EarthRise SoundSystem [PRESS]
Floating: EarthRise SoundSystem Remix Project
PRESS ASSETS
Expanding: EarthRise SoundSystem Remix Project
PRESS ASSETS
Master Remixers EarthRise SoundSystem Get What They Deserve; Four-EP Remix Project Series Features Top Producers Re-Working EarthRise’s Funky, Diverse Original Recordings. On Expanding, they get the roots treatment from The Spy From Cairo, Maga Bo, Fr33dom People and DJ Drez
EarthRise SoundSystem, the duo of David "Duke Mushroom" Schommer and Derek Beres, has mixed dozens of international music and electronic superstars in their eight years working together. Now the tables are turned as, Expanding, the third of four EP's in The EarthRise SoundSystem Remix Project launches on Black Swan Sounds on February 26th.
True to EarthRise’s global vision, things get international on Expanding. New York City’s The Spy From Cairo kicks things off with his second contribution to the Remix Project. The man also known as Zeb injects a reggae vibe into “Rama,” one of EarthRise’s most popular tracks. Based on a popular Indian mantra dedicated to the hero of the Ramayana, Zeb’s signature Arabic dub creates a punchy, driving rhythm. His oud solo adds a layer of beauty in the bass-heavy echo chamber.
Rio de Janeiro-based DJ and producer Maga Bo transforms the already upbeat “Shiva’s Dancehall” into a dancefloor crusher. Featuring Forro in the Dark vocalist Davi Vieira rhyming in Portuguese and pioneering “yoga rapper” MC Yogi leading the chorus by paying homage to the deity Shiva, Bo’s percussion-driven beat is a certified throw-your-hands-in-the-air classic. Brazilian by beat, the siren blasts pay tribute to the track’s Jamaican dancehall roots.
From crushing to cruising, Ocean County producers Fr33dom People take the pop hip hop track “In Love,” featuring Black Swan Sounds’ own Srikalogy and the jazzy vocal stylings of Lucy Woodward, and create an old school funk dub. This four-minute gem is the kind of track you want to set on repeat, with a saxophone solo adding a new dimension to this grooving track.
Speaking of jazz, Black Swan label mate DJ Drez closes Expanding with a gorgeous piano-centric piece that, like the other remixes on this EP, take the original track in a completely new direction. Drez’s take on “Massage My Mind” is a family affair, featuring the soulful voice of his wife and longtime collaborator, Marti Nikko, and the skillful touch of her father, Marty Williams, on piano. What begins downtempo and chill soon becomes a loving tribute to one of America’s great art forms, with Drez’s smooth beatmaking perfectly keeping time throughout.
Consistent with the rest of the EarthRise SoundSystem Remix Project releases, each EP includes instrumental versions of the mixes.
The final release in this series, Floating (coming in early spring), is a down- to midempo collection that includes dreamy versions from Bombay Dub Orchestra, Sonomad, and Black Swan’s Eccodek. This ambient, chillaxed collection will be the perfect wind down from this series of upbeat, driving EPs.
Awakening: EarthRise SoundSystem Remix Project
PRESS ASSETS
Master Remixers EarthRise SoundSystem Get What They Deserve; Four-EP Remix Project Series Features Top Producers Re-Working EarthRise’s Funky, Diverse Original Recordings. Next Up: Volume 2: Awakening
EarthRise SoundSystem, the duo of David ‘Duke Mushroom’ Schommer and Derek Beres, has mixed dozens of international music and electronic superstars in their eight years working together. Now the tables are turned as the second EP in The EarthRise SoundSystem Remix Project launches on Black Swan Sounds on Friday, December 4th.
Awakening represents the dance floor side of things. The EP kicks off with legendary New York City DJ Nickodemus raising the elevation on ‘Always,’ originally a downtempo track featuring vocalist Renata Youngblood and Grammy-nominated cellist Dave Eggar. The Turntables on the Hudson and Wonderwheel Recordings founder turns up the bass and adds serious swing while creating a remix that’s destined to warm up DJ sets worldwide. Nickodemus is a global traveler with a trademark aesthetic that’s heard from the very first note on this beautiful cut.
Duke Mushroom steps up to remix ‘Rock Beats Paper,’ the title track from EarthRise’s last album. The Afrobeat original—featuring vocalists Kevin Mambo (who played Fela Kuti in the Broadway musical, Fela!) and Kirtan Soul singer C.C. White (Barry White’s niece)—is taken up a notch with a Euro House vibe. Mushroom’s incredibly percussive ear, not to mention hands (he was a founding member of Stomp), comes alive on this upbeat banger with the spirit of gospel.
‘Intention,’ EarthRise’s biggest hit to date from their debut, The Yoga Sessions, is turned up roughly sixty BPM by New York City DJs and producers deejaysoul & don_cerati. Morley’s ambient vocals become the perfect accompaniment for a conga-driven tribal house stomper perfect for peak hour sets.
The end of the night comes with Mark Basta’s 4aMDMA remix of ‘Daylight as Sunset,’ featuring Lucy Woodward on vocals. Basta cut his teeth spinning vinyl at Long Island’s famed Caffeine parties in the early nineties. A house lover and producer, his deep groove is the most atmospheric on the EP. The dance floor might be cooling off a bit, but in no way is it over with this bass-driven gem.
Future releases from this series include Expanding, a rootsy record including rompers by Maga Bo and The Spy From Cairo, as well as a jazz-infused throwback by Black Swan’s DJ Drez; and Floating, a down- to midtempo collection that includes Bombay Dub Orchestra, Sonomad, and Black Swan’s Eccodek.
Rising: EarthRise SoundSystem Remix Project
PRESS ASSETS
Master Remixers EarthRise SoundSystem Get What They Deserve; Four-EP Remix Project Series Features
Top Producers Re-Working EarthRise’s Funky, Diverse Original Recordings
EarthRise SoundSystem, the duo of David ‘Duke Mushroom’ Schommer and Derek Beres, has mixed dozens of international music and electronic superstars in their eight years working together. Now the tables are turned as The EarthRise SoundSystem Remix Project launches on Black Swan Sounds on Friday, October 23.
Rising, the first EP from this project, opens with producer/keyboardist Pete Kuzma’s beat-driven, atmospheric take on ‘You Lovin’ Me.’ Kuzma weaves in a strong R&B/hip-hop flavor, unsurprising since the remixer has served as musical director and toured with such artists as Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Demi Lovato, Jill Scott, and other luminaries. Taken from EarthRise’s second LP, Rock Beats Paper, vocalists Camille Armstrong and Srikalogy fit right in the pocket of Kuzma’s hypnotizing groove.
Oud player/producer The Spy From Cairo has been canvassing the streets of New York City for over two decades performing and producing his singular brand of Arabtronica. He takes the cumbia beat of ‘Cañamo Medico,’ a South American medicine song, and rewrites it as a deep dancehall cruiser with strong Middle Eastern flavorings. An accomplished traditional and electronic pioneer, he’s one of the forces behind the legendary Turntables on the Hudson parties, having worked with co-founder Nickodemus since its inception.
Regular EarthRise emcee Srikalogy displays his production chops on his remix of ‘Earth to the Sun,’ which features ghazal vocalist Vishal Vaid and santur player Max ZT. Bass is on first order as his percussion bounces and bops to one of Schommer’s signature vocal lines, chopping up Vaid in a fresh twist of voice-as-instrument. The result is a smash for dance floors worldwide, indicative of Srikalogy’s Black Swan debut, New Paradigm.
Rising closes with Black Swan label mates Desert Dwellers rethinking ‘Makyen Ghrir Allah,’ from EarthRise’s debut, The Yoga Sessions. The midtempo Moroccan track, featuring singer Hamid Boudali, is treated with a dark, beat-heavy edge that has made the team of Amani Friend and Treavor Moontribe famous. From the yoga studio to the desert floor in Black Rock City, this remix is destined to reach countless ears.
Future releases from this series include Awakening, a collection of house remixes that includes floor-thumping tracks by Nickodemus and Duke Mushroom; Expanding, a rootsy record including rompers by Maga Bo and The Spy From Cairo, as well as a jazz-infused throwback by Black Swan’s DJ Drez; and Floating, a down- to midempo collection that includes Bombay Dub Orchestra, Sonomad, and Black Swan’s Eccodek.