Chillwave

Today’s Track: The ORB – “Daze”

February 29, 2020 — Leave a comment

A track for you to vibe out to under the little fluffy clouds? It’s time for your new post!

  • Pictured: Alex Paterson (Programming) and Michael Rendall (Effects) (Photo Credit: http://www.theorb.com)

It’s quite the sunny Stoke day for me – which gives us the perfect excuse to stream the latest track from one of Britian’s most established Chillout acts – The Orb, an ambient electronic house duo originally set up by Alex Paterson and The KLF’s Jimmy Caulty in 1988 – which is now comprised of Paterson and Michael Rendall. The Orb are best known for their 1991 classic “Little Fluffy Clouds”, which led to the duo becoming known for their following inside drug-induced clubs where their fans would “wind down” by listening to their neo-psychedelic remixes of Dub and Chill sequences. Their new LP record, “Abolition Of The Royal Familia” is currently slated for release on March 27th via the Cooking Vinyl label – with the title seeming like one of the obscure science fiction references which The Orb have become very synonymous for, in their long career since the late 1980’s. The new LP, their sixteenth studio album release overall, features guest appearances from the likes of Roger Eno, Nick Burton (former rotating member of The Orb), Andy Cain, Gaudi, Violetta Vicci and more – who will all be bringing their talents in a collaborative effort with the British humor and the witty sample-based elements of The Orb’s old-school psych-funk sensibilities. The most vital of which, however, is… Leika The Dog! Let’s watch her go on a cosmic canine trip to the moon and back in the music video for “Daze (Missing & Messed Up Mix)” below.

Fairly low production vales aside – the video for “Daze (Missing and Messed Up Mix)” elicits a few decent chuckles out of me, and I feel like the single is reasonably good as well. I particularly enjoyed the opening, as a sample-led blast of vocals, drowned in echoed reverberation, proudly exclaims: “A soul sound sensation”, before a swirling strobe of Balearic synths take control of the melodic hook, leading to a slightly down-tempo affair of genre-blurring composition, as a soulful refrain leads the vocal part: “You’ve been missing for days/missing..”, a simple line which is given a little more depth through an unashamedly 70’s disco element, as a vintage sample adds enough ooh’s and wooh’s to also craft a dance-able pop rhythm. The track also contains a light hop-hop element under a 90’s ambience glaze, which is created from a subtle strings arrangement and a modulated Conga drum sound. It mostly sounds like an eclectic and meticulously engineered affair of The Orb doing their classic dub-psychedelia twang best. It’s business as normal for The Orb, with an uptempo groove put together by a jam-packed sample part, which reminds me of the nostalgic adventure sound of The Avalanches “Since I Left You”. However, I don’t think it’s engineered in as much detail and in a peculiar sense, I don’t feel it really goes anywhere else, the soulful melodies are consistent but lacking in a vigorous quality to push it forwards slightly more than it’s been presented, as I feel the vocal refrain gets a little too repetitious for it’s own good. This is more the style of track that I would sit down and have on during a long train journey, rather than before a big night-out, as it does have an upbeat, traditional Chillout pop texture, but it doesn’t veer so much into free-spirited dance territory. Although I do think the track is missing another element of sound to give the overall sound a touch more excitement and just a little bit more oomph, I think the track does what it sets out to do very adequately. The slight infliction of wit is a twinkling highlight and it’s very engaging how the sound mixes elements of hip-hop, dub, ambient house, psychedelic soul and good, old-fashioned pop without losing much of it’s cohesive structure. A likeable little anthem.

  • Pictured: Alex Paterson and Michael Rendall enjoying a garden day… in the bushes! (Orb-approved press shot)

You can also read my thoughts on The Orb’s 90’s classic “Little Fluffy Clouds” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/02/18/todays-track-the-orb-little-fluffy-clouds/

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Abolition Of The Royal Familia” (Available on 27th March, 2020) (via Cooking Vinyl)

Thank you or reading this post! I’m writing a new installment of my weekly Scuzz Sundays series on the blog tomorrow – a weekly thowback to the late 90’s and early-mid 00’s punk or emo rock anthems of old that you might remember seeing on the defunct Scuzz TV Freeview music video channel. It will be a mainstream chart hit from a band who, as a running joke in their music videos, use their previous singles during the introductions of their videos! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Confidence Man – “Does It Make You Feel Good?”

February 26, 2020 — 1 Comment

Did it make me feel good? You’ll have to read my thoughts in today’s post to find out!

  • Pictured: Janet Planet (Vocals) and Sugar Bones (Vocals) in a photoshoot for “Does It Make You Feel Good? (2019) (Photo Credit: Zac Bayly)

Good evening – It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my everyday duty and pleasure to do so! I’ve been very busy helping on the latest Staffs TV production, “Society Pub Quiz” at University today, so it’s another late-night post from me, which might be a blessing in disguise since I’m going to be introducing you to a chilled dance-pop anthem from the Australian EDM group Confidence Man, who were formed in Brisbane in 2016. The group made a huge name for themselves with their debut album, “Confident Music For Confident People”, which they released to critical acclaim and commercial success in April 2018, with the LP record earning the group the award for the “Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album” at the AIR Independent Music Awards last year. It was a very goofy, comical dance record which is very fun and entertaining to listen to! They’ve since returned with a one-off single, “Does It Make You Feel Good?”, which they released back in November 2019. The group are now signed to the Heavenly Recordings record label. Let’s have a little listen to “Does It Make You Feel Good?” with the music video below.

Did that make you feel good? The track is a slight departure from the sound of their full-length album, with a lighter emphasis on underlying darkness and humorous songwriting, with the group opting for a more feel-good and internationally appealing focus, with a light-hearted, old-school disco tone. The funnily named Janet Planet asks: “If something doesn’t make you right/Does it make you feel good?” above a mellow infusion of gentle house scratches and sentimental synth-line patterns. Planet croons: “I know you’re gonna do me wrong/But I got numbers in my telephone”, a verse she later ends with “It’s our love baby/our love, baby”, a line which carries itself to a soft-centered pop groove, through the use of a settled, mid-tempo snare and a hidden layer of synthetic Bongo drum patterns. The track ends on a very hopeful note, as Planet finishes: “Does it make you feel good?/Does it make you feel good?” over a pulsating drum machine riff, followed by a simplistic fade-out. Whilst I don’t think the track is necessarily bad, I couldn’t help but feel rather lukewarm towards this one, which is a shame. I really enjoyed their album because it was filled with invention and humor, with an overly tongue-in-cheek thread which connected each of the tracks together, which made it sound unique and inspiring with it’s unashamedly “dorky” context. In the case of this, I feel it’s following the influence of more mainstream pop acts, rather than doing it’s own thing. As for the positives, I like how it’s an accessible record for casual listeners to enjoy and I think it’s good how the band, lyrically, explore a more serious theme. However, the reason I’m not overly fond of this track is because of this evolution. With a less chaotic style and the removal of witty vocals, it just lacks the energy and rebellious spirit which made them a unique act to follow. While the subtle psychedelia is nice, it doesn’t match the fierce and sharp dance beats which made them stand out. It ultimately sounds like the band are just trying to have a hit, an aesthetic which doesn’t sit right with me. While I feel the 80’s disco style is entertaining to a point, the band lost one of their bigger strengths along the way, leading to a track which is chilled and laidback, but it feels quite dull and not inspired too fully. It’s alright, man – but it’s not my Confidence Man!

  • Pictured: Janet Planet (Vocals), Sugar Bones (Vocals), Reggie Goodchild (Synths) and Clarence McGuffie (Drums)

You can also read my thoughts on Confidence Man’s Christmas track, “Santa’s Comin’ Down The Chimney”, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/04/todays-track-confidence-man-santas-comin-down-the-chimney/

  • Pictured: Confidence Man performing a live gig at “The Great Escape” (2017) (Photo Credit: Brighton & Hove news)

Thank you for reading this post! As always, I hope you enjoyed it! – please make sure that you check back with the blog tomorrow to read my in-depth review of the new track from a legendary English Alternative Rock singer-songwriter who recently contributed on the production of the recent independent venue week documentary film: “Long And Winding Road”. along with Phillip Selway, Gaz Coombes, Squid, Kele Okereke, Novelist, Fatboy Slim, Richard Hawley and many more! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: The ORB – “Little Fluffy Clouds”

February 18, 2020 — 1 Comment

These guys sharpened up their “Orb-anization” skills for this! It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “The Orb’s Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld) (Released in 1991) (via Big Life)

I hope you’re not getting soaked in the rain too much! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, writing about your daily track on the blog, as with any other day! Although I’m not very familiar with The Orb – a landmark 1990’s ambient electronica project set up by English producer Alex Paterson – with his partner-in-crime being changed over the years, with Thomas Fehlmann currently in the seat, taking over from original co-founder Jimmy Cauty, a former member of the KLF – I can still appreciate everything that the act has done in progressing their ambient electronica genre to new heights since the duo released their debut album, “The Orb’s Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld”, in 1991. A total of 15 LP records have been released ever since, with a sixteenth set to drop in March this year. The Orb are a pioneering spirit of the 90’s psychedelic EDM music and drug-infused clubbing scenes they’ve become very beloved for channeling a hefty part across the last two decades, where they used to perform live with digital audio tape machines which they’ve programmed live sampling and beat mixing with, a technique they still perform with the use of laptops, since everything’s moved on from analogue production to digital effects. The Orb have been embarking on a recent 30th Anniversary Tour and they’ve been confirmed for this year’s All Points East Festival lineup. “Little Fluffy Clouds” was a landmark in their discography, a chilled ambient folktronica-style track which reached #10 in the UK Singles Chart following a reissue in 1993. Let’s listen to the edit of the track below.

A melodic sci-fi anthem which stands up to the heavyweight influences of The Prodigy and Aphex Twin in the early 90’s time of it’s ilk – “Little Fluffy Clouds” sounds instantly familiar, with the track receiving heavy licensing use for many films and television series. The lead vocals have a whimsical quality which feels reminiscent of a lullaby you might tell a child before bedtime, as a female vocal narrator recites a story of adventure and maturation with “Little Fluffy Clouds” as the centerpiece, she reads: “What were the skies like when you were young?/They went on forever and they, when I lived in Arizona/And the skies always had little fluffy clouds”, with the chronological structure of the narrative being obscured by virtuosic sampling effects and complex synth patterns. It’s the kind of track you’d be best off listening to on a good pair of headphones to experience every little nuance of sound, as the layers are meticulously programmed on top of of an irregular keyboard riff and erroneous tones of chilled house. This quality is lyrically referenced in the track: “Layering different sounds on top of each other”, leading to a pulsating bass vibration to the tune of: “The sunsets were purple and red and yellow and on fire”, with the refrain broken up by a sample of an airplane taking off. There’s also a light sample of a weather documentary and a rooster clucking in the beginning, blatantly creating a dream-like opening which transpires as a recurrent theme in the euphoric arrangement of strings and mid-tempo synth pads. Due to it’s eclectic range of assorted samples, with their highly manipulation composition – the track is a complex work of true art and a dream-scoped soundscape rewarding of multiple listens to shape your own interpretation and experience of. It’s very easy to get obsessed about – and The Orb’s fandom really are! It’s fitting since the track was listed at #40 in Pitchfork’s Top 200 Tracks Of The 1990’s and also #275 in NME’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs Of All-Time.

Whew, there’s a lot to talk about! Don’t forget to join me tomorrow, where I will be introducing you to a fantastic independent singer-songwriter who has previously been collaborating with Arctic Monkey’s Alex Turner and she also performed her own track for the second season of the “True Detective” crime-drama TV series under a different name! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: DJ Seinfeld – “Electrician”

January 28, 2020 — 1 Comment

There are a couple of dodgy lightbulbs dotted around my house, so I think that I might be needing an “Electrician” in my house soon! It’s time for your new blog post!

  • Pictured: DJ Seinfeld (Armand Jakobsson) producing his own “After Party Playlist” mix for BBC Radio 1 (April 2018)

Jokes aside, I played this little trance gem on my show just a few hours ago. Jacob Braybrooke here, as always, with your daily track on the blog. This track comes from Swedish disc jockey and electronic music producer Armand Jakobsson, who goes under the alias of DJ Seinfeld. He’s also been creating EDM tunes under the aliases of Rimbaudian and Birds Of Sweden over the years, having become known for his emotive cuts and sweeping ambient breaks as part of his own Lobster Fury label. Seinfeld’s made a definitive career for himself in the American house scene, also taking influence from Acid Techno pioneers and vintage Jungle artists of the 1990’s. “Electrician” is taken from his recent “Galazy” EP, a four-track EP release which sees DJ Seinfeld explore a mellow Acid Techno sound. Let’s check out “Electrician” below!

A DJ who has received a bit of flack from working in the lo-fi house scene, a controversial genre in the music industry at times, Seinfeld learns to craft a haze-dipped, maturely earnest pop house sound for his first release on the Young Ethics label. A repeated “I love you” line repeats and swirls on the top of a sonically identifiable line of ocassionally placed cowbells and a swollen build of atmospherically introspective moods and a low-key bassline. The vocals are later replaced by the digital sound of bird calls, which chirp in the background, adding an important layer of comfort and warmth to the textured sound. Running at just under seven minutes in length, the constant spiral of pop-heavy treble inflictions and soft, Aphex-influenced drill ‘n’ bass sections are given a breather by the propelling Breakbeat snares, which are used in a quality-over-quantity manner, along with a slight Jungle sound. It may not be Seinfeld’s most experimental work to date, with a lack of noisy Techno percussion or off-kilter snare stabs, but “Electrician” is a well-paced, gradually building layer of slow-dance sounds which end up being more interesting than they may seem when taking from an analytical point of view. A lush, spacious synth backdrop is the highlight of a track which is safe, but nicely produced.

  • Pictured: DJ Seinfeld (Armand Jakobsson) at an undisclosed rave (March 2019)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with a look at another track from an Australian singer-songwriter who’s returned from a six-year hiatus who gained over a million plays on Soundcloud for one of his earliest tracks and he’s often been likened to Morrisey, Lana Del Rey and Gotye! (remember him?) If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: HONNE – “Warm On a Cold Night”

December 17, 2019 — 1 Comment

As I’m typing, I’m sitting comfortably at my desk in my sister’s old bedroom, mine over the Christmas period, as I’ve made the trek back from University to the family home! Here’s a winter warmer of a new post to liven up your cold Tuesday afternoon!

  • Pictured: James Hutcher (left) (Keyboard, Synths) and Andy Clutterback (right) (Lead Vocals, Producer)

“Warm On A Cold Night” by HONNE, a London electro-soul duo comprised of Andy Clutterback and James Hutcher, is a track that has always meant a lot to me, as they were one of the bands who I discovered in this weird 2015 phase of my life where I was sitting between school and college, finding my own path as a new young adult in the world, with the discovery of this duo helping me through the awkward period. The track later became the title of the duo’s debut album, which was released in 2016. However, the track was originally released as one of their first recordings on their debut EP in 2015, released by Tatamae Recordings. HONNE have come a long way since then and have ditched the early mystery to their careers when they would reveal very little of their personal lives to their loyal fanbase, however, they still go down as underrated in my book. Good afternoon to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about HONNE’s (True feelings in Japanese) track, “Warm On A Cold Night”.

An appropriate title for a foggy and rainy Tuesday afternoon/early evening such as right now, “Warm On A Cold Night” by HONNE, is a delightful R&B, old-school soul-laden electronic belter of an intimate tune, once described by The Telegraph as “Futuristic Soul” and “Babymaking Music” in 2015. The track kicks off with a mock late-night radio announcement, as the presenter pleads to “keep you warm on a cold, cold night” before the lead vocals from Andy immediately snatch the lead off him. The lead rhythm is a melodic take on sophisticated synthpop, a precursor to the sexual lyrics filled with hopeful romance, instead of a necessarily explicit sound. It’s backdropped by a smooth layer of sleek keyboard riffs and the duo’s R&B/soul influences, which feel heatwarming and familiar to fans of the duo during their early beginnings. The sound is very down-tempo and low-pitched, although there is an evocation of moody and gloomy London on a night ridden with frost and snow. It feels claustrophobic, yet emphatic, which is an intriguing mix of emotions and conventions. I feel the pick-up style of the vocals won’t be to suit everybody’s tastes, with the themes of super-slick flirtation possibly coming off as meandering for some, but I will always remember the track as a glimpse of the artists’ career at the time and a strong invention of the duo’s identity while they were finding their feet within their discography and artistic concepts, with the best material obviously yet to come, as they didn’t quite have it nailed down, to the fullest extent, yet. A track for a cold night.

  • Pictured: HONNE performing “Coastal Love” on the BBC Introducing stage at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend (2015)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as we get back to the festivities with a comedic track by a funny man from London who was once described by BBC Introducing’s Gary Crowley as “Guaranteed to put a smile on even the grumpiest of faces…an absolute favourite”! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Beck – “See Through”

November 28, 2019 — 1 Comment

The colour-shifting Chameleon of pop/rock music is back! It’s time for a Cosmic post!

  • Pictured: Beck Hansen in a promotional photoshoot for “Hyperspace” (2019)

Beck is back! The art-pop legend, who is responsible for some of the most influential records of all-time in the forms of “Odelay” (1996) and “Mellow Gold” (1994), as well as Grammy winning albums “Morning Phase” (2015) and “Colours” (2017), has just reinvented himself, yet again, with the release of “Hyperspace” on November 22nd, a space-themed jolt through different pop genres with a theme of spaciousness. The album features mainstream star Pharrell Williams in the producer seat, as well as guest appearances from Chris Martin of Coldplay, Sky Ferreira and Terrell Hines. It’s an intriguing mix of new-wave synth-work and minimalist production. I rather like it and I would absolutely LOVE to go on a night-out with Beck! It would be SO much fun!

“See Through” is the sixth track on the new record and it hasn’t even been released as a single, but I feel the track would fit that mold very well. The track has the qualities of a Neapolitan Ice Cream, as it effortlessly combines the elements of a stripped-back R&B sound, with a subversive hint of chill wave and a tinge of nostalgic trip-hop, creating a unique Cosmopolitan style which makes the slowed-pace format work very well. It’s a lyrical ballad on the desperation of seeing a lover and a burning desire to keep a dissolving relationship going. The lyrics provide a stylish, but admittedly quite forgettable, backdrop to the cohesive electronic production, as the synths bash against the waves of each other, to an effect that is both psychedelic and joyful in execution. It’s a shame that the lyrics lack a certain quality of playfulness to make them stand out more, as the vocals take a backseat to the instrumentation, which is in fine form at the forefront, but it would be a little nicer if the vocal hooks were slightly catchier and more light-hearted. It builds up gradually to become a slow-jam, which creates a spacious break between the more thunderous and funk-oriented tracks on the record, such as “Saw Lightning” and “Die Waiting”, as well as feeling consistent in tone with the two spiritually-related interlude tracks on the album, “Hyperlife” and “Hyperspace. On “See Through”, Beck puts a relaxed style and calming atmosphere behind a visually-pleasing image on a breezy track, which is a bright spot on a record which, for me, is a massive improvement over 2017’s “Colors”.

  • Pictured: Beck Hansen in a promotional photoshoot for “Mellow Gold” (1994)

Since I’m a big fan of Beck, you can also read my thoughts on two other Beck tracks that I have previously covered on the blog. Why not click here to read my thoughts on “Uneventful Days”: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/10/29/todays-track-beck-uneventful-days/? Or, you can click here to read my write-up for 1998’s “Tropicalia”: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/08/20/todays-track-beck-tropicalia/!

  • Pictured: Art Collage showing the many faces of Beck over the decades (Credit: Sarita Schaffer)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at a 1996 track from an alternative rock group, which has a title that will remind you of a certain Hanna-Barbera cartoon that started airing in 1969, although it’s actually a reference to a chemical, Valium! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/