BEST CHILL MUSIC - WEEK 13
by Jess Grant
3/29/19
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the latest edition of We Are: The Guard's Best Chill Music! That's right – as the working week comes to a conclusion, the team and I are back with all of the biggest vibes to land on the blogosphere over the last seven days. Whatever your plans are this weekend – whether you're going out and enjoying this beautiful spring weather, or staying at home and binge-watching The OA (me too!) – this playlist is sure to ease you into them in style. Just grab your headphones as it's time to check out the following songs from Goldroom, Robot Koch, Logic, NAV, Emotional Oranges, and seven other favorites!
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BAKAR – CHILL
The title pretty much says it all, no?! Bakar ain't got time for stress or complications on his latest single “Chill,” an easygoing rendering of his indie-punk vision that hears the London native bringing his effortlessly raw city-boy energy to the song's languorous riffs and head-bobbing beats.
GOLDROOM – COCAINE GIRL
It's been a minute since we last heard from Goldroom, but the Los Angeles artist is back this month with “Cocaine Girl.” The song is a sultry, shimmering dream of a listen that kind of reminds me of a chill version of Animal Collective's Panda Bear, with Goldroom's vocals echoing out over a blissed-out synth-wave production that coruscates like a tropical island sunset.
ROBOT KOCH (FEAT. JULIEN MARCHAL) – MOVEMENT I
Following on from the release of Sphere last year, Robot Koch returns this 2019 with “Movement 1.” The first single to be unveiled from Sphere (Out Takes & Remixes) – a collection of songs recorded for, but ultimately left out of, Sphere – is a cinematically stunning composition that very much meets at the intersection of ambient, classical, and electronic music, with Robot drawing on all three of these genres in order to deliver a listening experience that feels at once immersive, and as vast as the universe.
KIDSWASTE (FEAT. KOLE) – SLEEPING PILLS
We all need to escape from reality every once in a while, but rather than resorting to illicit (not to mention potentially harmful!) substances to drown out the noise pollution, why not try a dose of “Sleeping Pills” by Kidswaste instead?! Featuring KOLE's emotive vocals levitating several inches above Kidswaste's light, airy synth pads and driving dance percussion, “Sleeping Pills” is sure to provide you with a much-needed reprieve from life's trials and tribulations.
DENM – LIFE'S TOO SHORT
We Are: The Guard's very own DENM returns just in time for the warmer weather with “Life's Too Short.” The first single to be unveiled from the Huntington Beach artist's forthcoming debut album is already shaping up to be a contender for the song of the summer, with DENM's laid-back garage-pop production combined with his all-around posivibes having recently earned him a place on Spotify's New Music Friday playlist!
LOGIC – I'M PROBABLY GONNA ROCK YOUR WORLD
If you've ever wondered what it would sound like if you combined motivational rapper Logic and purveyor of slacker-rock Mac DeMarco, well, wonder no more, as the two unlikely artists are brought together as one on “I'm Probably Gonna Rock Your World.” Featured on Supermarket – the soundtrack to Logic's recent debut novel of the same name – it's a hazy, sun-kissed groove, with Logic crooning (not rapping!) over a yacht-rock-lite production courtesy of Mr. DeMarco.
NAV (FEAT. THE WEEKND) – PRICE ON MY HEAD
Having first collaborated two years ago on “Some Way,” NAV and The Weeknd are joining forces once again this 2019 on “Price on My Head.” Lifted from NAV's recent album Bad Habits, it's a darkly skittering cut that explores feelings of paranoia and the ill effects of fame, with The Weeknd also using the song as a chance to fire some more thinly veiled shots at Drake: “You beefin' with yourself, tell the truth/N***** on your side, they would ride for me too/Still wasting they time, tryna come for me too.”
EMOTIONAL ORANGES – BUILT THAT WAY
Coinciding with the announcement that they're set to release their debut EP The Juice Vol. 1 in May, Emotional Oranges are back this month with “Built That Way.” It's a deliciously old-school slice of neo-soul that the We Are: The Guard favorites reveal was inspired by Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu, with the Los Angeles duo's smooth boy-girl vocal harmonies coming backed by warm R&B drums and lusciously retro guitars.
ASKJELL – AUTUMN, AUTUMN
He's previously worked alongside the likes of AURORA and Sigrid, but Askjell is getting ready to take his own place in the spotlight this 2019 with “Autumn, Autumn.” An engulfing blend of classical and electronic music that dramatically builds in intensity and emotion over the space of five and a half minutes, “Autumn, Autumn” is an arresting masterpiece that's left me eager to hear more from this Norwegian producer.
HER'S – COOL WITH YOU
Concluding this week with the late, great Her's. Following on from the news of the Liverpool duo's untimely deaths alongside their tour manager Trevor Engelbrektson on Wednesday, it only felt right to conclude with this whimsy beauty of a song, which originally featured in this column last year. Rest in peace, Her's, and thank you for the music.
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Enjoy your weekend, everyone! Oh, and don't forget to follow We Are: The Guard's Best Chill Daily! on Spotify for more! x
Jess Grant is a frustrated writer hailing from London, England. When she isn't tasked with disentangling her thoughts from her brain and putting them on paper, Jess can generally be found listening to The Beatles, or cooking vegetarian food.