5 Essential Tracks for July

In each issue of The Next Web iPad Magazine, music startup 22tracks selects five essential tracks for the month. Here’s what they picked for July’s issue.

1. Bobby Womack – Stupid

Bobby Womack is nothing less than a legend. The singer’s career has spanned more than 50 years, over 30 albums and tons of singles. You might be familiar with hits like That’s The Way I Feel About Cha and Across 110th Street, or his musical group The Valentinos. And you should be familiar with his brand new record The Bravest Man In The Universe, released on June 12 via the wonderful XL Recordings.

The label, which also released hit records by The Prodigy, The XX, Adele, M.I.A., Radiohead and lots more, connected Womack and Damon Albarn (Gorillaz) to produce this interesting record that keeps the singer relevant still, while nearing his seventies. Brussels finest Lefto selected Stupid in his Global Sounds playlist on 22tracks. The critical song is aiming at corrupt preachers and might just be the best track on the record.

2. Gang Colours – To Repel Ghosts

The <3 of EU tech

The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!

Gang Colours is a young, Southampton-based producer who released his debut album The Keychain Collection earlier this year. He has an outspoken love for slow, warm and emotive music. And the piano. His debut was released by Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings, a good space to be in.

A journalist recently wrote that Gang Colours is “Breeding surreal headphone-friendly landscapes” and I think this is a perfect way to describe this auricular massage. To Repel Ghosts is just four minutes of pure bliss. Need more sounds like this? Check out 22tracks Relax.

3. Oscar & The Wolf – Orange Sky

Oscar & The Wolf brought us the great EP Imagine Mountains already, available on Spotify. Now they’re prepping another EP called Summer Skin and Orange Sky is the first teaser the Belgian band is giving us.

Lead singer Max Colombie (1991) is a painter who spends more and more time on music, thank God. Seven years ago he became known in the finals of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Now he’s turned into this European Bon Iver featuring his hairy alter ego. This is roadtrip music. Classics recorded in cottages (that’s a fact by the way). One of the best sounds from Belgium we’ve heard in the awesome Belpop playlist, curated by Koen Galle.

4. Dr No & The Cuban Mafia – 007 Mambo (Texas Toni Re-edit)

James Bond and Cuba. We’ve seen the combination in GoldenEye and in Die Another Day. But we’ve never really heard how it should sound. Thanks to Dr No & The Cuban Mafia, a six piece outfit from Central Havana, we now do.

This funky Latino version of the 007 anthem was originally only 90 seconds long. It’s been extended by Texas Toni for our listening pleasure. This is nice. Selected in Tropical, Brussels.

We can’t embed this song, but you can listen to it on the Banquet Records site.

5. Faberyayo ft. Benny Sings – Splash

De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig is one of the most succesful Dutch groups ever. But in 2012 the four members all focus on solo releases. The most productive vocalist of them, Faberyayo, dedicates his album title to his lovely girlfriend Coco. Dutch disco legend Benny Sings takes care of all music in an amazing way. The extremely cozy sounds are combined with lyrics about dodging winter weather with watching movies on the couch. About cats. Throwing parties on your own. Eating leftovers.

Not the typical content you’ll expect from rappers. But this is so comfy, that even if you don’t understand a single word: you’ll feel like it’s sunday afternoon. Job de Wit selected Splash in his Amsterdam Pop playlist.

Image credit: Jason Milich