Dance

Today’s Track: Confidence Man – ‘Holiday’

November 18, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Janet Planet, Sugar Bones, Reggie Goodchild and Clarence McGuffie (2019) (Photo via PR)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to ensure that yet another daily track on the blog bursts your eardrums in spirit, because it’s always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! A quirky Alternative Dance group, led by the wacky characters of Sugar Bones and Janet Planet, the Brisbane native indie pop band Confidence Man have continued to find success throughout their musical journey since their debut album, ‘Confident Music For Confident People’ brought their dorky concoction of costumed rhythms and lightly acidic beats to the international club circuit in 2018. The band have found themselves performing at many festivals like Splendour In The Grass Festival and Falls Festival, while also remixing the likes of DMA’s, Working Men’s Club and Erasure over the years. They have also received wins and nominations at the AIR Awards, J Awards, National Live Music Awards and Queensland Music Awards over the years since they became active in 2016. Although singles like ‘Does It Make You Feel Good?’ and ‘First Class B**ch’ have filled the gap a little, Confidence Man have just announced their first album in four years. Their second studio album, ‘Tilt’, will be released on April 1st, 2022 via the I OH YOU label. According to a press release, the new album is “fierce, flirty and full of anthems” and listeners “might need to sit down before you hit play”. Back in September, Confidence Man also unveiled an extensive run of rescheduled and new tour dates across the UK and Ireland that will hopefully start in May of next year. The list includes dates in Brighton, Cambridge, Norwich, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Sheffield and more. Before then, let’s book a ‘Holiday’ below.

Talking about the inspiration behind ‘Holiday’ – the Aussie dance outfit’s latest euphoric anthem – Janet Planet stated, “No one tells Confidence Man what to do. Who said a holiday can’t last forever?”, explaining, “Spend big and live free, that’s our motto. And it can be yours too. A vacation is just sunburn at premium prices but a holiday is a state of mind”, in her joint press notes with Sugar Bones. Elaborating on the ideas of holiday and relaxation as a mindset instead of a physical destination, Planet and Bones join their fellow bandmates in conjuring slightly acidic Synth beats and some high tempo Drum rhythms to the tune of lyrics like “Best weed back on the block, I’ll take it” and “When I was a child, I was so naked” that creates the distinctly nerdy and comedic attitude that Confidence Man are known for evoking. The instrumentation continues to add some variety to the proceedings, with a lengthy sequence of backing harmonies in the opening sequence and some 80’s film soundtrack-esque Synth stabs to create silky ambient washings in the closing sequence, continuing to give off a light-hearted and care-free Summer formula. The vocal hooks are super sized, with the likes of “I live it up on the go/I’m getting high, I’m never low” and “Kicking off and I lose control/I’m born to fly/I want it all” being recited quickly, as to match the frivolous energy of the Acid Disco rhythms and neatly aligned basslines. While there’s no subtlety to the vocals, the brief String sections and the stinging Synth stabs are complemented by the floor-filling feel of the sound. A decent reminder that Confidence Man are all about having fun, ‘Holiday’ is a familiar summer anthem to see their own country of Australia throughout the summer months. Due to this ‘summer release’ feel, however, it feels a little odd when you are listening from the rest of the world as the rain gets frequent and the bitterness of the cold keeps sharpening. This also feels a bit more straight-faced than usual from the group than usual, although they’re still donning some Synths that wouldn’t sound out of place on the ‘Top Gun’ soundtrack. Despite not being in season for me, this is still a solid return from Confidence Man. Camp, unique and irreverant, ‘Holiday’ is everything you might want (and expect) from the forward-thinking Australian project.

  • Pictured: Janet Planet and Sugar Bones in a promotional photoshoot (in 2019) (Photo Credit: Zac Bayly)

If you liked the sound of ‘Holiday’, you may like the various other tracks by Confidence Man that have appeared on the blog over the years at various points. If you want something still recent, you can check out my review of ‘First Class B**ch’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/10/20/todays-track-confidence-man-first-class-bh/. If that doesn’t mate you feel right, you can see if this ‘Does It Make You Feel Good’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/02/26/todays-track-confidence-man-does-it-make-you-feel-good/. Or, for something more in tune with the festive season, you can view their seasonal single ‘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 at ‘The Great Escape’ (2017) (Photo via Brighton & Hove News)

That’s all for now! I hope that you enjoyed the trip, and thank you for continuing to support my content like this. I’ll be back tomorrow for ‘New Album Release Fridays’, as we divert our attention to an indie rock band from Croydon in South London who have been signed to the Boston-based label Counter Intuitive Records. They have toured in the UK with NOAHFINNCE and they went on a debut headline tour this year.

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Way Back Wednesdays: Patti Labelle – “Music Is My Way Of Life”

October 27, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘It’s Alright With Me’ (LP) (Released on March 2, 1979) (via Epic Records)

Good Morning to you! You’re reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and it is time for me to get typing up for yet another daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! As a diva that is responsible for selling over 50 million records worldwide, an actress who has appeared in productions like ‘Dancing With The Stars’ and ‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’, and an entrepreneur with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, as well as a lifestyle TV host for ‘Living It Up With Patti LaBelle’ and an inductee of the Apollo Theater Hall Of Fame, the question for Patti LaBelle is more clearly: What hasn’t she done? For her musical career, she started singing at church and later formed a vocal group, Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles, which later became simply known as The LaBelles, and they scored a US #1 single with ‘Lady Marmalade’. As a solo artist, she set the R&B genre alight once again with ‘It’s Alright With Me’ in 1979, her third full-length LP, which she produced alongside the Grammy Award winning mixer Skip Scarborough, and the album enjoyed a sizable run of mainstream radio and chart success, reaching the #33 position of the US R&B charts. ‘Music Is My Way Of Life’, later to be remixed by electronic music producers like Joey Negro and John Luongo, soon became an ultimate R&B/Disco classic of the late 1970s. Follow her philosophy below.

One of the most interesting facts that I’ve read about the Pensylvania-born singer is that, in 2015, she released her own ‘Patti’s Sweet Potato Pie’ to the US supermarket shelves, and, due to a YouTube video praising the product shortly going viral, literally sold like hot cakes, as if they were, and shifted millions of units where, through the result of a 72-hour period, Walmart reportedly sold one pie every second. An 8-minute dance stomper, 1979’s ‘Music Is My Way Of Life’ came around when Disco was huge and hit a commercial peak, although LaBelle mixed things up a little by working with Scarborough, known for producing his romantic ballads, to create arrangements that were more sleak and intricately designed. ‘Music Is My Way Of Life’ isn’t a slow jam however, and it provides a lot of Disco grooves instead. Lyrics like “When I dance they look at me, That’s the one thing you can’t take from me/That’s the music that I feel in my soul” and “When the daylight comes and I’m leaving the dancefloor/By night time, I’ll be back for more” feel exuberant and triumphant, and it is filled up with feel-good instrumentation to boot. The Jazz elements shine through clearly, and there’s plenty of guitar licks that keep proceedings feeling upbeat and light-hearted. The vocal performance is strong, and LaBelle sings about how music shapes her identity and how dance music brings her together with loved ones with a convincing passion. The track is also filled with a floating Piano line of chords that add to the Jazz sound, and the Horn section creates another soulful groove. Overall, ‘Music Is My Way Of Life’ is a classic due to it’s traditional Jazz and Funk grooves, and it’s open-armed embrace of unity and Disco. If that is her philosophy – then It’s Alright With Me.

  • Pictured: Patti LaBelle at the BET Honors at Warner Theatre, Washington (2016) (Photo by Paras Griffin)

Thank you for checking out my latest throwback track post on the blog today, and I’ll be back tomorrow for a long-awaited debut appearance on the music blog from an emerging female-led Post Punk band from the Isle Of Wight who will be touring in locations such as Cambridge, Oxford, Guildford and Reading in the winter months. Signed to Chess Club Records – the home of artists like Sinead O’Brien and Phoebe Green – the 4-piece have been praised by UK newspapers like The Observer and The i.

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Today’s Track: Cola Boyy (feat. John Carroll Kirby & JGrrey) – “Mailbox”

August 17, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Prosthetic Boombox’ (LP) (Released on June 18, 2021) (via Record Makers)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s finally time for me to deliver yet another daily track on the blog, since it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Cola Boyy, otherwise known as Matthew Urango to his family, is a multi-instrumentalist and left wing activist from Oxnard, California – which is also the hometown of Anderson Paak and Madlib. His self-produced blend of Funk and Hypnagogic Pop belongs mostly to the Nu-Disco genre, and he was previously the second guitarist for the Indie Pop band Sea Lions. He was born with a club foot defect, along with scoliosis, kryphosis and spina bifida, and he turned to a life in music after he was discriminated by previous employers, ending up in hospital with pneumonia after he was pushed to overwork by a supermarket employer. You might now have known that at first, though, due to the joyous and defiant dance music that he makes at home. This has all led to Urango being seemingly scouted for talent by The Avalanches, appearing with Mick Jones for a track on their latest album, ‘We Will Always Love You’, which was released last year. He has also toured with MGMT and remains close friends with John Carroll Kirby, who each appear, in some capacity, on his debut album, ‘Prosthetic Boombox’, which is out now via the Record Makers label. The new record also features appearances from Nicolas Godin (from Air), French DJ Myd and Infinite Bisous. Sort his ‘Mailbox’ below.

‘Prosthetic Boombox’ was written across the space of six years between the US and Paris, and Urango says of the LP’s title, “I have a prosthetic leg ya know, and at the time I came up with the title, it was about not being embarrassed or shy about it anymore. That allowed me to look at the bigger picture instead of just what I was going through as an individual”, he tells TheLineOfBestFit.com in a recent interview. Starting off with a numbered female vocal sample, Cola Boyy soon dives into pure ecstatic cheer as the Kirby-produced instrumentals strut their flirtatiously Funk stuff. Lyrics like “Let me daydream/avoiding my responsibilities” sound like the ambitions of my life in musical form, while the brief verses find him lamenting having to focus on mundane tasks in favour of pursuing his own imaginative goals, a theme that feels very relatable, if a little bit formulaic. The vocals are just as easy to connect with, as Urango recites a high pitch of child-like wonder above the squelching Synths and the cascading Strings of the arrangement. The keyboard hooks overflow with heart, while the loose-leaned R&B influences add a reflective shine to these proceedings. It can admittedly sound a bit like cheesy commercial radio funk at times, but it fits quite nicely with the nostalgic aesthetics and these bright sounds certainly feel intentional to the looping grooves of the production style. It gets quite repetitious, but the track never feels like it’s getting tedious because the melodies feel very punchy, and even the more corny electric piano sections have a playful dynamic to them, ensuring that we are looking at the optimistic themes from the correct perspective. This is a very enjoyable and heartfelt listen overall, and given that The Avalanches are one of my favourite group acts, on a more personal note, I certainly trust their veteran ears for finding potential new stars. A well-developed exercise in world-building, changing perceptions on how disabled songwriters should be treated with the same level of respect to those who aren’t, and embracing the multi-culturality of your background.

  • Pictured: Cola Boyy (Matthew Urango) in a ‘Prosthetic Boombox’ PR shoot (2021) (Photo by Ross Harris)

That’s all for now! Thank you for sticking with me until the very end of the page, and I’ll be back tomorrow for a detour into the sounds of the past that have become more influential in the present for ‘Way Back Wednesdays’, and, in my next pick, we’re taking a trip to the 1970’s for a recording from a Danbury-born writer, comedian and musician which feels like a strong influence for Oasis. The artist collaborated with Monty Python, played in The Rutles and was also a member of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band art collective, before he very sadly passed away in the latter stages of 2019.

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Today’s Track: Peggy Gou (feat. OHHYUK) – “Nabi”

August 5, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Peggy Gou in a recent press shoot (2021) (Photo courtesy of Jungwook Mok/Edm.com)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, and now is the right time to cheer yourself up with your daily track on the blog, as per usual, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Her first new solo tune since 2019’s ‘Starry Night’, the South Korean DJ and Producer Peggy Gou has brought her A-game to the global clubs again with ‘Nabi’. We last heard from her on 2020’s ‘Jigoo’, a guest spot on Maurice Fulton’s ‘Earth’ EP. She’s had an interesting career trajectory so far – from releasing her ‘DJ Kicks: Peggy Gou’ mix on !k7 Records, to launching Gudu Records, an independent EDM label of her very own. She has also released her material on Ninja Tune and Phonica, and Gou has even spent her time in London, at 18 years of age, studying for a degree in Fashion at the London College Of Fashion, before graduating and subsequently working as the London Corresponding Editor for Harper’s Bazaar Korea. She is now currently based in Berlin, Germany – where she spends her time tinkering away with downtempo dance anthems like ‘Nabi’. Gou’s new single sees her enlists the help of OHHYUK, from the South Korean rock band Hyukoh, who added, “It’s been a long time since Covid-19 has adapted to the changes it has made in society. It contains the desire to become a butterfly and fly away from the beautiful days before” to Gou’s press release. Give ‘Nabi’ a spin below.

“We’ve all been through so much over the last year and it’s {Nabi} about facing up to the problems and negativity in our lives and learning how to deal with it”, says Gou on her process for creating ‘Nabi’, who added, “When people hear ‘Nabi’, they’ll hopefully feel the same sense of healing – that feeling that everything’s going to be OK – that I feel when I listen to the songs that inspired it”, to her press notes. Starting off with a kick drum sample and Hi-Hat snares, we’re treated to a feel-good 80’s-style dance track with gorgeously plush instrumentation and sultry Korean vocals. Some of these lyrics roughly translate to “Time, amid that emptiness/I’m about to leave now” and “In my silence time/I can only see hatred in the distance” in English, some cryptic and poignant songwriting about the passages of time, and how the natural progression of time can lead to positive change. I loved the 00’s throwback feel of ‘Starry Night’ and also the wonky experimentation on ‘Jigoo’, but I’ve noticed how ‘Nabi’ skews more towards a retro-revivalist aesthetic, with more focus on building an atmosphere with the floaty vocal harmonies and the thudding drum machine riffs. The BPM framework isn’t wildly frenetic, but the subtle Dub influences of the bright Piano rolls and the late-80’s Lounge Jazz feel of the more soulful chorus keep the pace moving quickly due to the refreshing extracts of these influences being pulled from. The spoken word piece from OHHYUK adds another intriguing layer to the sound, while the subdued warmth of the hazy, sunshine sounds of the sparse percussion and the earworm vocal hooks hints towards Gou possibly exploring a more 00’s ChillOut or Chillwave style of electronic production in the future, but the fundamentally nostalgic dressing of the laidback beats keeps the cohesion in balance rather robustly. Overall, this was a very satisfying return from Gou, with an eclectic palette of some varied influences that are embossed neatly into the soundscape, and this would be a great pick for BBC Radio 2.

  • Pictured: Peggy Gou performing at Dimensions Festival (2018) (Photo via TheVinylFactory.com)

Thank you for sticking with me until the end today, and, if you’re new to the blog and would enjoy more of this style of content, then please feel free to join me again tomorrow for the ‘New Album Release Fridays’ as we shine the spotlight on one of the weekend’s notable new album releases. I know that Kanye West is dominating the headlines tomorrow for the release of ‘DONDA’, but I’m instead going to be writing about something that got delayed to this Friday, in July, that I’ve been very excited to hear. This is a collaborative LP between the frontman of Bombay Bicycle Club and a 28-year-old rapper from East London, who first popped up in 2012 with the ‘BAEP’ EP.

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Today’s Track: Girl Ray – “Give Me Your Love”

June 8, 2021 — Leave a comment

The North London ladies are back with a Hot Chip on their shoulder. New post time!

  • Pictured: Poppy Franklin (Lead Guitar/Lead Vocals/Keyboard), Iris McConnell (Drums) & Sophie Moss (Bass Guitar) (2019) (via PR)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, as per usual, and it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, just like always, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! ‘Give Me Your Love’ is the first piece of new material in two years from the North London Indie Pop trio Girl Ray, who premiered the new single on Lauren Laverne’s Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 6Music last week. It’s the follow-up to 2019’s ‘Girl’, Girl Ray’s second studio album, which I grew rather fond of ever since it’s release, because it was a well-made Pop record that was an updated and slightly tongue-in-cheek homage to the Jangle Pop girl group of the 70’s. Their latest piece of work is an 8-minute summer festival set closer that was recorded at London’s Relax & Enjoy with co-production from Joe Goddard and Al Doyle from Hot Chip, giving the track a more dance-based coat of paint in comparison to the more down-tempo, crooner sound of the previous album. The music video was shot in Kent and directed by Alex Cantouris as a spoof or homage to the shocking 2019 Pagan horror film, ‘Midsommar’. Give it your love below.

Poppy Hankin from Girl Ray spoke of the collaboration: “We worked on this song with Al Doyle and Joe Goddard from Hot Chip in their studio off Brick Lane in London. We had one day left with them, so we thought we’d unearth an old demo of a slightly house-leaning song I’d been working on a few months before”, adding, “With all of the awfulness of 2020 in our heads – it was important to us that it sounded optimistic and hopeful; a song for future summers where people can dance and enjoy music together once again”, to the press release. Starting off with a tribal-like drum part that becomes more like tropical in substance as the track continually wares on, we get long backing vocal harmonies and washed-out Synth chords that gets the joyous instrumentation rolling along to a summer dance beat. Lyrics about unrequited love and heartbreak despite a warm setting peek through, with lines like “Heat is in the air/And the sun is going down/I need your touch” and “Hazy little dreams/The sparkle of the scene/Beautifal girls” are given an echoing effect, building up the summer atmosphere. The chorus raises the tempo, with a melodic hook, as “I know that it’s right but it still hurts/Every single time, I make it worse” and “Keep me in your sights/I’ll keep you in mine/Tell you every night how much you’re worth” that creates more optimism. It’s a very lengthy track with a near 8-minute duration, but it has a clear two-act structure. The first half is a more traditional Girl Ray tune that we’re used to hearing from them, and the second half has the clear Hot Chip blueprints in it’s grasp as we’re taken to a lengthy instrumental with vibrant, robotic vocal samples and a glitzy House sound. The overall production is very detailed, with light brushings of Steel Pans and forlorn Piano chords making up the background. However, these different elements feel consistent enough as to not present a clash of two styles here. A lot of work clearly went into the collaboration to achieve this. I felt that the length got a little tiresome towards the end, however, a shorter radio edit is available on streaming platforms if you’d prefer that option, and so that’s not a major critique. Overall, I felt it was a nice way for Girl Ray to make a return because it presents an expansion upon their earlier sound. It’s nothing drastic, but it keeps everything fresh enough and it still screams ‘Summer Festival’ the entire way through, and so I would not regret taking myself to the beach with a deck chair and a Pina Colada for this one.

  • Pictured: Girl Ray in a promo photoshoot to promote “Earl Grey” (in November 2015) (via PR)

Like what you hear? If you want more, you can give my post about Girl Ray’s ‘Girl’, the title track and promotional single from their previous LP release, your love here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/27/todays-track-girl-ray-girl/

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Girl” (Released on November 22nd, 2019) (via Moshi Moshi Records)

There’s Tuesday’s track over with! Feel free to show your kind support again tomorrow, as we switch gears from looking at the most notable new music releases to reminiscing over the sounds of the past that have influenced those of the present with ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ on the blog. Tomorrow’s selection is a real golden oldie from the late-1940s that you can find on the ‘Delta Radio’ soundtrack of the ‘Mafia 2’ video game from 2010, originally composed by an American Saxophonist who was known as ‘The King Of The Jukebox’ and was a Rock N’ Roll Hall Of Fame inductee. 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: Gilligan Moss – “Special Thing”

May 15, 2021 — Leave a comment

Here’s hoping future releases don’t turn out to be a Moss-ive letdown. New post time!

  • Pictured: Gilligan Moss (Evan Dorfman & Ben Cronin) (2021) (PR photography by Thatcher Keats)

Good Morning to you – it’s Jacob Braybrooke, and I’m back from a well-earned non-essential shopping trip, and so it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Introductions for your Saturay go out to Evan Dorfman and Ben Cronin, two funky House music producers from the rural parts of Chicago who have recently released their debut album on Foreign Family Collective as Gilligan Moss. It’s a self-titled affair, although the project originally began as a solo project for Evan a few years ago, before bringing his friend since the age of three along for the ride. This feels reflected in the child-like and freeform electronic dance recordings you’ll find on the record, which makes for a very enjoyable listen overall, and it’s an especially good ‘Cheering Up’ record or a joyful piece of fare for if you’re bored on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. One of the official singles was ‘Special Thing’ – check it out below.

According to the duo, “Special Thing was written as an ode to our French predecessors – Robots and monoliths alike”, elaborating on their inspiration and process by writing, “Simple songs are often the hardest, and in true collaborative fashion, it’s a tune that Ben rescued from Evan’s trash pile. We’re glad he did. Grab yourself an ice cold ‘Pfizer and head down to the beach to listen to this one”, for their press release. It’s a natural step forward for Evan, who started out by remixing Sia and Glass Animals on his own. ‘Special Thing’ feels mature and textured, with a hypnotic vocal sample that floats peacefully above some percussive, late-80’s World Music-like drum beats and the Disco elements created by the continous guitar riffs. The bassline is topped off by a lot of polish, with a slight French or European Nu-House feel that reminds me of bands like Air or Beth Hirsch. It’s clear that Evan and Ben love a bit of Daft Punk from this, but that kind of influence is done nicely here, with a filtered vocal loop that gives everything a vaguely Soulful coat of paint. A mid-tempo Synth breakdown comes in as we pass the halfway mark, presenting it’s ideas of chord progression carefully as we veer outside of it’s familiar grooves for a breather. The vocal sample feels chopped and screwed up, which, towards the end, creates a more Kaleidoscopic effect. This closing section honestly reminds me of MGMT’s ‘Oracular Spectacular’ era, as an overall psychedelic influence provides variation on the ‘Pure Pop’ moments of the repeating beats. The sight of chickens being embraced in the video also helps to give the track’s patterns an underlying sense of humor. It’s a very pleasant listen overall, which should accomodate a wide variety of listeners because it feels upbeat enough to dance to, but it never feels too heavy or it strays too far beyond it’s rather chilled mood tapestry. An engaging single that lives up to it’s name.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Gilligan Moss” (LP) (Released on April 9, 2021) (via Foreign Family Collective)

Thanks for laying your eyes on my latest post! Scuzz Sundays is back tomorrow after an impromptu week off, as we pick up on where we left off last Saturday. It marks the second appearance on the blog from a group of Chicago-based Metal legends who scored a UK Top 20 hit in 2015 with a modern cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s 60’s seminal hit ‘The Sound Of Silence’. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

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

May 1, 2021 — Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today’s Track: Fimber Bravo – “Hiyah Man”

April 20, 2021 — Leave a comment

The African experimenter proving he’s not to be just a flash in the Pan. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Lunar Tredd” (Released on March 19th, 2021) (via Moshi Moshi Records)

Good Morning to you – I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and I’m going to try to lift your spirits with another daily entry on the blog, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Currently based in South London, Fimber Bravo is a Trinidad-born composer and producer with his origins set as a Steel Plan player and founder of the Twentieth Century Steel Band. Bravo’s been around since the 70’s, and his music has been sampled in plenty of modern Hip-Hop records, such as tracks from Doug E. Fresh, Soul II Soul, and even Jennifer Lopez, of all people. He has also built a following around his unique collaborations with Western artists, such as the likes of Blur, Morcheeba and also Hot Chip. Hearing ‘Hiyah Man’ being supported on the A-list rotation of BBC Radio 6 Music was my first introduction to his work, and the track is the latest single from his new album, ‘Lunar Tredd’, which is only just over a month old now, and is the follow-up LP to his critically-acclaimed 2013 release, ‘Con-Fusion’ (Do you see what he did there?), releasing on Moshi Moshi Records. You may not have heard anything like it before. Let’s take a listen to it below.

Bravo has been establishing himself as a collaborative creator in the gaps since the years between his solo LP releases and his desire to produce another solo recording came about from the inspiration of the Black Lives Matter protests. When releasing ‘Hiyah Man’, he wrote: “Songs come to you in different ways, Hiyah Man was like a voice from my ancestors guiding me and giving me the power for a deeper celebration of the Pan with percussive rhythms that inspired us all to improvise a live first take in one go”, in his press release, concluding “We all felt so high on it” while referring to his free-spirited practices. Although I can’t claim to know everything regarding the instruments and deeper production of the track, I still think that ‘Hiyah Man’ caught my attention because there is a clear influence of dance music. The opening vocal of “A long time ago” is kept short and sweet, but the low-pitched delivery gives it an edge. It gets accentuated by upbeat, melodic Steel Pan beats which build slowly to the introduction of higher drum signatures and new layers of instrumentation. He continues to build a psychedelic dance beat and a festival setting, as elements of Afrobeat and Prog-Jazz make the cut. A slightly distorted synth beat quietly weaves it’s way through the percussion, and the eclectic bass line comes to the forefront towards the end with more electronic synth beats that have an acidic quality. The tone of the track and it’s mood feels more joyful and celebratory than it’s opening, with lyrical hooks about connecting with your ancestors and modernizing your family’s traditions remaining at the centerpiece of the singing sections. Overall, it’s over six minutes of very colourful and funk-influenced chord progression, with a nicely balanced mix of both African and electronic instrumentation. Although it’s not a track that I’ve repeatedly listened to over time and time again, there’s nothing about it that I can really fault. Despite being quite a newcomer to this style of music, I find it to make me feel refuelled and uplifted. An excellently crafted means of escape.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Con-Fusion” (LP) (Released in January, 2013) (via Moshi Moshi Records)

That’s all for now – But feel free to join me again tomorrow for a new entry in our weekly “Way Back Wednesdays” blog feature, where we revisit the sounds of the past that have influenced the present, or a look at an absurd rarity that shall not be left as forgotten. The former is the case this week, as we recover a beloved single from the Gold-certified debut album of an East Coast Hip-Hop pioneer who serves time as the associate publisher of Mass Appeal magazine and the co-founder of Mass Appeal Records. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Iden Kai – “Disco James”

April 1, 2021 — Leave a comment

My haircut would be right for a Silent Disco – no volume what-so-ever. New post time!

  • Pictured: Front Sleeve for “Disco Fortuna” (Released on January 15, 2021) (via Neon City Records)

Good Afternoon to you (Borderline Evening) – I am Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s finally time again for me to get scribbling up about your track of the day on the blog, as per typical, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Bandcamp is a truly excellent resource for finding some rarities from some of the world’s independent creatives, and one of my recent discoveries has been Iden Kai’s new album, ‘Disco Fortuna’, which was released to the app and wherever you stream your music on January 15th via Neon City Records. I could find very little information on Iden (Which is pronounced as “Eiden”) when I had searched him up on the web, other than knowing how he pronounces his name and that he is a Mexican DJ and Electonic Funk record producer. However, he seems to be gaining some rock solid traction with those who enjoy their Future Funk and Disco revivialist anthems – for instance – he currently has 3.3k montly followers on Spotify and ‘Disco Fortuna’ has amassed over 10k streams on the platform as well, which is pretty good going for someone so off-the-radar online. Check out the single, ‘Disco James’, below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFcIe-JACzA

Iden Kai offers up his mixes to the currently popular ‘Future Funk’ sub-genre, which, if you are not familiar with the name of this style of music, it pays homage to the viral culture of Synthwave, Chillwave and Vaporwave, but ultimately takes on a more hyper-melodic and anime-style visual work that is defined partly by it’s samples of rare smooth jazz, R&B and lounge Jazz recordings of the 80’s. In more simpler terms, it’s basically the most “poppy” music that you could probably come across, with young artists who share their material around places like YouTube. It’s sometimes seen as quite a trashy and disposable style of production, but like with any good art, it just depends how you treat the genre and what credibility you strive to add to it. ‘Disco James’ is actually a nice way to get acquainted with the relatively new sub-genre. It strips away the more ‘trashy’ qualities of the early-2010’s internet meme culture for me, and it provides an update to 90’s house that feels driven by more Japanese influences. The sound is strikingly upbeat, as Horn melodies and synth instrumentation provides a throwback feel designed to get the party grooving. Meanwhile, the vocal samples are chopped up and screwed up, the lyrics barely inaudible, to also carry across a Metropolitan aesthetic. The keys are playful and the effects experiment with nostalgic moods, with a breakdown towards the end of the track that feels less Jazz-influenced and more video game sound directed. Of course, there’s quite little here in the way of original material from the artist – but it seems like the goal for Iden was to re-purpose these prominent samples of vintage tunes for appeal towards a fresh audience. While it probably won’t appeal to everybody for it’s disposable approach to art, depending on who you ask, it’s earned a few good repeat listens from me. Super melodic, emphasizing on fun and knowingly nodding to the 80’s with care, there’s enough here to keep the party dancing all through a long night.

  • Pictured: Still image from the ‘Disco Fortuna’ music video (2021) (Photo by Real Love Music)

Thank you for checking out my latest post – I did try to beef it up! This one should get the extended bank holiday weekend moving in style. The festivities continue tomorrow with our ‘New Album Release Friday’ section – where we take a sampler of one of Good Friday’s new album releases. Tomorrow’s track comes from a fresh South London 4-piece group who have been fusing witty, jumbled Spoken Word sections with Post-Rock guitar shredding to unanimously praised effect! 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: Namy & Ayoni – “Disco Dancing”

January 2, 2021 — Leave a comment

The Usos. The Dudley Boyz. Demolition – all of the great tag-teams… New Post Time!

  • Pictured: Namy (DJ/Producer) in a photoshoot for an interview feature (2018) (via Tokyophonic.com)

The Road Warriors. The New Age Outlaws. The Young Bucks – and, yes, I’ve realized that if you are not a fan of pro wrestling like me, then, those references are probably falling onto deaf ears for you. Anyways, I am Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up about your daily track on the blog, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write to you about a different piece of music every day! Today’s team-up marks the collaboration the Japanese electronic music producer Namy, who has a love affair with Funk, Latino and Jazz music, and the vocalist is Ayoni, a Barbadian-born singer, songwriter and model who was mentored by Patrice Rushen. Their track is “Disco Dancing”, and although this is the first track that I’ve heard from either of the two musicians to be honest with you, I think their stars are on the rise. “Disco Dancing” was released as a one-off single back in October, but I wasn’t honestly too sure what tracks to pick on a “Nothing” day such as the 2nd of January, and so it’s nice to be able to take a look back at some of the missed gems – perhaps – that 2020 had to offer, as we wait for releases. Take a look at the Hanaé Sanchez-directed video below.

Ayoni described her link-up with Namy as a spontaneous, impulsive kind of deal, posting: “I was listening on the Spotify app and came across one of Namy’s collaborators. I loved the energy in his tracks, his production style and how his music really lends itself to movement” in the press notes, explaining: “We decided to work and create while he was in Japan, and I was in Houston, and it ended up being a very fun, collaborative experience”, said the currently Los-Angeles based Pop-Soul singer. It’s a tricky move to release such a dance-oriented track in these harsh times, but I also think they bring a sense of normalcy and warmth to a time that is awaiting the glorious re-opening of nightclubs and live music bars. For me, “Disco Dancing” serves as a very satisfactory contrast to the more hard-hitting experiences that we have been having throughout the last year. Opened by a groovy set of funk guitar licks and a two-step synth beat, Ayoni sings: “We don’t need no metrics, Just your hand will do” over the top of a hyper-melodic, sugar-coated 80’s snare beat. A soulful undertone is a large factor of the verses, before the bridge takes it up a notch with “Sparkling in Cosmic, Saccharine right through” bringing a Sci-Fi, virtual feel to the record. The chorus raises up the tempo, as Ayoni chants: “Just for tonight, Send me, send me higher love” and “How did you make me fall for you, When we’re disco dancing?” over the top of a syncopated drum beat and a mid-tempo bass groove that briefly starts and stops. An upbeat, anthemic Power-Pop chorus rings through the multicultural influences of the track, and a fragmented set of drum claps and light Acid synths add some percussive sounds to the mix. It’s got a slick, super-polished Funk style that reminds me of Skylar Spence, Tomo Nakayama and Skule Toyama, in the way that it refuses to deny indulgent Pop in being a key drive behind the melodies. On the flip side, the lyrics don’t particularly grab me, as they don’t seem to have anything particularly interesting to say. However, Ayoni does a nice job with what she has to work with, as a powerful voice commands the Pop elements of the track without bordering into too much auto-tune, and the structure of the track is a bit overly reliant on the mainstream Pop ballad layout for me, but the production still manages to sound well-inspired. There’s a lot of things that I like about this track, along with a few nitpicks that I don’t like so much, but it feels recent enough, and it makes for a decent listen overall, due to some solid electronic synth production that feels vibrant.

  • Pictured: Ayoni (Singer/Songwriter) in a photoshoot for a Get To Know Q&A (2019) (via DailyTrojan.com)

Thank you for checking out my latest blog post. As always, join me again tomorrow – When it will be time for the first regular weekly entry of Scuzz Sundays of the New Year, right here in 2021. We’re going to be kicking off, potentially, the next 52 weeks worth of the feature with one of the biggest singles that we’ve yet to revisit. It is one of my childhood classics, and it comes from a band who have had several line-up changes throughout the years – along with once recording one of the most divisive cult classics in pop-punk history, with an album that was heavily inspired by… The Beatles! 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/