Mr. Wright Releases Second EP ‘Flütz’ on Beatport November 30

Mr. Wright announces his newest EP, ‘Flütz’, which drops on Beatport on November 30. This will be the second EP Mr. Wright has released, following his first EP 'Tricks' that was released last year by way of Funktrap Records. Unlike ‘Tricks’ which consisted of various remixes of the title track, the new EP presents three new, original songs that each convey a completely different vibe – as the EP progresses, the songs transcend from soft and smooth to a darker tone to a trendy dancefloor groove.   

Mr. Wright’s three-song EP starts with the title track “Flütz” which offers a light, airy intro that floats over two solid percussion lines. The song evokes magical, whimsical vibes but with a kick. The beginning harp-like instrumentals trickle over a subtle underlying bass that serves as the song’s foundation and a second top beat which drives the lighter instrumentals forward. “Flütz” brings a unique spin on instrumentals, allowing the flute to be the stand-out sound, instead of the usual piano or bass-heavy sound that often characterizes house music. The light instrumentals and denser, head-nodding beats perfectly complement each other to create “Flütz” as this fluid, ethereal track.

The second song, “Live Illegal” takes on a completely different direction than the title track. Mr. Wright teamed up with Detroit-based producer 3Peatonthebeat to create an ominous, eery and almost a little freaky sound. “Live Illegal” lives up to its name – it’s a tune that sounds a little bit dangerous with an edgy, darker feel than “Flütz”.

The third and last track “Lookin Phat” takes a turn into slightly moodier territory – leading with a punchy beat and slick, deep vocals. It’s a club pleaser for the dancefloor and lends a different energy to the EP in which a blend of snares, kick-drums, bass and staccato synths make the song’s overlapping beats bounce. It’s a song to groove to and gives a cooler, cocky vibe than the lighter first track. With each song, the EP evolves from light and ethereal, to a dark, moody tone and finishes with a cool club ready tune.

Mr. Wright, fully known as Wayne Wright, is a DJ and producer from Washington, DC who recently relocated to San Diego, CA. He’s the creator of Deep Tech, an electronic music collective which puts on parties at various venues around DC, allowing local DJs to showcase their latest music. Mr. Wright is bringing Deep Tech to the West Coast with an event scheduled for January 6 at Blonde Bar in San Diego.

The EP “Flütz” (Funktrap) will be available on Beatport on November 30. It will be available on Spotify and iTunes on December 14.  

SoundCloud preview: https://soundcloud.com/mrwrightofficial/sets/flutz_ep_1

Beatport preview: https://www.beatport.com/release/flutz/2435424

Upcoming shows:

December 31, 2018: Big Night San Diego, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, https://www.bignightsandiego.com/buy-tickets

January 6, 2019: Blonde Bar, Deep Tech Inaugural Show, https://www.blondebarsd.com

For more information on Mr. Wright:

https://soundcloud.com/mrwrightofficial

https://www.facebook.com/mrwrightofficial/

https://www.instagram.com/mrwrightofficial/

All the Tricks in the Book: Rising DC Producer Mr. Wright Releases First EP “Tricks”

Amidst a burgeoning music scene budding right in the nation’s capital, Wayne Wright is a DC-based DJ and producer intent on bringing his sleek productions to the forefront of electronic music.

On November 24, Wayne introduces his first EP “Tricks” by way of Funktrap Records, which will be available for purchase on Beatport.

The title track “Tricks” is a brass-driven production that combines a delicious blend of funk, house and horns. Opening with a driving beat that acts as the constant foundation for the song, “Tricks” weaves in subtle horn riffs and eventually erupts into a playful medley of saxophone and trumpet as the main focus of the song.

The three-song EP also includes two remixes of “Tricks” – one is a trendy edit by Shawn Q & Mathew Paul which delivers a deeper, darker, ominous sound and then another by Micfreak that’s reminiscent of a lighter, classic house vibe.

Wayne, also known simply as Mr. Wright, found inspiration for “Tricks” while skimming through movie samples. Wanting to incorporate some sort of unique vocal, Wayne landed on an old movie sample, skewing the line and creating the instrumentals around it.

For those in the DC area around Thanksgiving, Wayne will be celebrating the official release of “Tricks” on November 25 at Flash Bar in collaboration with Deep Tech. He will also be performing as one-half of DJ-duo District and Circle.

You can listen to the “Tricks” EP on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mrwrightofficial/sets/tricks-ep

*Beatport link will be available in the near future

Listen to Mr. Wright’s other productions on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mrwrightofficial

Miami Always On My Mind: MMW 2017 Quick Recap

Miami makes all my stress go away. When I'm stressed or anxious, a trip to Miami is the ultimate cure. I land in the humidity and breath a sigh of relief. It's a jewel of a city to me. 

We stayed at the Marseilles Hotel right on South Beach and walking distance from almost everything we needed.

The best part of Miami is that I have a reason to travel there at least once a year for Miami Music Week aka Christmas for dance music lovers. Sun, heat, beach and good music - there is nothing better. Miami Music Week 2017 was consumed mostly by Above & Beyond or Anjuna parties (I have a friend who is their #1 fan so it's inevitable to hit up at least 2 Anjuna parties). 

Night #1 was Above & Beyond with Eric Prydz at the outdoor RC Cola Plant in Wynwood. My friend was determined to push the button and so she arrived early to get that front and center spot. It paid off because she got on stage and triumphantly pushed. that. button. 

Day #2 was brunch, pool lounging and then Mark Knight's Toolroom party at the Raleigh Hotel. All the other parties we were planning to attend were Anjuna and so this was a nice change of house music. That night we checked out the The Broken Shaker at the Freehand Miami Hotel, which has a beautiful outdoor space and amazing cocktails. 

Day #3 was brunch and beach time (obvs) followed by an evening at Gramps for the Anjunadeep party, my favorite party of MMW. The highlights for me were Luttrell, Yoto and Kidnap Kid. Unfortunately Moon Boots didn't make it on. We finished off the nigh at THE BEST taco spot on South Beach called Taquiza. Seriously amazing tacos and definitely get the totopos (puffy tortilla chips) with guacamole. Heaven heaven. 

And day #4, we brunched and did some pool-side lounging before ending our MMW at the Anjunabeats party at the Raleigh Hotel. It got off to a bumpy start with a super long wait to get into the party and the fear that we might not make it in at all. But all worked out in the end and we danced the day away to wonderful trance music. Highlights were Andrew Bayer playing with Ilan Bluestone as well as Cosmic Gate. Since we got in too late, I unfortunately missed seeing Sunny Lax. 

Andrew Bayer and Ilan Bluestone at the Anjunabeats party at the Raleigh Hotel. 

Before heading to the airport and leaving the most wonderful, music-filled Miami - we made one last stop in Little Havana at Versailles for some delish Cuban food. I love this city. 

ALSO shoutout to The Social Club restaurant at the Surfcomber Hotel for the most delicious chicken and waffles I have ever had. Seriously the best ever. 

Till next time MIA. 

Felt extremely satisfied after killing those chicken and waffles. 

Appropriate brunch attire. 

Gryffin is a 'Next Up' Artist to Watch

*Post originally published on RockDaFuqOut blog

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Last month, Billboard Magazine and W Hotels brought their Next Up series to Washington, DC to feature another rising artist who is beginning to make their mark in the music industry.

Set against the most picturesque views of Washington’s monuments, LA-based producer and musician Gryffin played a blend of original songs and remixes to an intimate yet packed room of enthusiastic fans. It was a night of vibrant music set to a stunning, glittering background of cityscape in DC’s swankiest hotel. Not too shabby.

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Gryffin is not an artist to be boxed into one genre. He describes his style as “melody-rich style of house music that fuses indie with dance in tasteful fashion.” Gryffin shatters the notion that electronic artists aren’t “real” musicians. His Next Up set was a fusion of computerized beats and riffs over which he layered live keyboard, drum and electric guitar to compliment the synths. When the sound is a blend of house with a side of acoustic, it’s something that can be appreciated by both EDM enthusiasts and pop aficionados.

Fans were treated to Gryffin’s most known tracks which included “Whole Heart” and “Heading Home” (check out Le Youth’s remix of this song) as well as his signature remixes of “King” by Years & Years, “Beggin for Thread” by BANKS and Maroon 5’s “Animals”. What sticks out about Gryffin’s remixes is that he molds the songs to become these upbeat, infectious tunes that remind you of summer and get a crowd dancing. Which is exactly what he did at the W Hotel venue.

Gryffin is definitely one to watch – check out his SoundCloud here: https://soundcloud.com/gryffinofficial

My List of Summer 2015 Musical Goodies

Summer is in full form and so that means breezy tunes, seasonal anthems and the warmest, most delicious songs of the season. So I decided to compile my own list of summer songs, both old and new, that evoke the most wonderful season of all! Bring on the heat... 

No question, without a doubt the first song that is on my summer list is the Mousse T remix of FCL's song "It's You". With opening lyrics that literally say "I feel the heat" and a light, delicate instrumental, this song is just made up of lemonade, popsicles and summer. 

The fresh-faced MORRT's buttery track "Realize" is for car rides cruising to the beach or for setting the ambiance to your summer pool party. MORRT (aka 21-year-old Josh Mortimer) keeps the beat light with minimal vocals and a smooth, gradual build-up that eventually ebbs nicely into a laid-back tempo. Nothing noisy, but just perfectly relaxing. 

"Silverlined" by XYconstant is made up of beautiful vocals and flawless harmonies. Lyrics worth swooning over and wrapped up in a delicious deep house beat, this song evokes nostalgia and really just the wanting of summer to stick around all the time. Also this Ferdinand Weber remix just adds a whole new level of lush music. 

I absolutely love when R&B songs get a nice electronic revamp and this is no exception. Aaliyah's own summery classic, "Rock the Boat" gets an even more summery reboot with DWYR turning up the smoothness.  

This summer Disclosure released the addictive and soulful song "Holding On". The song is borderline being overplayed but it's too good and Gregory Porter's velvety vocals are a perfect fit for the classic house sound. Check out the official video below. The video is the first of a four-part series which will all culminate to create a short film named "CARACAL". As each video is released, the plot unfolds...so be sure to keep watching. 

Ok this next one is massive. I think most of us can relate to the fact that when we hear a song we LOVE, we're a slave to the vibe. Billon's summer anthem "Slave to the Vibe" is so feel-good you just want to put it on repeat until you are so sick of the song. As I've said before, combining piano-riffs with the most soulful of vocals makes any song irresistible, and "Slave to the Vibe" follows this formula perfectly. 

My favorite song right now is Shadow Child and Doorly's soulful collaboration "Climbin' (Piano Weapon)". I know I sound like a broken record BUT I'm in love with piano riffs in this song. It has the most amazing piano background that duets perfectly with the emotive, uplifting vocals. Also be sure to listen to the original piano instrumental version of this song, hence the "Piano Weapon" title.   

I was just in Lebanon visiting family (literally got off the plane hours ago) and my cousins had "Cheerleader" on repeat for the entire trip. This New York Times article notes that OMI originally released the song back in 2012 under a Jamaican-based independent label called Oufah. "Cheerleader" was brought back to life in 2014 by Ultra Records and then took over airwaves when German producer Felix Jaehn presented a fresh tropical house remix of the song. Check out the video below released via Ultra Records. 

Philip George is probably my newest obsession. He has that true house feel and even managed to make a Stevie Wonder classic into a deep house hit. My favorites songs of his are below. "Love Inside" is a year old but it just has such a fresh sound with hollow beats that are underscored by a slight piano line and topped off with echoey vocals. The lyrics and vocals are simple and soft, but they are my favorite part of the song. "Afraid to Love" is the defiant, determined anthem with strong vocals and a driving piano instrumental. It's a club friendly song, with an infectious beat that will be on repeat all summer long. 

 And last but not least, I couldn't resist including this gem. The sexy, feisty and perfectly house masterpiece that is "Perfect" by Mason vs. Princess Superstar. Fun lyrics over a catchy synth makes this song so addicting and has made it have staying power for so many years. Princess Superstar is never one to play it safe with lyrics and she contributes a sassy edge to the song. Perfect house music.  

Top Photo by Sleepless Sounds

Back to Beach Classics

In honor of summer I've been digging up older songs that embody the season and soaking up these beachy tunes. They never get old, are perfect for lounging and are just so audibly delicious. 

Check out these breezy throwback summer sounds (most are via Hed Kandi's amazing compilations, obviously). Also be on the lookout for an upcoming post of more recently released summery songs!

(Photo by Sleepless Sounds; Sleepless Sounds does not claim any rights to the music and videos posted below). 

The Weeknd - "Can't Feel My Face" (Rainer + Grimm Remix)

Canadian producers Rainer + Grimm have dropped a summery, tropical remix of The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face" and let me tell you, it does NOT disappoint. This is definitely worth putting into your playlist for the car, beach, office, wherever. Take a listen!

For more Rainer + Grimm check out their: Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud

Le Youth's Cool California Style

I love Le Youth’s California cool style that translates directly into his music. His bio lists his sound as “breezy California vibes touched by a twist of European flair and an air of mystery.” Spot on. 

Last week Le Youth released his latest refreshing track called “Touch” that falls right in line with his signature sound. I’m a sucker for classic R&B songs that get revamped by house music producers, and Le Youth is the master of perfectly harmonizing together these two genres. 

Also be sure to listen to “C O O L” (you probably know it by now), “Feel Your Love” and “R E A L” as well as his numerous remixes. He does a killer remix of The Knocks that brings you right back to 90s bliss. 

https://soundcloud.com/leyouth  

Review: Bob Sinclar ft. CeCe Rogers - “I Want You”

Bob Sinclar’s newest single is a summery slice of house music. Featuring a muted-down version of CeCe Rogers’ vocals, “I Want You” evokes Miami parties and sun lounging in Ibiza. Sinclar incorporates a simple yet classic house beat with minimal piano chords, while Rogers’ soulful vocals keep the song churning forward. It’s a light, breezy track that reminds me of the summer season – refreshing drinks, light beats and hot, sizzling vibes.

Bob Sinclar was one of the first DJ/producers that I got into when I started listening to house music, and he was the first DJ whose set I saw live. It’s great that Sinclar released one more gem of a song before the end of 2014.

Listen and watch here

Photo Credit: www.bobsinclar.com