It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow, and we’ve got our hands on a fairly appropriate track to kick off Sunday’s Best with. No depressed Drizzies doing their “Fall For Your Type” thing that is, or lascivious Robin Thickes singing about sex therapy. Although I am tempted to turn this into a collection of cheesy R&B tracks, we have a stream of the new collaboration between Jessie Ware and Sampha for the people out there who have a soft spot for love songs. Previously worked with another Young Turks delegate, SBTRKT, for the Nervous release on Numbers, this collaboration with Sampha is just as good (maybe a little better, even). Here’s your Valentine jam for the year, coming out tomorrow on heart-shaped vinyl through Young Turks:

Stream: [wpaudio url=”https://truantsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Jessie-Ware-And-Sampha-Valentine1.mp3″ text=”Jessie Ware & Sampha – Valentine” dl=”0″]

Juan Atkins, techno godfather. That statement alone could encompass the legacy or downright reputation surrounding this single tune. Or better yet my laziness that sunday brings, not wanting to explain in depth. This particular track “Dayshift” is a lifted from his his newest EP forthcoming on the oh so tasteful Scion-AV Records. Which is quite surprising, considering Scion is an automotive company. Perhaps it may be a long lost motor city connection Surrounding the origins of techno?… Anyways, the beat starts off quite different from what you would expect from Juan. Instead of a streamlined dance floor oriented beat styled by the likings of Model 500, one of Juan’s many aliases. Instead you get a minimal approach to the groove While still retaining that otherworldly afro-futurist sound he’s known for. Then halfway through accompanied by orchestral strings. Enjoy.

Download: Juan Atkins – Dayshift (320 kbps)

With James Murphy bashing the shit out of ‘scalpers’ only the other night, it would be churlish to avoid posting something that has his stamp all over it. Back in 2007 (yes, unbelievably that is 4 years ago), Murphy and Pat Mahoney opened their Fabriclive compilation with ‘Beginning Of The Heartbreak’, I for one had no idea who Peter Gordon was at this time, but after a quick Google search quickly realised the influence he and his Love Of Life Orchestra had during the 1970s in NYC. They played a role that now could be attributed to Murphy in today’s current climate. Despite the track being part of a mix CD, I’d quite often find myself listening solely to this song; so last year when I found out that DFA were releasing a retrospective album attempting to encompass the career of Gordon, I awaited its release eagerly. The album dropped to critical acclaim, particularly ‘That Hat’ co-written by the legendary Arthur Russell. Prince Language who has previously produced edits for the likes of LCD, MGMT and more recently Azari & III more recently, pays homage to the brilliance of the original but keeps it relatively simple with this edit. He adds a little more melancholy, whilst keeping the exuberance of the saxophone to the forefront. The emergence of this edit hopefully (in my eyes anyway) hints towards a forthcoming release of edits/remixes of Peter Gordon & Love Of Live Orchestra on DFA.

Download: Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra – Beginning Of The Heartbreak (Prince Language’s Edit)

Not quite sure why Danny Brown isn’t a lot bigger than he is. We’re in some strange post-lyrical, weird social media era of hip-hop and the only excuse I can think of is he just isn’t that good with computers as the rest of his peers or he just doesn’t give a fuck. Think I’m gonna believe in the latter. The track is old (Late 09) but I don’t believe it ever made an actual release it’s a bit tamer than his other releases (See: Cyclops & Need Another Drink) but both Danny and Elzhi drop some jems. “Rolling that/Thundercat/Kush look like panthro” & “You worthless piece of shit/Your baby momma begged me to suck my dick!/And I ain’t gon’ let her, she look like predator/You a gay boy like David Archuleta“.

Download: Danny Brown – Contra ft. Elzhi (Prod. by Apollo Brown) (128 kbps)

One of Switzerland’s freshest and finest beatmakers Chief, probably best known for his collaborative work with rappers, singers and other beatmakers all over the globe, has dropped a brand new beattape on his very own label Feelin’ Music. ‘Drone Beats & Electric Waves‘ is the follow-up to the 2009 album ‘Collabo Collection’ and really showcases Chief’s qualities as a forward-thinking producer, bringing a fresh-sounding blend of electronic influences with classic hip-hop beatmaking in a great coherent collection of brand new instrumentals crafted specifically for this project, so no leftovers and rejects here! ‘Scanner Resurrection’ is a give-away track off the album, the atmospheric vocal pad which kicks off the track will get your head nodding even before the beat gets rolling and delayed synths backed up by vinyl crackles fill up the track to a lovely whole; the level of detail in elements is amazing.

Download: Chief – Scanner Resurrection (320 kbps)

Bonus: Feelin’ Music is giving away the tribute album Do The Dilla – A Tribute To The Drum Master, a limited concept album with 11 exclusive remixes from Dilla (R.I.P.) made by beatmakers from Switzerland, France and Belgium.

The following paragraphs may seem to be dripping with V-Day themed clichés, yet it’s merely a stunning and convenient coincidence that I found this edit in time for this week’s Sunday’s Best. The track in question inspires such fondness from me and was released on one of my favourite labels ever – Roulé, founded by HRH Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk infamy, a bastion of life-changing French house back in the late 90’s. As one might gaze lustfully at an adored lover, just looking at the artwork on the front of every Roulé record makes my heart beat faster and my pupils dilate with nostalgic rapture.  Here Louis La Roche, the 21yr old prodigal Francophile has re-jazzed the aptly titled ‘Honeymoon’, originally released as part of the stone-cold classic ‘Hello My Name Is DJ Falcon’ EP in 1999, which is probs one of my favourite EP titles ever and contains a snapshot of the kind of music that ignited my unending love affair with French house back in my late teens. Resist temptation to shower your lover with trite sentiments, overpriced bouquets and obvious trinkets – play them this instead. J’adore.

Download: DJ Falcon – Honeymoon (Louis La Roche Modernized Edit) (320 kbps)