Track of the Day: 'Lit' by Gidge

Taken from the album 'LNLNN' which is out today on Atomnation, this is a beautifully Scandinavian slice of crisp and clean electronica. The tracks on the new album have evolved from their last album 'Lulin', but this time the ambient shapes have been defined into a more dancefloor-oriented style.

Recommended music: 'Says Hi' EP by sir Was

With his full length album debut due in a couple of months this is a good time for you to get to know the lush eccentricity of sir Was. Swedish multi-instrumentalist Joel Wastberg is the man behind the name - he's worked with the likes of Jose Gonzales in the past but has now found the courage to strike out on his own.

This introductory EP dropped last year and serves as an open door into his world. From the snatched of Gaelic fiddle at the start of 'A Minor Life' you're immediately taken into an indefinable genre. 'Falcon' is even better - beat driven, with spoken and sung vocals a bit like early Beck. Other things this EP reminds me of include Money Mark, Larry Gus, old trip-hop records, Ibizan sunsets and Scandinavian fjords. I can't wait for 'Digging A Tunnel' to escape in March, but in the meantime I'll have this on repeat.

Track of the Day: 'Pilgrim (feat. Brolin)' by Saturday, Monday

The unmistakeable vocal of Brolin are heavily featured on this track, which he co-wrote with Swedish producer Saturday, Monday. Undercutting the smooth vocals are stabs of dark electronica, glitchy strings and a ticking beat. Somehow the whole things gels to become a slick if slightly disconcerting modern r'n'b track, one that hints at the dark corners and forgotten encounters of the night club.

The track of out now on Playground Music.

Recommended music: 'Nabuma Rubberband' by Little Dragon

Effortlessly stylish, the fourth album from Sweden's Little Dragon is a classy take on dance music made with electronics (rather than 'Electronic Dance Music'). The soulful vocals of Yukimi Nagano help the music to soar and to transcend boundaries. From the foot stomping 'Klapp Klapp' to the more fragile 'Only One' and the almost trip-hop rhythms of 'Pink Cloud', this is a record that will connect your head to your feet via your heart.



With the band's profile having enlarged in the past few years due to guest slots on records by Gorillaz and DJ Shadow, I reckon this is the album to break them much more into the mainstream. They'll be playing festivals throughout Europe this summer (I'm hoping to catch them at Glastonbury) so do yourself a favour and catch them in a field somewhere in the sunshine.

Remix of the Day #2: 'Klapp Klapp (Swindle Mix)' by Little Dragon

Here's your second one for today, a great new mix of Little Dragon's current single. Rather doing a radical remix, Swindle settles for taking all the good bits (which on this track is actually pretty much everything) and just making them all slightly better. It's a little bit faster, a little bit more harmonious, a little bit more jazzy, a little bit more danceable, and it's still a whole heap of fun.

Remix of the Day: 'Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark) (Little Dragon Remix) by Unknown Mortal Orchestra

So, it appears that this actually came out about a year ago, but I've only just found it, and it's great, so I thought I'd share it with you. There's not a huge amount of the original track left to be honest, mostly just the title refrain, but who cares when what they've done with it is this good? Listen and download for free below.

New mixtape: DJ Cull presents Trans-Europe Express

If you were listening to Barricade Radio last night you would've heard this played out. Cloud and Owl asked me to do a one hour guest mix for their Insurgent Souls radio show, and this is what I came up with.

I'd heard a couple of tunes recently where the rhythm reminded me of the movement of a train, so I came up with the idea of a themed mix for a train ride round Europe. There's 11 tracks, from 9 different countries, that take you on a journey through cities and countryside. The full tracklist is below, together with the places that the tracks represent. To listen to the mix just click on the picture above, or for a cheeky free download right click and 'save as'.

1. East India Youth - Hinterland; London, England
2. René Roussel - Caramel (Plancher de L'Usine Remix by DJ Cull); Paris, France
3. Seams - Rilo; Berlin, Germany
4. Soulwax - Another Excuse (DFA Remix); Ghent, Belgium
5. Clapan - The Back of Silence; Krasnodar, Russia
6. Kraftwerk - Metropolis; Düsseldorf, Germany
7. Trentemøller - Deceive (feat. Sune Rose Wagner); Copenhagen, Denmark
8. Vår - Boy; Copenhagen, Denmark
9. Gidge - For Seoul (Applescal Remix); Umea, Sweden
10. Sau Poler - Rutes; Barcelona, Spain
11. Koreless - Never; Glasgow, Scotland

Surprising cover version of the day - Iceage do Sinead O'Connor

For their new 7", Danish punk miserablists Iceage have recorded a couple of cover versions, of which this is the choice cut. Full of swaggering menace, it owes more to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds than Ms. O'Connor, endowing 'Jackie' with a sense of venom and creating a powerful, brooding track. You can pre-order the single here.

New music: 'Fade' by 100wxxds

The lead track from the 'Heartache' EP, which is due out in a couple of weeks, this is a dark, moody and mysterious slice of electronica that leaves you feeling slightly unsettled. I can't tell you much about the guy except that he's from Gothenburg, Sweden, and apparently is unsigned at the moment.

Until the EP arrives you can grab this track for free below.

New music: 'Your Life, Your Call' by Junip

Taken from the forthcoming self-titled Junip album, this track from the Swedish band formed by Jose Gonzales is full of positive vibes, both in the music and the lyrics.

There's more than a hint of Hot Chip in this extremely melodic and catchy track. The production is warm and  inviting, and the whole thing fits together as satisfyingly as a pair of warm gloves on a cold day.

You can listen to the track and download it for free below. The album will be out in the Spring (whenever that arrives!) on City Slang in Europe and Mute in North America.