UMe Releases New Christmas Compilation “Lofi Holiday Mixtape”

LOFI HOLIDAY MIXTAPE DROPS TODAY FEATURING INSPIRED, NEW LOFI REMIXES OF CHRISTMAS CLASSICS BY BILLIE HOLIDAY, ELLA FITZGERALD, THE TEMPTATIONS AND MORE REIMAGINED BY ELECTRONIC MUSIC PROUDUCERS BLOND:ISH, EEVEE AND SEVERAL RISING STARS OF THE BURGEONING LOFI SCENE

Los Angeles – December 10, 2020 – UMe has opened its cherished holiday music library to some of the most exciting electronic music producers around the globe for a set of inspired, new Lofi remixes of classic Christmas and wintery songs from legendary artists like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, The Temptations and more. Dropping today as the Lofi Holiday Mixtape, the eight-track playlist features international festival fixture, Canadian DJ/producer BLOND:ISH, and “the queen of Lofi,” Dutch producer eevee, alongside a bevy of up-and-coming producers from the burgeoning Lofi scene, including Auxjack, Hyphen, Kuji, Somni, Roelo and V.Raeter.

The mixtape is available to stream now at all streaming services and each remix is also available individually as a digital single. Additionally, the remixes are accompanied by animated Yule log visualizer videos on the UMG Christmas Music channel to help ratchet up the digital coziness factor and usher in the holidays.

Some of the best-known Christmas chestnuts like “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Silent Night,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” “Up On The House Top” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” have been given the Lofi treatment, transforming these timeless songs into modern day remixes by injecting them with downtempo beats, woozy, hip-hop-esque samples and hypnotic loops, creating something uniquely of today yet oozing with nostalgia.

BLOND:ISH aka Vivie-ann Bakos puts her spin on “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” by reinterpreting The Temptations’ 1970 version with deep bass and an uplifting late-night groove that stays true to the funky, soulful original but wouldn’t be out of place in a dance club or festival setting. Hailing from the Netherlands, Lofi standout eevee mixes up ‘60s psychedelic soul band Rotary Connection’s “Silent Night” with a mesmerizing loop, crackling, warbly production and a Lofi hip-hop beat, resulting in a mix of the age-old and oft-recorded Christmas classic like you’ve never heard before. The remix was made under extraordinary circumstances as the producer battled COVID-19 and was in the final trimester of pregnancy. She’s happy to report that her and the baby are both happy and healthy and enjoying their first holiday season together.

In addition to two of the most popular female producers in the genre, the project features producers from around the world and is truly an international affair with artists like Berlin-based producer/DJ V.Raeter who samples the deep cut, “Jesus Christ, The Baby,” by 1950’s gospel group Six Trumpets featuring gospel legend Maggie Ingram for his head-bobbing reinterpretation, Dutch beatmaker Roelo, who takes on jazz greats the Ramsey Lewis Trio’s jubilant and jazzy 1961 recording of “Winter Wonderland” by infusing the uplifting piano-laced tune with a propulsive snap, and Jerusalem-based producer Kuji who turns Tennessee Ernie Ford’s 1971 recording of the second-oldest secular Christmas song, “Up On The House Top,” into a thumping, beat-laden instrumental.

Some of the many other highlights include LA-based producer Hyphen’s hip-hop-fueled remix of B.C. & M Choir’s soulful 1972 cover of the George Harrison classic, “My Sweet Lord,” which features a rap from the artist midway through the track, and reimaginings of beloved hits from two titans of jazz: Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. UK-born, LA-based producer and singer/songwriter Somni slows down the tempo, pitches down Holiday’s vocals and adds layers of instrumentation and atmospherics to her immortal 1937 version of “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm” to create a downtempo masterpiece that is the audio equivalent of being nestled in a blanket next to a crackling fireplace in a wintery log cabin. Brooklyn-based, Grammy-nominated recording engineer turned Lofi aficionado Auxjack updates Fitzgerald’s “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” from her revered 1960’s classic Christmas album, Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas, with echoey vocals, a soothing beat and vintage turntable effects that somehow make the perennial favorite sound old and new at the same time. It’s a wonderful gift for the song as celebrates its 60th anniversary and the sentiment that “next year all our troubles will be out of sight” is both oddly prescient and reassuring.

The Lofi Holiday Mixtape is the perfect music for low-key holiday hangs, studying for finals and decompressing as this unprecedented year winds down so cozy on up, chill out and experience the songs we all know so well in a completely different way.