It has been a pleasure and honor to include some of our favorite new music here on Towleroad for the past 4 years. This is my last column here on Towleroad and I hope you all enjoy these selections through the holiday weekend.

Bird of Paradise, the project of British DJ and producer Jo Howard, is one of the many acts who have recently contributed to the wave of eastern-inspired dance music, alongside artists like Discodromo, Man Power, Partok and Khidja – all having been previously featured here on The OXD Mirror throughout this year.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/237015634″ params=”color=9900ff&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

His newly released EP Pom Fritz Choke, on Have a Killer Time Records (NYC), is another great addition to the celebration of eastern sounds and culture in dance music, amidst the unfortunate rhetoric of a few terrible wannabe-politicians. The closing track ‘Borell’ is a highlight and I’m loving everything about it – the slow tempo, the dark vibes created by the bass and overall theme in contrast with the slightly-off and yet brightly simple, echoing piano riffs. The entire EP, which also includes a remix by Man Power, can be streamed online here.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/178447342?secret_token=s-lS7t7″ params=”color=9900ff&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

The queer Berlin label Cocktail d’Amore (founded by the boys of Discodromo) has already a couple releases lined up for 2016, including Omer’s Spring EP, another great example of eastern-inspired music. Omer, an Israeli-born/Berlin-based DJ and producer, creates a beautiful soundscape of reverberating flutes and keyboards paired up with an emotional bass, perfectly suited for those cathartic late-night moments on the dancefloor.
Jex Opolis‘ ‘Circle of Drums’ great percussion work and summery feel got me hooked from the first listen. Given the unusually warm weather in New York this month, this will sound really well on speakers throughout the holiday weekend.
Nebraska, who has released records on Mister Saturday Night and Rush House in the past, shared the dreamy (and groovy) ‘Uh-Woo-Haa’ this week. Head over to Stamp The Wax’s site to download it with a pay-what-you-like donation that will go to Help Musicians, a charity that supports musicians in times of crisis.
Benedek’s ‘Airwayz’ gets a “garage mix” done by Tom Noble – an elegant mix of warm melodies and positive vibes to close out my last column on a high note.

OCCUPY THE DISCO (OXD) is a gay, New York City-based DJ collective who got their start curating alternative night life and music events for the LGBT community. The OXD Mirror serves to showcase house, disco and techno tunes that are definitely off-the-beaten-path but rightfully deserve the attention of the gay ear.

Check out these tracks and more on our Soundcloud. For more information on OXD, visit our website at www.occupythedisco.com, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter/Instagram: @OccupyTheDisco.