Premiere: Jords – The Drive featuring Galarga, Thea Gajic & Jordan Rakei

In anticipation of his forthcoming EP, Jords is giving us all a taster of what he has in store for us with a First Ear premiere of “The Drive.”

“The Drive” will be one of the songs set to be included in his EP, and features long-time collaborator and fellow producer Galarga, alongside Thea Gajic – who injects a stunning display of spoken word poetry. Jordan Rakei emerges towards the end, easing the track out nicely with his signature soulful vocals.

Listen below and be sure to look out for Jords’ forthcoming EP soon.

CVIRO & GXNXVS – Benjamins

Producer GXNXVS and Australian singer CVIRO team-up on “Benjamins.” GXNXVS embeds in 80’s drum machines and muted keys while CVIRO adds in a ’90s R&B vibe by sampling the hook of Aaliyah’s “Heartbroken.” “Benjamins” is the first single from CVIRO’s forthcoming five-track EP due out on October Records. Stream below:

Oceaán – Veritas

With soulful vocals echoing through quivering beats, and synths laid out in a pausing staccato style – this record builds up, breaks down, and leaves you wanting more. UK producer Oliver Cean, better known as Oceaán, has been a favourite here at First Ear. Since releasing his self-titled EP at the end of March, Oceaán dropped the track “Grip” and has now released his latest record “Veritas”.

Both tracks will appear in his forthcoming EP – The Grip, which is set to release on 17 November via Chess Club Records. You can pre-order the EP here, but until the release date, listen in anticipation below.

Premiere: Jords – Sub-Motion (featuring Galarga)

Since the release of his critically acclaimed project #TheSmoothEP – emerging London based artist Jords is back with a brand new record entitled “Sub-Motion”, which we have the privilege of premiering here at First Ear.

Teaming up with Galarga – who also produced #TheSmoothEP , the duo has come together once again. Infused with a mellow electro beat, Galarga samples the classic “All Yours” by Submotion Orchestra, adding a hint of soul to the track.

“Sub-Motion” is the first song the duo has released since Jords toured the UK with The Parades. He’s currently set to perform around London, Leeds and Skegness. Check out the upcoming shows below and grab the track as a free download here.

Jords’ Upcoming Shows:
30th October: Oxjam Fest – Upstairs at the Ritzy , Brixton (tickets: http://goo.gl/63rRVo)
15th November: The Naughty Reunion w/The Parades – Skegness (tickets: http://goo.gl/zpioZ8)
20th November: Marsicans w/The Parades – Leeds (tickets: http://goo.gl/Lz2DDz)
25th November: The Garage – Highbury, London w/The Parades (tickets: http://goo.gl/GPesq7)
30th November: Music Central @ Matthew’s Yard – Croydon, London (TBA)

Abhi//Dijon – Abhi//Dijon EP // Free Download

Abhi Raju and Dijon Duenas have been creating quite a stir on the net since putting out the R&B influenced track “Twelve” on SoundCloud at the beginning of 2014. The duo then created a follow-up track which was equally as impressive in its arrangement, entitled “Let You Know”. The two tracks affirmed that the singer/producer duo were ones to watch due to the effortless level of quality they exuded.

A few months on and Abhi and Dijon are back with new material, this time with their highly anticipated 4-track self-titled EP. The EP demonstrates the pairs ability to continually create an organic and refined sound. The soft, heart-felt vocals immersed within the warped production results in a refreshing R&B sound, one which I and no doubt many R&B enthusiasts have been craving to hear for a while now. The best part about this is that the entire EP is available as a free download. Relax and rewind as you stream it below, and after you are done, go get your copy here.

https://soundcloud.com/abhidijon/sets/abhi-dijon-ep

Disciples – Mercy // Free Download

London based Disciples have created a mesmerising electro-house tune with “Mercy”. With the subtle use of Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy Mercy Me,” from the infamous What’s Going On album, Disciples were able to produce a soft, soulful house track for us to vibe to, while still making sure true respect was given to the original.

Have a listen below, and grab a copy to add to your summer mix – this one’s a free download.

Little Dragon – Killing Me (Chad Hugo Remix)

The Neptunes producer – Chad Hugo treats us all to a remix of Little Dragon’s synth-pop tune, “Killing Me.” Hugo speeds up the pace of the original, and puts that Neptunes twist on it, resulting in an experimental sound that The Neptunes are known and loved for. Hit play below to check it out.

https://soundcloud.com/shimmy-hoffa/little-dragon-killing-me-chad-hugo-remix

Strawberry Jam – Lot More Livin // Free Download

“Lot More Livin” is a delightfully arranged single, with a mixture of soulful vocals, drum machines, guitars, horns and synthesizers. There is not a lot revealed about the artists behind the track, only that one half of the duo is said to be made up of a member of Prince’s band. Be sure to look out for more from Strawberry Jam in the near future. Until then, stream the track below and if you feel it, go ahead and download it as this comes as a free download.

 

Nicolas Jaar x Helen Hollins Singers – Consolation

Nicolas Jaar recently dropped this flawless edit of a track by the 1980s gospel soul group, the Helen Hollins Singers. If you are wondering what the relevance of the SoundCloud image is, well, a few days ago, Jaar – who is of American-Chilean descent, tweeted that if Chile won their World Cup game against Brazil, he would share a new track with us all. Although Chile eventually lost, Jaar went on to share the track anyway. Lucky for us! This is one smooth edit. Jaar distorts and chops the track, yet manages to keep the soulful vibe and sassy beat of the original firmly intact.
Have a listen below and be sure to grab a free copy as it comes as a free download. Enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/otherpeoplerecords/the-hellen-hollins-singers-consolation-nicolas-jaar-edit

Jords – Extrovert feat. Olivia Louise + Galarga

The track “Extrovert” featuring Olivia Louise and Galarga is by the up-and-coming London-based artist Jords, who has recently released a 5-track album entitled The Smooth EP which was out on 20th June and is available for immediate download here. Fans of British hip-hip and R&B in particular should check out this EP. The appropriately-titled project demonstrates Jords’ skilful lyrical abilities and the production throughout the album makes it an easy listen.

With strong lyrical delivery from Jords and Galarga combined with the soulful vocals of Olivia Louise, the track “Extrovert” – one of the five tracks featured on the EP – is a great fusion of hip-hop and R&B vibes. Have a listen below and make sure you check out the EP on the link above.