Toronto's Young Empires send us straight to the dancefloor with this mixtape for The Block. www.myspace.com/youngempires
01. Sabali (Vitalic Remix) - Amadou & Miriam
02. Lies (Herve Remix) - Fenech-Soler
03. Hour of the Wolf (Lifelike Remix) - Adam Kesher
04. Dance the Way I Feel (Armand Van Helden Remix) - Ou Est Le Swimming Pool
05. Snake Charmer - Bag Raiders
06. Wait & See - Holy Ghost!
07. All Night (Azari & III Remix) - Voltage
08. You Know I Know It - Tensnake
09. La Mezcla - Michel Cleis
10. Rain of Gold (French Horn Rebellion Remix) - Young Empires
With the release of their fourth studio album, It’s All True, we had a chance to chat with the founding member of Canadian electro-pop duo Junior Boys, Jeremy Greenspan. He talked about influences that shaped the latest record: the excitement of buying and learning new gear, and a love for 90s R&B. Both of these elements permeate the record, which boasts sultry, retro hooks over a broad, slick electronic soundscape.
Which just goes to show how geekiness breeds sexiness. (more…)
Despite the implications of the “chillwave” label, Chazwick Bundick is anything but lazy. Under the stage name Toro Y Moi, Bundick has played a vital role in the cultivation of the dream-pop movement that has taken over independent music over that past few years, but that seems to be the result of his seemingly tireless work ethic. Since releasing his debut Causers of This last year, to much critical acclaim, Toro Y Moi has toured extensively, added new members, and even managed to write the latest release, Underneath the Pine. (more…)
Photographer Caro Ramirez spent three days in the California desert at Coachella taking photos for The Block. Though it was her third year at the festival, it was her first with a press pass. “I won’t lie when I say that, I really did miss being in the pit with all of those courageous fans,” she admits. “Coachella is definitely full of love and peace all around, and you never want to leave the grounds after the last headliner has performed.” (more…)
Trench 3.1 Phillip Lim, Sweater Opening Ceremony, Oxford Calvin Klein, Trousers Louis Vuitton, Bow Tie Thom Browne, Earrings Omarion's own
Twenty-six year old R&B sensation Omarion seems to be good at pretty much everything. Singer, actor, record producer, dancer, and soon-to-be designer (his sneaker line, Oh Boi, is about to launch in Japan), his talents are all over the map. And maybe that’s because what he’s really after is something a little more ephemeral. “Creativity is not a lot of different things, it’s really [about] one thing: to evoke emotion. People do it in different ways,” he says. (more…)
Young Prisms. Young Galaxy. Young the Giant. Young Empires. Jake Palahnuk jokes about staging a battle of the “Young” bands. He’s even considered a showdown on reality TV. But in the end, the 27-year-old bass player of Young Empires says it’s the music that will distinguish his band from the rest. We spoke to Palahnuk after his band composed an infectiously energetic mix tape for The Block magazine — proving the band can easily move from performance to production.
Acid washed denim. Rainbow coloured war paint. Anthematic new wave. These are the things that Special Affections are made of. Hailing from Oshawa, Ontario, John O’Regan has made a name for himself as the shimmering, gender-bending artist and epicentre of Diamond Rings. With a strong penchant for retro basketball attire and a love of David Bowie, Regan seamlessly weaves together all the best artifacts of the 1980s. Although he’s probably best known as the bespectacled guitarist in techno rock outfit The D’Ubervilles, Regan’s solo work shines as vividly as his bejwelled name implies. The 25-year-old gave us some time to talk about his debut, which was released October 26th.
Directed by Proenza Schouler’s art director Alejandro Cardenas and inspired by the italo-horror films of the 70s, the macabre video for “Violent Sensation Descends” (the first from Violens‘ upcoming debut Amoral, out November 9) gets us in the mood for the spookiest night of the year. Happy Halloween!
FOLLOW US
ON TWITTER
LIKE US
ON FACEBOOK
THE BLOCK MIXTAPE
by Young Empires
Mixtape: Young Empires
Toronto's Young Empires send us straight to the dancefloor with this mixtape for The Block.
www.myspace.com/youngempires
01. Sabali (Vitalic Remix) - Amadou & Miriam
02. Lies (Herve Remix) - Fenech-Soler
03. Hour of the Wolf (Lifelike Remix) - Adam Kesher
04. Dance the Way I Feel (Armand Van Helden Remix) - Ou Est Le Swimming Pool
05. Snake Charmer - Bag Raiders
06. Wait & See - Holy Ghost!
07. All Night (Azari & III Remix) - Voltage
08. You Know I Know It - Tensnake
09. La Mezcla - Michel Cleis
10. Rain of Gold (French Horn Rebellion Remix) - Young Empires
Download