Welcome to the first ever edition of Jack's Top Tracks. The concept is pretty straight forward: each Monday I will be posting 5 tracks. They may be new releases, or old tracks I have only just come across, or tracks that have liked for ages and have just rediscovered.
This week I am bringing just such a selection, with some old, some new, and a favourite from the past.
New
Kitten and the Hip - Shut up and Dance
The much anticipated new single from Brighton-based duo Kitten and the Hip (aka Scarlett Quinn and Ashley Slater) was released last week, and its a real earworm. It burrowed into my subconscious and I have been singing it in my head ever since. The release is accompanied by the video below. I may have mentioned in the past that Scarlett is rather easy on the eye too...
The track is available to purchase from beatport, along with remixes by Tavo, James Copeland, The Hip and Dom Meakins. Kitten and the Hip are performing at Electric Empire on 2nd March at the Amersham Arms, New Cross.
New
Jem Stone - The Jem Stone Express
Another of last week's new releases was from Jem Stone, one of the creative forces behind Finger Lickin' Records. You might have come across his track 'The Gasworks Gang', which was featured on the compilation 'White Mink: Black Cotton Vol.2. This tune is laid back, funky and chilled out - a great one to chase away those Monday afternoon blues.
The track is available for free download from Soundcloud.All aboard the Jem Stone Express!
New
Ecklecticmick - Boogie Children
Amid the hype surrounding the recent Electric Empire Escapade in Peckham, you could be forgiven for having failed to notice that the same weekend saw the launch of White Mink's latest London event, an electro-blues night at the Bedroom Bar in Shoreditch. Ecklecticmick, one of the most prolific producers I can think of, is, in my opinion, also the best producer of this sub-genre. This stomping track has all the elements that make him so - haunting vocals, great breaks and exquisitely chosen samples. Hats of to Mick!
Boogie Children is available to purchase on Freshly Squeezed's compilation 'Electro Blues Vol. 1'.
Old
Bobby C Sound TV - Jelly Belly
Thanks must go to my buddy Actuarius (he designed my natty new logo for me) for pointing me towards this chap. It seems Bobby C Sound TV is rather highly respected (Krafty Kuts called him 'the master of funky breaks), and has shared the stage with some big names in the States. He has made a bit of ghetto funk, and this is one of the tracks from the imaginatively named 'Ghetto Funk EP', released a year or so ago. What do you think?
This track, along with the rest of the EP (worth checking out), is available to download from Soundcloud.
Re-discovered
K-Theory & Frost Raven - 18th Century Gangsta
I just love this track, but had not heard it for months and months until it dropped into a long mix I was listening to on my phone. I can't remember who had made the mix - either Incontrol or DJ Dodgy-Style. Whoever it was - thank you for reminding me of it. I had to scroll through nearly 400 'likes' on Soundcloud before I found it. Enjoy!
You can buy this track from here.
And that concludes the first ever installment of Jack's Top Tracks. I hope you enjoyed the music - if you did, or if you didn't, let me know by commenting below or contacting me via Facebook or Twitter!
If you are a DJ/Producer/Band and you have a track you would like me to consider for this part of the blog, please send an email to georgecmbrowne@gmail.com.
