Stuck In My Skull 530 -- "Faded" [Free Download!] and an update!

Song: "Faded" || Artist: Mt. Eden || https://soundcloud.com/mtedenofficial/faded ||


Comments: Hello everyone! I was originally going to write this entry on Mt. Eden's "Silence" remix, before realizing that I'd covered that song back in Entry 432, which I've updated with a download link. Lately I've been on a pretty massive dubstep kick. For me, that means I'll create a new playlist in my media player of choice (currently Foobar2000 or Clementine on Windows, and Clementine on Linux -- what can I say? I like opensource) and drag all of the artists I think of as 'dubstep' from my library into the playlist. Among those artists is Mt. Eden. Every time I drag them into a playlist, I'm pleasantly surprised when a drum and bass song slips in -- "Faded." Somehow, I never remember that Mt. Eden does more than just dubstep. And that's a shame, because they do it well. Both this song and it's later "2009" version are excellent tracks, full to the brim with adrenaline. Seriously, if you have a work out or a pump up playlist, this belongs in it. And best of all, like most of Mt. Eden's tracks from their days before signing to Ultra, both versions are free downloads! Enjoy!

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AMANDA-- "LIES (ZED'S DEAD REMIX)"

Happy Friday all! Today I've got an awesome drum and bass dupstep remix for you. When I got up this morning I knew I wanted to use a song from Marina and the Diamonds, one of my favorite bands that has yet to appear on the blog. In my quest, I came across this Zed's Dead remix of the Diamonds' "Lies." It kinda sorta blew my mind. I actually had to go back and listen to the original, which, while good, seems slightly lackluster in comparison.The track takes the Welsh artist's beautiful vocals and melodic elements and  gives them what I can only describe as a certain power and edginess. It's wicked cool. Zed's Dead, who take their name from Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, don't have an official record label but you can download much of their music for free on Soundcloud, including this remix. Check 'em out! Happy listening!

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ETC #62 "Alive"

Song: "Alive" ~ Artist: Krewella

~ http://youtu.be/J-gYJBsln-w ~

Comments: TGIF! I don't know about you all, but it surely has been a long week for me and this song I heard on the radio for the first time. The song was actually released back in 2012, but this is the first I've known about it. I hadn't even been listening for 30 seconds before it had me dancing in my car.  It only has 3 million or so views on Youtube and I'm not okay with that. The drums in the background make me want to stomp to this beat and has a strong electronic beat. This group is relatively new and I'm hoping that they put out more songs like this one. I hope this song pumps you up for the weekend. Happy listening!

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ETC #58 "The Island Pt 2"

Song: "The Pendulum" ~ Artist: Pendulum

~ http://youtu.be/m4oGPQhvMp8 ~

Comments: Hey, guys. I hope that you're week has been going well.  This song I bring to you today, I unfortunately don't have much to say about it.  I had the online radio on and decided to listen to some techno to switch it up a bit, and this song caught my attention. The beats in this song are strong, heavy, and while it has few words it is pulsating which can sometimes be better than any lyrics at all.  I'm not familiar with this band, so as I mentioned, there isn't a large amount I have to say about these guys other than they're Australian and I need to be listening to some more of their stuff.  If you like what you hear and want some information here's the Wiki. Happy listening!

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[Secret Sounds] ~ Rostik - Legends

Track: Legends
Artist: Rostik
Download: FREE
Rostik is a UK musician who has deeply developed his style in the past year and a half. Personally, I love his quirky little mascots.

Legends opens with a great upbeat, acoustic folk segment. Later, the distorted vocals gives a glitchy feel, and the buildup nicely leads into the drop. The melody is accompanied by these distorted vocals and some chime ornamentation. The acoustic guitar returns and carries the melody until the second drop, which brings a great groove. The coda of acoustic guitar alone gives one last iteration of the chord progression. This piece really has a unique sound on Rostik's well-rounded Symmetry EP.

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[Secret Sounds] ~ Ben Moon - Majesty feat. Veela

Track: Majesty (feat. Veela)
Artist: Ben Moon
Download: Airborne [Ben Moon] or Veela's soundcloud
To continue the string of young, breakthrough artists, we have Ben Moon. He is known for incorporating orchestral elements into EDM. His arrangements are lush, engaging, and the farthest thing possible from boring. He also has a heart for service, and is currently collecting donations here for a volunteer trip in Ecuador. Alas, he is presently on hiatus while he focuses on finishing high school and getting into college, but he already has plenty of good tunes and remixes queued up.

Majesty is unusual for a Ben Moon song in that it has vocals, but he proves he can arrange both instrumentals and vocals like a maestro. The vocals are performed by Veela, well-known in the EDM world for her purple hair and pristine voice. It was actually a brilliant move on Ben's part to collaborate with Veela and garner some more popularity (admittedly, I clicked on the song because of Veela's name). The tune employs some light strings backing, but the arrangement really shines when Veela becomes a one-woman choir, with complex harmonies and overlapping lines. The lyrics tell the gripping and emotive story of a people overtaken by force and torn by war. Before the vocal line gets complex, the flute line accompanies Veela right into the smoking hot drum and bass. Even the chord progression built on sustained ah's adds great pathos to piece. This collab proves to be meaningful, mysterious, and--of course--majestic. I hope we get to see more of this combo in the future.

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Entry 275-- "Promises"

Song: "Promises" || Artist: Nero || http://youtu.be/llDikI2hTtk ||

Comments: Hello everyone! Amanda here! Today's pick was not at all what I had in mind for this entry. I intended to do something bluesy but after hearing "Promises" in a HP laptop commercial for the billionth time it finally stuck. Funny enough, I remember watching the music video when it came out over a year ago. From what I can tell, Nero is a dynamic electronic band. Admittedly, dubstep is not my favorite genre. I appreciate the fact that their music sounds more like Daft Punk than Skrillex and I think the female vocals have a lot to do with how catchy and danceable their songs are. Also, Nero seems to be trying hard to make videos that have some substance and tell a story, which I like. They also have an interesting visual style and compliment the music quite well. Enjoy and have a good weekend!

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Entry 211-- Tour of Techno Week, Part 1-- "Bring Me To Life (Drum&Bass Remix)"

Tour of Techno Week, Part 1
Song: "Bring Me To Life (Drum&Bass Remix)"
Artist: Evanescence, mixed by Black Sky

http://youtu.be/jj1wYkk6LhU
Comments: Welcome to Tour of Techno Week! This week, I'll be giving a whirlwind tour of the entire genre of electronic music-- a huge genre that has something in it for everyone. In all fairness, this week is more accurately "A tour of Electronic Music," but I really liked the alliteration, so accuracy has been sacrificed for entertainment value. Anyway, the song. This song is the first example of a drum and bass song that I ever heard, and it sent me looking for more. According to Wikipedia, this genre is "characterized by fast breakbeats (typically between 160–180bpm)... with heavy bass and sub-bass lines." Honestly, I think that description is far too dry. It really doesn't convey any of the energy or catchiness of the genre. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the song, and if you do, welcome to Drum and Bass! Don't forget to like us on facebook!


Edit: Fixed some wonky formatting. Now it's easily readable!

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