Today’s Track: Nightmares On Wax (feat. OSHUN) – “Breathe In”

November 6, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Shout Out! To Freedom’ (Released on October 29th, 2021) (via Warp Records)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time to indulge your senses into yet another daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! ‘Shout Out! To Freedom’ is the latest LP to come from the legendary Leeds-born and Ibiza-based electronic Trip Hop producer Nightmares On Wax – the now solo project of George Evelyn that used to be a trio with Kevin Harper and John Halnon up until the early 90’s – who has scored multiple crossover hits like ’70’s/80’s’, ‘Aftermath’, ‘Finer’, ‘Know My Name’ and ‘I’m For Real’ in the UK Singles Charts. He is the longest serving signee to the iconic forward-thinking experimental label Warp Records, and the critical acclaim of classic albums such as 2006’s ‘In A Space Outta Sound’, 1995’s ‘Smokers Delight’ and 2008’s ‘Thought So’ have led to his projects being highly anticipated among electronic music fans as some of the genre’s most important offerings. Sadly, he became more like ‘Nightmares No Vax’ in some Twitter posts leading up to the marketing machine of the new record, but, luckily, none of these controversial opinions have really cropped up on-record or became too preachy, and he opted to explore the general themes of freedom and meditation on his new album, and so it’s quite nice to see that he’s supporting freedom of speech without bringing any harm to others, and I could see his perspective as a creative coming from a non-white background. ‘Shout Out To Freedom’ has instead been released to pretty positive reviews, and it features a solid guest list of names including Greentea Peng, King Shabaka Hutchings of The Comet Is Coming fame, Mara TK, Pip Millett, Haile Supreme and others – each of which have been asked by Hill to collaborate on songs exploring what freedom means to them. The only single taken from the record with a music video attached is ‘Breathe In’, a mid-album track which includes vocals from the NYC duo OSHUN. Check it out below.

“I feel like I’ve been set free of something and I am now becoming who I really am”, says Evelyn of Nightmares On Wax fame, adding, “I’ve been gigging non-stop for 10 years, and that experience has been beautiful but it also drained me emotionally. As a creative, you’re always questioning everything. So, having the time and the space has meant that I could do a proper deep dive into this stuff. So it was all about this journey of going back to myself, and realizing being at home with my wife and my daughter that I’ve not really been here properly. It’s like I’ve just woken back up to what I actually have – and it’s already here”, when writing all about his new album – ‘Shout Out! To Freedom’. ‘Breathe In’ still contains the influences of Curtis Mayfield and Quincy Jones that have all shaped his typical concoction of Funk, Soul, Jazz, Downtempo Electronica, Dub and Techno that have kept his project alive for many decades and have characterized his sound, while putting a more modern spin on these styles predominantly within the lyrics, which discuss the simple act of staying off your phone and meditating instead. ‘Breathe In’ takes a slinky and psychedelic groove, embedded with the lyrical themes of nature and mindfulness, and Evelyn arranges some 90’s Trip Hop beats and a playful 90’s ploy on old-fashioned Dancehall melodies that have a weightlessness and an airy sense of production to them, mixing nicely with the deep and spiritual vocals from OSHUN that echo Dub all over the track. Some interesting String samples and subtle Keyboard loops make up the rest of the instrumentation, and there seems to be a lush 70’s Black Exploitation vibe to things where the usual elements of Jazz, Funk and Soul come together from Hill, some genres that he’s well known for exploring. A mix of darker Piano chords and punchier beats differentiate this track from some of his familiar 90’s and 00’s chilled out House offerings, and the more spacious parts of the vocals build to some longer harmonies and some sustained notes in the latter half of the track. While there aren’t any lyrics that specifically stick out to me, it seems like a variety of ideas are being conveyed through the balance of Urban and Nature that OSHUN evoked here. Overall, ‘Breathe In’ was a track which I enjoyed from the new album, which really strikes me as a good headphones-in-bed type of listening experience. While not as essential as other recent Warp Records efforts from the likes of Yves Tumor or Jockstrap, due to some of the melodies feeling as though they meander along a little bit, I still have a pretty positive perception of it. I like how it manages to not quite sound like any other track that I have heard from Evelyn to date, as the tribalistic drum loops and the psychedelic Soul feel manage to sound interesting. Whereas most of his tracks gives me a warm and comforting feel inside, this one feels more urgent in taking action, which is different to the way that most of his other singles make me feel. While there’s a general sense of positivity, it seems slightly more alarming. A great-sounding return.

Pictured: Nightmares On Wax (aka George Evelyn) performing at Wire (2016) (Photo by Justin Gardner)

That’s all for now and thank you for continuing to support the site. ‘Scuzz Sundays’ is set for tomorrow, and we’ll be focusing our attention to an English rock band who got their big break in 2006 when their Platinum certified debut album won the ‘Indie Album Of The Year’ gong at the 2006 PLUG Awards and each member of the band have continued to work on their own solo side projects in more recent times. Whilst together, the London band have sold over three million albums worldwide as of 2012.

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Way Back Wednesdays: Jimmy Cliff – ‘The Harder They Come’

November 3, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Jimmy Cliff in a PR shoot for a Rolling Stone interview feature (2021) (Photo via Vision Addict)

Good Afternoon to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and you’ve come to the right place for a seminal selection of my weekly ‘Way Back Wednesday’ series of classic appraisals, because it’s always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Even the most casual audiences of music would have heard some material from Jamaican Ska and Rocksteady multi-instrumentalist, producer, actor and composer Jimmy Cliff before, since he composed iconic tracks like ‘Hakuna Matata’ and ‘Reggae Night’ that have been etched deeply into popular culture. Also known for hits like ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’ and his cover version of Johnny Nash’s ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ that was used in Disney’s classic ‘Cool Runnings’ film about the first ever Bobsleigh team from Jamaica to enter the Olympic games, Cliff is a crucial component in popularizing genres such as Reggae and Alternative Soul across the world. One of five performers inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame’ in 2010, the St. James-born vocalist is the only living reggae musician to hold the Jamaican government’s Order Of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted for his services to performing arts and sciences. ‘The Harder They Come’, the soundtrack album and its titular lead single from the Perry Henzel-directed motion picture of the same name released in 1972, is widely considered to be one of Cliff’s greatest releases. The record peaked at #140 on the US Billboard 200, and, in 2021, the album was deemed to be “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” by the Library Of Congress and so it has been selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry. Let’s remind ourselves of the iconic title track below.

Voted as the 73rd greatest album of all time by Entertainment Weekly’s editors in July 2013, the soundtrack was a true celebration of Reggae globalization with prominent guest spots from 60’s Jamaican Rocksteady icons like Desmond Dekker, The Maytals and The Melodians. Speaking of the hit title track, Jimmy Cliff recalled in an interview conducted for the Wall Street Journal in 2013, saying, “The lyrics came from my past. I grew up in the church and had always questioned what they were telling me. Like the promise of a Pie in the sky when you die”, elaborating, “I wanted the song to have a church feel and to reflect the environment I grew up in – the underdog fighting all kinds of trickery”, in the text. Like some other songs on the album, ‘The Harder They Come’ appears twice, paralleling both the movie’s core themes and the autobiographical essence of Cliff’s career. It’s placement during the middle of the album gives it an entirely different feel than when it appears as the uplifting, positive closer, and this works well as it is sandwiched between the nostalgic sweetness of The Maytals’ guest track and just prior to the more alarmed warnings of ‘Johnny Too Bad’ shortly afterwards. Following a simple story of a character who is proving his naysayers wrong and overcoming the odds stacked against him, Cliff recites motivational lyrics like “As sure as the sun will shine/I’m gonna get my sure now, what’s mine” and “Between the day you’re born and when you die/They never seem to hear your cry” and acknowledges realistic expectations in sequences like “I keep on fighting for the things I want/Though I know that when you’re dead you can’t” that bring his ambitions to earth at brief intervals. The second verse is a standout, and the vocals emphasize the power of religion and ignoring bad influence upon your personality from the people who doubt your potential. The track still manages to stand out nicely in this modern time by feeling relatively grounded yet still upbeat and cheerful, boasting some optimistic lyrics that don’t shy away from recognizing fault in setting unrealistic targets for yourself. There are a few shades of Calypso, Tropicalia and Belefonte in the Gospel-leaning sounds of the recording, where a collective sequence of backing vocals from a choir lends some assistance to the cinematic atmosphere of the single’s filmic roots. The percussion has some smooth, breezily flowing instrumentation and the inherent excitement of the key Soulful harmonies gets a positive message across. In conclusion, ‘The Harder They Come’ is a down-to-earth, but nonetheless still interesting, Reggae classic that still works well in the present day. The odd Organ chords and the gently quickening Reggae beats are great at supporting Cliff’s optimistic lyrics about his life, but the bleaker moments never feel glossed or sugar-coated over too much. A solid, universal Ska crossover hit.

That brings us to the end of yet another daily post on the blog! Thank you for your support, and I’ll be back tomorrow to review a relaxing, new and entirely Ambient Electronica project from an English-born experimental electronic music producer who has contributed to albums for Brian Eno and Coldplay in his career so far, and he has appeared twice on the blog in different capacities before. His new album, ‘Music For Psychedelic Therapy’, shall finally be releasing on Domino Records next weekend.

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘The Harder They Come’ (OST) (Released on July 7th, 1972) (via Island Records)

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Today’s Track: Cathy Jain – ‘Green Screen’

November 1, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Artificial’ (EP) (Available from November 5, 2021) (via Yala! Records)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and you’ve arrived at the right time for yet another daily track on the blog, since it’s always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! This is a brand new week and a brand new month, so I’ve got some brand new music from a brand new artist to mark the occasion of the theme. Cathy Jain is a 17-year-old singer-songwriter who mostly gravitates towards Bedroom Pop and Alternative R&B in terms of her production. She was raised in China and Australia before moving to the UK when she reached the age of 13, and she now finds herself currently based in Wistaton, Cheshire. A recent Brine Leas student, Jain can speak Chinese fluently and, in her time there, she learned how to play the Guzheng, a traditional Zither-like instrument. Jain found her break when she landed a top five place in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge Talent Search among more than 10,000 entries, and she will be releasing her debut EP – ‘Artificial’ – on November 5th via Yala Records. Her fans include BBC Radio 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne and Steve Lamacq, and BBC Radio 1 hosts Clara Amfo and Jack Saunders, and she’s also gained support from NME, Clash and The Line Of Best Fit. The follow-up to her debut single ‘Cool Kid’ is ‘Green Screen’, which was co-produced and co-mixed by her frequent collaborator Rob Heron at the Cracked Analogue studio. So, let’s give it a listen below.

Cathy Jain’s work has been featured in major playlists across streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Deezer, and when talking about the major themes of her soon-to-be-released EP, she explained in her press release, “Together, the four tracks take a look at how we define what is really ‘real’ when we spend so much of our time either in our own heads or in a virtual world online”. For ‘Green Screen’, Jain aimed to write a single with a more “epic vibe”, and she gradually weaves together several layers of Soulful instrumentation and vocal harmonies to build the recorded track up to create some accessible Alternative Pop with hints of Lo-Fi ambience and mild Psychedelic Rock. Pulling in some Vaporwave and Chillwave influences for a surprisingly laidback opening, she complains, “I’m bored/It’s late, the stores are closed and I’d explore my phone I have some more”, during the introductory verse. The themes of virtual interaction soon become clearer, with seductive lyrics like “Notes on every sting, making each one sting” and “Things I pretend to have experienced” in later sequences while the electronic textures dabble between blissful Synths and tender, acoustic guitar riffs. Jain refuses to follow the traditional Pop/Rock/Indie single structure of the present day and abandons this pre-conceived idea in favour of switching over to different backdrops to keep things interesting, including a more glitched combination of Keys and Synths aided by some more ballad-like and sing-song vocals in the later part of the single. A few hooks like “Sometimes we just wanna be/Some melodramatic teens in the feels” and “Kissing the green screen/Making me feel things” seem to reoccur now and again, but she places a larger emphasis on sweetly drawled verses and changes of tone plus timbre rather than relying on a typically catchy chorus. The music of the overall package has a back-and-forth pace to it and the harmonies feel a little playful at times, with the attitudes of self-awareness and reflection mixing neatly with the more Dream Pop-inspired backing beats that complement her explorations of exploring a virtual self shared with her colleagues and friends. Overall, ‘Green Screen’ is an intriguing and alternative Lo-Fi Pop single that may take some less acquired listeners a few listens to wrap their heads around, but I really enjoyed how it subverted my expectations of a teen, emo dream Pop song and she does things differently to her peers. The chilled synths reminded me of Still Woozy, the long-winded romantic croons made me think about La Roux, and her youthful take on the Alternative Soul game feels fresh while appealing for fans of Lorde. One that I’d like to experience outside of my own screens.

Pictured: Cathy Jain in an official publicity shot for her ‘Artificial’ EP (2021) (Photo courtesy of artist)

That’s all for now! Thank you very much for your continued support regarding the blog, and I’ll be back tomorrow for an in-depth look at some more brand new material, this time coming from another gifted female solo singer songwriter from Wales who has pulled in an appearance on the site before, although it was covered in the early stages of 2019 and so I would forgive you if you’ve forgotten all about it. The Carmarthenshire-born artist, who sings in English and Welsh, will issue a new album via Mexican Summer in early 2022. She’s toured with St. Vincent and Perfume Genius.

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New Album Release Fridays: Remi Wolf – “Quiet On Set”

October 15, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Juno’ (LP) (Released on October 15th, 2021) (via Island Records)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and you are joining me for another daily track on the blog, which is the platform for my mission of writing up about a different piece of music every day! We’ve reached the third Friday of October, and the competition is heating up in time for the end-of year lists that will be rolling in by various music publications and YouTube channels shortly. This week – new albums from the likes of London-based, Art Pop-driven Psychedelic Jazz quintet Vanishing Twin, Swedish Electronic Pop producer and blog alumni Sir Was, Cumbria-born Wild Beasts multi-instrumentalist Hayden Thorpe, Billie Eilish’s beloved brother FINNEAS and retro international DJ Purple Disco Machine are all vying for a place on said lists. My pick for this week – however – is possibly the most vibrant one of the pack, and it comes from the California-born Alternative R&B and Synth-Funk singer Remi Wolf, who appeared as a contestant on ‘American Idol’ in 2014 and completed her studies at USC Thornton School Of Music in 2018. Earlier in the year, she made an appearance on a major US talk show – ‘The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon’ – to perform a medley of her hits. The follow-up to 2019’s self-released ‘You’re A Dog’ EP and 2020’s ‘I’m Allergic To Dogs’ major label debut EP, ‘Juno’ continues Wolf’s running trend of pooch titles since it was named after her adorable pet dog. The album was announced with two singles, including a catchy Pop number titled after a phrase that your favourite actress – mine are Kathryn Newton and Natalia Dyer – might mutter while shooting on location if they weren’t such sweet people. Be ‘Quiet On Set’ below.

Telling us about her debut full-length LP, Wolf states, “Every song on this record is a vivid snapshot into what was going on in my life and mindset the day I wrote each one”, adding, “The album is named ‘Juno’ after my beautiful dog I adopted during lockdown. He ended up being in every single writing session for this album and I consider him my partner, witness and support in the making of this record”, to her press release while explaining how Juno was her true companion when mastering her material.’Quiet On Set’ has a 00’s sound that reminds me of R. Kelly and Usher in tone, and her vocals feel very quippy, with one-liner lyrics like “I’ve been stealing Corvettes, stunting” and “Eating my ass like the human centipede” that have a playful Hip-Hop delivery on top of a Pop-oriented drum groove and some funk-oriented guitar licks that form a smooth, polished bassline. The lyrics veer strongly into over-the-top territory, providing a quirky and comedic dramatization of Wolf’s issues with ADHD and overworking, themes that my otherwise feel bleak or mundane. Wolf, however, uses lyrics like “I ain’t leaving my bed/The work be killing me dead” to spin the typical emotions into something more bouncy and quirky, with a hilarious refrain of “I don’t want to be a debbie downer” being played out right across the middle of the track. The overall package feels marvelously Beck-like and it reminds me of his 90’s LP, ‘Hollywood Freaks’ in its muddled pastiche of commercial Pop-Funk music. Pitch-shifted narration ends the track, where Wolf goes into a bizzare tangent reminagining herself as a baby, while earlier lyrics like “Wait, there ain’t no steeze if there ain’t no grease/Unless you order that sugarfish sushi” feel directly taken out of Beck’s late-90’s playbook by combining strange and obscure hooks with a false rhyme delivery. Overall, ‘Quiet On Set’ was a fun tune that makes me imagine what may happen if Beck and Brockhampton had a love child together, with Wolf displaying a frivolous personality while discussing the ruminations of her mental health. Some of these retro, Chiptune-like Synth melodies and unique lyricism could come across as irritable to some, but I feel that she would definitely appeal quite well to children and teenagers if she went a little bit easier on the bad language. She probably doesn’t want to target this mass audience, however, and that’s a really good thing because it allows her peculiar lyric elements and her throwback Synth Funk sounds to resonate without any restriction. Overall, this is mental health stigma represented in a fun way.

Pictured: Remi Wolf at a LA Drive-In Benefit Gig (2021) (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images/TNS)

On that note, that’s all I’ve got time for today. Thank you for heading to the blog for your daily fix today, and I’ll be back tomorrow to rave on about some brand new music from a UK electronic house producer who I honestly think is one of the most underrated musicians in the whole of history. I’ll be thrilled to present my post about the technological wizard, who is pretty prehistoric in his fashion and approach. Last year, he collaborated on a tune with Bonobo to signal the arrival of the ‘Outlier’ label. He’s also known for the launch of the Nice Age cross-platform label in 2014. The first release was a collaboration with gifted Aussie DJ and Apple Music 1 host, Anna Lunoe.

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Today’s Track: Wayward – “Camden Road”

October 14, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Lawrence Gayle Hayes (Drums/Synths) & Louis Greenwood (Sampling/DJ) (2021) (via PR)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and it is time for me to get typing up for yet another daily track on the blog, because it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Wayward is the fast-emerging Experimental Electronic music project of the London-based duo Lawrence Gayle Hayes and Louis Greenwood, who have gained acclaim from Pitchfork, Mixmag and Vice. They have worked as A&R’s for Silver Bear Recordings, and released material through the Australia-based Beasts Of No Nation label and Fort Romeau’s Cin Cin Records label, and they have been in the studio with the likes of Ninja Tune’s Park Hye Jin and Grammy-winning producer Skrillex. In March, the pair of producers released their debut LP, ‘Waiting For The World’, which was influenced by Burial’s ‘Untrue’ and they combined Drum & Bass, House, Breakbeat and Ambient elements into a concise record. Their latest release is ‘Sapphire Eyes’, a four track EP which was self-released on September 29th. It was inspired by the rave experiences they had while growing up in London – an ode to nightclubs and community. Let’s spin ‘Camden Road’ below.

Citing influences like Addison Grove, Machine Drum and Overmono for their latest short form release, the duo shared on their own Bandcamp page in a press statement, “If our debut album showcased the more reflective side of our yearning for clubs, and a softer side of the lockdown experience, this EP is the anger, frustration and urgency coming out”, concluding, “Stuck indoors again just wanting to band it out in a club with the intention of making something completely focused on the dance floor” in the notice. Their fourth track on the record, ‘Camden Road’ sticks out amongst the others for the emotive feelings which it shares, coming across to me as more nostalgic than euphoric. It boasts a similar sound to some early 00’s Hyperdub recordings and more recent Footwork releases, where the Synths and the propulsive basslines feel as vibrant as the mixed multi-cultural community that their hometown, which they are paying tribute to, has become known for in recent developments. Their vocals play with escapism, with Lawrence reciting the likes of “So much life, so much fun” and “Festivals in Hungary with black people” with a slightly muted Spoken Word delivery that doesn’t feel massively poetic, and feels grounded in approach instead, with a soft Hip-Hop rhythm and a mumbled tone of speech which fits the wonky production aspects and the very metropolitan aesthetics of London. The rest of the instrumentation goes down a treat too, with a looped Piano melody and light Synth pads creating a gentle opening, before Wayward flip the switch for the big chorus where they replace the light-hearted beats with a more rugged dance style, using some swooping drums and syncopated vocal chops to hit a BPM of around 130, which feels subversive and unpredictable when the earlier melodies are flipped on their head. Overall, I was very impressed with ‘Camden Road’, a modern dance track that has an ability of conjuring up some feelings and visuals for their listeners, a rare technique that greats like Aphex Twin and Burial have achieved in their career. It feels as fresh and lively as the street it is based on – A sprawling, multi-cultural metropolis.

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Sapphire Eyes’ (EP) (Released on September 29th, 2021) (via Self-Released)

That brings us to the end of the page for another day! Thank you for joining me, and I’ll be back tomorrow for ‘New Album Release Fridays’ tomorrow as we take an in-depth look at the soon to be released new LP from a US female Funk, Soul and Alternative R&B singer-songwriter who performed a medley of her hits on an episode of major US talk show ‘The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon’ earlier this year. She completed her studies at USC Thornton School of Music in 2018, and she was also a contestant on ‘American Idol’ in 2014. Her latest album is named after her dog – Juno.

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Today’s Track: Tirzah (feat. Coby Sey) – “Hive Mind”

October 12, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Colourgrade’ (LP) (Released on October 1st, 2021) (via Domino Recordings)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and now is the time for me to get typing up for another daily track on the blog, because it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! I honestly had not heard of the Essex-based Psych-Soul multi-instrumentalist Tirzah Mastin before hearing ‘Hive Mind’, also featuring her close knit friend Coby Sey, on a recent episode of New Music Fix that was hosted by John Ravenscroft, but I walked away intrigued. Just to give you some details, Tirzah was raised in Braintree as the youngest of five children, before she attended the Purcell School For Young Musicians with Mica Levi, who you may know as the film composer and DIY Noise-Pop maverick Micachu. She released a pair of EP’s on Greco-Roman, and her first full-length solo record, ‘Devotion’, debuted to rave reviews from the UK’s music press in 2018 via Domino Recordings. Her follow-up, ‘Colourgrade’, which was released two weeks ago on Domino Recordings once again, finds Tirzah straying even further away from the mainstream than before. ‘Hive Mind’ is also the title of a 10-minute short film edited by Leah Walker and Rebecca Salvadori which acts as a compilation of behind-the-scenes footage of a Tirzah concert from a few years ago, and it connects with her new album by exploring Tirzah’s relationships with her loved ones and her musical collaborators. By delving into ‘Colourgrade’, you are also delving forensically into Tirzah’s depictions of what the world means to her. I have embedded the short film to the bottom section of this page for your viewing pleasure. However, for the sake of convenience, I’ve embedded the basic audio for ‘Hive Mind’ below. Let’s give it a spin.

In her recent cover story for FADER, Tirzah Mastin explained, “The roughness, the accurate recording, the time it takes to get to places, it’s a bit of a statement on how things feel live”, elaborating, “It’s sort of unpolished. I’ve left it as alone as much as possible, basically, like a warts-and-all attitude towards it”, as she told the publication about how she approached the development of ‘Colourgrade’ with a raw, in-the-moment ethos to her songwriting strategies. This idea of stripping a flood of emotions down to the core is a key theme for ‘Hive Mind’, which functions as a rather bizzare and experimental duet between Tirzah and Coby Sey. The two trade intimate lyrics like “Two by two/Tethering like hive mind’s do” and “Given times we do/Sing different tunes” that feel playfully poetic over the top of a spiraling, glitched backdrop. The bassline has a gentle kick and a shuddering quality to the soulful minimalism, and the pieces are held together by a crying Arpeggio synth that feels harsh and rather abrasive in mood. The two vocalists sound intuitively tuned with one another, using lyrics like “But who we were/Do we see things through?” to add an ambiguous element to their complex relationship. The electronic melodies feel rather sparse and nocturnal, while the guitar licks and the emphasis on their harmonies create enough of a soulful backbeat for the cerebral production to feel melodic enough, although the brooding and gritty style of Tirzah and Sey’s duet remains undisturbed and fairly bleak. Their push-and-pull vocals imply a sense of kinship between the two partners through trials and tribulations. Overall, ‘Hive Mind’ is certainly not a mainstream offering, but it is certainly an intriguing one, with the steady metronomic pulse of the Synths creating a screeching bark and the icy, minimalist sketch format of the tune creating a tapestry of mood which commands your attention. Great minds think alike.

Pictured: Tirzah Mastin before an interview with Rolling Stone (2021) (Photo by Domino Recordings)

That’s all for today! Thank you for checking out what I had to share with the world today, and I’ll be back for ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ tomorrow, as we look back at an all-female Punk band who were active from 1976 to 1979 and became an overseas sensation in Japan. A biographical coming-of-age flick about them was released in 2010 that was directed by Floria Sigismondi in her directorial debut. The film starred Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning and Michael Shannon and grossed $4.6m worldwide.

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Today’s Track: Metronomy (feat. Biig Piig) – “405”

October 9, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Joseph Mount (Lead Vocals/Keyboard/Rhythm Guitar), Oscar Cash (Saxophone/Backing Vocals), Anna Prior (Drums/Occasional Backing Vocals), Olugbenja Adelekan (Bass Guitar/Occasional Vocals) and Michael Lovett (Keyboards/Guitars/Percussion) (in 2019) (Photo by Gregoire Alexandre)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and I’m wishing you a very enjoyable weekend along with the uploading of yet another daily track of the day, because it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! ‘405’ comes to your ears from the established Electronic Pop 5-piece band Metronomy, who have been quite prolific on the UK’s indie circuit since they were founded in 1999 by frontman Joseph Mount, merging Indie Rock influences with 80’s Pop sounds and modern Electronic soundscapes which have been grounded and progressive in their adaptations of both vocal and ambient material. The band have remixed a staggering line-up of other artists including Lady GaGa, Klaxons, Franz Ferdinand and Goldfrapp, and their most recent LP release was ‘Metronomy Forever’ in 2019, which was well-received by critics. The lead single, ‘Salted Caramel Ice Cream’ earned a rave review on this very blog too, and I’ve embedded the music video of that track to the end of this post because it’s an exceptionally amusing one. After reminding fans a few weeks ago that “there’s normally a new Metronomy album every two to three years” on social media, the quintet quietly released the ‘Posse: Volume 1’ EP that finds Mount’s misfits tinkering around with guest collaborations from Spill Tab, Sorry, Brian Nasty, Folly Group and Pinty. ‘405’ has made the daytime A-list over on BBC Radio 6 Music, and it features the seductive vocal talents of Irish producer/singer-songwriter Biig Piig (aka West London’s Jess Smith), who has been regularly featured on BBC Radio 1 and used to always pop up on focus group playlists that used to be sent to me from the SRA for student radio purposes, and so it’s always felt like she’s just small steps away from breaking into more mainstream territory for a very small sum of years now. Take their collaboration, ‘405’, for a spin with me below.

On Twitter, Jospeh Mount posted, “I made the EP after finishing the new Metronomy album, please consume it in the same spirit it was made; discover some new artists and share the music with your friends”, on Metronomy’s account. Meanwhile, Jess Smith has also spoken about ‘405’, penning, “Joe sent over the Piano instrumental and it was so beautiful and brought back so many memories. I feel like when you hear a piece of music that does that, you know it’s special. My melodies and lyrics over it came out really easily and it just felt really nostalgic”, in a press statement of her own. On ‘405’, Smith sings about frantically searching for love in different relationships with lyrics like “Cuz’ I ran off in the wrong direction/Looking for love when you were stood right there/Under my nose” and soon realizes that a true partner was spending time with her all along, singing lyrics like “You smiled in the mirror with those bright eyes/And you froze time, you’re an old soul” with a sweet and soulful tone during the verses. The delivery feels calm and assured, but the self-realization comes through with a sense of eerie contentment in her voice, and lyrics like “You taste like Vanilla, and your hand is soft” that feel romantic and quite dream-like, with an 80’s-leaning Synth Pop instrumental that reminds me of Eurythmics and La Roux’s androgynous style, and these vocals evoke her confused emotions nicely because they add a soft sense of Jazz and R&B to the gently pulsating Synth beats. The vocal harmonies from Smith add a loose, ambient mood to the silky Synth lines, with a few hints of a more shy and seductive tone that adds a little more emotional depth to the otherwise straightforward, if solid, songwriting. On the whole, ‘405’ is a great collaboration as it marries the enchanting vocal tones of Biig Piig and the 00’s Electronica roots of Metronomy together with a strong sense of cohesion and, while the Synth pads feel a little repetitive by the end, there’s a nice balance of melancholy and comfort in the mixture to give the lightly melodic sounds more atmosphere. One for the drive home.

Pictured: Biig Piig (Jess Smith) in a Wonderland Magazine photoshoot (2018) (Photo by Elliot Wilcox)

When you write up about a different piece of music every day, you end up covering a few releases from most of the UK’s most prolific emerging artists, including Biig Piig and Metronomy. You can still check out my thoughts on Metronomy’s ‘Salted Caramel Ice Cream’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/08/26/todays-track-metronomy-salted-caramel-ice-cream/ and their instrumental masterpiece ‘Miracle Rooftop’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/10/11/todays-track-metronomy-miracle-rooftop/. As for Biig Piig, you can hear more of her soothing voice in ‘Roses & Gold’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/14/todays-track-biig-piig-roses-and-gold/

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Metronomy Forever’ (LP) (Released on September 13, 2019) (via Because Music)

That’s all for now! Thank you for your continued support for the blog and for streaming the first episode of my new podcast – ‘The Subculture Sessions’ – if you got the memo. I’ll be back tomorrow for another new entry in our ‘Scuzz Sundays’ feature, as we take aim at a Canadian Hard Rock band who have yet to been featured in our library before. They were formed from the ashes of the 00’s band The Dropouts.

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Way Back Wednesdays: Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – “The Message”

October 6, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘The Message’ (LP) (Released in October, 1992) (via Sugar Hill Records)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and you have got your ears tuned in for yet another daily track on the blog, which suits me because it’s always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! This is ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ where we revisit the seminal sounds of the past that have been influential for those of the present, and ‘The Message’ – released in 1982 by the New York 5-piece Hip-Hop band Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – certainly fits that bill. As noted in the lyrics, ‘The Message’ was initially written as a reaction to the New York City Transit Strike of 1980 as a more broad examination of inner-class poverty and social injustice. Early 80’s Hip-Hop music was typically characterized as being aimless and too Pop-oriented, but the success of ‘The Message’ was paramount for groups like Public Enemy and KRS-One, and it marked the turning point for Rap music to explore serious content and the Conscious Hip-Hop sub-genre would soon be developed in response by more credible Hip-Hop songwriters than those who were there before. ‘The Message’ went straight to the #8 spot on the UK Singles Chart and it reached #2 in New Zealand, as well as reaching #4 on the US Billboard Hot Black Singles Chart. This is easily one of the most recognizable Hip-Hop recordings of the 1980’s, but its popularity extends beyond popular culture as well. For example, it has been featured in some academic texts such as ‘The Norton Anthology Of African American Literature’, published by Henry Louis Gates Jr. in 1996. Give it a spin below.

Released as the third and final single from the album of the same name by Sugar Hill Records in 1982, ‘The Message’ was a launching ramp for the bragging and boasting of the earlier Hip-Hop sounds to gain more of a soul, and its widespread success led to the band getting inducted into the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007. Also, ‘The Message’ was selected by the Library Of Congress to be added to The National Recording Registry for its preservation in 2002. A driving force behind the social commentary of Hip-Hop’s most significant releases, ‘The Message’ lyrically boasts some unflinching observations of lower working class perils like “It’s like a Jungle sometimes/It makes me wonder how I keep from going under” in the hard-boiled chorus, and my favourite verse contains the sequence of “A child is born with no state of mind, Blind to the ways of mankind/God is smiling on you, but he’s frowning too/Because God only knows what you’ll go through” which has also been named as Q-Tip’s favourite rap verse of all time. That verse really steers the sound away from a braggadocio party anthem style and towards a more philosophical nature instead. The instrumentation takes its cues from the Psych-Funk of George Clinton’s bands like Funkadelic and Parliament. The groovy guitar licks and the staccato Synths changed the content of Hip-Hop music forever, and the backdrop is simply catchy. It really helps to make the track feel more memorable on the whole, and Melle Mel mocks the Hip-Hop culture of old by noting “But then you wind up dropping out of high school” after he lists the likes of pickpockets and smugglers as potential role models. Overall, ‘The Message’ had an undeniable ability in attracting those who would not typically listen to Hip-Hop as a genre and the importance of the songwriting deserves its recognition as a pioneer of Hip-Hop’s development, and the themes are all topped off by the end of the video where police stress towards black people becomes present, as the band get arrested for no discernible reason in a brutal end skit. ‘The Message’ not only made history in terms of it’s content, but it was a genuinely great Hip-Hop track.

Pictured: ‘Grandmaster Flash’ Joseph Saddler, ‘Keef Cowboy’ (Keith Wiggins), ‘Melle Mel’ Melvin Glover, ‘The Kidd Creole’ Danny Glover, ‘Scorpio’ Eddie Morris & Rahiem (Date n/a) (Photo via Getty Images)

That’s all for now! Thank you for checking out my latest throwback post, and I’ll be back tomorrow as we divert our attention from the socially conscious Hip-Hop of the past to the Pub Rock revivalist sounds of the future, coming from a Melbourne 4-piece whose self-titled debut studio LP won “Best Rock Album” at the ARIA Awards of 2019.

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Today’s Track: Sans Soucis – “On Time For Her”

September 30, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Sans Soucis in an official photoshoot for ‘I’m On’ (2021) (Photo via PR/GetInHerEars.com)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up for yet another daily track because, as you’ve already guessed, it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! It looks like you’re right on time for ‘On Time For Her’, the main title track of the debut EP from the brand new Neo-Soul/Avant-Pop singer-songwriter Sans Soucis. She is a London-based songstress of original Italian-Congolese heritage who moved to the UK at the age of 20. Her new EP – which was self-released last Friday – explores the end of a traumatic period of depression for Sans Soucis, caused by racial issues and childhood anxiety. This short-form project tackles her search for identity in Western society and her challenges of finding her authentic self, set to some soft Synth-led backdrops that are built upon a goal of “effortlessly blending the sounds of Congolese Rumba, Electronic, R&B and Alt-Pop with her perceptive lyricism” according to the official Sans Soucis website. The irony is that her creative alias of Sans Soucis is taken from her childhood nickname for “Carefree”. She is also notably part of the iluvlive Artist Development scheme, an initiative designed to support new artists to further their careers through their platform and networks. Check out her latest single below.

Sans Soucis’ real name is Giulia Grispino (Which is the Italian version of the English name for Julia) and her new EP is a life-affirming statement for her development. She tells us, “Regardless of how proficient you can be in a foreign language, it does take time for you to authentically convey your personality through it”, explaining, “Understanding culture and feeling in a foreign country can leave a person in limbo for a few years of their life and that’s what happened to me”, in her press notes. Luckily for Soucis, her music has received well-deserved praise from publishers like Wonderland, The Fader, BBC Radio 6 Music, Clash, Spotify’s New Music Friday, BBC Introducing London, The Line Of Best Fit, and a handful of others online. ‘On Time For Her’ feels more like a relaxing massage to your eardrums than a particularly harsh exploration of tense human introspection, with Soucis reciting her poetic lyrics with a tone of an unfurling, crystalline shaping. Her breathy, spacious vocals are given plenty of time to sink into your ears nicely with a radiant feel, with a warm sense of breeze being created by the stilted backing vocals. It is unclear if the backbeat is formed from a sample or a purely looped vocal originally created by Soucis, but it feels rather eclectic in terms of genre and it adds some entrancing warmth to the proceedings. The instrumentals are woven together by a multi-layered array of Staccato effects and tuneful Synths, which creates a nice sense of intimacy and vulnerability when the more ethereal vocal arrangements – within the chorus – begin. The lyrics are quite introspective, yet ambiguous, with a Lo-Fi Hip-Hop style of delivery that allows sequences like “No answer if you don’t look right” and “Feast in the darkness, sing alone” that imply some themes of displacement and self-security, and the titular refrain of ‘On Time For Her’ evokes the meaning of being committed to doing right by your own standards. Overall, this made for a lovely listen. I don’t think we’re quite there yet in making the instrumentation a little more interesting, but this is some feedback that Soucis will build upon constructively as her time goes on. The track feels hard to really box into a specific genre, and that is really appealing to me. I think that she simply has a very nice voice as well, and her perspectives on living in Western society as a foreign native allows her to convey a diverse variety of emotions. A rich combination of 00’s Bjork and Fana Hues – which is a kind compliment by itself.

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘On Time For Her’ (EP) (Released on September 24th, 2021) (via Self-Released)

Thank you for reading my latest blog post, and I’ll be back tomorrow for an in-depth look at one of the weekend’s most hotly tipped new album releases for the ‘New Album Release Fridays’. This week, we’re tasting the debut LP release from a Brooklyn 5-piece who have gained serious popularity from NME and BBC Radio 6 Music in recent months. Brooklyn Vegan calls them one of New York’s “hardest working and most reliably fun bands”. They’ve even opened up stages for Beck and James Chance.

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Today’s Track: Swindle (feat. Loyle Carner, Kojey Radical & JNR Williams) – “Lost”

September 23, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘The New World’ (Mixtape) (Available from October 29th, 2021) (via BMG)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come around for me to get typing up for yet another daily track on the blog, because it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! ‘LOST’ comes to you from the South London-based Grime, Garage and Dubstep producer Swindle – his real name is Cameron Palmer – who first emerged on the UK’s Grime scene with his self-released debut mixtape, ‘The 140 Mixtape’, in 2007. His earliest influences call back to Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis and Bob Marley, and Palmer has a background in Jazz, Soul, Funk and Hip-Hop music. This is because his father was a Blues guitarist who gave Palmer lessons at a young age, and so he has been making his own music – starting from his Bedroom studio – since 2004. Palmer has been known for his fruitful collaborations with other artists in recent years, and he has worked with the likes of Terri Walker, Flowdan and P Money during his career. The trend will continue on his upcoming new album ‘The New World’, which is hitting record store shelves late next month – on October 29th – via BMG. The lead single, ‘LOST’, has been playlisted for BBC Radio 6 Music’s daytime rotation, and it finds Palmer linking with Loyle Carner, Kojey Radical and JNR Williams. Check it out below.

The follow-up to 2019’s ‘No More Normal’, Swindle wrote and recorded ‘The New World’ over the time of just two weeks at Real World Studios in Wiltshire after the lifting of the UK’s national lockdown period in late 2020, with the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic forming the backbone of the album’s themes. The release also features a diverse line-up of guests, including the likes of Greentea Peng, Maverick Sabre, Joel Culpepper and Poppy Ajudha among the collaborative track listing. ‘LOST’ finds Loyle Carner lending his intimate, socially conscious rap style to the first verse, while Kojey Radical contributes his slightly heavier rhythms to the cause. The two have more of a verbal spar in the third verse, delivering some motivational lyrics about finding purpose like “Pinocchio knows no bounds but he’s trying/That brother say he run the jungle but they lying” and “They was trying to make darkness a weapon/I was trying to make darkness a blessing” that duel at times, with the two narrators controlling a mid-tempo journey through some slabs of warm Bass and some stretches of orchestral Brass sections. JNR Williams, meanwhile, keeps the pace flowing with the memorable hook of “Oh, they lost themselves in lying” during the chorus. Swindle’s work behind the decks on production is diverse throughout, as he serves up some snatches of horns that gives Williams a Gospel quality to his voice, and he plays around with understated Bass to provide a sonorous, laconic style to the proceedings. Although it begs the question of “How many people does it take to make a song?” just a tad (You would be suprised, a lot of mainstream Pop tunes have at least 15 writers credited), the sum of all the parts here is certainly worthwhile and that’s all what really matters. A diverse, colourful take on Grime and Dubstep that feels grounded enough by the ‘Jam session’ style of collab vocals, and it sounds fresh.

Pictured: Swindle (Cameron Palmer) at ‘Real World Studios’ (2021) (Photo via TheVinylFactory.com)

That’s all for now! Thank you for joining me on the blog today and for showing your support. It is very hard to believe that it’s been almost an entire week since RP Boo made his return and proved that he’s still got it – but here we are. It is ‘New Album Release Fridays’ tomorrow as we divert our attention to the hyped new album release from the drummer Betamax and keyboardist Danalogue from The Comet Is Coming.

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