TOP CHILL MUSIC - WEEK 5

Can you believe January is almost over already? How are you holding up with your New Year's resolutions? If you're anything like me, I'm going to assume not so hot. It's all good, though, as the start of a new month is an ideal time to begin again with your personal and professional goals. Of course, to do that, you need to be in a sound headspace, which leads me on to the latest edition of We Are: The Guard's Top Chill Music.

As February approaches, get your mind right this Friday with the following selection of chill vibes from Tycho, Porter Robinson, Caribou, and more.

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JAMIE ISAAC (FEAT. NOSAJ THING) – NEXT TO ME

British crooner Jamie Isaac and Los Angeles lo-fi beatmaker Nosaj Thing are enveloping us in sumptuously chill grooves on “Next to Me.” The first single to be taken from the duo's forthcoming collaborative EP 3 is an effortlessly lush, laid-back vibe, with Jamie's soulful lamentation to a long-distance lover intertwining with Nosaj Thing's ticking pulse with ease.

TYCHO – OUTER SUNSET

Coinciding with the announcement of his instrumental album Simulcast, Tycho's Scott Hansen has shared the overwhelmingly soothing “Outer Sunset.” Scott reveals the cut was inspired by the San Francisco beach area of the same name, with undulating guitars and pattering drums gently lapping at the senses like an ocean wave beneath a sky of crimson.

PORTER ROBINSON – GET YOUR WISH

It's been six years in the making, but Porter Robinson is finally back today with “Get Your Wish.” “'Get Your Wish' is a song about finding a reason to keep going, even if it's not for your own sake,” writes Porter of the wistful ballad, which manages to sound at once euphoric and melancholy as his pitched-up vox are carried skyward by a surging of drums.

DAN CROLL – YESTERDAY

It's been a while since we've heard from Dan Croll, but the British boy returns at long last today with the sprawling “Yesterday.” As hinted at by the title, “Yesterday” takes a lot of its influence from the early work of The Beatles, with Dan revealing the acoustic delight was in fact inspired by a songwriting session he had with Paul McCartney while attending LIPA.

KAASH PAIGE – LOVE SONGS (REMIX. FEAT. 6LACK)

Me every time 6LACK opens his damn mouth:

CARIBOU – NEVER COME BACK

Caribou continues to build up to the release of his album Suddenly with the effervescent “Never Come Back.” Clocking in at just over five minutes, it's a bouncy house banger that unites around a variety of percussive and vocal samples, at the center of which sits Dan Snaith's warmly reassuring voice, with the final result making for a vibrantly summery swirl.

EMBRZ – LETTING GO

EMBRZ is taking us to a different universe entirely on “Letting Go.” It's a lush, epic piece of music that hears Jack Casey designing a whole new world out of his dreamy synth strokes, with the barren electronic landscape coming inhabited by a solitary female voice who repeatedly asks us to let go and enjoy this alternate reality EMBRZ has crafted for us.

EKALI & MOSSY. – CAGE

Having first teamed up two years ago for “Stay Hollow,” Ekali and mossy. are joining forces again today for “Cage.” Featured on Ekali's recent album A World Away, it's a warm, organic instrumental that also makes for a deeply adventurous, transportive composition, with sounds of chanting and running water coming together over a four-on-the-floor thump.

ZES – DIVE

Zes makes his debut on San Holo's infallible bitbird with the calming ode to self-care “Dive.” “I took a dive in the wishing well/But the water never touched my skin,” sings the Dutchman over undulating glitches at the beginning of the song, which eventually ripples outward like the most tranquil of tsunamis thanks to some emphatically placed bass drops.

JUSTIN BIEBER (FEAT. KEHLANI) – GET ME

This is no doubt my first time featuring Justin Bieber in this column, but if he keeps making music like “Get Me,” well, who knows? Featuring Kehlani, “Get Me” showcases a notably more mature side to the 25-year-old compared to “Yummy,” with sultry dancehall beats backing Justin as he pays tribute to the chemistry between him and his wife, Hailey Bieber.

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Don't forget to follow We Are: The Guard's Weekly Chart on Spotify for more chill vibes. x

Photo by Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash

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.