BEST CHILL SONGS - WEEK 9

Yesterday, I spotted my first cherry blossom, which of course means one very important thing: Spring is officially in bloom! In all honesty, blogging can feel like a real chore when the outside is turning so increasingly glorious, but that's what we pride ourselves on here at We Are: The Guard: finding the Best Chill Songs so that you don't have to! That way, you can spend less time mindlessly scrolling through your SoundCloud and YouTube feeds in search of new music, and more time getting out and enjoying the delightful change in season this weekend to the sounds of FKJ, Deep Chills, Kanye West, Michl, Private Life and plenty of others!

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FKJ – SKYLINE

To celebrate the release of his debut album French Kiwi Juice, FKJ embarks on an atmospheric bike ride in the video for “Skyline” – a song that hears the French producer combine jazz, funk and soul influences into a smooth electronic blend. Watch as FKJ and several of his pals pedal their choppers through a misty forest in the Cedric Dubourg-directed clip, which is channeling some serious Stranger Things vibes (or is that just me?).

MONOGEM – TAKE IT SLOW (DEEP CHILLS REMIX)

He isn't called Deep Chills for nothing! The Italian producer is bringing some much-needed summer vibes to Monogem's hit single, “Take It Slow,” on this tropical house-indebted remix, which hears Gianmaria Sanna set Monogem's dream-inducing vocals against a backdrop of shimmering synths and pulsating basslines, resulting in a sun-kissed groove that I'm totally here for!

KANYE WEST (FEAT. THE-DREAM) – BED YEEZY SEASON 5

In February, Kanye West launched Yeezy Season 5 at New York Fashion Week, and although the show featured no “new” music, an old 17-minute demo of The-Dream performing “Bed” – a song that he co-wrote for J. Holiday in 2007 – was played on loop throughout. That demo – which was reportedly edited by Kanye's collaborators DJDS – has since made its way onto SoundCloud, and you can listen to it in all of its pillowy glory while pretending to be Kylie Jenner above.

ARTY (FEAT. MATY NOYES) – FALLING DOWN

Stop everything that you're doing and immerse yourself in the blissful sounds of ARTY. The Russian producer collaborates with Los Angeles vocalist and all-round We Are: The Guard favorite Maty Noyes on “Falling Down,” a tropical house-inflected composition that – despite what the song title may suggest – carries listeners to truly uplifting heights with its array of euphoric melodies.

STEFAN – SELF CONTROL

Dim the lights as stefan is delivering some serious baby-making music in the form of “Self Control.” “I just wanna fuck/She just wanna fight/We do this all night/It's all out of spite/It's all out of spite,” croons the enigmatic producer throughout the oh-so-sensual slice of so-called “neo future,” which finds stefan's Auto-Tune vocals paired with an array of trap-inspired beats. An essential addition to any bedroom playlist.

SUI ZHEN – DEAR TERI

Step into the whimsical world of Sui Zhen (pronounced “Sue-ee Chen”) with her latest single “Dear Teri.” Featured on the Australian singer-songwriter's recent album Secretly Susan, it's a pastel-hued piece of music that combines her lounge-like coo, fanciful flutes and flourishes of jazz guitar. “It's a love song dedicated to friendship and the unspoken exchanges that occur between two people,” says Sui. Listen!

ALAYNA – FALLING AUTUMN (PROD. ASTRONOMYY)

Having recently made the move from New Zealand to Brooklyn, alayna introduces herself to the blogosphere with her stunning debut single “Falling Autumn.” Despite being produced by beatmaker to the stars Astronomyy (Zara Larsson, Billie Eilish), it's the 23-year-old songstress who takes center stage with her infallible vocal performance on the breathtaking R&B ballad, which alayna tells The Line of Best Fit is “about finding the stillness and comfort in someone else, it's about connecting with someone on a deeper level and being confident in what you want, crave and feel.” <3

EMMIT FENN (FEAT. YUNA) – MODERN FLAME

Los Angeles artist Emmit Fenn turns up the heat on his latest single. Featuring Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna, “Modern Flame” is a scorching hot duet that sees both Emmit and Yuna lend their R&B-tipped vocals to a vocalic electronic production that erupts in all of the right places. “It was awesome to collaborate with Yuna on this one – she's incredible,” says Emmit. “I'm excited to finally share all these different genres and layers of my project.” *Insert fire emoji here!*

MICHL – EVERYTHING'LL CHANGE

After a successful 2016, Michl returns with his first single of the year, the menacing “Everything'll Change.” Combining the Los Angeles artist's smooth croon and a brooding electronic soul production, Michl tells The FADER that “Everything'll Change” was written in response to the recent election: “Right now it's important to express our feelings on the current social climate. For me, anger and frustration are involved on a daily basis. But at the core, all these emotions stem from being hopeful that things will soon change.”

PRIVATE LIFE – LOST BOY

Australian electronic pop duo Private Life (Renee Anderson and Jamie Barlow) debut on We Are: The Guard with their melancholic latest offering “Lost Boy.” Possessing listeners from the off with its haunting opening lyrics (“Somebody, somebody special, once said I was their favorite person”), the piano-driven piece soon transforms into an ethereal elegy-of-sorts that stirs the soul long after it finishes.

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Have a lovely weekend! x

“Photo” by Redd Angelo is licensed under CC0 1.0 (cropped and resized).

About Jess Grant

When Jess Grant isn't writing on music, she can be found playing it – on her guitar, on her ukulele, and on her recently acquired mandolin. Playing it hideously, she ought to add. Jess also studies. She studies the English language, to be precise. Jess is currently on her way to a degree in the subject, and enjoys starting and never finishing novels, screenplays, and poetry in her spare time. She also likes dogs. Lots of dogs.