TOP CHILL MUSIC - WEEK 37

Fall is all about change. From the clothes that we wear to the coffees that we order, everything seems to undergo a transformation this time of year. Even the music that we listen to tends to shift, with the summer bangers of June, July, and August making way for autumnal warmers as we head into the Season of Pumpkin Spice™. On that note, with the weekend almost upon us, why not join the team and me in getting ready for fall this Friday with another edition of We Are: The Guard's Top Chill Music? Featuring M83, Alesso & SUMR CAMP, Cashmere Cat, and more, this playlist has something for everyone!

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M83 – TEMPLE OF SORROW

As he gears up to release DSVII – the highly anticipated sequel to 2007's Digital Shades Vol 1 – M83's Anthony Gonzalez returns this Friday with “Temple of Sorrow.” Clocking in at just over nine minutes, it's an awe-inspiringly ambitious piece of ambient-tinged prog-rock, with Anthony's cinematic, sci-fi-inspired symphonics embarking listeners on a spiritual journey of quite frankly cosmic proportions.

ALESSO & SUMR CAMP – IN THE MIDDLE

With summer drawing to a conclusion, Alesso and SUMR CAMP return this Friday with the perfect song to see the warmer months out in bittersweet style. “In the Middle” is basically the aural equivalent of a late Ibiza sunset burning just above the horizon, with guest vocalist Lizzy Land's honeyed vocals melting with ease into Alesso and SUMR CAMP's groovy deep-house basslines and upbeat, club-ready beats.

LANI ROSE – SMOKE WHEN I'M GONE

Lani Rose is swiftly becoming my go-to artist when I feel like getting in my feels. Following on from the release of the previously featured “Damaged” and “Warm Blanket,” the St. Louis electronic-R&B act returns this Friday with “Smoke When I'm Gone,” a Vaseline-smeared dream sequence that hears a vocally warped Lani singing about a relationship to which he can no longer commit: “I regret what I promised you/Regret what I put you through/Not because I don't want it/It's cause I don't follow through.”

HANNI – WIRED

Here's HANNI, the Australian native who's making her debut on the blogosphere this Friday with “Wired.” With a minimalistic yet thoughtful production complimenting the sweetly low-key vocals of HANNI – who counts Olivia O'Brien and Sasha Sloan among her influences – “Wired” is a quietly impactful introduction that comes complete with a killer hook that'll be rattling around your head for days to come: “Feeling tired, but I'm still wired/On your love.”

MXMS – WHAT'S MY NAME

It doesn't get much more devastating than this, let me tell you. In honor of World Suicide Prevention Day, MXMS are back this Friday with “What's My Name.” The skeletal piano ballad was inspired by the bullying that lead singer Ariel Levitan experienced throughout much of middle school and high school, with Ariel's pain and trauma cutting like a knife from the very first note to the very last note as she describes in gut-wrenchingly raw detail her struggles with teenage isolation: “Boy, what's my name?/Is it slut? Am I strange?/Girl, what's my name?/Is it weirdo? Am I gay?”

FORESTER – I-95

The sound of the city meets the utter serenity of the great outdoors on “I-95” by Forester. Featured on David Parris and Xander Carlson's recent debut album Kerosene, “I-95” is a masterfully deft blend of electronic and organic textures, with Forester bringing together the best of both worlds as their vocals soar high above the skyscrapers and treetops in truly tranquil fashion.

CASHMERE CAT – FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

He aimed straight for the feels with the aptly titled “EMOTIONS,” and Cashmere Cat is doing it all over again with “FOR YOUR EYES ONLY.” The latest single to be unveiled from the forthcoming Princess Catgirl is another fairy-dusted slice of synth-swept magic, with Cashmere Cat bringing a deeply personal touch to the electronic fantasia as reflected in the lyrics: “Show every part, oh, every part of me/For your eyes only.”

LUCIAN (FEAT. CASSIDY KING) – LET GO

Has Lucian released a bad song yet? No, no he hasn't. The We Are: The Guard favorite returns this Friday with another mesmerizing addition to his discography in the form of “Let Go.” The follow-up to “Fade” hears Lucian experimenting with elements of hip-hop alongside his signature chill stylings, with guest vocalist Cassidy King's slinky, sinuous topline really helping to bring out the intoxicating vibe of the production.

MAY-A – FOOLS PARADISE

Every once in a while, a song comes along that hits like a one-two punch to the chest. Case in point: “Fools Paradise” by MAY-A. The Australian artist – who describes herself as “socially awkward, constantly heartbroken” – has completely swept me away with her debut single “Fools Paradise,” a devastatingly sparse piano ballad that hears the 17-year-old gorgeously breathing life into a narrative about the woes of young love: “I deserve to be alone/I broke my only home/I deserve to be alone/You were my home.”

TOMOS – AN INTERMISSION

Tomos goes in search of an escape from the stress of modern-day survival on his ethereal latest single “An Intermission.” “Come away with me/To another world,” croons the British singer-songwriter on the cut, a surreal, otherworldly piece of art that comes to us by way of Majestic Casual. “'An Intermission' is about removing one's self from day-to-day stress through stepping into an imagined place of calm and bliss,” says Tomos. Listen.

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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.