It’s a new month, a new chart, and even a new website (we just landed on the other side of a massive migration over to WordPress – WooHoo!). And with so many things to celebrate, our new record label being the primary one, I wanted to take over the management of a brand new meldoic house chart on the site as a way to highlight not only the amazing producers that I know but also the insanely good producers in our community, on my radar, and in the industry.
So give the playlist a follow. It will not only feature the best tracks released each month but also a place where I can store tunes that are under consideration throughout the month and might make it on the end-of-month list.
Beije – Ecdysis
It is the first release of Magnetic’s new label and an all-around fantastic tune. Beije is a Toronto-based duo with massive releases on some of the better-recognized meldoic house labels in the scene, including David Hohme’s Where The Heart Is Records and others.
Their signature style blends arp-driven melodies with natural, warm percussions to deliver track after track, perfect for casual listening around the house and packed dance floors.
Pandhora, Stephane Salerno – Papaya
This track starts with a fantastic groove between the tom drums and the guitar plucks and doesn’t slow down for a second. But the real magic of the track comes once the vocal comes in, which bounces back and forth against the guitar and other melodic elements of the tune.
The track started as a collaboration with renowned multi-instrumentalist Stephane Salerno. It quickly became an absolute club smasher and deserving of a spot in this monthly chart. We can’t get enough of it!
Fulltone – Alba
Fulltone is one of the absolute best producers on the entire All Day I Dream roster, and “Alba” is by far the best and most impactful track on his latest EP. The interplay between the tom drums, the bass line, and the classic All Day I Dream melodic layers makes this track incredibly easy to fall in love with.
Fulltone came on the site to discuss how he made this track in depth, and knowing which plugins he used throughout the production process made me love the track even more.
Oliver Henry – Brother
I’ve been a massive fan of the soft-spoken breakbeat tracks that have come out over the past few years. Many different artists are making a handful of non-4×4 productions these days to have for their sets, and this track has been on complete repeat in my studio since it was released.
While it lacks a solid central motif, it’s atmospheres more than make up for it and create a world that’s easy to get lost in. The strings and vocals are almost reminiscent of earlier KOAN SOUND productions, albeit not as bass-heavy and much more melancholy. Either way, I’m in love with this song, and Oliver Henry is one of my favorite new producers I found this month while digging for crates.
LEGATO – Either Way
I’m definitely taking a groovier approach on this track; LEGATO is another artist I only found this month, and I regret not finding them years sooner. The dusty drums and groove have a LoFi quality that still has that modern punch.
Couple that with the Burial-style vocal chants and textures and the syncopated synth line that adds a TON of groove to the track, and it’s a fantastic track not only for devoted fans of this house style but also for any DJ looking to throw a little bit of melodic funk into their sets.
NORRA – Don’t You Worry Child
Please, please tell me that they’re using these vocals legally and that this song is here to stay. This flip of such an iconic EDM track into something softer and groovier is an absolute masterclass in a melodic house.
The softer piano and incredibly memorable vocals stay with you.
Years ago, I fell in love with Lane 8’s remix of A&B’s “Sticky Fingers” if only because I loved how Lane 8 took such an energetic and peak-time track and flipped it into a piano-driven chill tune, and this has all of those same qualities; adding a double dose of nostalgia to this track that I really, REALLY hope doesn’t get taken down.
Jason Wats, Lotus, Jan Liva – What It Feels Like
It’s a tough thing to pull off when a producer mainly known for making club-friendly music can inject story and songwriting into their work as it usually breaks from the predictable tropes of the genre that are there to make the tracks dance-friendly and impactful. But “What If Feels Like” does just that, taking the listeners on an emotional journey as vocals, melodies, percussions, and groove cross paths and interweave to tell a story few can pull off on top of a 4×4 beat.
Exit Coda, Marius M. – Echoes of Tomorrow
Late last year, I predicted that Exit Coda would be a class act to watch this year, and Echoes of Tomorrow solidifies that I made the right call there.
Not only are these two guys incredibly nice and some of the most legit dudes in the industry, but they’re also some of the most talented dudes making this genre. It can be increasingly difficult to sound unique in a genre as over-saturated as the melodic house can sometimes be. However, each release sounds markedly like them while still adhering to many of the expectations and styles of the genre.
They do it right and well, and I can’t get enough of their sound.
MVCA, Avi Snow, maybealice – Open Waters
I think this track just stumbled into my path at the right place at the right time, as it was overcast here in Oregon, but the sun was visible on the horizon, and this tune soundtracked my evening walk in a way that nothing else could. Sure, I know that sounds corny, but it’s true, and it’s been on repeat ever since, even if only cause it has such a unique and specific vibe that it evokes each time I queue it up.
I love the vocals, the drums check all the right boxes, and the melodies have that ear-worm quality that kept me returning repeatedly since it dropped.
Naws, Krysta Youngs – Waiting
Nobody does melodic house better than Sekora; almost every release they release is incredible. Even when I was parsing through all the music that dropped this month that I was considering for this chart, I had to wade through five different releases from this label to decide which one cut.
The vocals and the signature style of drums so commonly seen on Sekora releases make this track something special and a perfect track to drop with sunny weather around the corner. What stood out most on this one is its casual listenability, but I somebody could make a KILLER club-centric remix of this track.
Kofi Sanoba – Famemba
Hearing this track, I’m legit flabbergasted that the producer, Kofi Sanoba, has less than 2k monthly listeners on Spotify. This track is atmospheric and melodic and has amazing touches of the so-hot-right-now genre of Afrohouse. It checks all the boxes that should make a record an absolute smash hit right now, and more people NEED to hear this record.
I don’t have much else to say about this banger, most likely cause I’m listening to it for the fifth time this evening while writing these words, and I can’t help but concentrate on the tunes while I type…
Not a bad problem to have I guess!
Nuage – Ohhh
Nuage should be a household name in the melodic house scene by now, and if you haven’t heard of him yet, use this track to learn more. His textures and melodies, I think, are what make him so incredibly unique, and the drum patterns and loFi melodic layers lock you in from the start as the beat begins to build.
As corny as it can sound sometimes, his tracks do take you on a journey and continually add new layers or new iterations of familiar layers bar after bar. This goads you into listening a little more and paying a touch more attention to each relisten, as you never know what detail you’ll catch each time you hit repeat.
Juno6, Matthias Meyer – Dead Cities – Matthias Meyer Remix 2024 Remaster
Do reprises of older bangers count as a fresh new release this year?
I think so, if for any other reason than to have one more opportunity to gas up Matthias Meyer, who has been one of my favorite producers for the better part of a half-decade. His unique touch on percussions, equal parts loose and flowy as they are tight and clubby, and his amazing atmospheres and delicate melodies make him a perfect artist to take over remix controls for Juno6.
Sentin, Wout Vantieghem – A Wall Of Glass
This one stands out from this highly curated list of melodic house tunes if for any other reason than because of how hauntingly unmelodic it can be at times. The vocals throughout drift in and out of pitch, adding an unsettling energy that desperately wants to be resolved in the best possible way.
The drums are also knocking, and the simple melodies effectively support the primary vocal layers and the stories they want to tell. It’s groovy, but when the bright and brittle shakers come in at the end, it turns into an absolute banger.
Obbie – Queen V
Anything that drops on Sebastien Leger’s label is an automatic, certified chart-topper; there is no doubt about that. With the label’s signature sound, this track makes its mark with syncopated synth plucks, super-detailed counter melodies, and super-groovy drums.
When it comes to melodic house in this specific day-party style of track, there is Sebastien Leger and the artists he deems talented enough to take under his wing, and then there’s the rest of us. Obbie is certainly a producer in Leger’s orbit and this track proves that he deserves every second of it.
The post Best Melodic House Tracks Of May -2024 appeared first on Magnetic Magazine.