Brit-Rap

Today’s Track: Junior – ‘Long Way Home’

April 12, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Junior (aka 24-year-old rapper/producer James Watkinson) (2022) (Photo via TheMusicEssentials.com)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time to walk in the light of a potential future star for 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! Making music is central to the coming-of-age story of the 24-year-old rapper, songwriter and producer Junior – whose real name is James Watkinson – who grew up recording a bunch of self-produced work while growing up in a summer cabin, being influenced by his surroundings to pen music about his career aspirations. Although he cites one moment where he got up on stage with Pharrell Williams as an adolescent fan as a definitive one in his career, Junior is becoming one of the best new kids on the block within the UK’s independent Hip-Hop and Grime music scenes for himself. He hails from a self-described “sleepy town” in Bedfordshire, located just outside of London, and his key influences include Jay Z, 90’s R&B and the supporting work of SBTV (An organisation based in London who promote emerging artists through their platform). ‘Lone Way Home’ is a fantastic new single by Junior, which was recently played by Tom Ravenscroft during a recent episode of The New Music Fix on BBC Radio 6 Music.

“I look at music as a way to summarize my life, treating every release like a chapter of a book, starting with my first project, ‘Adolescence’ to my most recent, ‘When A Flower Blooms'”, Junior explains about the statement of intent that he intends to fearlessly communicate on the fresh single, explaining, “On a journey to find my own sound and become who I am meant to be, I have had to walk a long way home”, in a press statement. The wonky soundscape of the track is clearly noticeable from the offset, with a Chill Hop-oriented backing beat comprised of fluctuating Synths and a hazy, psychedelic inverted guitar hook that feels playful and, all the while, Junior uses sharp percussion and a gently cinematic range of Hip-Hop instrumentals to ground himself and think carefully about his songwriting for the material. Vocally, his flow is not too unfamiliar to fans of Eminem or Mac Miller, where he matches a smooth and melodic flow to the offbeat tune of the quirky Hip-Hop backdrop. Lyrics like “From a small town/Breaking walls down, you can guarantee I’m a find way” talk about his ambitions to live an adventurous career despite a less than ideal living situation for his desires and wishes. His songwriting manages to feel intimate, while drawing and expansive. The result is a track that feels equally anthemic as it does personal, with his fresh percussion and his confessional style of lyricism standing out in a Hip-Hop world plagued by Meme-targeting commercialism. There’s no auto-tune here in that sense, but there’s simply an inspiring ballad about taking a leap of faith regarding your next big step in your career and, for Junior personally, revealing your ambitions when the Hip-Hop world takes a hold of you. It gets his personality as an open-minded and well-mannered rapper across nicely, while also establishing some relatable themes for his audience that takes influence from the mildly differing styles of Hip-Hop across the spectrum. This is a great showcase for Junior’s abilities to write, produce and record his own music all at once. This could be a star of the future.

Pictured: Junior in a promotional photoshoot for a ‘Live At Esquires’ gig (2021) (Photo via juniorthe40/Twitter.com)

That brings me to the bottom of the page for another morning! Thank you for reading all about what I had to say about Junior today, and I will be back tomorrow to go ‘retro’ with a new entry of our weekly ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ feature on the blog. We will be revisiting a classic 80’s Arabic Pop/Dance track by a Cairo-based musician who is largely seen as the godfather of Al Jeel Music throughout Egypt and Libya. In 2011, he condemned the actions of Muammar Gadaffi – his native country’s then-leader, against the Libyan population and issued a plea to the fellow Egyptians to help them.

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Way Back Wednesdays: Roots Manuva – ‘Witness (1 Hope)’

March 23, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Roots Manuva in promotional artwork for ‘4everrevolution’ (2011) (Photo via MusicRadar.com)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and if you haven’t had your breakfast yet, it’s time to get your fill as we go retro with a 00’s British Dub/Hip-Hop classic as we go retro for ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ on the blog, where we revisit some of the seminal sounds of the past, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Widely considered to be a reference to ‘Doctor Who’ with the intentionally similar melody to the sci-fi phenomenon’s main theme track, ‘Witness (1 Hope)’, released in 2001 by the Stockwell-born rapper and producer Roots Manuva, is a quintessential tribute to British cultural roots that was a stark contrast to the influences of Hip-Hop from the US that was prominent in most other UK hip-hop releases at that point. Infusing the track with Dancehall and Psych-Funk elements, Manuva garnered widespread acclaim for his diverse production and amusing lyricism with the UK Top 45 track. Manuva has since been described as “one of the most influential artists in British music history” by Vice as recently as 2016, having produced several well-acclaimed albums like 2008’s ‘Slime & Reason’, 2002’s ‘Dub Come Save Me’ and, in the case of today’s track, 2001’s ‘Run Come Save Me’. He has also collaborated with an extensive list of other artists including Charli 2na, Gorillaz, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Beth Orton, DJ Shadow, Jamie Cullum, Leftfield, Nightmares On Wax and The Cinematic Orchestra throughout the years. Released on Big Dada in 2001, Manuva’s album breakthrough ‘Run Come Save Me’ earned him a MOBO Award for ‘Best Hip Hop Act’ of that same year. Q also listed the record as one of the best 50 albums of 2001, as Manuva was showered with praise from critics for his individual approach to contemporary Hip-Hop at the time and the uniquely British edge to his songwriting. These days, Roots Manuva is still fairly active. His latest album release was 2015’s ‘Bleeds’ and he headlined the Lounge On The Farm festival in Canterbury, Kent in 2019. Let’s remember the video for ‘Witness (One Hope)’ below.

The Mat Kirby-directed music video that you have just seen – which features Roots Manuva taking part in a sports day at his previous primary school that he truly attended in real life – is a bizzare piece, but it also gained similar acclaim from critics for it’s humorous scenes and original plot. Sports Day is also something that may mean nothing to schools from other countries, and so it really fits the vibe of his track’s point, in a weirdly fitting way. The track starts off with the aforementioned bass line that squelches and crackles to the tune of self-aware lyrics like “I sit here contented with this cheese on toast” and “We drown ten pints of bitter” that reference unquestionably British themes. The low-fidelity bassline has a downbeat, low-end pummeling quality and pulsating, throbbing rhythms that has a low-budget, DIY sense of production to it. On the Reggae front, there’s a fusion of organic Funk and heavy Dancehall going on here, with rickety and makeshift Dub sounds that Manuva claims was composed in protest to the poor quality of the sound systems being used in British night-clubs in the early 00’s, and the deliberate mimicry of the ‘Doctor Who’ theme track is another audacious jab at British popular culture while complementing the Spoken Word delivery of his half-rapped vocals. On the lyrical front, he uses sharp refrains like “I feel the pain of a third world famine, We count them blessings and keep jamming” to draw from diverse imagery of his Jamaican roots, and he’s never afraid to anglicize these ideas for wider accessibility while seeming self-conscious about it. Ultimately, ‘Witness (1 Hope)’ still holds up today as a wonderfully bizzare take on British-Jamaican male experiences and seeking identity in a multi-cultural environment, where the Dub influences feel as sharp as they are lovingly unsullied by the idea of perfection. The lyrics are still unique and innovative, while the track and video still pack an effective punch because of how amusing and engaging they both feel. It was wildly different to anything else at the time and it’s a track that, while holds an influence other modern DIY-style Hip-Hop tracks, also feels impossible to truly duplicate in the same way again. The most relatable element is how we all had to just survive Sports Day. Brilliant, and only he could get away with it.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Run Come Save Me’ (LP/Album) (Released on August 13, 2001) (via Big Dada Records)

That brings me to the end of another throwback post and, as always, thank you very much for supporting the site today. I’ll be back tomorrow, as we head across the shores to the US to review a recent single by a Brooklyn-based indie rock trio who will be performing at The Junction in Cambridge on March 30th. They have supported names like Pixies, Wolf Alice and Cherry Glazerr and they have released material on labels like Fat Possum Records and Mom + Pop Music. They gained the attention of critics with their sets at South By Southwest & CMJ Music Marathon in the mid-2010’s.

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Today’s Track: Kojey Radical (feat. Knucks) – ‘Payback’

March 12, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Kojey Radical in a glamorous photoshoot for a Q&A feature with The Badger Online (2022) (Photo via PR)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it is time for us to take a quick look at one of the UK’s most well-received Grime upstarts for yet another track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Rapper, creative director, mixed media visual director and a first class degree graduate in Fashion Illustration from the London College Of Fashion – is there anything that Hoxton-based musician Kojey Radical can’t do? His debut mixtape, 2016’s ’23 Winters’, debuted at #3 on the UK’s Rap & Hip Hop Albums Charts and reached the top 40 of the UK Singles Charts and, since that point, he has received three MOBO music awards nominations. He has also collaborated with a wide variety of artists such as Mahalia, Lex Amor, Ray BLK, Tom Grennan and MJ Cole. He has recently given us another ‘Reason To Smile’ with his titular first full-length studio album that was released last Friday – on March 4th – via the major label Atlantic Records. The new record is about giving people greatness and striving for self-perfection, and it features a guest appearance from his own mother alongside a plethora of other featured credits, which he explores through a progressive range of Grime, Spoken Word, Alternative Hip-Hop and Psychedelic Funk backdrops. The latter is the most prominent option on ‘Payback’, the lead single, which finds Kojey enlisting the aid of Knucks. The Jazz/Soul-oriented production was also handled by frequent collaborator Swindle. Let’s give ‘Payback’ a listen with the opulent music video below.

“When you’ve been taught to be the victim for so long, it feels great to stand up and say, no one can bully me”, Kojey says in a simple statement about ‘Payback’ as a single. Talking about the ambitions of his new album, he says, “This is the first time I’ve done it to the scale and ambition of what I speak. Previously it’s been ‘I’m warming, I’m warming, I’m warming up’ – but I’m warm now, put me in the game”, in a press release. ‘Payback’ gets off to a heated start with the brassy refrains of “Dark and bullseyes/the dress code black/Count my money up, I need my racks” in the opening chorus, before Knucks takes the lead for an equally strident verse where he raps about the different qualities that are perceived to represent black success, all of the while that a Saxophone-enhanced bassline and a taut sample-based backdrop helps to glide his vocals above the melodies with a floating flow. There’s references to popular culture, such as the Netflix series ‘Top Boy’, while there’s nods to the sample-based production of Madlib and J Dilla in the richly Funk-influenced backing beats. Some of the strongest lyrics, like “Rap my freedom like a gift/and I ain’t seen the trap since” and “From 1993, I’ve been f***ing up the narrative”, are also the most bold ones, as they speak candidly of finding wealth and measuring power with a nonchalantly poetic flair. There are subtle themes about flexing over your enemies and justice being made, where hooks like “Until we multiply black wealth/**** a statue” and “Don’t let the ivory towers come distract you” make reference to recent cultural events, but it never feels too pretentious or as if Kojey or Knucks are flaunting too much, as black financial generational wealth is the goal instead of personal ambitions within the songwriting. A very fast and furious Hip-Hop anthem with a light touch of Kojey’s undeniably Jazz-oriented and soulful Funk influences, ‘Payback’ comes at you with a hard and honest personality that makes it feel like a cut above the rest. I would have liked to hear a tad more expression from Kojey on his own, as ‘Payback’ shows that a host of collaborators have been behind the steering wheel of it, but this is a strong effort from all involved that gets a lot of the fundamentals right.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Reason To Smile’ (LP/Album) (Released on March 4th, 2022) (via Atlantic Records)

That’s all for now! Thank you very much for taking a moment out of your day to check out what I had to say, and I’ll be back tomorrow to review some more rhythms as we head back to our teenage years for a new entry of my weekly ‘Scuzz Sundays’ feature. We’ll be listening to a modern classic from one of the few female-led bands of the era who have collaborated with Tom Morello and last released an album in 2021. The single in question was memorably used in the edgy comic book movie ‘Kick-Ass’ that bought Hollywood actors like Chloe Grace Moretz and Aaron Taylor-Johnston to fame.

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International Women’s Day 2022 Special: Little Simz (feat. Cleo Sol) – ‘Woman’

March 8, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Little Simz with the ‘Best British Album’ award at the NME Awards 2019 (Photo by Dean Chalkley)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and I would like to give a shout-out to all of the heroic heroines of the world as we celebrate International’s Women’s Day on this fine morning, with a themed track on the blog, given how it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! ‘Woman’ is perfect for this occasion, and it comes from the British-Nigerian rapper Little Simz, who continues to become an icon of contemporary popular culture and her music keeps veering into the consciousness of the mainstream. Simz is a real talent who knows how to say it how it is lyrically, she certainly knows how to make an impression without auto-tune, she knows how to work a crowd, plus her flow and production is both effortless and diverse. Also, she raps candidly about a wide diversity of topics, both social and political, with a hyper-personal touch on every subsequent release. She has been around since 2015, and since that time, she’s won both NME Awards and Ivor Novello Awards. She has also performed acting roles in series like Netflix’s ‘Top Boy’ and E4’s ‘Youngers’, as well as appearing in and recording the theme track for the recent comic book blockbuster sci-fi film ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’, and, most recently, she took home the BRIT Award for ‘Best New Artist’ for this year. ‘Woman’ is one of the strong singles from her latest full-length record – ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’ – that she released last September via Age 101 (her own label). The album appeared on year-end best lists from the likes of Exclaim, Clash, The Telegraph, The Independent and The Line Of Best Fit. The single finds Simz just paying tribute to all of the women who have inspired her during her life. Check out the lavish video below.

Simz enlisted the help of Joy Crookes, Denai Moore, Sienna King, Zeze Millz and more to star in her video, and each of these ladies look as glamorous and fashionable as something straight out of a fashion show. She says, “I love it when I see women doing their thing and looking flawless; I’m here for that”, in a press statement, adding, “It’s empowering; it’s inspiring; I wanted to say thank you and I wanted to celebrate them”, about the track ‘Woman’ at the time of release last year. We start off with a soulful and Jazz-oriented string of instrumentation, where soulful backing vocals that sound golden and retro collide with mellow Keys and slow percussion, but Simz recites lyrics like “Bajan honeys/Know you reppin for your country/Sun kissing your brown skin, looking like money” with a fast flow to give the pacing an uplift, and she summarizes topics like racial identity and personal identity with a gently wisecracking tone that feels like she is almost telling a narrative or story. Throughout the verses, she recites bars like “Miss sierra leone, looking like a gem/Works hard in the week/Party on the weekend” and “Brooklyn ladies/Know you hustle on the daily/Innovative, just like Donna Summer in the 80’s” that shouts out the different role models who have played a role in Simz’ life as a fellow woman and selects a wide variety of name-drops of icons from around the whole world, while highlighting their strengths with a smartly intimate touch. It has a clear Neo-Soul and Psychedelic Jazz vibe throughout, with a mellow style of vocal delivery and Simz makes her lyricism feel wholesome with her unsullied sense of honesty. The backing vocals by Cleo Sol – who worked nicely with Simz on earlier tracks like ‘Selfish’ during previous albums – complements Simz’s warmth neatly because her harmonies feel luscious and smooth, so the two work cohesively again and make a decent pair together because Sol adds even more radiance to the richness of the Soul, Gospel and Jazz fusion of the backing instrumentals. Overall, ‘Woman’ is absolutely the definitive single for us to celebrate International Women’s Day along to, because it is a captivating take on saluting female gender in the media from a songwriting perspective, yet it never feels like it does so in a way that feels ruthlessly marketed or conformed to a particular formula. Instead, it boasts a message of self-confidence and connects with Simz’ own story of finding personal success and creative fulfillment despite gender politics in the mine-field of the industry, before ending on the witty plea of a voicemall call from a family member – who is very lucky, honestly, to be talking to such a fantastic talent in Simbi.

Pictured: Little Simz in an official promotional photoshoot for the ‘Drop 6’ EP (2020) (Photo Credit: TAMIYM)

I’m a huge fan of Little Simz, so she’s no stranger to these parts. If you loved hearing all about ‘Woman’, you can check out some of my other features regarding Simz here:

‘I Love You, I Hate You’ (2021) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/09/03/new-album-release-fridays-little-simz-i-love-you-i-hate-you/

‘Introvert’ (2021) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/04/27/todays-track-little-simz-introvert/

‘Where’s My Lighter?’ (2020) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/05/15/little-simz-feat-alewya-wheres-my-lighter/

‘God Bless Mary’ (2015) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/09/04/todays-track-little-simz-god-bless-mary/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’ (LP) (Released on September 3rd, 2021) (via Age 101)

That brings us to the end of today’s celebrations! Thank you very much for joining me today, and I’ll be back tomorrow as we go retro for another weekly iteration of ‘Way Back Wednesdays’. We’re going truly old school this week, as we celebrate a British Ska revival and 2 Tone band who have been around ever since they were formed in Coventry during 1977. They famously recorded hits like ‘Ghost Town’ and re-created ‘A Message To You, Rudy’ with Dandy Livingstone. This act last released an LP in 2019.

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Today’s Track: Nia Archives – ’18 & Over’

January 17, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Cover Artwork for ’18 & Over’ (Single) (Released on November 25th, 2021) (via HIJINXX)

Good Morning to you! You’re tuned into the text of Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for us to dive headfirst into a new week of January with yet another daily track on the blog, given that it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! A 21-year-old musician who was born in Leeds and raised in Manchester, Nia Archives is a London-based singer-songwriter, producer and visual artist who you may remember from the ‘Headz Gone West’ EP that she released last April that we discussed a few times on the blog. Nia Archives is an exciting new artist who fuses a range of Hip-Hop, Neo-Soul, Dubstep, Drum and Bass, Drill and Techno, House and Jungle elements into her melting pot of sounds. She is also the founder of the ‘HIJINX’ label, which is also the name of her visual archive of short DIY-style film documentaries which was a side project that she started before producing any music. Her influences includes names like Burial, J Dilla and Roots Manuva. She has recently released the follow-up track to her ‘Forbidden Feelingz’ single that she released last October with a heavier-than-usual dance recording that she implores us, lyrically, was designed for ’18 and Over’. She digs into her Carribean heritage for her new single that samples one of her favourite classic Reggae cuts – ‘Young Lover’ by Cocoa Tea from 1987. The Taliable-directed music video pays homage to London’s sound-system culture and references ‘Yardie’ films like ‘The Harder They Come’ and ‘Babylon’ from the 60’s and 70’s. She comments, “For the ’18 and Over’ video, I knew that the visuals had to be iconic as the song is an absolute banger. Working with Taliable who was the director and editor was super fun, I feel we creatively gelled really well to create this vibrant piece”, in her press statement. Let’s check it out if you are ’18 and Over’ below.

Nia continues, “The actual video was shot in my warehouse yard, I thought it would be sick to use that space as no one has ever shot a music video there – meaning it is unique to me. We kept things even more local by asking Hackney native Mark Solution if he could set up his wicked ‘Solution Soundsystem’ – it was an honour to feature it in my video”, adding, “There are also some references to the original record that I sampled for viewers to spot”, in her press notes. Starting off with chirping bird sounds that remind me of the sweetness of Aphex Twin’s ‘Syro’ from 2014 in the classic Jungle template, paired up to a steady breakbeat instrumental, Nia develops the soundscape further with a driving bass line and some twinkling Synths as she layers her vocals above the main hook of the focused sample of “Now, this one was designed for 18 and over” with a psychedelic Neo-Soul backing as the breakbeats get continually more fragmented throughout the progress of adding her own lyrics. The glistening synths soon augment into a booming bass beat that feels like a nuanced representation of Dub-rooted texture that she playfully gives a UK drum & bass twist as the ethereal mix warps into a Jungle aesthetic, eventually leaving behind a central emphasis on the early 90’s rave melodies that give us a spellbinding symphony of breakbeats, as the lyrics promise to give us. While the ‘Headz Gone West’ EP leaned into her anxieties on entering a relationship and overthinking her intimate emotions, ’18 & Over’ is a purer exploration of the Post-Garage and Jungle-driven feel that has always existed within her sound. It all feels very exciting and gripping as a result, creating very surprising shifts in production and fusing her early sound with a flipside of some traditional Reggae to pay homage to her Jamaican heritage and the country’s creative output. A heavy and engrossing evolution of her artistry that is unique to her.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Headz Gone West’ (EP) (Released on April 29th, 2021) (via HIJINXX)

If you also think that Nia Archives is one of the most engaging new artists to follow in 2022, check out my previous post about ‘Headz Gone West’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/05/03/todays-track-nia-archives-headz-gone-west/

Pictured: Nia Archives in a still from the ‘Headz Gone West’ music video (2021) (Photo by Delphino Productions)

That brings us to a pretty thrilling end to today’s track on the blog. Many blessings for showing your support and I’ll be back tomorrow as we continue to hear some of the most important voices in the industry with the next post that arrives tomorrow. It will come your way by a Harlem-based poet, teacher and founding member of the Spoken Word band The Last Poets, who were widely considered to be the first Hip-Hop group.

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Way Back Wednesdays: Massive Attack – ‘Karmacoma’

January 5, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Robert “3D” Del Naja, Grant “Daddy D” Marshall & Andrew “Mushroom” Vowles (Date n/a) (Photo via Classical Album Sundays)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke and, of course, it’s time for the return of ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ on the blog as we remember some seminal (or simply hidden) gems of yore to help me fulfill my goal of writing up about a different piece of music every day! Massive Attack are recognised as one of the most important and influential acts in 90’s British Music history as the original Trip Hop trio of Bristol, and so they are a great choice to kick off our regular throwback fixture again. Having won two Q Awards, two MTV Europe Music Awards, a BRIT Award for Best British Dance Act, as well as placements on greatest-of-all-time lists compiled by NME and Rolling Stone, Massive Attack were also a really successful commercial crossover act having sold their way to over 13 million records worldwide. ‘Karmacoma’ is one of their signature closing tracks during live performances and it was originally issued as the final single off their second LP – ‘Protection’ – that earned critical acclaim in 1994. ‘Protection’ saw the group lean into the Dub and Trance aspects of their pre-established sound, as well as seeing Tricky joining 3D and Grant Marshall on their musical journey by joining their ranks. DJ Mad Professor created a remixed version of the album that was released one year later, and ‘Protection’ was included in the book ‘1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die’ in 2011. 3D and Tricky say that most of the lyrics for ‘Karmacoma’ were written while high on a drug trip while backstage at a music festival somewhere in England and the music video saw the debut of British film director Jonathan Glazer – who went on to direct 2013’s ‘Under The Skin’ as well as music videos for Radiohead and Jamiroquai. Let’s remember ‘Karmacoma’ below.

‘Karmacoma’ – known for a wild and experimental music video that probably freaked a few poor children out during the mid-90’s – was so popular that Tricky later recorded his own solo version of the track that he renamed as ‘Overcome’ for his debut solo album ‘Maxinquaye’ that he created in 1995. Full of bizzare cinematic references to ‘The Shining’ and ‘Reservoir Dogs’ among other titles, Massive Attack have also name-checked Patrick Swayze in the lyrics for the enigmatic track and they say it was dedicated to him. I find it difficult to believe that the bass-heavy, middle eastern Drum beat that runs throughout the track was entirely manufactured at the hands of the Bristolian group because it sounds so authentic, and yet, it creates a catchy but cerebral groove that understandably gained some mainstream attention for the band at the time. The lyrics are very discreet and give next to nothing away, but powerful lyrics like “I won’t lie and say this love is best, leave us in emotional peace” and “Your troubles must be seen to see through money” that seemingly form a social commentary comparing the interests of lovers to the authorities of the world in some way or another, to the best of my guesswork. Either way, the instrumentation was quite spellbinding as the thunderous snare sample sounds very realistic and the group keep introducing more elements, such as the alluring Bass melodies and the loping rhythm, that maintain an unpredictable feel to the record although the main loop gets very hypnotic as the duration progresses. The most alluring line of all comes when “I must be crazy/see I’m swazy” as the key cinematic reference comes to light. The lyrics, with hooks like “Karmacoma, Jamaican aroma” and “You’re sure you wanna be with me I’ve nothing to give/Take a walk, take a rest, taste the rest” are almost erratic at times, complementing the psychedelic oscillation of the unique pacing. The dynamic between Tricky and 3D, however, still feels new, as they recite their sequences with a mild Spoken Word feel that delves into a gently Poetic flair while the trippy instrumentals keep the proverbial room spinning. They form the important adhesive to the track that melds the laced looping of the relentlessly spiraling Drums and the adventurous songwriting, for the lack of a better term, together thematically. While reclusive and challenging, ‘Karmacoma’ was an off-kilter anthem that gives you just enough time to get used to the ongoing melodies before another strange, but key, element flips the switch halfway again. A chilling spectacle.

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Protection’ (LP) (Released on 26th September, 1994) (via Circa/Wild Bunch Records)

That’s all for now! Thank you for spending the beginnings of your new year with me, and I’ll be back again tomorrow for some more unique music from a Canadian Ethnotronica group who blend Instrumental Hip Hop, Reggaeton, post-00’s Dubstep and Moombahton together with elements of First Nations music for their own brand of “Stadium Pow-Wow” sounds. Their earlier name was a nod to A Tribe Called Quest.

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Today’s Track: Porij – ‘Can’t Stop’

November 30, 2021 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Baby Face’ (EP) (Released on September 22nd, 2021) (via Oat Gang Records)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for us to shuffle along to the beat of 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! An Art-Rock 4-piece from Manchester, Porij are a comically named act who formed while studying and staying in halls together at the Royal Northern College Of Music in 2016. Since then, they have supported Cory Wong at Manchester’s 02 Ritz and have received positive reviews from publications like Clash, NME and FADER. The likes of Radio X’s John Kennedy, BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens and the BBC Radio 6 Music daytime playlist have also given them airplay. During the summer, they impressed us all on the blog with their peaceful protest anthem ‘Nobody Scared’, which was inspired by a documentary about Jack The Ripper that the boys saw on Netflix, and it was their call out to violence against women. If you are a fan of bands like Alt-J and Everything Everything – or even Glass Animals and Django Django – I think you’re going to really like this Experimental Pop project. The boys were at it again with the release of their new ‘Baby Face’ EP in September, which featured some previously released singles and new original tracks. The lead single – ‘Can’t Stop’ – was written by drummer Tom almost two years ago as an attempt to bring focus to his over-active imagination, and it arrived with a music video and a plethora of UK tour dates. Let’s give it a spin below.

Porij said in a statement, “Can’t Stop is a super intense, pretty relentless dance tune, about uncertainty, changing your mind and being completely consumed by your thoughts – but all while having a pretty sick time” when they released the track, which is built upon some House-like qualities with an occasionally manic Garage beat, which is complemented by some intentionally dodgy Synth patches and processed vocals that sometimes drift into an energetic auto-tuned frenzy. The band also say that it matches a quirky UKG drum and bass influence to some neat synthetic Pop elements, and it becomes clear from the infinitely tinkered fusion of late-90’s dance music facets and late-00’s indie rock motifs that the band have created a fun track that is sure to brighten up your day. The lyrics, with rhythmic sections like “I feel out of control, got me thinking/Spent a night on your own got me thinking” and more spoken word-like bridges including “Hold me in, push the time on/In your room, take my eye off” sound conventional for a modern indie dancefloor anthem, but their mode of delivery is playful and off-kilter, and so the vocals capture the overarching theme of questioning your own surroundings and sanity with a decent amount of weight to them. In terms of the instrumentation, Porij become known for looping strange Synth sounds and bulky, hefty basslines pretty early on in the track. They contrast the dance elements with a good mix of neatly woven production and more unpredictable melodies through the keyboard riffs later on. Some Jamiroquai-esque guitar riffs and a small touch of percussion round the equation off, and we are left off with a psychedelic number that treats us to the daring bounds of Porij’s creativity once again. While I would have liked for more of their serious social commentary to come through more clearly, as with ‘Nobody Scared’ that was a nod to the ‘Reclaim The Night’ movement for street safety, I think ‘Can’t Stop’ is a catchy and infectious single that would make me get up and dance in a night club with no difficulty. Generally, I really like how Porij approach each of their singles at a ‘case-by-case’ basis because it makes their discography feel quite fresh and diversified, and I like how the Manchester-based act are comfortable with the fact that different directions require different tools to others. In conclusion, ‘Can’t Stop’ is a crowd pleasing and danceable single that appeals to both indie dancefloor fans and club attendees alike.

Pictured: ‘Eggy’ (Lead Vocals/Keyboard), ‘Tommy’ (Rhythm Guitar/Occasional Backing Vocals), ‘Jammo’ (Bass Guitar/Percussion) and Tom (Drums/Occasional Backing Vocals) (in 2021) (Photo courtesy of PR/DIYMag.com)

If you’re feeling frightened, here’s a reminder that Porij wants ‘Nobody Scared’ with their previous single ‘Nobody Scared’, which has already been covered on the blog: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/06/15/todays-track-porij-nobody-scared/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Nobody Scared’ (Single) (Released on April 21st, 2021) (via Oat Gang Records)

That’s your lot for the day! Thank you for continuing to support my content on the blog each day, and I’ll be back tomorrow to resume our ‘Countdown To Christmas’ for the year because it will be December 1st, after all. It still feels a little early for me, and so we will be going for something that’s a little more winter themed in general than specifically festive. However, it comes from one of my favourite pure songwriters in the industry. He fairly recently completed the unique ‘Correspondence’ side project with Tracey Thorn from Everything But The Girl, and had a Swedish #1 album in 2007.

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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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Today’s Track: Gorillaz (feat. Jelani Blackman & Barrington Levy) – “Meanwhile”

October 18, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Damon Albarn with Murdoc recording ‘Momentary Bliss’ in Kong Studios (2020) (Photo via PR)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and you’ve tuned in to One Track At A Time, where it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! It is quite unusual that I would cover such a big band as Gorillaz, and especially on a Monday instead of a weekend day where there would typically be more eyes and exposure to the site, but I hate to admit that I am fairly late to the party on this release already. ‘Meanwhile’ comes from Gorillaz – the beloved and eccentric project of Blur frontman Damon Albarn and visual artist Jamie Hewlett, which was listed as the world’s “Most Successful Virtual Band” in 2010’s Guiness Book Of World Records, and the duo also scooped up the award for ‘Best British Group’ at the BRIT’s in 2018. It has long become a vehicle for Albarn to experiment freely and make some exciting collaborations happen, and it has sold over 25 million records globally. The ‘Meanwhile’ EP was released with no prior announcement on August 26th, a new three track release that includes new tracks featuring Barrington Levy and Jelani Blackman on the title track, as well as additional guest spots from AJ Tracey and Alicai Harley on the other two tracks. Together, these three tracks are a homage to carnivals and growing up in West London – and they were all debuted during a live concert performance at London’s O2 Arena earlier in August, which was free to attend for NHS workers and their selected family members and it featured cameos from De La Soul’s Posdunos, Robert Smith of The Cure and Peter Hook of New Order. To say the animated animals behind Gorillaz have been in hibernation would be far from true, since the suprise EP follows up the release of the ‘Gorillaz Almanac’ last year, a graphic book documenting Gorillaz’ 20-year history as a project. Last year, there was also the release of ‘Song Machine: Season One, Strange Timez’ that paired quirky collaborations with new music videos and staggered single releases, which allowed Albarn to explore collaborations with artists like Slowthai, St. Vincent, JPEGMafia, Chai, Elton John & Schoolboy Q. Give ‘Meanwhile’ a listen below.

The titular track of the recent EP release includes featured spots from Barrington Levy and Jelani Blackman, and has been pitched, in the accompanying press notes, as a tribute to the cultural historical event of The Notting Hill carnival, which would have taken place in late August alongside the record’s release, but it was cancelled again due to the ongoing ripple effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. 2-D, the animated frontman, added, “Meanwhile Gardens are just round the corner from Memory Lane. If you get to Crawley you’ve gone too far”, to the document. The most noticeable element of ‘Meanwhile’ is how the tune plays with a nostalgic Grime element, with some smoky Hip-Hop vocals from Blackman during the opening verses that lay into the traditions and significance of the event in his life, with lyrics like “Play street with the street I played” and “See when the sound system break/We make the system shake” that reminisce over the fun of the carnivals and the cultural diversity that it celebrates. The chorus is an expansion of these ideas, with lyrics like “I love Carnival bass, ya don’t feel the same, That’s cool, don’t get in my way” that feels a little catchier, but it still feels grounded within the rumbling Grime-style instrumental beats. The second half of the tune, where Albarn and Levy enter the fray, similarly sings of longing for another live event disrupted by the pandemic and the rich heritage of the event, while exploring memory with a more call-and-response style of structure. These different pieces, including the first-hand Brit-Rap sequences from Blackman and the bittersweet tones of Albarn & Levy’s sections, are all held together cohesively by the interweaving Synth patterns that twinkle along to the stoned backing beats and the dream-like aesthetics of the overall package. This probably doesn’t feel like the most inventive lyricism that we have ever heard from Gorillaz before, but it is a charming and coherent celebration of Carnivals and their meaning of purpose, both to an intimate and broader perspective. The instrumentation feels bold and vibrant too, while the sound swoops in for a clear Grime element but never gets too harsh or abrasive for a casual audience group to find too disorienting, and so Gorillaz continues to feel like an exciting project due to the well-produced graphics and fun feature spots. An engaging reminder that Notting Hill is more than just a film.

  • Pictured: 2-D (Vocals), Murdoc (Drums), Noddle (Guitar) & Russell Hobbs (Percussion) (2017) (via PR)

We have covered a few of Gorillaz’ tunes before, including the launch track of the ‘Song Machine’ series, which featured Slowthai and Slaves. You can find out what I thought of ‘Momentary Bliss’ for an escape here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/22/todays-track-gorillaz-on-melancholy-hill/. Alternatively, you can read up on their 2010 classic ‘On Melancholy Hill’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/22/todays-track-gorillaz-on-melancholy-hill/

  • Pictured: Gorillaz with Slowthai in a press shoot for ‘Momentary Bliss’ (2019) (Photo via NME.com)

That’s all for now! Thank you for joining me on the blog, and I’ll be back tomorrow for an in-depth look at a laidback single from a London-based Psychedelic Jazz quintet who have just released their fourth studio album over the past weekend on Fire Records. The band are female-fronted and the one of their members was previously a member of Fanfarlo. The drummer’s production credits also include Bat For Lashes and Gruff Rhys’ “Neon Neon” project. Their style has been oft-compared to Stereolab.

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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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