My YouTube app says this has zero plays but I know that ain’t right.

For the first time ever I’ve liked something that Kanye West is involved in – when this was premiered last week, seeing that co-pro credit didn’t allow me to enjoy it. But the beat on this defeats all prejudice.

We’re fans of Waajeed here as you should already know. So imagine my surprise when the premiere of his new EP, as Electric Street Orchestra on his new Dirt Tech Reck label, seemed to have clocked about 30 plays on the day it was shared with the world.

What the fuck is wrong with people?

Go fix this universal anomaly now. The EP can be purchased from Submerge, and I’m hoping some other stores soon seeing as how their shipping to the UK is a tad pricey.

Computer Jay in epic mode here with a great self-directed video too. Looking forward to the second EP in his Savage Planet Discotheque series dropping later this spring.

It’s great when singers make a comeback out of the blue. The production on the intro is a bit iffy with the big beats and the 80s flute but the rest of the track works well, particularly in the more minimal sections. But it’s the vocals that really hook you, they’re perfectly delivered, and will be a joy for remixers to work with. Curious to see who comes through.

Now this is absolutely sick. Such an evocative track that really does hark back to classic underground Chicago tracks but in a completely relevant and thrilling way. Can’t wait to hear this loud in a club. The track is a lead into RP Boo’s first album for Planet Mu, Legacy, out next month. I’ll be talking about that more nearer the time. For now… Bang! Bang! Bang!

Great new track and video from DJ Rashad and Ashes57 respectively, acting as a follow up to his Rollin‘ EP for Hyperdub.

Tall Black Guy is one of the nicest hip hop producers around at the moment and this single from his forthcoming First Word debut cements that further.

Soulful Motor City snap.

San Francisco’s Teeko has been one of the most solid purveyors of modern-day West Coast funk in recent years, emerging from the turntablist scene with an array of ideas that blend his clear love of the pioneers with modern aesthetics and swing.

This new jam he’s produced for singer Mikki Boyd further proves the point. More sun for your head.

Montreal’s Ghislain Poirier (now Poirier) has been one of the city’s more fascinating producers in the past decade, a man of many sonic faces from his early Chocolate Industries releases to the Ninja Tune years and more recently his healthy obsession with colourful dance riddims, soca and more.

Which made the message I received from him yesterday all the more interesting, pointing me to a new album under the Boundary alias. Self-titled (and released on a label also called Boundary) Ghislain put it that Boundary was a way for him to revisit some of his previous musical interests (darker electronic music, IDM) with a focus on performing the music live and keeping it separate from his current DJ and production work, which as I’ve just mentioned leans more towards happy, sun-soaked vibes (the huge ‘What’ featuring Face T is still one of my favourite riddims of last year).

You can now stream the entire album via SoundCloud. It’s a heady trip, full of intricacies, rhythmic and mood switches that feel totally normal and show the sort of musical understanding and maturity that only comes with time (I know I repeat myself way too much on that one, but it bears repeating). In an age where electronic and dance music is rehashing itself ever faster with little attention to quality control, these kind of releases give me faith.

After a few listens tracks like ‘Double-Edged Sword’, with its industrial junglistic approach, and ‘Bootleg Fireworks’ stand out, the latter through its ingenious use of carnivalesque rhythms that aren’t far from his Poirier work.

An album worth getting stuck into, and which should prove really interesting live.

Woke up to a tweet from Monto asking me about the French words in this song. Turns out the song itself is beautiful: a joyful, sunny, happy jam with a hypnotic piano melody and some seriously funky drums.

No idea who these guys are but I am currently busy listening to their entire SoundCloud and trying to figure out more. I do love coming across music like this that genuinely pulls at your heart.

Oh yeah and the French dialogue sounds like something from a movie by the way.