Today’s Track: Avalon Emerson – “Rotting Hills”

February 16, 2021 — Leave a comment

Inspired by Richard Curtis & Hugh Grant… Oh wait, that’s Notting Hill. New post time.

Pictured: Avalon Emerson in a DJ Kicks Mix cover shoot (2020) (Photo by David Black/DazedDigital.com)

Hello, and a Good Morning to you! I am Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time again for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, because, if you haven’t read the blog before, it’s routinely my day-to-day pleasure to get writing up about a different piece of music every day! A 32-year-old female software designer-turned-electronic music producer, Avalon Emerson has more or less done it all in her explorations of IDM, Techno and Post-Industrial music. She’s now based in Brooklyn, New York – but she’s also spent time in Berlin, where she was a regular at the Berghain nightclub. Emerson has also performed a full set at Coachella festival, and she has put out remixes for the likes of Robyn, Slowdive and Four Tet over the years. She broke out in 2016 with her single, “The Frontier”, which was ranked among Resident Advisor’s Top Ten Tracks Of The Decade that year. Also known for her series of DJ-Kicks mixes, Emerson’s latest formal release was the “043” EP which housed the single, “Rotting Hills”, which dropped on the AD 93 label in December, and it gained a spot on the A-list of BBC Radio 6Music. This projects followed a road trip that she took with her girlfriend from LA to New York last summer, where the two filmed videos that, as Pitchfork describes it, “blurs the line between the ecstatic and the anxious”. Let’s take a listen to it below.

Pre-existing fans of Emerson’s work may find that an earlier mix of “Rotting Hills” appeared on her latest “DJ-Kicks Mix” back in September, and in an interview with Dazed, Emerson explained the inspiration behind the moods and tones of the track as “a study in contrasts, both tonally and emotionally. Mixing feelings of hopelessness, while also trying to enjoy what we have now in the present”, which she further elaborated on in the EP’s press notes. We’re going to move swiftly forwards, however, and we’re going to think about the reflective nature and the child-like qualities of the electronic beds. Starting off with an element of Afrobeat with a joyous Conga beat, the Synths soon come rumbling in and creating a luscious effect with the shimmering synth patterns that end up flickering on and off. A two-step disco beat is briefly noticeable, while the bright 80’s sounds manage to create a very retro and nostalgic emotion when the synths break to reveal an upbeat bassline. The drums veer away from the comforting feel of the synths and contrast the uplifting qualities with some classic Drill ‘N’ Bass production, adding a more aggressive silver lining to the theme. We continue to build to a clean breakdown, where the tempo of the synths increase and the ferocity of the drums remain, and we reach the conclusion of the trickling synth lines introducing the more old-fashioned sound to the fray once again. It’s reminding me of the vintage Warp Records stylings of the 90’s IDM era, with old-school ambient textures and child-like samples heading into the picture, while the slow-building ambient influences of producers like Photay and In Love With A Ghost give it a forward-thinking coat of paint. It is mostly 80’s and retro however, with global influences like Peggy Gou also drawing my mind. I may be biased as this type of music typically really is right down my street, but it’s another lack of disappointment for me. The influences never lose my attention, and the balancing of throwback and experimentation is smooth. It is another solid performance from a talented producer.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “040” (EP) (Released on December 11th. 2020) (via AD 93)

There’s my daily challenge fulfilled for another day. However, it won’t be long until the clock ticks and I’m here again. It’s not just any old post tomorrow, though, because we’ve got our weekly “Way Back Wednesdays” pick to look forward to. We’re going to be taking an in-depth look at what could be, perhaps, one of the lesser-known mixes from one of the most prolific electronic dance music acts to emerge from the 1990’s. I’m suprised that I haven’t actually covered this Kent-ish DJ brother duo on my little website before, with the cover art of three of their albums famously showcasing stylised atomic Orbitals. 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: Ela Minus – “They Told Us It Was Hard, But They Were Wrong”

February 9, 2021 — Leave a comment

A fresh discovery – ready for you to give either a Plus or a ‘Minus’. Time for a new post.

Pictured: Ela Minus at Moogfest in Durham, North Carolina (2019) (Photo via Novationmusic.com)

Good Morning to you – my name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up on the blog for your daily track because, as I’m constantly reminding you, it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Ela Minus is a name that previously eluded me for a while, as I had sifted through sparklers of her material through some support on BBC Radio 6Music and through some bits-and-pieces sent to me by my cohorts from the Student Music Network over the past few months, but it was when I saw her fantastic live performance for KEXP’s Live At Home series that my ears finally paid her the notice she deserved. Currently based in Brooklyn – but born and raised in Bogotá, Columbia – this Techno wizard fell in love with the drums when she attended the Berklee College Of Music when she was 18. Her debut album, “Acts Of Rebellion” was released in late October by Domino Recordings – the same label where you will find more familiar names like Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Hot Chip and Anna Calvi. The 10-track LP received positive reviews, and she cements herself as an effective One-Woman orchestra with a love for exploring Witch-House, Techno, Art Rock and Dream Pop. She also uses the slogan of “Bright Music For Dark Times” to describe her own style, and it is ironic because her music sounds generally pretty moody despite the twinkling keyboards. “They Told Us It Was Hard, But They Were Wrong” is my favourite track of her’s. Check it out below.

Her real name is Gabriela Jimino – and in an ideal world, she would have supported Caribou on tour and then played a euphoric live set at the gigantic Coachella festival last summer, but we all know how that plan turned out. Nonetheless, she summed up her music in an interview with WODJ Magazine, by saying that her overall message of her work is that “I want to give people an alternative. An alternative to everything, another path, another way forward” within her textures. She is as much of a hardware tinkerer as an educated composer, and each of Minus’ mantras feel precisely reflected in the above track. Set off by slowly bubbling sequences that lead into stroking Synth blips, Minus’ voice flows into the chilling grooves created by the Staccato synths and the sonar-like pulse of the airy, gently breathing chord progression. It never quite feels like club music by the direct opening, but the pacing of the sequences gradually intensify and the Drums work in tandem with a provocative Keyboard riff to create a more cooling atmosphere to the darker tones in the towering synth beat. The vocals, meanwhile, create a moodier variation of tones where refrains like “We always know in the first minute or so/If something’s worth staying for” and “If you have to go to the bottom of a hole, To find what’s wrong, just let it go” feel as though they are mildly provoking a resistance. The sequences are broken up by a slower bridge, where Minus’ half-spoken and half-sung voice adds further intrigue. It takes a little while for a big beat to drop, but when it does, it’s paired with an oddly motivational set of lyrics, and the crescendo of the built synths release the tension with a more rhythmic undertone, where looping sonics and meandering keys riff on the more hopeful ambience. What I really love about this track is that there’s a real spirit of DIY Post Punk hidden in the execution though it bears no resemblance to the shouting and guitars of that genre. It really gradually becomes about freedom and independence, and defiance against the corporate. I love to picture this being played at some artsy elaborate French fashion show of modern art, but it also sounds like it could be directly taken from a high-budget Spy flick or a John Wick-like action sequence. It draws on the cinematc, while keeping the underground roots of the ideas intact, sounding like Billie Eilish goes Kraftwerk in the provoctive textures. The underlying theme of her music is an idea that resistance grows from everyday practices, and this feels harsh yet inspired. This is phenomenal and she’s going to do remarkable things.

Pictured: Cover Art for “Acts Of Rebellion” (LP) (Released on October 23, 2020) (via Domino Records)

There’s enough rave-reviewing from me for today! Yet, we’re shifting away from the relatively new releases to the comparatively vintage offerings tomorrow as the “Way Back Wednesdays” series once again takes the floor. In tomorrow’s new entry to the growing library of the feature, we’re going to take a detour back in to 1999 for an in-depth listen back to what is presumed to be the first-ever recording put out by one of Warp Records’ highly prolific electronic dance music producers – Who used to previously self-release his own material for his very own independent label which he famously named “Mute Recordings”. 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: Bicep (feat. Clara La Sun) – “Saku”

January 22, 2021 — Leave a comment

I know it’s January – but let’s not give this one the Cold Shoulder. It’s new post time…

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Isles” (Album/LP) (Released on 22nd January, 2020) (via Ninja Tune)

Good Morning to you – I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s now time for me to get typing up about your daily track on the blog, since it is routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day. It’s New Album Release Friday – which means it’s time for me to lead you into an in-depth look at one of the artists behind this weekend’s new album releases. This week’s selection includes the fourth album from the Canadian R&B outfit RHYE, as well as new outings from UK Grime rapper Bugzy Malone and US cult rockers Moon Taxi – along with the new EP release from Venezuelan Art-Pop enigma, Arca. However, the most high-profile new release in a while has arrived today from Bicep. The duo – which is made up of the Northern Irish electronic dance music producers Andrew Ferguson and Matthew McBriar – have been gaining a lot of traction in the UK Club scene, and rock-solid airplay from BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 6Music, in recent weeks, has exposed more casual ears to their layer-building sound. Bicep was formed in 2009 as a blog called “Feel My Bicep” where the two DJ’s used to post lost tracks of the Chicago House and Detroit Techno variety, along with forgotten Disco Pop and Italo Disco remixes. “Isles” is the title for the new LP, and it’s just been released via Ninja Tune. It represents a “snapshot in time” for the duo, and the guest list includes Julie Kent, Machina and Clara La Sun. The latter features on the new single “Saku” – and you can check out it’s video below.

So far, the reviews for “Isles” have been rather kind. Bicep said of the hotly anticipated new album, “We aim to pull influences from a broad range of inspiration when we write music, our tracks often go through many iterations and directions before we settle on the final ingredients”. The duo added that “Saku feels like a good example of a hybrid for us” to their press notes. “Saku” feels like an encapsulation of Bicep’s global influences, with 90’s IDM and 00’s Garage sounds creating a textured, dreamy vision. The drum programming evokes a light Hip-Hop breakbeat, while Clara La Sun’s vocals feel melancholic. She sings: “Can’t say the feeling was strong, Know you’re thinking of me” and “I just need to feel what I felt before, Can you help me feel what I’m waiting for?” with a minimalist delivery, as a whispered vocal unfolds below an animated percussion. Subtle layers of timbres and polished production glides above La Sun’s vocals, as she sings: “I just need to feel everything before, Can you help me feel what I’m searching for?” with a vagueness that feels provocative and ethereal. It isn’t immediately danceable, with abstract drum beats and hypnotic sonic loops building layers on layers of synth sounds. The slow-building soundscape builds to a crescendo, where the vocals are cut out, and we’re left with a vigorous backing vocal loop that faints softly in the background. Meanwhile, the sound gets more intimate and synth-driven, with a bright stream of hazy synth effects invoking an emotive atmosphere. The repetitive percussion sounds and the honeyed synth production retains a cinematic element. The vocals evoke a 00’s R&B aesthetic, before the flourishing synths take hold of the pacing. Although I’m a little bit less familiar with Bicep’s work – in comparison to Aphex Twin or The Chemical Brothers – I think that I can see the appeal to them. The layers build up to convey a dream-like aural environment – with polished synth instrumentals and tranquil vocals that hint at a science-fiction soundtrack feel. The idea of a home-listening trance record from the duo is a rather bold move – and I feel the album would have benefited more from the sweeping euphoria of a live summer stage – but I realise that is not viable right now given our current situation with COVID-19. All in all, I think there’s much to enjoy here.

Pictured: Andrew Ferguson (DJ/Producer) and Matthew McBriar (DJ/Synths) (2019) (via Facebook.com)

Ages ago – I posted an in-depth review of one of Bicep’s earlier offerings – “Atlas” – which was released last year. If you want to catch the euphoria of that track, be my guest here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/05/19/todays-track-bicep-atlas/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Atlas” (Single/EP) (Released on April 3rd, 2020) (via Ninja Tune)

That’s all for today – Don’t forget that we’ve got a new addition to our Scuzz Sundays catalogue dropping in two days time! Before then, why not join me again tomorrow? Unusually for me, I’ll be going a little bit more mainstream tomorrow. We’re going to be taking an in-depth look at the sizzling new single from a US Rock band, which is comprised up of three brothers and their cousin, who have 12 Grammy Award nominations to their name – including 4 wins. You could say, then, that they are “Royalty” of the stadium Rock scene. 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: Baba Stiltz – “Running To Chad”

December 21, 2020 — Leave a comment

This is it – A chance to take! Nightlife scene, all the plans you’ve made. New post time!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Running To Chad” (LP) (Released on September 25, 2020) (via Self-Released)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time again for me to get typing up about your daily track on the blog, because it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to get writing to you about a different piece of music every day! Although his name makes him sound like he’s a French mime artist, Baba Siltz is an upcoming, 27-year-old Experimental Electronic Dance musician from Stockholm, Sweden. He started making electronic dance music at the age of 15, releasing quirky and experimental Alternative Pop records under the mantra of the “Bethlehem Beard Corporation”. That was 10 years ago, however. Fast-Forward to 2020, where his artist biography on Spotify reads as simply “No one puts Baba in the corner”. That, and he has also released his latest solo album – titled “Running To Chad”. This follows Baba’s unconventional songwriting through the explorations of Surf-Rock, Soft-Funk and Psychedelic Rock, and it plays out mostly like a Swedish artists’ take on the beach-ready California rock sounds of the 1960’s and the 1970’s. The EP was released back in September, which he self-released. Let’s check out the title single of the record below.

The “Running To Chad” EP also features remixes of the titular single from DJ Python and Jesse, the first being a minimalist Techno cut that slowly builds to a warmer, more pulsing House track, and the second remix cut – from Jesse – is a deeper and more meditative, ambient take on Baba Stiltz’s track. As for the original itself, the track feels like a love letter to the classic, summer-geared Rock sounds of The Beach Boys and The Surfaris, as Baba whips up a lighthearted, melodic track where he comedically drops in one-liners like “San Diego dreams, California love” with a slightly cerebral and ethereal, low-pitched croon delivery. He plays the sense of quirky humor very cool, and he wears it’s heart on his sleeve while keeping a straight face through the entire length of the track – an almost 6-minute fusion of percussive drum beats, laidback bass guitar grooves and a soft Techno acid section gradually forming in the centre. The lyrics of “What you running from? Indigo dreams and a pocket full of ones” and “Took a trip, It’s an easy out/Bleach-stained hair on a Bus down south” are whimsical and darkly rhythmic, as we build to the killer hook of “It’s your favourite game, Now you’re on a roll/No return, gonna lose control”, with a distinct and flat dance-not-dance form of vocal pitch. Everything builds up to an interlude of fluttering Acid synths and percussive, Tango-esque backing beats. The instrumental has a very light-hearted and warm texture, and it feels excellent for the grim weather that we’re currently receiving here in England, as my friend pointed out to me on the phone today when we had a quick chat about this one. I think this is a track that may take longer for some people, most likely the more casual listenership, to truly connect with – in fact, I didn’t really get it at first, probably because I wasn’t really born in the Surf-Rock era that the track is borrowing from. However, it’s very worth the time and the effort, because this track feels really ‘cool’, in the way that it walks the line between a Dance tempo and a Cerebral vocal, and it is unlike anything else that I’ve been hearing recently. Now I can’t stop playing it – and it doesn’t get old!

Pictured: Baba Stiltz in a photoshoot for a Inverted Audio feature (2014) (Photo via inverted-audio.com)

Thank you for checking out my latest blog post! I’ve got more music tomorrow – a last-minute addition to our schedule on the blog for this week, with a track that came out in 2010, and I think that it’s now super relevant again given the recent news about the Christmas season, especially here in the UK. The track, never released as a single, comes from one of my “Jacob Classics” – a poetic Swedish singer-songwriter from Gothenburg who once wrote an anecdotal track about the famous movie actress, Kirsten Dunst. 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: Pet Shop Boys – “It Doesn’t Often Snow At Christmas” (2009 Version)

December 14, 2020 — Leave a comment

Everything I’ve ever done. Every place I’ve ever been. Every place I’m going to. A Sin!

Pictured: Neil Tennant (Lead Vocals/Producer) and Chris Lowe (Keyboards/Synths) (2016) (via PR)

Season’s Greetings to you! I am Jacob Braybrooke – and it’s now time for me to fulfill my daily duties of typing up today’s track on the music blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to get writing up all about a different piece of music every day! I have had a lot of fun seeking out some Alternative festive tunes to share with you via my daily means, and I have got a lot more of them in store for you this week as we build up to a very different Christmas. Pet Shop Boys, the English Synth-Pop duo of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, probably doesn’t need any real introductions to you, but aside from their obvious hits of “West End Girls” and “Go West”, I’m not too sure if you knew they recorded their own Christmas electronic dance track. “It Doesn’t Often Snow At Christmas” is the title of the tune, and it’s actually been recorded in two versions. The track was first released back in 1997 to their exclusive Fan club at the time, and it was later re-released, and re-recorded, as a new version of the track in 2009, and so the remastered work is still fairly recent. This version appeared on an EP, “Christmas”, which they released in 2009, as the B-side to “All Around The World”, a brand new single. The EP, which bundled the two tracks together, was also available in a Physical format. The cover artwork is nice, since it calls back to the balloon trademark of the Brazillian compilation, “Party”, which the duo also released in 2009. The EP just managed to crack the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart in 2009 – having reached the spot of #40. Let’s watch them perform it at the 02 Arena in London below.

Tennant and Lowe, as Pet Shop Boys, are officially the UK’s best-selling duo in music history… Sorry, Chemical Brothers… and the “Christmas” EP, which they released in 2009, also featured a remix of Madness’ “My Girl”, and a cover version of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida”, along with a re-worked version of “All Over The World”. The track in question today, “It Doesn’t Often Snow At Christmas”, is a sharper and slightly more pessimistic affair, as Tennant sings about the British national identity of Christmas and of taking a well-needed break from the commercial distractions that come along with the festive season. The synth-led instrumentation and properly “Flat” electronic sound of Kraftwerk come across as classic Pet Shop Boys, as Lowe combines vintage keyboard riffs with Choral backing vocals mixed with percussive Sleigh Bell melodies. The vocals border into Scrooge territory, as Tennant sings the likes of: “Christmas is not all it’s cracked up to be” and “Nothing on the TV that you’d want to see”, before a White Christmas lyrical reference, singing: “Bing Crosby, Are you listening to me?” before the chorus kicks in, where Tennant chants: “But, I’ll still have a glow at Christmas/Because I’ll be with you” in a quick, rhythmic fashion. He also sings: “Now, it’s all about shopping and how much things cost”, a small songwriting motif of melancholy that feels briefly profound. The tones are upbeat, and it plays up to the more melodic stance of the ultra-pop Synth dance beats and the social-realist vocals. Overall, it plays out most like you would expect a Christmas-themed Pet Shop Boys track to sound like, with Tennant using a Falsetto to give the perverse pop a more neo-futuristic vibe in light of the unashamedly 80’s style. There’s little new here, but that’s not a bad thing. What you get is two of the all-time greats sticking to their roots, but with all of the trimmings of a Festive theme. I don’t feel it’s quite as fun as 2020’s “Monkey Business” as a result, but it still sees the beloved national treasures making a fair point on the modern Christmas and it feels timely for our circumstance this year.

Pictured: Pet Shop Boys at the London Olympic Games Opening Ceremony (2012) (Photo via BBC.com)

It’s quite difficult not to recognize Pet Shop Boys for all they have done for British Pop music, and that means we’ve previously reviewed some of their other tracks right here on the blog. Don’t forget to peruse my feelings on 2016’s “The Pop Kids” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/04/todays-track-the-pet-shop-boys-the-pop-kids/, and 2020’s “Monkey Business”, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/01/27/todays-track-pet-shop-boys-monkey-business/

Pictured: Cover Art for “Monkey Business” (Single) (Released on January 3, 2020) (via x2 Records)

Thank you for reading my latest Seasonal sprinkling on the blog! We’ll be taking a break from the Christmas music tomorrow as we return back to some usual output on the blog. Tomorrow’s track comes from an British indie folk singer-songwriter, who is currently based in Paris, who released her fifth studio album earlier on in the year. Her band, which she fronts, have once appeared on an episode of BBC One’s “Wanderlust”, with the group playing in a night club where Joy, a character who is played by Toni Colette in the television series, attended. 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: High Contrast (feat. LOWES) – “Rhythm Is Changing”

December 4, 2020 — Leave a comment

I can play this every night – but the beat don’t feel the same! It is time for a new post!

Pictured: High Contrast (Lincoln Barrett) at Let It Roll Open Air Festival (2015) (via Hospital Records)

Good Morning to you – It’s perhaps a bit early for this one, but that’s the way that my schedule goes! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get writing up about your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to get typing away up here about a different piece of music every day! Grammy-nominee High Contrast, the project of Welsh Drum-and-Bass artist Lincoln Barrett, is a name with a long resume – including remixed treatments for the likes of Kanye West, The White Stripes and, even, Adele. He also curated some music for the 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony in London. He is an artist who I have a little deal of familiarity with – I liked the throwback feel of “The Beat Don’t Feel The Same” and the semi-soulful vibe of “Remind Me”, two singles which have added a good share of variety to his back catalogue in recent years, but he is not really a guy who I’ve personally ever sat down and listened to a full-length album, front to back, from. “Rhythm Is Changing” was sent to me by a music plugger, of all sources. “Notes From The Underground” is out today – his ninth studio album release which features guest spots from the likes of Kae Tempest, Anita Blay and Ady Suleiman by the 3Beat Productions record label. He explores 90’s Dance revival, especially on “Rhythm Is Changing”. Let’s stream it below.

Barrett strikes me as a producer who always wants to engage with his instincts, whether that takes him down an experimental or pop-based approach, as he detailed in the making of his new record: “I used to think you could be more prescriptive making an album”, explaining, “I realized you can’t control it all in advance, you’re better off just following your heart and not overthinking it. Music is an escape from linearity and language and from a whole lot else”, per a statement on Primary Talent’s artist biography. “Rhythm Is Changing” takes a spontaneous route, with a series of electronic beats that unpredictably change every time the hook comes in, delivered by Northern Soul 4-piece group, LOWES. It starts off with a 90’s-centric Piano piece, before a sweep of Horn samples lead to a crescendo of Jungle beats and strobe effects that come into play when the vocal loop of “An I feel like the rhythm is changing” builds momentum for the bassline to kick in. There are some robotic, glitched Horn samples that come in at the next vocal intersection, before a Heavier tempo of drum beats and looped male vocals provide the next turn. You end up with a track that unashamedly takes cues from the Big Beat rave era of the late 90’s that housed names like The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy. The production feels notably subversive however, and it adds a sequenced layer of complexity beneath the surface. This is quite interesting because the music at the time was often dismissed as “cheap” and “disposable” fare to make for a “fun night in the club” and not much else, but it was later being established as an art form of music in it’s own right, and deservedly so. With “Rhythm Is Changing”, you get a cool track which sounds really impressive and appealing because it manages to consistently re-invent itself with it’s instrumentation and production. It’s also a gutsy move to be releasing this style of music when the government have actually closed the settings where you’re supposed to take it in and enjoy it more fully – but Barrett has still created a full-on club banger.

Pictured: Cover Art for “Notes From The Underground” (Album/LP) (Released on December 4th, 2020) (via 3Beat Productions)

Thank you for reading my new post! As always, I’ll be back tomorrow – and we are going to be getting festive again for the Christmas season now that we are officially into Advent! This is an older track from a collection of five EP’s worth of Christmas carols and Festive-themed tracks, all of which were recorded by an established American singer/multi-instrumentalist who has received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for “Mystery Of Love” from the 2017 film, “Call Me By Your Name”. 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: Keep Dancing Inc – “No Milkshakes In Hell”

December 2, 2020 — Leave a comment

Chocolate. Strawberry. Banana. Mint. Toffee – Take your pick! It is time for a new post!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Embrace” (Album/LP) (Released on October 23rd, 2020) (via Sony Music)

I will have you know that my Milkshakes bring all of the boys to the yard! I’m Jacob Braybrooke – and it’s time for me to get writing up all about your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to type up about a different piece of music every day! Keep Dancing Inc are one of my latest discoveries – a new Synth-Punk trio from France. They have previously supported Blossoms on a tour through Europe. Their debut album – “Embrace” – was released on 23rd October through Un Plain Simple, a French imprint of the Sony Music label. The track grabbed me with it’s weirdly opaque subject matter, and I think it positions them to be an exciting act to follow in the indie Electronica scene. To bring the new album to life, the trio worked on the production process with Tom Carmichael, who has also produced records for the likes of HAIM, Fat White Family and Jamie Issac over the years – recording twelve tracks together between Paris and Margate in England. On that note, it’s time to pick your poison… or milkshake, of choice – Let’s slurp into “No Milkshakes In Hell” below.

“This song tells an absurd story”, the band explained in the press release, “It’s about a psychopath who has an addiction for Milkshake”, adding, “The idea was probably inspired by movies like ‘Profando Rosso’ by Dario Argento or John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’, some movies Louis saw when he was writing the lyrics of this song”, and it’s the playful tone of the songwriting which sets us up for the New Wave-inspired production. There’s an unashamedly 80’s Synthpop vibe that wraps the instrumentation and the vocals together, as Louis chants: “I go from town to town, and I bring them down/’Til the frozen liquid hits my brain/and tries to drive me insane” with a cold and tough delivery, but the crescendo of the glitch beats and the sweeping, bouncing synths add a melodic punch to it. Quirky lines like “I stabbed a man with a straw last night” and “I’m a milkshake maniac, Beware of my shake attack” create a narrative that the vocals are almost recounting to us. An undercurrent of Synth-Punk, with some obvious comparisons being drawn to LCD Soundsystem here, keeps the character of the odd, Milkshake psychopath intact, with a definite Neo-Punk sound that evokes Horror Movie synths into the home stretch at the end, where the Drum Machine beats are layered more frantically. It never quite turns into a feel good and upbeat pop anthem though, as the vocals maintain their cerebral rhythms. The bassline teases a more thunderous drop too, but it never quite takes off, and so it retains the Post-Punk edge. It definitely quenches my thirst, which is a bit more than I can often say about Milkshakes in real life. I think it’s a lot of fun, and I think their real share of talent comes in when they create the character of the psychopath and they manage to make him seem quirky and engaging, but retain his bleak and calculated personality, due to the production of the lead vocals. Tres Bien!

Pictured: Louis (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar/Synths), Joseph (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals/Keyboard and Gaby (Drums/Percussion/Occasional Backing Vocals) (in 2020) (Photo via DIYMag.com)

Thank you for checking out my new blog post! As per usual, I’ll be back for more tomorrow – Join me for an in-depth look at one of my recent deep dives. The track comes from a small local artist from Minnesota over in the United States who self-produces an self-releases his own bedroom pop and lo-fi material. His other project is Sleeping Jesus, and the track was recently featured on The Current’s Song Of The Day podcast series. 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: PVA – “Talks”

November 21, 2020 — Leave a comment

Been non-stop listening to a new EP by a band named after Glue… I can’t put it down!

Pictured: Josh Baxter, Ella Harris & Louis Satchell in a recent press shot (2020) (Photo via DIYMag.com)

The very history of Glue is a sticky one…Good Lord! Good Morning to you, I am Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s finally my turn again to get writing up about your daily track on the blog, since it is always my day-to-day pleasure to do so! I’m not actually certain if this new South London-based trio have named themselves after a type of Glue we all used in primary schools, but they are still turning heads nevertheless. Comprised of Josh Baxter, Ella Harris and Louis Satchell, PVA are a new genre-pushing Synth-Punk trio who originally established themselves as an enigmatic force when they started out in 2019. At the time, PVA decided to release just a half-length snippet of one of their tracks onto the wide internet – instead deciding to win over their fans based on the euphoric feel of their live gigs alone. It is an interesting management practice to say the least, especially these days. Yesterday, they released their debut EP, “Toner”, on Big Dada, an imprint of the larger Ninja Tune label, although I originally discovered the lead single, “Talks”, about six weeks ago. Dominic Haley wrote, in an interview feature for the Loud and Quiet website, “Their music mutates around an array of genres”, later adding, “They’re both brutal, and dripping in underground cool, but accessible and totally danceable”. Let’s have a listen to the new single, “Talks”, below.

Filled with 80’s New Wave guitar sweeps which evoke Prefab Sprout and New Order, Balaeric synth work that evokes LCD Soundsystem and Battles, and even a Big Beat-inspired EDM interlude, that evokes Propellerheads and Basement Jaxx, “Talks” is a solid track to get your foot in the door of the diverse music industry with. It feels hard to pinpoint down into a specific term of genre – and I like how it feels quite unconventional and obscure in doing so. The band said, in a press release, that lyrically “Talks is about how we invent games in order to avoid expressing our true feelings or take the risk of being hurt”, explaining, “The song also takes inspiration from real relationships and the fictional relationship between John and Abigail Marston (who are the main characters of video game, Red Dead Redemption). I’m afraid that latter reference hits a blank with me – but I can certainly see some expressive emotions coming through the vocals. Baxter sings, “Even in the furthest reaches, I’ve searched for forgiveness” above the euphoric synth line, which evokes a choppy 80’s rock sound. Baxter croons: “Bound to the heart you gave me” and “Confess about what I thought” in the second verse, duelling over some neat backing vocals from Harris, with an intriguing lyrical wordplay, layered above the New Wave guitar sensibility, which reminds me of Baxter Dury. The hook-led chorus carries along a slick hi-hat rhythm, where off-key Organ patterns evoke Nu-Jazz, and they meet with syncopated drum machine beats reminiscent of Nu-Disco, which even cross paths with warm Post-Punk backing vocals that have an anxious tonal delivery. You end up with a sound that feels quite immediate, and the intricate Funk patterns really end up creating a rather confident formula as the 80’s-leaning Pop sound struts along with the Disco-esque song structure. The vocal delivery feels deadpan too, and this elicits a small touch of humour and Motorik sounds, so I could see some more mainstream eyes looking at this 3-piece for their eclectic style. It all “Sticks” together!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Toner” (EP) (Available to buy from November 20th, 2020) (via Big Dada)

Thank you very much for tuning into the blog for today’s post! Don’t forget that tomorrow, we will be taking an in-depth look at an ancient classic from Pop-Punk past and Emo-Rock history – as part of our new entry in the Scuzz Sundays series – where we will be looking at a popular band led by a female singer-songwriter who has led a famous solo career in recent years, having since collaborated with B.O.B. and CHVRCHES for a few more mainstream radio hits! 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: Hot Chip (feat. Jarvis Cocker) – “Straight To The Morning”

November 14, 2020 — Leave a comment

Forget Endgame – this is the biggest crossover event in media history! New post time!

Pictured: Alexis Taylor (Lead Vocals), Joe Goddard (Synths/Keyboard), Owen Clarke (Lead Guitar), Al Doyle (Bass Guitar/Percussion), and Felix Martin (Drum Machine/Programming) (in 2019) (via PR)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for you to have a listen to today’s track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! We’re going to round off the week with a slice of Disco-Pop euphoria, which comes courtesy of the new collaboration between the established English Synth-Pop 5-piece band Hot Chip and Pulp’s famous frontman, Jarvis Cocker. The single, “Straight To The Morning”, should appeal to a broad range of tastes. To link themselves up for the collaboration that we didn’t know we needed, Hot Chip had approached Cocker after performing some DJ sets together in Paris because “Somehow he seems an unlikely figure in this all, and we like it that way”, per Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor in a press release. Cocker added: “This was the very last musical session I was involved in before Lockdown.” and commenting that although the track is about going for a night out when you’re not allowed to do so for now, Cocker said: “We danced around in the studio quite a lot in the meantime though. It was fun to be a member of the Straight Through Crew for a day”. You can buy a physical 10″ vinyl copy of the new single from January 29, 2021 via Domino Recordings. It also comes with a Mighty Mouse remix and a deck of playing cards illustrated by Rami Afifi – to keep you busy on a long Winter night. Check it out below.

It’s not quite like Hot Chip and Jarvis Cocker have been out of the public eye for a while, because it has only been one year since Hot Chip released their critically acclaimed LP “A Bath Full Of Ecstasy”, whereas Jarvis Cocker went on a venture into Art-Rock with his critically lauded “Beyond The Pale” LP from his JARV IS project, in July. Starting off with a swooping Violin section, Alexis Taylor sings: “Well, there’s a ringing in my ears/But, there’s a devil in my tongue” over the top of a fluctuating drum machine riff that feels typical to the Electronic 90’s dance sound that we’re used to hearing from them. It gets followed up by a sharp burst of slight distortion vocal effects and very upbeat, melodic Synth patterns in the chorus, as Taylor sings: “Straight to the morning, The fever will never end”, aided by the ongoing Violin chords. The track slows down to a nice, fragmented section of off-kilter Synth lines and deeper, cerebral vocals from Cocker, who croons: ” I feel the heat, let’s cut the lights/It’s a small slice of heaven” to a surprisingly quirky delivery. He lurks in the background throughout the man bulk of the track, giving off a dueling backing vocal to Taylor’s hooks and thus adding a slightly wonky, offbeat effect with his colder, more calculated delivery that feels slightly melodic enough to conjoin to the quick pacing of the track. Lyrically, it’s just about going out and having fun, so there isn’t really a lot of depth here – but I think that themes of nightlife and socializing in dance music are bringing in a light sense of normal life to us at this time. Overall, I like Hot Chip and I like Jarvis Cocker, and so this is a fun tune to dance along in the Kitchen to.

Pictured: Jarvis Cocker at the Primavera Sound Festival, Barcelona (2019) (Photo Credit: Adela Loconte)

Thank you for reading my new post! As always, I’ll be back tomorrow for a new weekly addition to our year-long Scuzz Sundays series, where we take a look back at a rather cheesy and trashy Pop-Punk or Emo-Rock classic that was originally released between the late-1990’s and the mid-2000’s, to see if they can hold up to a valuable slice of quality in our current times. 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: Daniel Avery – “Lone Swordsman”

November 12, 2020 — 1 Comment

I wish that it was but a flesh wound for the 90’s Black Knight! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Daniel Avery in an interview photoshoot for Crack Magazine (in 2020) (Photo by Tom Andrews)

Hands up if you got my little reference to Monty Python up there! Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and it is time for me to write your daily post, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! “Lone Swordsman” is a different type of charity single – a tribute to the legendary 90’s DJ Andy Weatherhall, who we owe a lot of our music to. He sadly passed away at the age of 56 in February due to a Pulmonary Embolism. This comes from Daniel Avery, a London-based Electronic Ambient Dance musician. The track’s title is taken from one of Weatherhall’s numerous side projects – ‘Two Lone Swordsmen’ – a name which Weatherhall and Keith Tenniswood co-produced a series of albums and EP’s under. The track is the digital B-side to Avery’s “Dusting For Smoke” single, which has been taken from his latest album, “Love + Light”, that Avery put out earlier in the year via Mute Records. Proceeds from “Lone Swordsman” via Bandcamp will be donated to Amnesty International in memory of Andy Weatherhall, so please make sure that you seek it out there. Let’s sample the track with the Greg Hodgson-directed video below.

An improvisational piece, Avery posted on his social media: “I was in my studio the morning I heard about Andrew Weatherhall’s passing. The track ‘Lone Swordsman” is what formed that day”, adding, “Andrew was a hero, a friend and someone who regularly reminded us all how it should be done”, and he was close to Weatherhall personally, having performed some back-to-back live DJ sets together in the past. With no lyrics at all to speak of, the solemn and peaceful beats of “Lone Swordsman” are enough to create a fitting little tribute to Andy Weatherhall with a euphoric sense of innocence and purity that has no need for vocals to add an extra punch to the digital melodicism. It starts off with a percussive, stabbing drum pattern that almost replicates the sound of a Ping-Pong ball to me, creating a theme of childhood and soft nostalgia with the ambient soundscape. A musing sequence of gentle synths creep in, a Celestial sound that adds an element of Space-Pop and old-school 90’s rave tracks with it’s deeply electronic sound. The tempo slightly raises throughout the track as we gently build up to an ambient washing of vivid, colourful Synths and more deeply textured, percussive drum loops. There is a slick bassline that runs throughout, one which doesn’t feel too modern or contemporary, but instead feels analogue-driven and with a contemplative tone that fits the subject matter of the track nicely, and continues to evoke a nostalgic and light-hearted emotion with it’s light sonic steps. The recurring set of synths keep lurking in and out – as if to just slowly massage your ears to the beat of the more percussive layers in the repeating drum beat of the track. Rather than evoking a Dancehall-oriented club sound, it reminds me of the work that legendary DJ and personal favourite Aphex Twin explored on “Xtal” specifically and the general sound of “Selected Ambient Works 85-92” by using the simplicity of the drum sounds to Avery’s advantage. This is not really a heavy dance beat and feels more of an emotive ambient ilk, so you’re not going to find the next big dancefloor-filling club record if you’re looking to find that from this, but it feels perfectly suited for it’s purpose instead and it’s laid out very impressively, with merticulously planned synths which properly reward you with repeated listens to it. Rest in peace, old friend.

Pictured: Cover Art for "Dusting For Smoke" (EP) (Released on September 1, 2020) (via Phantasy Sound) — Pictured: Cover Art for “Dusting For Smoke” (EP) (Released on September 1, 2020) (via Phantasy Sound)

Thank you for reading my new post! As always, please feel free to join me again tomorrow – where will be skewing towards Post-Punk instead. We will be taking an in-depth listen back to cult classic track from 1989, an example of work taken from the early discography of a cult favourite 90’s Post-Punk band who were formed in 1986 by Ian MacKaye in Washington, DC. The band earned critical acclaim and crossover success across the world before starting their indefinite hiatus in 2003. 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/

One Track At A Time

Alt-Dance