Island Breeze: House + Electronic Music with a Caribbean Vibe

Ah, summer is slowly fading away. September starts next week, and shortly before I even notice it, the Fall weather will start creeping it’s way into the DMV (DC.MD.VA.) But don’t get me wrong, I especially love everything about Autumn. I enjoy going apple picking with my mom, I enjoy sipping hot apple cider, buying sexy layered looks, and I love the fact this is my last semester in undergrad.

So, the changing of the season is a good thing for me, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to miss summer. Even though I didn’t have time to hit Virginia Beach or Ocean City, I still enjoyed the summer weather. And man, I can’t even begin to fathom how awesome the music was this summer. So many great summery mixes were released, and a good majority of them ended up right here on this blog. I couldn’t be selfish, I had to share the great music with my beloved readers.

Of course when you think of summer time, the first thing that often comes to mind are those sunny days on a beach, and if you’re lucky to take a trip, you’re probably aiming for a Caribbean getaway. And if I had to bet a popular destination this year, I would say that Jamaica seems like a good choice.

We already know that the Jamaicans dominated track this year at the Olympics, and Jamaica is a very popular topic amongst us women with natural hair (we are obsessed with raw Jamaican Black Castor Oil.) Not only is Jamaica popular for getaways, track athletes, and oils that make hair grow quick, but it’s a popular destination/theme amongst a lot of musicians this summer.

The most recent song titled “Jamaica” is by a Sydney based group Van She. “Jamaica” is the group’s first single off their EP Idea of Happiness and today they released the official music video for their summery single.

Another summery tone called “Jamaica” is by Theme Park and it has more of an indie rock sound. Theme Park is an alternative band from London, and their hit single was titled “Jamaica,” but has a different meaning/vibe then Van She’s version of “Jamaica. The original is a nice chill track, but the remix by Gigamesh is quite a delight.

I love the original, but I’m more into the remix by Gigamesh. Sounds epic. 

The theme of “Jamaican” has been pretty big this summer, but one track that truly captures the Caribbean  spirit comes from the courtesy of a label I greatly admire, French Express. They’ve got so many great artists on their label, and a lot of the tracks from French Express end up making their way into a lot of great mixes.

One of the songs that I’ve heard over and over again on a variety of mixes by different producers and DJs is a caribbean infused track by Jonas Rathsman called “Tobago.” The track just inspires me to get up, dance, but at the same time I could totally see myself laying on a beach somewhere sipping on a Mai Tai (one of my favorite drinks.)

Now even though summer is coming to an end, there is still one track that I’ve been listening to for years no matter what season it is. Whether it’s rain, snowing, or a sunny day, I always find myself listening to Island Breeze (Trentemoller Remix) by Pashka featuring Ijeoma. Such a timeless song that allows me to close my eyes and escape reality…the evening sun, gently kissing my face.

Check out the track below and let the lyrics and the sounds caress your mind, body, and soul.