ListenUp
Bob Dylan on Letterman, new music from Bilal and ActiveChild, and more in this week’s musical round-up
Son Of Sun: Whispers (Soul Clap Remix)
Boston-based DJs Soul Clap have been making feet move and hips grind with their ever-evolving explorations of funk, disco and house, and their strength lies in teasing out the dance potential lying dormant in other tracks. Their latest re-work is of the house track “Whispers,” from the little known production duo Son of Sun, adding an extra layer of energy to the gritty, vintage-esque original mix.
Foodoo: Help Me
At just 18 years old, London-based producer Foodoo is already making waves. His debut EP Yours will be released next month, and from it comes “Help Me.” The instrumental electronic track builds to become euphoric and synth-heavy, but starts out quietly—the result is a summery jam that’s begging to be played at a daytime party in the sunshine. Listeners will be surprised to learn that the main sample comes from the Joni Mitchell song “Help Me”—hence the title.
Active Child: Stranger
Following the first single off Active Child’s upcoming album Mercy (due to release 16 June) is “Stranger.” The track is stunning—a haunting, slow-burning landscape that builds with synths, harp flourishes and classic Active Child falsetto (he’s an alum of the Philadelphia Boys Choir) that is disarmingly emotional.
Bilal: Satellites
In his first record since 2013’s beautiful A Love Surreal, NYC-based singer/songwriter Bilal is set to release In Another Life on 30 June. From the Adrian Younge-produced album (which will feature Kendrick Lamar, Big K.R.I.T. and Kimbra) comes the lead single “Satellites“—a psychedelic-tinged track complete with jazzy organs and Bilal’s vulnerable, soulful vocals over a breakbeat rhythm.
Bob Dylan: The Night We Called It A Day
For the penultimate episode of the long-running Late Show with David Letterman, the singer/songwriter Bob Dylan graced the stage to perform an intimate rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “The Night We Called It A Day,” one of the tracks on his latest Sinatra-themed album Shadows in the Night. Gripping not an acoustic guitar but only a mic, Dylan puts on a soulful, reflective performance likened to an ethereal scene from Blue Velvet. It’s been more than two decades since Dylan last performed on Letterman, and a fitting farewell for the retiring host.
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that rounds up the music we tweeted throughout the week, also found in Listen. Hear the year so far via Cool Hunting Spotify.
