Kyle Mest – Saint Audio

Essentials: “Promise” – Manu Dia

In “Promise,” Manu Dia goes beyond flexing the emotive capabilities of electronica as a genre and builds a romantic narrative of comfort and commitment. This song beautifully captures a point in time without losing the feelings and memories wrapped up in it. Now I would be remiss not to compare this song to The Postal [continued]
Premiere: “Energy (feat. Yvie Oddly)” – Josh Lumsden

In a genre saturated with songs about drugs and sex, Josh Lumsden’s new electropop single “Energy (feat. Yvie Oddly)” stands out predominantly because of the song’s production. The cycles of crescendo and decrescendo supplement the hypnotic quality of the lyrically repetitive chorus. The modulated falsetto vocals pleasantly contrast the bass. The treble synths and strings [continued]
The Saint Audio Podcast: Episode 005

Join Staley Sharples, Kyle Mest, and Jessy as they discuss music news and culture from around the world. On this week’s episode of the Saint Audio Podcast, we explore Saudi Arabia’s investment into Live Nation, a festival from hell, more digital festivals like Secret Sky and Global Dance Festival, and new music. You can find [continued]
The Saint Audio Podcast: Episode 004

Join Staley Sharples, Kyle Mest, and Jessy as they discuss music news and culture from around the world. On this week’s episode of the Saint Audio Podcast, we recap Room Service Music Festival, discuss Global Dance Digital Festival, and explore COVID-19’s impact on radio stations. You can find our podcast on YouTube and SoundCloud. Other [continued]
The Saint Audio Podcast: Episode 003

Join Staley Sharples, Kyle Mest, and Jessy as they discuss music news and culture from around the world. This week, we discuss Chynna‘s passing, upcoming digital festivals and livestreams, and Ticketmaster’s updated refund policy about events impacted by COVID-19. We share new music we’re enjoying from brakence, Yaeji, Ian Ewing, and more. You can find [continued]
The Saint Audio Podcast: Episode 002

Join Staley Sharples, Kyle Mest, and Jessy as they discuss music news and culture from around the world. On today’s episode, we’re talking all about digital festivals and live-streaming sets. We recap Brownies & Lemonade and Proximity’s Digital Mirage Festival and Insomniac’s Virtual Rave-a-Thon: HARD Summer livestream. Song: “Lockdown” – HYALYTE You can find our [continued]
The Saint Audio Podcast: Episode 001

We’re re-launching our Saint Audio Podcast series, and to kick things off, we’re talking about mashups and remixes. Join Staley Sharples and Kyle Mest as they discuss music news and culture from around the world. This week, we cover Adam Schlesinger‘s passing, digital festivals, and the history and culture of mashups. You can find our [continued]
Essentials: “9 (After Coachella) ft. MØ and SOPHIE [KRANE Remix]” – Cashmere Cat

In his remix of Cashmere Cat’s “9 (After Coachella) ft. MØ & SOPHIE”, KRANE crawls into my head and fixes most of my issues with the original. He builds off its best melodic iteration, which only appears at the end, and smooths out the rhythmic progression so there aren’t any jolting stops or jarringly sharp [continued]
Album Review: CTRL – SZA

Years after the release of Z, SZA’s album CTRL is finally here and it’s practically flawless. While the musicality, rhythms and vocals are all consistently strong, my favorite part of the album is SZA’s lyricism. With great clarity and depth she explores the complexities and nuances of self-control, love and social pressure, along with the [continued]
Album Review: 9 – Cashmere Cat

I must start by saying I am a longtime fan of Cashmere Cat. I’ve been obsessed since the release of his premiere EP Mirror Maru and his earlier remixes. I admired his fully realized and unique sound, as well as a talent for genre-bending and creating compelling organized chaos. Yet once he started gaining a greater mainstream presence collaborating with numerous popular [continued]