Today’s Track: Charlotte Adigery – “Bear With Me (And I’ll Stand Bare Before You)”

May 8, 2021 — Leave a comment

We’re only thinking about the Bare necessities when it comes to this. New post time!

Pictured: Charlotte Adigery in a photoshoot for HuckMag.com (2019) (Photography by DEEWEE)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, I’m wishing you a nice weekend despite the rain, and it’s time for me to get typing up for our daily track on the blog, as always, since it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! DEEWEE have released the ‘Foundations’ compilation album just yesterday, a project including 27 tracks from a selection of it’s artists described as a cohesive “audio experience” which documents the year we’ve had, and Lagasta.com says that “It’s an expression of the values of a musical family with the brothers Stephen and David Dewaele {aka Soulwax & 2 Many DJ’s, who run the label} at it’s heart, featuring their creative input throughout”. On the compilation LP, you’ll find exclusive new tracks from Movulango, James Righton and Charlotte Adigéry. The latter is a very talented Belgian-Carribean Alternative Pop talent who is perhaps best known for the ‘Zandoli’ EP that she released in 2019, which is still the home of the best song lyrically about wigs out there in the unforgettable ‘High Lights’. Her latest single, ‘Bear With Me (And I’ll Stand Bare Before You)’, was written and produced with her partner – and fellow DEEWEE-signed talent – Bolis Pupul during lockdown, and it speaks about the intimacy and vulnerability of our confinement in the era of the cringe-inducing ‘New Normal’. Let’s give it a spin below.

Charlotte Adigéry has supported Neneh Cherry on tour, and, in 2016, she contributed vocals for the Dewaele brothers, or Soulwax & 2 Many DJ’s, theme ‘The Best Thing’ for the soundtrack of the 2016 indie film festival favourite ‘Belgica’, as she continues to establish herself as one of DEEWEE’S most treasured artists. In her own words: “This song is about my insecurities as an artist during the pandemic but also finding joy in other aspects of my life”, adding, “Getting closer with my loved ones, and finding time for self-love and self-care” as she breaks down her expression through the track, which opens with a soulful vocal that gradually introduces strobing drum beats and, later on, downtempo electro-funk synths to the fold. The lyrics take subtle jabs at her personal situation as a music performer, with lines like “Livestreams weren’t part of the dream” and “Do miss the stage, confined” that address her lack of touring revenue and therapeutic parts of the London live circuit that she misses. However, she juxtaposes these sharp, if brief, inklings with the positive takeaways of the modern times, as lines like “They say there’s Dolphins in Venice, They say I’m finally home” and “Relevance guaranteed, Yes, that is what I need” are delivered more hopefully, and they hint towards isolation and connection as a refreshing breather for her. The vocals feel pure and natural, without any effects, and the opening drum intro gradually adds a striving bass thump, dissonant notes of electric guitars, and a glitzy Nu-Disco groove as a multi-dimensional chorus slowly comes into the surface. The futuristic Disco production feels fractured, the harmonies of her vocals are compact, and the cinema-leaning 80’s textures get shinier as the earworm heads in altered directions, which keeps the proceedings unpredictable and varied. While not as repeatable as ‘High Lights’ was, it’s far from your bog-typical compilation filler, as the track gives itself the ability to keep re-inventing it’s own little wheel and it doesn’t rely on one specific element for long. If I were to offer one piece of constructive criticism, it’s that it’s subject matter feels just a tad outdated for me. Restrictions are easing up and, while I can’t speak for anyone else, I don’t particularly want to hear music that’s to do with Covid-19 for much longer. That said, it’s one of the better picks of the bunch and it doesn’t feel conventional for it’s topical matter, and it feels much fresher than some of the other offerings that have been shared over the course of the weird year. This is ‘barely’ a bad song at all, and rather, one that does it’s artist good justice.

Pictured: Cover for “Deewee 050 – Foundations” (Compilation) (Available on May 7, 2021) (via Deewee)

Thank you for the support, and checking out the blog today. In ‘Barely’ 24 hours time, a new ‘Scuzz Sundays’ post is set to make an appearance on the site. It marks the second appearance on the blog from a group of Chicago-based Metal legends who scored a UK Top 20 hit in 2015 with a modern cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s 60’s seminal hit ‘The Sound Of Silence’. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Nia Archives – “Headz Gone West”

May 3, 2021 — Leave a comment

Headz, Shoulderz, Kneez and Toez…Kneez and Toez. On that note, it’s new post time!

Pictured: Nia Archives in a promotional shoot for The Pit, London (2020) (Article by Ben Tibbits)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, as always, since it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! ‘Headz Gone West’ is a short-and-sweet single that’s been sneaking it’s way onto my radio show and streaming library over the last week or so. It comes from the London-based (by way of Manchester and Leeds) singer-songwriter and visual graphic designer Nia Archives, who mixes Erykah Badu-inspired Neo-Soul and light Hip-Hop with more DIY-spirited Jungle and Drum & Bass production. There’s also some love for House music and UK Garage included in the pot too. Archives has just released her debut EP, of the same name as her latest track, via HIJINXX – which is also the name of the youth street art project that she also manages. Nia has remixed Lauren Faith, and collaborated with Zeitgeist, and so the stock is rising for this young lady, who claims to work primarily from her bedroom using old and second-hand kit to express herself through her material. Tune in below.

“Making the EP was super fun!”, Nia told Clash Music, elaborating, “I had a little DIY set up in my room, and I would sit up all night making loads of quick beats for fun… some of them I would end up proper vibesing to and kept working on them”, finishing up with, “Overall, the project is massively inspired by my love for breakbeats, jungle and D’n’B – and ‘Headz Gone West’ is the second track I wrote for it straight after ‘Sober Feels'” as she guided us along the process of putting together her first solo release. Her Jamaican heritage seems to have played a role in the intoxicating blend of lo-fi synths and Dub underlayers, paired up with lyrics that talk about independence, difficult relationships with familial figures and alcoholic addiction. The chorus of “My head has gone west, ain’t never getting nowhere, I watch the sunrise and then the sunset, I wanna get high so I can forget” balances a storm within the beauty, while a slightly more subdued verse gives space for lines like “I can’t sleep at night, I have so much on my mind” to address the elephant in the room willingly, despite the tone of the beats feeling danceable, and the subject matter of the lyrics feeling relatable. What I like about what Nia does here is the blending of traits from different genres that feel soulful, yet unwind in an experimental way that holds a personal quality for her. The explorations of late 80’s liquid rave music culture and German Soundsystem Reggae all fit under a similar umbrella and so the pieces all fit together neatly. The cohesion is really nice, yet there’s a feeling of “Summer anthem” to the mildly euphoric style. The lyrics have a darker mood if you read between the lines of the skittering, IDM-like breakbeats, however, and there’s simply a decent deal of interesting fusions to maintain your attention here. There’s a little over-reliance on repetition, but the duration is cut short and sweet, as to not overstay it’s welcome too much. Overall, it’s early days for her, but these results seem solid and very promising.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Headz Gone West” (EP) (Released on April 29, 2021) (via HIJINXX)

That’s all for today – but don’t forget to bring your Headz back over to the blog tomorrow for another review of recent, new music, this time coming from the Hip-Hop side of the pond, as we bring our focus to another emerging artist who was born in Boston, raised in Kenya, and now lives in New York City after graduating from the Berklee College of Music. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: The Chemical Brothers – “The Darkness That You Fear”

May 1, 2021 — Leave a comment

Trust the Brothers – because the Brothers are gonna work it out. Time for a new post!

Pictured: The Chemical Brothers (Tom Rowlands & Ed Simmons) (2019) (Photo by EMI Records/Virgin)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and, as per usual, it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! Fresh off the announcement that 90’s Big Beat dance crossover stars The Chemical Brothers will be performing at festivals like Creamfields and TRNSMT later this year, a surprising new single has already been released, ‘The Darkness That You Fear’, their first piece of new material since the critical success of 2019’s ‘No Geography’ LP which won Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards last year. It’s a little unclear as to whether a full-length follow-up to that excellent album is nearing completion, but it has been a fairly quick turn-around from the British music legends that sees them already getting back to work. The duo’s Tom Rowlands comments of the new track, “The Darkness That You Fear is a hopeful piece of music. When we found the combination of the different voices worked set to the flow of the music, it made us feel optimistic – like it was something we wanted to share” on the message of the new release, which is accompanied by a psychedelic, festival-themed music video from the Bristol-based director Ruffmercy, who has also worked with guys like DJ Shadow and Run The Jewels. Let’s wash ‘The Darkness That You Fear’ away below.

Previously signed to Astralwerks, Rowlands and Simmons have recently jumped ship to major label Republic Records, whose chief executive Glenn Mendlinger, who brought the duo’s new track to the dancefloor, comments “The Darkness That You Fear marks the return of the mighty Chemical Brothers. It is a classic Chemical Brothers opus that is psychedelic, lush and full of optimism. Tom and Ed prove they are pioneers of the genre with this uplifting track that is perfectly timed as the world comes out of darkness into light and colour” in their public statements. ‘Psychedelic’ and ‘Lush’ are similar to the words that I’d use to describe the new track, as a slightly eerie vocal sample leads the tone and atmosphere of the sprawling single. The recurring hook of “Let your heart see the colors all around you” comes across as more of a prayer than a reflective piece, leading to a more soulful undertone created by the vocal sample used in the bridge. Instrumentally, a Funk-inflicted backbeat takes the lead as the more shimmering synth melodies begin to overlap a shaky opening vocal sequence. The chorus of-sorts is a rhythmic, smooth section where the production goes for an old-school, 90’s dub party vibe of optimism and positivity. I particularly like the flickering synths break towards the final stretch of the track, before a final explosion of colour and energy points towards a brighter future. It feels like a solid tribute to the festivals that have all been cancelled and axed over the last year, with an accessible yet meticulous assortment of glowing and pretty sounds. A fantastic track that once again reminds us why The Chemical Brothers are so good at what they do, and boasts a simple message that holds cultural meaning and expression at it’s core. I’ll “Push The Button” on this – the one that’s labelled “Repeat” all summer long.

Pictured: The Chemical Brothers at Glastonbury Festival (2019) (Photo by Herbert P. Oczeret/EPA)

There’s ‘No Geography’ as to whether we’ve supported the ‘Block Rockin Beats’ of the Manchester icons, and so you can check out my retro review of UK #1 single ‘Let Forever Be’ featuring Liam Gallagher here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/11/todays-track-the-chemical-brothers-feat-liam-gallagher-let-forever-be/. Or, if you’re a fan of 2002’s ‘Star Guitar’ then ‘Hey Boy, Hey Girl’, here we go: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/08/31/todays-track-the-chemical-brothers-star-guitar/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “No Geography” (LP) (Released on April 12, 2019) (via Virgin/EMI Records)

That’s all for today – But feel free to join me again tomorrow for another new addition to our ‘Scuzz Sundays’ library of the past Pop-Punk throwbacks to THAT phase from our younger years. Tomorrow’s entry comes from a Texas Nu-Metal project with only one major label album to their credits. In March 2002, one of their tracks was famously used for then-WWF’s (and now WWE’s) Raw weekly television programme theme tune until October 2006. If you liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every daily new post is up and like the Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Vegyn – “B4 The Computer Crash”

April 26, 2021 — Leave a comment

Can I tell you a Vegan Dad joke? I promise you that it won’t be cheesy. New post time!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Like A Good Old Friend” (EP) (Released on Mar 19, 2021) (via PLZ Make It Ruins)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, as per usual, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! I have been playing ‘B4 The Computer Crash’ – twice, actually – on my little radio show, and it comes from an artist who I wasn’t familiar with at all before I caught wind of him on KEXP’s Song Of The Day podcast. Vegyn is the alias of Joe Thornalley, a British, but now Los Angeles-based, electronic IDM music producer known for his production work on two albums from Frank Ocean in the past. In 2019, he released his debut solo album which saw collaborations with Retro X, Jeshi and Freddie Gibbs making the rounds. This year, he’s back with a new EP ‘Like A Good Old Friend’, released last month on his own PLZ Make It Ruins label. As you may have guessed from the title of the new short form record, some of his friends make appearances, the likes of which include London rapper John Glacier, pianist Duval Timothy and the lapsteel guitarist Daniel Aged, all bringing unconventional sensibilities to his core sound. Check out the sampler below.

An episode of depression influenced the mental health struggles being explored in the ‘Like A Good Old Friend’ EP, as he told The Face, “A friend let me stay at their house and they happened to have a piano”, “I was like ‘cool’, OK, I’m just gonna try and figure this thing out”, before he broke it down with, “My chords are definitely weird, but to me they’re not weird. I’m really just playing with shapes and trying to lean into the emotive quality of the music”, in the interview. For me, a Jazz sensibility can be read between the lines of ‘B4 The Computer Crash’ with freestyle melodies and playful beats providing a slightly quirky, but emotionally driven, undertone to the table. The rest of the track swoops in for a 90’s Deep House or slightly Acid Techno feel, as trippy pacing and glitching effects are also commonplace. For my own interpretation of the track, it reminds me of the times when we’re pushing forwards after a bad situation, but whatever is troubling is, comes back and makes us sad again, before briefly being pushed to the back of our minds again, before making us grieve again later. It’s not depressive or anything like that, but it’s depicting a struggle with mental health in an accurate way. The push-and-pull pacing of the track is reminiscent of the push-and-pull nature of sadness, but that is not to say that we don’t find the positive within the negative. These warped beats are matched with a somehow slick, polished and smooth bassline that feels ambient and nostalgic, and so it contrasts the darker edges of the experience with some overlapping warmth. Before, of course, a brief meltdown comes into play once again. The lo-fi Hip Hop beat comes through nicely, and the retro internet dial-up effects play on memory. Familiar, but not too comfortable, Vegyn has released one of the most delightfully unique electronic singles of the year with an excellent balance between warmth and warped.

Pictured: Vegyn (aka Joe Thornally) in a recent publicity shoot (2021) (Photo Credit: i-d.vice.com)

That’s all for now – let’s hope the computer doesn’t crash again. Tomorrow’s track sees the triumphant return of one of my favourite modern artists, who has confirmed that her new album will be releasing in September. One day after my birthday, weirdly enough. It’s the follow-up to her breakout third studio album, which won awards for Best Album at the NME Awards and Ivor Novello Awards, as well as being nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2019. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

New Album Release Fridays: Andy Stott – “Hard To Tell”

April 16, 2021 — Leave a comment

The Manchester-based IDM producer who puts zero Faith In Strangers. New post time!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Never The Right Time” (Released on April 16th, 2021) (via Modern Love Records)

Good Morning to you – My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s finally time again for me to get typing up with today’s track on the blog, as always, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! This week’s new release schedule is a bit more subdued than usual for me, with nothing that immediately strikes a great deal of familiarity with me. Your options include the first new album from The Offspring in nearly a decade, the sixth studio album from unique Dublin-born multi-instrumentalist Imelda May, and also the tribalism-centric second studio release from the cult Michaigan band Great Van Fleet, who have drummed up some buzz overseas. However, the name that I am going to focus on today is Andy Stott, who rings a small bell with me because I enjoyed what he did with ethereal textures and haunting percussion on 2014’s ‘Faith In Strangers’. I haven’t kept tabs on him much since then, but the Manchester-based producer of Dub and Techno music has remained prolific, releasing five long-player albums on the Modern Love label. The cerebral new album was reportedly finished last year, but after dealing with a heavy set of personal issues, no doubt, worsened by the isolated nature of the Covid-19 pandemic, he decided to re-develop the record into one that he describes as a “kind of inner-world sadness trip”, and it follows up 2019’s double EP release of slow and raw ambient tunes, ‘It Should Be Us’. Check out the lead single ‘Hard To Tell’, with vocals from Stott’s Piano teacher and frequent collaborator, Alison Skidmore, below.

The Techno reformist has always been credited as a musician whose music draws from a snapshot of where he feels he stands creatively, functioning as a reflective spearhead of whatever curiosities have been nagging his mind persistently, and he says of the new release, “Definitely in the past, my productions were organic, quite dense and thick. There was something really false and thin and delicate about these new sounds”, adding, “At the same time, there was something really beautiful about it and it sparked my interest. It triggered these other things that I had heard in my mind and I realized I could get the same vibe with that sound”, to hint at the possible new music directions. Whereas ‘Faith In Strangers’ was a little more beat-oriented and strangely suited for a wind-down scene at a dark and dingy nightclub, his latest crawls towards more Dark Ambient and interior sounds. The opening feels reminiscent of a Nigerian or Taiko drum beat, building a sense of ‘Things are not as they seem’ before a polished, twangy bass guitar riff enters the scene. The vocals of “Don’t have to feel, No need to fight” are very depressive and grim, with washing waves of aching Synth melodies trickling their way into the fray. The vocals of “Sharp like a needle, This life I’ve bought” and “Street lights and cars gleam/Ferociously” sit uncomfortably and disorientingly in the mix, but the instrumental bed effects offer enough of a hint at Stott’s more melodic past work on ‘Faith In Strangers’ to feel strangely comforting at points, and act like an open acknowledgement of misery and pain, and a shoulder to cry on. We simply don’t hear a great amount of music about things like chaos and destruction these days, and ‘Hard To Tell’ also reminds me of The Future Sound Of London’s ‘Dead Cities’ from 1996 with it’s slow-building progression and it’s slightly Cinematic undertones, which makes me picture some post-apocalyptic imagery of urban decay. I think the track relies on a little co-operation from the listener to use ‘Theatre Of The Mind’ to get the strongest effect from this tune, and it’s probably not something that you would just slip on at some house party, but there’s an excellent balance of weight and light to the proceedings. If you are a listener like me who likes to just indulge in the sadness at times for melancholy therapy, however, this works pretty well for that situation. Dreary and Bleak – but in the most hauntingly solid way.

Pictured: Andy Stott at the live “Modern Love Showcase” (2014) (Photo via Detroit Metro Times)

That’s all for now – I’ll leave you to enjoy your weekend, or grieve along to this, either way, enjoy what you do. My first new Scuzz Sunday featured post in two weeks will arrive in two days’ time with style. Before then, however, I’ll be back tomorrow, for the second appearance on the blog from a slightly off-the-radar Folk multi-instrumentalist, signed to the Secretly Canadian indie label, who has released her latest single as an ode to the “Lost Musician” that is Nick Drake. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Way Back Wednesdays: New Order – “Fine Time/Don’t Do It”

March 24, 2021 — Leave a comment

Just over 20 years later – Is there still ‘Truth Faith’ in this track to soar? New post time!

Pictured: Bernard Summer (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar/Synths), Phil Cunningham (Lead Guitar/Electronic Percussion), Gillian Gilbert (Keyboard/Programming), Tom Chapman (Bass Guitar) and Stephen Morris (Drums/Splicing/Percussion) (2021) (Photo taken from PR/Factmag.com)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time again for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of new music every day! It’s Way Back Wednesday – where we revisit one of the important sounds of the past that has influenced the exciting, fresh sounds of the present. New Order are cool – and it’s about ‘Fine Time’ that we featured some of their material on the blog. Although this track probably isn’t given the same mainstream airplay as ‘True Faith’, ‘Blue Monday’ or ‘World In Motion’, it still reached #11 in the UK Singles Chart. Although I probably wouldn’t consider New Order to be one of my top favourite artists upon my initial instincts – I have consistently enjoyed the music that Bernard Summer and his co-horts have put out over the years, and since a bulkload of that music was from before my time, I think that has something to say about their funky musicianship and crossover appeal. ‘Fine Time’ was officially released in 1988 as the A-side of a 12″ Vinyl release, which included the B-side of ‘Don’t Do It’. Written and recorded partially while the band were on tour in Ibiza, the lyrics were modeled after a witty incident where drummer Stephen Morris’s car was towed, and he had nearly forgotten to pay the fine for the penalty. It was another modest hit for the band in the UK, but it also found success within the Top 10 chart in Finland, Ireland and New Zealand, along with finding commercial success in the US, where it landed a spot on three of Billboard’s genre charts. The track was later included as a single from the band’s fifth studio album, ‘Technique’, a year later. Let’s cast our minds back with the official music video below.

“My car had been towed away and I had to remind myself to go and pay the fine”, Summer said to his press team on the track back in the day, “I just wrote ‘Fine Time’ on this piece of paper, to remind myself to go get it and, I thought that’s a good title” was the statement that he used to explain how, at times, the human eye is the most responsible component for creativity. The critics were also big fans of the single, with Aaron Febre of Niner Times writing that it’s off-kilter sound had “refurbished the band and gave them a fresh start, and Ned Raggett of AllMusic writing that it “not only had paid attention to the acid-house/Ibiza explosion but used it for its own ends, capturing the frenetic energy that the musical eruption on British shores had unleashed with strength and style” in his review. It certainly has a vibrancy and a sense of experimentation which gives it a distinctive edge, especially for a group who were off the back of their commercial peak at the time, with the low-pitched voice samples and the hyper-energetic synthesizer sequences going for an outgoing vibe. The keyboard sections also feel wonky and not conventionally structured, with an overall Disco influence that feels subverted by the explorations of Neo-Psychedelia. The vocals contemplate the moral universe of the dancefloor, and by extension, party life. Lyrics like “You’re much too young, to be a part of me” and “You’ve got class, but most of all, You’ve got love technique” feel enigmatic, but witty due to their drunk-sounding effects. We get to a bridge were “The past doesn’t matter” is repeated by a robotic sound effect that evokes the Industrial Motorik of Kraftwerk or Visage, but the instrumentation feels less flat and the lyrics feel more daft. Overall, it is a likeable anthem because it sounds like something I would feature on my “That Was A Hit” segment of my radio show, in the sense that it feels like a hit that was unusual for being that. This clearly breaks away from the typical Pop format with the seemingly unrelated vocal hooks and the musical non-sequiturs making for a strange mixture. It felt like a bold creative direction for the group to take, however, because they were determined to re-invent with the use of a crazy, silly ode to the Ibiza Club and Acid House dance music explosion and, for all of these risks, it succeeds in paying them off.

Pictured: Cover Art for “Technique” (LP) (Released on January 30, 1989) (via Factory Records)

Well, it really has been a pleasure to stop and muse as always… but it’s about “fine time” that I got on with a few other jobs on today’s list now. I’ll be ready to go back at it again tomorrow, however, with an in-depth look at a collaborative single that seems to have gone down as a hit for the BBC Radio 6Music listener’s group on Facebook, coming from a lesser-known US indie Post-Rock band from Illinois who based their debut album on the frontman’s early experience of living among a Cult. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

New Album Release Friday: Nubiyan Twist (feat. Soweto Kinch & Nick Richards) – “Buckle Up”

March 12, 2021 — Leave a comment

You may stop to ask, how many people does it take to make one song. New post time!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Freedom Fables” (Released on March 12th, 2021) (via Strut Records)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and, you guessed it, it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, since it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Here we are again. New release day. This week’s offerings include a new solo LP from Cypress Hill’s DJ Muggs The Black Goat, a live album from North London’s Sorry and the return of German indie pop duo Haerts – who have had their music featured in numerous film & TV productions like ‘Carrie’, ’13 Reasons Why’ and ‘Love, Simon’. Tom Grennan is paving the way for the mainstream crowd, and Grouplove are back with a surprise new album. However, the record that’s earned the spotlight from me for this week comes from Nubiyan Twist. Born out of Leeds and currently based in London, they are a 10-piece Afro-Jazz collective comprised of a 4-piece Horn section, two vocalists and an electronics rhythms section. Orchestrated by guitarist/producer Tom Excell, the band have released their second album, ‘Freedom Fables’, today via Strut Records. The guest list includes CHERISE, KOG, Ria Moran and more – each of which “explores their own memoirs, a freedom of expression underpinning our belief that music is the ultimate narrative for unity” on the record. The group have seen rotational airplay from BBC Radio 6Music in recent weeks, among frequent performances on Jamie Cullum’s show on BBC Radio 2, with an appearance on ‘Later… With Jools Holland’ set to follow this month. So – let’s hit the gas pedal (Ya get it?…) on ‘Buckle Up’ below.

‘Buckle Up’ sees the London-based collective enlisting the help of saxophonist Soweto Kinch for a melodic solo, and a further call for help from vocalist Nick Richards, who sings about the mundanity of an unfulfilling life cycle. With Latin Jazz, Afrobeat and Trip-Hop callbacks, the single was an effective teaser for a record where “You can hear touches of broken beat, blunted hip hop, highlife, Latin, jazz and UK Soul running through the tracks” according to Tom Excell in a press statement for the album’s announcement. Although seeing a few Covid-related delays along the way, it’s here in the end. Predominantly, I feel that ‘Buckle Up’ references the sounds that the ensemble grew up becoming attached to, with a vintage tinge of Roy Hargrove-esque Brass melodies and undulating Organ polyrhythms blending with the more modern production allocated by the synth-inflected backing of the grooves and the bright horn lines which permeate the mostly Soulful qualities of the sound. The vocal section of “Sometimes I lean back in my chair, look up at the sky, Past these clouds and stars/To find new perspectives to loosen up my life” pads out the first half, while the second portion of the track goes for a more Hip Hop-inflicted beat. A speedy vocal delivery from Richards lowers the melodicism a tad, and the chorus allows the splashings of Trumpet melodies to shine with a more summery, energising mood, with vocal lines like “A journey to find a sense of peace and not desire” and “If I could catch a glimpse, Maybe this time find a door to the peace of my mind” feel much more self-reflective and self-developed. The Latin Jazz style feels at ease with the more melodic Hip-Hop influences though, with a little Dubplate and Reggae bursting through the Spoken Word outro. Overall, while the results are not a groundbreaking record, they are deeply satisfying and quite likeable. It feels relaxed, although not too restrained, and it feels nicely accessible – I’m glad that I could come along for the ride.

Pictured: Tom Excell (Lead Vocals/Producer), Nick Richards (Saxophone), Pilo Adami (Percussion), Oli Cadman (Keyboard), Denis Scully (Baritone Saxophone), Joe Henwood (Drum Machine), Finn Booth (Bass Guitar), Luke Wynter (Synths) and Jonny Enser (Horns/Woodwinds) (in 2021) (Photo via PR)

Thank you for reading my latest blog post! I’ll be rather busy making the trip back to my university term-time accommodation tomorrow, and so my entry tomorrow will probably be a little shorter and sweeter than usual. I can’t let the team down though, so I will be back with an in-depth look at the final track in my pre-Christmas backlog, at last. Tomorrow’s band emerged from a promising wave of early-2010’s British Hardcore Punk groups, with the line-up being a 5-piece super-group of musicians from bands like Arms Race, Vile Spirit and Gutter Knife. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

New Album Release Friday: Jane Weaver – “The Revolution Of Super Visions”

March 5, 2021 — Leave a comment

If could have any Super Power in the world – I would abolish Covid-19. New Post time!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Flock” (LP) (Released on March 5th, 2021) (via Fire Records)

Good Morning to you – I am Jacob Braybrooke, and as you may have guessed, it’s time again for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, since it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Quickly, we’ve reached the end point for another week in Lockdown, but rest assured, there are always new things to do from Friday. Last week was a jam-packed point for new album releases, and so this week feels quite a bit lighter. There’s a new LP from cult Scottish Prog Rock duo Arab Strap, Norweigan Alt-Pop producer AURORA, and the most mainstream-targeted release comes from the reigning Kings Of Leon, as well as a new single to announce the upcoming new album from iconic female Alt-Rock singer St. Vincent. It’s slim pickings for me this week, but the one artist that I probably have the most familiarity with is Jane Weaver. Even that familiarity is not a large deal, but I remember enjoying the shape-shifting Synth-Folk sounds of her previous LP, “Modern Kosmology”, in 2017. Her ninth main album release, “Flock”, arrives today via Fire Records, with live touring dates all over the country to follow later in the year. The new record is also available on an olive-green vinyl and poster from Rough Trade, and a Crean-coloured Vinyl from Indie Store. Although you might not know her by name, Jane Weaver has been around for a long time. She was a former member of Brit-Pop band Kill Laura, who used to manage New Order in the 1990’s. She was also part of the Folktronica project Misty Dixon, and Weaver also fronts her own ambient chillwave side-project, Fenella. Let’s sample “The Revolution of Super Visions” below.

“The revolution accidentally happens because so many people visualize the same ideals and something supernatural occurs” is what the Liverpool-based singer-songwriter and electronic producer said of the lead single taken from her newly arrived album in a press release, continuing “Everyone is exhausted by social media, inequality and the toxic masculinity of the world leaders contributing to a dying planet” in her written analysis of the track’s core themes. Starting off with a simple “You look good” and a basic “Do you look at yourself and find nothing?” over the top of a strutting, 80’s-inspired Disco synth riff and a fairly acidic, yet mellow synth line. For me, there’s a real Bowie-ism found within this sound, with a lighter update of Glam-Pop than Goldfrapp gave us on “Black Cherry” in 2003. The vocals rely on long, shimmering harmonies as verse lines like “I wasn’t ready to say, but I danced to your beat for sixteen hours/I’m camouflaged at the scene” and “See you gaze in the haze, the line of fire” have a long and high-pitched tone, being recited over the top of a strutting bassline that fits the current vogue for retooled disco. Weaver, however, refuses to shy away from the themes of materialism and consumerist addictions that I can interpret in her lyrics, with subtle vocals like “You try to dress to impress, This occasion for me, it’s time to hide” landing a more significant impact on a more intent listen. Songwriting aside, the instrumentation matches the cosmic-themed visuals and the 80’s Synth-Pop aesthetics with a host of bold layers, as distinct psychedelic synthesizers and processed, discordant acoustics production give the track a rather progressive feel, instead of necessarily relying on the creation of a punchy hook. In the end, though, my imagination isn’t too hard-pressed to imagine Gwen Stefani or Jessie Ware performing the track as it’s centerpiece. However, it’s the well-timed fusion of Prog-Pop and Prince-inspired mid-90’s Synth-Funk that makes the melodies memorable to me. It’s a solid case of Weaver bending the rules of Pop to her benefits.

Pictured: Jane Weaver outdoors in Manchester for Silent Radio (in 2017) (Photo by Joseph Curran)

Thank you for taking up the time to check out my new post! What are the new music, film or TV releases that you’re going to be purchasing, downloading or streaming over the weekend? Let me know in the comments below. Don’t forget to join me again, in the meantime, tomorrow – where we’re going to take a look at some recently-released music from one of my childhood staples of the Scuzz era. Perhaps their most recognisable track, “Make Me Wanna Die”, was previously used as a featured track on the movie soundtrack of 2010 Hollywood comic book film “Kick-Ass”, which starred Chloe Grace Moretz and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: SG Lewis (feat. RHYE) – “Time”

March 1, 2021 — Leave a comment

Let’s find out if his latest mix is worth jamming out to Time after Time. New post time!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Times” (LP) (Released on February 19, 2021) (via Jasmine Music Limited)

Good morning to you, I am Jacob Braybrooke and it’s time for me to get writing up or your daily track on the blog, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to get typing up about a different piece of music! New month, new music – and that sentiment feels certainly true for the Reading-born electronic dance music producer, SG Lewis. Samuel George Lewis has just released his debut studio album, “Times”, through Virgin EMI and PMR Records, becoming his landmark full-length release after he began posting his own retrospective, uplifting club anthems online to streaming formats like Soundcloud. Inspired by the Sophisti-Pop of James Blake and Bon Iver, and the club-oriented Hip-Hop sounds of artists like Common and Timbaland, Lewis made a name for himself on viral platforms, while sharpening his live mixing skills by getting involved in the nightlife of his local scene in Liverpool. The superb Orlando Higginbottom (a.k.a. TEED) has a production credit on “Times”, but you will also find collaborations with Nile Rogers, Channel Tres, Robyn, Frances and more on the record too. SG Lewis has also established creative partnerships with Raye, LANY and Bruno Major over the course of his young pro career as well. The opening track, and fourth single, on the LP is “Time”, a laidback Disco-House fusion track that features a soulful vocal performance from Canadian R&B singer-songwriter RHYE, who featured on the blog with his new solo work on this blog just two weeks ago. Let’s take a listen below.

A record that pays loving tribute to Deep House, Chillwave, Synth-Funk and Dance-Pop music, SG Lewis announced “Times” as his first high profile release since his interconnected suite of “Dusk”, “Dark” and “Dawn” EP’s over the last two years, through his popular social media accounts back in late-October. With the announcement, he clarified that “This album is an ode to the present moment, and the finite chances we have to celebrate it. It’s an exploration of escapism and euphoria, and the memories attached to these experiences”, in conveying the moods and tones explored within the 40-minute recording. Kicking us off, “Time” is a taster that sets the scene for the rest of the track listing, with a vocal sample taken from “Don’t Look Any Further” by Denis Edwards. It paves the way for the light Garage beat to drop in, with a gentle and soothing Acid melody that reminds me of the late-90’s overly played hit “Music Sounds Better With You” by Stardust. RHYE’s vocals fit the mid-tempo template nicely, with lines like “Sun’s coming up, I wanna play” and “See me fadin, Come on and love this false horizon, babe” carrying the message to make the most of every day and not to take the nice little moments in life for granted. It’s nothing too deep, but it resonates clearly. The chorus is a little more involved, with a beautifally mid-volume arrangement of strings incorporating some classic Disco beats into the tune as the Violin strings swell and soar over the beaming synths of the mid-tempo bassline. An understated series of Conga drum beats is the cue point for the big finale of the track, where the Funk-inspired grooves dip below the vocals of “Somebody says, come over here” to replicate the sounds of vinyl crackles as the beat gently begins to fade away. With club doors currently closed around the world, we can only hope that SG Lewis will be able to take these sounds to festival stages late in the summer to make the most of this music. However, I’d rather he release this music than keep delaying it, like the new Bond movie because it allows a feeling of normalcy to breathe through the harmonies. RHYE’s vocal performance is strong, while the production of the track feels inspired and tinkered with. This sounds a little more commercial than the type of electronic music that I would typically choose to listen to, but I still think that it would sound great on mainstream daytime radio. It’s easy to like, there’s clear inspiration in the sound and it feels well-produced overall. It was – basically put – well worth spending 4 minutes and 20 seconds of my Time with.

Pictured: SG Lewis backstage at Coachella Music and Arts Festival (2019) (Photo via the360mag.com)

That’s all for today! I’ll be back tomorrow, just like every day, with an in-depth review of some more brand new music – this time coming from an Israeli-born singer, songwriter and self-producer whose track was once used in an advertising campaign for Apple’s music streaming service, and in her earlier years, she used to studied composition at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Way Back Wednesdays: Orbital – “The Naked and The Dead”

February 17, 2021 — Leave a comment

On gut reaction, I’d rather be in the former situation than the latter. Let’s go Way Back!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Radiccio” (EP) (UK Release) (Released in 1992) (via FFRR Records)

Good Morning to you – my name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time again for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, because it is routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! I’m pretty suprised that I’ve not covered any of Orbital’s work on the blog before, since the Kentish DJ brother duo of Phil & Paul Hartnoll are very much within my alley of 90’s electronic dance music releases. Yet, here we are – and it’s taken our weekly archive dig to get me there. A lost cut from the “Halycon” EP, which was released in the UK as the “Radiccio” EP here for us in the UK, and in Japan too, “The Naked And The Dead” is one of those deep dives Orbital tunes that time forgot, as is naturally the case with these projects. This EP barely managed to crack the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart, but “Halycon” is still one of the better known tunes from the Hartnoll brothers, especially in the mainstream, and Orbital remains to be one of the most critically acclaimed groups from the 90’s peak of IDM and Acid Techno music. Known for their improvisational style in live DJ set performances, and the photographs of atomised Orbitals on their cover sleeves, Orbital took their name from the M25 orbital motorway of Greater London, which was central to the early rave scene in the South East during the early days of Acid House music. Let’s check out their deep dive below.

Orbital were mainly active between the very late-80’s and 2004, but they have reunited twice in the 2010’s since, with new albums each time to boot. According to the Hartnoll brothers, this old tune represents: “Consumer goods are tending to lose all use-value. Their nature is to be consumable at all costs”, elaborating on this,”Which is to say: Non-values or empty, fictitious, abstract values, you are no longer as old as you feel, or as new as you look, but as old as what you buy” in the original archives of the EP’s press notes. Touching on consumerist values and adapting lifestyles to fit social stereotypes as contextual themes, “The Naked and The Dead” gives me a somewhat dystopian vibe, because it’s simply one of the heavier releases that I’ve ever heard to come from the creative minds of the two Hartnoll brothers. Struck by an unrelenting Jungle influence, the drum beats sound tribal and the bassline hits a fast tempo. The vocals are a sample taken from Scott Walker’s version of the track “Next”, which, in turn, is a cover version of an old pop tune originally sung by Jacques Brel. The inspiration behind the “Halcyon” EP also revolved around Hartnoll’s mother’s addiction to the drug Triazolam for many years, which is obviously known as Halcion otherwise. This darker variation of tones, especially compared to past Orbital hits like “Chime” and “The Mobius”, feels reflective of that matter. The repeating hook is sporadically layered under a polished Drum sequence, while the Synths give off a viably more strobe lighting-like effect that was a good fit for late-night festival sets. While retaining it’s dance-oriented roots, the layering of the synths and the drums is quite merticulous, with the ethnological drum beats and the trickling Synth sequences replacing old Drill ‘N’ Bass production with the West African-influenced percussion. After the sweat dries, the track likes to keep itself afloat by repeating the opening sequences and incorporating the Scott Walker sample to add a slightly soulful quality. It would ware a bit thin by the end of the long 12 minute remix also found on the EP, but it works for the short version. It wouldn’t be classed as one of their greatest hits, but it’s worth a tad more recognition than it gets.

Pictured: Phil Hartnoll (DJ/Producer) and Paul Hartnoll (Synths/Drums) (2017) (via Channel 4 News)

And… we’re back in the present! Join me tomorrow, where I’ll be contrasting these ancient throwbacks with some brand new music that I’ve recently discovered through the Bandcamp app. Join me again then – for an in-depth look at a single from the sophomore album to come from a Danish indie Post-Punk Revival band, who have just released the new LP on Fat Possum Records. Boasting a decade of experience, the 21-year-old frontman has previously been a part of his local indie rock band Cola Freaks, and has ran two indie music labels under his wing – Shordwood and 100 Records. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

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