Hey all! Anna here from Seoul, so happy to be a part of HS!  For my first post I'm gonna put out there this dude named Bara Blaque, born in the UK and raised in Nigeria.  Bara has a tinge of that A$AP Rocky grit but with a bit more finesse in his production and lyrically sanded edges to draw the listener into his sound.  His tracks are diverse yet could all be attributed to the same source, an individual abstraction that seems to work and not venture too far out as to limit his fan base.  If Shabazz Palaces and Isaiah Rashad had an audio baby, it would be something along the lines of Bara Blaque.

XOXO
+ Soundcloud + Facebook + Twitter + Website STREAM Artist Name - Titlehttps://soundcloud.com/barablaque/on-a-spirtual-lean-bara-blaque

NAOMI PILGRIM NO GUN

Swedish songstress Naomi Pilgrim brings us her new single No Gun which is a mix of funky garage and blues wrapped up in a nice little pop package. Off beat and quirky in a decidedly non-indie way, we can't wait to hear more from her EP due sometime this fall. 

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STREAM Naomi Pilgram - No Gun 

WAYWARD LOVE JONES

We found out about Wayward a few days ago and have been hooked on this Leeds duo's infectious melodies and killer vocals. Their new single Love Jones is trendy enough to be current, yet still holds a unique corner in the genre with a mix of lounge and throwback vocals that culminate in this tropical-dance-pump-up jam that I am sure you'll have in your head for days to come.  The single is out December 2 on Aesop Records so be sure to check it out!

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 STREAM Wayward - Love Jones 

JOHN HOPKINS BREATHE THIS AIR FT. PURITY RING

Breathe This Air is a nice product of John Hopkins and Purity Ring. Megan James's voice is a perfect pairing for Hopkins' EDM based sound. An unlikely yet pleasantly surprising pair, these two toured a bit together towards the end of this summer and it shows in this work. 

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STREAM John Hopkins - Breathe This Air (Feat. Purity Ring)

Watch the video below (NSFW) directed by Anthony Dickenson:

QUADRON HEY LOVE CLASSIXX REMIX

Danish duo Quadron get the latest makeover treatment from LA duo Classixx on their single Hey Love. At first I liked this based solely on the fact that it could give me an opportunity to make people uncomfortable while dancing to it's wonky beat, but once the piano came it I was hooked and it's been on repeat all morning. It's bright and has a unique beat sequence that hooks you in until the second half where it all unfolds. Classixx does their usual fine job on this remix and some nice touches come out the more you listen to it, always a bonus.

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STREAM Quadron - Hey Love (Classixx Remix)

JEAN TONIQUE THE LOOK IN YOUR EYES

Jean Tonique's first ever EP, The Look In Your Eyes, released on the 16 September, basically has this effect on us over at HS. This French producer is one of our favorites (heart) and we're loving the familiar yet fresh disco beats he is pumping out on this new EP. Check out the title track below and head over to his Soundcloud page to stream Best Thing Ever, and to give him some love.

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STREAM Jean Tonique - The Look In Your Eyes

CH CH CH CHANGES

After a month or so of taking some time to make my way to Amsterdam, I'm finally here anf ready to get back into things. Look for some big changes in the coming months to in regards to the site. We secured a domain name and are going to be making the move to WP, getting this blog up to where it needs to be. 

Feel free to comment on any features you'd like to see - a streaming player is high on the list! and we'll do what we can to incorporate it into the new site. Also if you are interested in contributing on a semi to regular basis we are looking for writers who are into indie-pop, older, more obscure techno tracks, or any other genre you have a firm grasp on. Email us at hardlystable AT gmail DOT com with writing samples and a list of the top five tracks you are listening to right now, as well as how often you could commit to posting. 

FOR ONE OF OUR OWN.

We will be taking a short hiatus to mourn the loss of one of our friends and contributors at the blog. She was a kindred spirit, a light in my life, and a constant inspiration to discover more in this world. You were taken from us too soon and we will miss you always.

MIDLAND CHECKBOB

Music for charity can go one of two ways: ridiculously cheesy and overdone (think anything U2 has ever touched) or a damn near perfect homage that's designed to empower, not victimize. Midland's recent release called Checkbob for "Autonomous Africa Vol. 2" falls into the latter category. Basically, "Autonomous Africa" was created by Optimo's JD Twitch to raise awareness about the issue of external interference in African affairs. Midland's contribution to this volume is personal; proceeds from the EP will go to a charity called the Mtandika Mission, which is run by his parents in Tanzania (so awesome!) If you're into Afrobeats, you'll dig this jitterbug.

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STREAM Midland - Checkbob

HENRY KRINKLE STAY PHAM BOOTLEG

Polish producer Pham's latest is a bootleg of Henry Krinkle's Stay, and I would try to say something except I can't get my jaw off of the floor. The original has a beautiful ringing melody and catchy bass, but is minimal with a lot of "whoosh" in its delivery. Pham takes this base and slowly builds up a lush scene with pitched down vocals, methodic bass beats that keep the pace and let small details pulled from a few genres build the structure. Wait for the 1:40 mark for it to really stretch its legs.

//Free downloads off of his Soundcloud page!

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STREAM Henry Krinkle - Stay (Pham Bootleg)