) (buy this song)

BT is one of the only artists who can successfully mix crunchy house beats and breaks with vast, dreamy soundscapes which simultaneously soothe and energize.  While this album is no TBU part 2 (despite songs like The Rose of Jericho and Le Nocturne De Lumiere), it is an incredible work in its own right and is one of the best albums of the year so far.  BT’s myspace page (see below) has a number of other songs from the album, so definitely go check them out and then buy this album if you like it.

Hope people still check the page from time to time, and enjoy the new music I’ll be posting in the near future.

- Mons

More music from BT

BT – Le Nocturne De Lumiere (buy this song)

Further info about today’s MSMOTD

Official Website: http://www.btmusic.com/ (not much info here)

Wikipedia Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BT_(musician)

Myspace Page (with more music): http://www.myspace.com/btnetwork

Featured Review: Curtis Silver’s 9 out of 10 review of “These Hopeful Machines” on wired.com

Support BT (and me!) by clicking these links to buy “These Hopeful Machines (Amazon MP3 Exclusive Version)” or “the physical cd of These Hopeful Machines” from Amazon.com! See the “buy this song” links above to get the MP3s for the individual songs I’ve included in the post.

Deadmau5 – Ghosts N Stuff

Deadmau5 is a Progressive House DJ from Toronto who has recently shot to popularity.  From being relatively unknown a few years ago, he has in the last year or two won Juno awards, Grammy nominations, and various accolades from electronic music magazines.  Armin Van Buuren named him Best Producer of 2007 in DJ Magazine.  All of that, while performing on stage with a gigantic purple mouse head helmet.  His music is labeled as “Progressive House”, but also contains elements of Electro, Trance and a variety of other monikers.  I’m so bad at genre distinctions, so I just label his stuff as “Good Music”, which is really the only genre I worry about.

His label is "Mau5Trap", you can sign up for "mau5mail", and if his fanclub aren't the "Mau5keteers", I'll be very disappointed.

I actually saw him live about a month ago, performing in Toronto at the Kool Haus.  It was really intense, and he had a lot of energy up on stage.  Great music, great atmosphere, and this one girl stripped down to her knickers and danced on a riser for 3 hours straight.  Ghosts N Stuff was the first song that I found when I searched for Deadmau5′ music (A friend recommended I check out the show and I had never heard of him before).  I listened to the first few minutes and immediately bought my ticket.  This track is very crunchy and reminiscent of the French electro scene which I very much love.  The sort of music I can’t help getting up and dancing to.  Great for running too!

(The official video for Deadmau5′ mega-hit “I Remember”)

The other two songs below are from his 2008 debut album “Random Album Title” (Ghosts N Stuff is a single).  I Remember (video above) is one of his mega hits and might appeal to the softer crowd, as it’s much more laid back and features some lovely female vocals.  A great tune to relax with after the energy of the MSMOTD.  Slip is another track from the same album and is a bit more edgy/suspenseful.  It sounds like an evening drive through a city of the future.  Great track.  The whole album is actually very good, and he has a whole SLEW of original work and really amazing remixes.  He actually became known as a remix artist before moving into full-scale original production.

How can you not have fun at a show like this?

Anyways, if he’s in town, definitely go to his show!  Good music, silly costume, awesome light show and lots of fun.  Let me know what you think in the comments!

More music from Deadmau5

Deadmau5 – I Remember (from 2008′s “Random Album Title”)

Deadmau5 – Slip (from 2008′s “Random Album Title”)

Further info about today’s MSMOTD

Official Website: http://www.deadmau5.com/

Wikipedia Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Zimmerman

Myspace Page: http://www.myspace.com/deadmau5 (Listen to more of his material here)

Featured review: http://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/deadmau5-random-album-title

Purchase his 2008 album Random Album Title from Amazon, or download Ghosts N Stuff from their MP3 service.

The first one I’ve got for you is a remix of SymbolOne’s “Love Juice” by Danger. The focus here is on Danger, who also does some really killer solo tracks (French Electro-style).  I like this one though, primarily for the retro C64 sound and wailing lead synth lines.  Brilliant stuff.   It makes wonderful driving music.  I dare you to put this on your car stereo and remain an obedient law-abiding motorist.  I double-dog dare you!

I’ll be using Youtube for most of these music posts as I’m unsure regarding the legality of posting mp3s and am unaware of a superior method of embedding music.  If you have any suggestions, let me know!

And a few more of his tunes in link form:

Danger – 11h30
Danger – 19h11
Danger – 9h20

Hope that works.

- Mons