I often find myself overwhelmed by the amount of music flooding the scene; there really is so much good stuff out there and with releases popping up everywhere, often times artists and tracks get lost in translation. With the technology and social media we have constant access to these days, the true pioneers and hustlers of the scene have a paradoxical task in front of them: at one end it is incredibly easy to create music and put it out for the world to hear, but at the other it is just as difficult (if not more) to stay relevant and make a significant etch in the flow. Like a passing branch in the river, often times tracks and artists can be seen floating at the top for one second and gone the next. Sometimes though, that branch is successful enough to stick itself in and change your view of the river and its flow altogether. One of these artists, undoubtedly for me, is Kastle.

Kastle is, simply put, a genius. It would be a shame to try and describe or put a limit on the amount of raw talent and expansive knowledge the recently relocated San Franciscan has. I can’t tell you how unbelievably refreshing it is to listen to an artist that can be one step ahead of the game yet still so appealing to everyone I’ve met at the same time. How do you make a mix that’s fitting for when you’re happy, sad, working, playing, driving, studying, shopping, biking, relaxing, getting frisky…. all of the above? Just ask Kastle. I’ve yet to come across someone that DOESN’T like the dude; It’s hard not to enjoy someone so soulful.

Media Contender is really, incredibly proud to support artists bringing something new to the table. The sounds from the UK are getting funkier, deeper, and a little bit weirder, now thanks to Kastle we don’t have to travel to the London underground in order to get a little taste. The dude works incredibly hard, I’d call him a machine (one that runs on coffee and bass) but he is one of the most humble and kind individuals around… calling him a machine doesn’t seem right. We can’t wait to see what’s up next for the producer, all I know is that we will be keeping him very close… everything the man provides is something truly special, which makes the future look extremely bright.

Thankfully Kastle will be around for you to witness this weekend! On August 19th, we’re going to party on a ranch with the whole Media Contender / TopShelf team, and you can see Kastle do his thing alongside a heavyweight lineup of top notch talent. For more info just go here. I strongly suggest you attend every Kastle show you can, his sets are super sexy and irresistible to groove to, no matter who you are.

In case you can’t be around to see him live, Kastle’s got some fresh & exciting new stuff for everyone to enjoy. First up is his fantastic remix of one of my absolute favorite singers right now, The Weeknd. There’s been a mass of remixes of the young artist after his well-deserved media hype, with a considerable amount of appreciation from various electronic artists (Skream, Brodinski, and Dave Nada to name a few…). The minute I discovered The Weeknd I knew Kastle was the perfect man to reinterpret his songs, and man was I ever right! Kastle’s take on “The Party & The After Party” puts just the right amount of chops and strategically placed drum-loops and synths to recreate something good to make it even better.

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Click to Download “The Weeknd – The Party & The After Party (Kastle Remix)”

He also hooked us up with the next edition of his mixtapes, a great little mix to jam out to in the dwindling days of summer. Kastle, we love you!

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Click to Download “Kastle – Summer 2011 Mixtape”

Tracklist:

01. Averos – Stay Together (my.head’s Danse Macabre Mix)
02. Jon DaSilva – Love Is All We Need (Braille Remix)
03. Distal – The Sun
04. Girl Unit – Wut (Claude Vonstroke ‘Undressed Mix’)
05. Presk – Mold
06. Objekt – Unglued
07. Nouveau Palais – Drama (HxdB & Self Evident Remix)
08. Greenmoney – Into You ft. Roses Gabor (French Fries Remix)
09. Myd – Javier
10. Kidnap Kid – No One Else (Tete De Tigre Remix)
11. Synkro – Girl
12. The Weeknd – The Party & The After Party (Kastle Remix)
13. Sleepyhead – Touch In The Dark
14. Kastle – So You
15. Kidnap Kid – If
16. Damu – Mermaid
17. Salva – Keys Open Doors (MachineDrum Remix)
18. Throwing Snow & Py – As The Rain Spits
19. Sound Pellegrino Thermal Team – Bassface
20. iO – Dirty Little Secret
21. Dark Sky – Neon
22. Night Drugs – Higher ft. Moona (Jason Burns Remix)
23. Nightwave – Night Bird
24. Dark Sky – Be Myself
25. High Powered Boys – Girly
26. Lucid – Based