Today’s Track: Lynks Afrikka – “How To Be Successful”

August 12, 2020 — Leave a comment

It’s fair to say it feels like we are all living in Afrikka under this heat. It’s new post time!

Pictured: Lynks Afrikka in a publicity shot to promote the release of “Smash Hits, Vol. 1” (EP) (2020) (via LynksCorp)

Good Morning! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m typing up your daily post on the blog, as per usual, since it is routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Lynks Afrikka is the pseudonym of the Bristol-based English EDM producer, Elliot Brett. Brett is an LGBT artist who has been gaining popularity virally on YouTube and social media, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community, by releasing his own music under his self-produced “LynksCorp” label, accompanied by quirky music videos with enjoyably low production values that have been garnering a cult following. “Smash Hits, Vol. 1” marks the release of his first EP, a compilation of his previously released singles including “On Trend” and “I Don’t Know What I Want” alongside new tracks, including his most recent single, “How To Be Successful”. He has sold out headlined live shows across London, Edinburgh and Margate, alongside supporting Goat Girl, Sorry and Shygirl on tour. On his unique alias, Elliot told DIYMag.com: “I’m worried Lynx Africa are going to sue me and I don’t even want to be called Lynks Afrikka because it’s only called that in England, so everywhere else, I just look like this random white drag queen with Africa in their name,” grimacing as he mocks British millennial culture in his Electronic Dance tracks. I first caught wind of Lynks Afrikka by hearing the new track on X-Posure, John Kennedy’s evening show on Radio X. Let’s hear some life advice as he tells us “How To Be Successful” down below.

Using the aesthetic of a deranged Children’s TV show in the self-isolation produced music video to illustrate his self-frustration of young people feeling pressured to lead a successful life by going to university, getting a marriage, kids and a job, Elliot mocks the “ideal millennial life” with sharp wit and intentionally low-quality Electro-Rock beats, paired with a harsh synth line. I can only describe it as “Heavy Pop”. The lyrics (Or should I say.. Lyrix?) are very sarcastic, while keeping an upbeat tone intact. He provocatively hints at the “Conveyor Belt” life pressures with a tongue-in-cheek view of an older person, with the bridge “Oh! 80.96 years on average/Your life, you have to manage” and later challenging the traits with “Your life feels wasted/Your kids have vacated your family home/You should have faced this years ago”, with an earlier verse emphasizing these points with use of repetition: “Now Ruby goes to uni/Then Alex goes to uni/Then Curt does an Art Foundation/and then goes to uni” that feels quirky, but there’s a charming semblance of Pop-Punk with the hint of angst. Melodically, it starts off with a glossy synth line that bubbles underneath the reverb-drenched vocals, and the synthesizer riffs gradually become more danceable and evocative, eventually forming an Acid Techno Instrumental that feels buoyant and energetic. “Cause’ now it’s the end of the show” signals a breakdown which gives across a 90’s “Club Anthem” feel. Scattered dance breaks around the video and lines like “What can you show?, from years and years and years ago?” take the effervescent British humor up a notch. This probably falls into a specific niche and I feel he’s put his hands on the Auto-Tune machine a little bit too much here, but it really makes me laugh and the instrumentation is good fun. At a time like this, I couldn’t really ask for a lot more.

Pictured: Physical CD copy of “Smash Hits, Vol. 1” (EP) (Released on July 1, 2020) (via LynksCorp) (via Bandcamp.com)

Thank you very much for reading my new post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, for an in-depth look at the popular new single from an Oxfordshire-based singer-songwriter who told NME in a recent interview: “When I was dropped I remember thinking, ‘You idiots – I’m the next Paul McCartney’”. 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: Joe Goddard & Hayden Thorpe – “Unknown Song”

August 3, 2020 — Leave a comment

What on Earth is this?, you might ask. I really couldn’t tell you. It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Joe Goddard (Hot Chip) and Hayden Thorpe (ex-Wild Beasts) in a press image (2020) (via Pitchfork.com)

Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up your daily track on the blog, as per usual, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Forgive me if you’ve never heard this one before, it seems to be a pretty “Unknown” song, apparently. Jokes aside, this one-off single is a collaboration between Joe Goddard, of Hot Chip, and Hayden Thorpe, the former frontman of Wild Beasts (an indie rock band who disbanded in 2018). This single was released a few months ago, and the collaboration came together after Goddard and Thorpe linked up following a shared career-long appreciation for each other’s work, and it marks the first time in which both of these UK-based musicians have worked together. “Unknown Song” was heavily inspired by the global closure of clubs and dancefloors, as Goddard & Thorpe reflect on a new-found sense of connectivity between society, and “a synchronicity with our fellow beings”. Goddard & Thorpe elaborated on this, on a press statement, posting: “In the absence of touch, music is that sensual meeting point”, with Goddard concluding: “We are in the midst of a crisis but gaining the new appreciation of dancing together is a small positive that I hope to hold onto after all of this”, positioning the collaborative track as a soundtrack for awaiting an energetic return to the dancefloor after the pandemic, at long last. Let’s stream the track below.

Joe Goddard and Hayden Thorpe are both signed to Domino Recordings, via their own respective acts, but it’s unclear whether this is a one-off deal, or if they plan to join forces again in the near future. It’s a mesh between their two established styles, as Thorpe’s Falsetto vocals get delivered on top of a thumping electronic beat that evokes Erasure and Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark. Thorpe recites: “Unknown Song, where all the lost chords belong” and “Unknown Song, how do the words go on this one?” over a synth groove that shimmers along to a hand-clapped drum machine loop. It rolls along to the bridge, where the beat violently trips as Thorpe adds: “Got no method, but I’ve killer intuition” before a more pop-oriented chorus that evokes a slick 80’s pop feel, and a warm Summer-primed feeling. A cut-up “Damn right” vocal effect accompanies Thorpe’s euphoric vocals in the chorus. The overall sound of the track evokes 80’s Prog-Synthpop and 90’s EDM in equal measure, and the lyrics have a slice of comedic quirk to them. A playful set of verses remind me of New Order, and the heavy-pop chorus feels like a love letter to the Pet Shop Boys. On the flip side, the structure gets a little flimsy towards the end, with a more commercial feeling to the chorus that marks a stark contrast to the House-oriented style of the verses, but it just about holds itself together due to the clear range of influences, that flow quite well together. In the end, I think it’s fair to write that – more people should know this song!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Unknown Song” (Single) (Released on 8th May, 2020) (via Domino Recordings)

Thank you for reading this post! As always, I’ll be back tomorrow. We’ll be taking an in-depth look at a recent single from an English indie rock group who were known for a similar time period to Hot Chip. The band used Star Trek voice samples to work the time-bending themes of one of their most popular albums, and the band have also been met with critical acclaim that includes earning a total of five nominations for The Ivor Novello awards. 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 Avalanches (feat. Jamie XX, Neneh Cherry & CLYPSO) – “Wherever You Go”

July 23, 2020 — Leave a comment

E.T. – Phone home! You’re Hype-O-Ray has switched on again. It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Wherever You Go” (Double Single) (Released on July 22nd, 2020) (via Modular Recordings)

We’re continuing to build up to a new album of truly Astronomical proportions! Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m typing up your daily track on the blog, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! If you’ve been following the blog since it’s inception last summer, you’ll be very easily aware that I’m a HUGE fan of The Avalanches, a Plunderphonics duo from Australia (A six-piece, at one point) who produced “Since I Left You”, a classic record made from loads of curated samples, which was released in early 2000. “Wildflower”, also an exceptional record in my book, followed up a bizzare 16 years later on. That brings us to 2020, where Robbie Chater and Tony Di Biasi have sporadically released new singles under the name throughout the year to build hype for an upcoming third record, which the duo finished mastering last month. It’s been a bumpy road, with the band debunking rumors of the new album at a few turns, despite us all knowing that it exists. It’s actually been since March that we’ve had a new single, “Running Red Lights” (feat. Rivers Cuomo & Pink Siifu), from the duo. However, it’s probable that the chaos of Covid-19 has bumped their schedule around. It makes sense, as the type of music the duo makes is highly reliant on exciting collaborations with other artists. “Wherever You Go” was released yesterday morning, along with a B-side entitled “Reflecting Light”. The former features big names Jamie XX and Neneh Cherry, with additional work from CLYPSO. The Avalanches’ description reads: “Why do we send music to the stars?” the band’s accompanying statement asks. “Is it because we want our voices to live forever?” and “How else should we become pure spirits, singing forever in the dark?”, with the band also hoping that the anthem will bring hope at the face of “the whole damn world incinerating”. Let’s have a listen to the track below.

To create their own sample-fueled Space odyssey, The Avalanches enlisted the assistance of Mick Jones, of The Clash, to play the piano part in the intro. Moreover, Chater & Di Biasi experimented with samples taken from 1997’s The Voyager Golden Record, a mix-tape used by NASA to contact aliens. This Extra-Terrestrial theme feels enigmatic, and adds deeper exploration to the cosmic ideas that Chater & Di Biasi explored on “We Will Always Love You” and “Running Red Lights”. The intro of the track begins with a man talking about what humans do here on Earth, before a diverse crescendo of synths, made to sound like broken transmissions, fizzles in to get the club melodies rolling. This contrasts the tense feeling of the intro’s atmosphere, before the intensity gradually explodes and layers of voice samples are added into the background. West African chants are next, leading to a heavy synth line and the introduction of Jamie XX’s section, as very dance-laden Acid strobes are pushed to the forefront. Later, Neneh Cherry recites: “So much badness, so much anger, too much war, it’s all so frightening”, ending with the refrain: “On the radio, we can love”, before an interval that harkens back to the soft, gentle piano melodies heard at the beginning of the track. It feels disjointed, deliberately, before we go back to the club-driven, drum-and-bass bulk of the track. At this point, The Avalanches’ production work is impressive, as to be expected, with flickering radio frequency effects and distorted repeats of the different layered sections of the track. The finale bursts with a joyous, meditative backing vocal, with Jamie XX adding: “You go, you go, too” and Neneh Cherry spitting bars: “1, 2, 3, 4, On the dancefloor, that’s where you get yours”, while Sydney-based Troptronica producer CLYPSO adds ethereal and hallucinatory backing vocals, along with tribal chants and subtle Bongo drum sections, to the ongoing track. It’s always a gutsy move to release a dance record at a time where clubs are banned, and it’s a shame that Covid has ruined what they were likely planning. However, I feel The Avalanches have really knocked it out of the park, with this one. The six-minute duration is long and extensive, but the track always feels interesting, thanks to the gradual arrangement of new layers being added throughout the track. Jamie XX adds a profound and psychedelic essence to the sample effects, and Neneh Cherry adds a Gorillaz-esque hip-hop undercurrent to the track, making it sound melodic and intriguing. CLYPSO fits suitably too, with his world-influenced instrumentation blending with the overarching feelings of meditation and space exploration. The production gives a blockbuster feel, with meticulously layered NASA samples that makes it feel fun, with hidden samples and effects that add detail to each corner of the track’s soundscape. There’s a touch of humour here too, with the amusing refrain: “The Whole damn world’s been incinerated” delivered enthusiastically by Cherry at the very end. Combined, all of the collaborations make it feel very psychedelic, groovy and inspired, although it gets to a point where you think: “How many people does it take to make one song”! It’s got more of a Club sound than we usually hear from them. The best of their recent bunch.

Pictured: Mural promoting the release of “We Will Always Love You” in Melbourne, Australia (2020) (via Stereogum)

As previously mentioned, I’ve been closely tracking the new releases from The Avalanches as we build to the upcoming third LP. Click here to read my thoughts on “Running Red Lights” (feat. Rivers Cuomo & Pink Siifu) here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/03/20/todays-track-the-avalanches-feat-rivers-cuomo-pink-siifu-running-red-lights/, and you can also read my review for the comeback single “We Will Always Love You” (feat. Blood Orange) here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/02/21/todays-track-the-avalanches-feat-blood-orange-we-will-always-love-you/

Pictured: Robbie Chater (Mixing/Production/Guitar) and Tony Di Biasi (Keyboard/Synths/Bass) (2020) (via press shot)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as promised, with a break from the new music releases to wind the clock back to 2005 for this week’s retro track. The single became a well-known Top 40 chart hit, in the mid-00’s, for an American rock band, formed in New York City, who split up in 2014. 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: Man 2 Man (feat. George Parish) – “Male Stripper”

July 1, 2020 — 2 Comments

Novelty classic, or “Stripped” of it’s quality in the years since? It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Man 2 Man: Hits & Rarities 1985-1990” (Released in 1995) (via Retro Disco Hi-NRG)

Good Morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up about your daily track on the blog – just like always – because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! I’ve been looking at a lot of very serious, big new releases for the last week or so, and so I thought it would prove to be a nice palette cleanser to kick off the new month, of July 2020, with a look back at a novelty club classic that became a big hit in the golden age of 1980’s dance and disco music. “Male Stripper”, by Man 2 Man Meet George Parish, was originally released in late 1986, prior to it reaching #4 in the UK Singles Chart after a re-release in 1997. The project originally started as a New York Punk-Dance band called The Fast, it was part of the HI-NRG movement of uptempo and risky club music around the time, but two brothers who were part of the band – Miki Zone and Paul Zone – continued the act as a duo, teaming up with cult electro-pop producer George Parish to record “Male Stripper”, a song which gained big steam on the European club circuit, under the aliases of Man 2 Man. Sadly, Miki Zone became a victim of the AIDS Epidemic and died in 1986, shortly after it’s release. Since then, Paul continued as a solo producer under the name of Man To Man, and released a few tracks that had moderate success, but didn’t trouble the Top 40 singles charts very much. However, Paul Zone did even get to perform “Male Stripper” on Top Of The Pops with George Parish, so it’s not entirely awful. Let’s have a listen back to “Male Stripper” with the original music video below.

Magic Mike will be pleased. You can have that for free, Channing Tatum. A single that sounds almost like the quintessential European disco club classic from the late-1980’s because it more or less was, “Male Stripper” aimed to draw a crowd to the dancefloor, and it succeeded. Beginning with the funny, recognizable Horn sounds, the Zone brothers take the lead with an upbeat synth groove which they interweave with a robotic backing vocal which repeats “I was a male stripper in a go-go bar”, before Paul Zone recites lines such as “Ripples on my chest/I never got an address” and “A modern day jock, A jock with an act” over looped, bouncy drum machine sequences and echoing Vibraphone melodies, with a neat Conga Drum solo added in the bridgefor the good measure. The chorus is absurd: “Strip for me, babe, Strip for you/Strip for you cause’ I want you to”, completed with dueling female backing vocals and the odd “OOh” or “Ahh” from Miki Zone. More gloriously moronic lines: “Built like a truck/I’d bump for a buck” and “Tips in my G-string/I made my living” add humor, layered over the consistently repeating drum machine hooks and synthesized instrumentation sounds. Whilst it’s clearly not designed to be an emotionally challenging display of fine art, it’s entertaining to listen to, and it stands out as a relic because nobody would really write a club track about a gay Male Stripper in this present era, because it’s seen as risky in the sense of modern cultural representation. Conclusively, it sounds like the quintessential 1980’s club track. It is, but it’s good fun.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Male Stripper” (Single/UK Mix) (Released in late 1986) (via Recca Record)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. I’ll be back tomorrow, continuing to kick off the month in style, with an in-depth look at a track from a Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter and producer from California who is a huge fan of the Dragonball Japanese Manga/Anime series, and he uses it as a big part of his brand. 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: Bentley Rhythm Ace – “Bentley’s Gonna Sort You Out!”

June 19, 2020 — Leave a comment

If you got a problem with me – Bentley’s Gonna Sort You Out! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Mike Stokes (Turntables/Keyboard/Producer) and Richard March (Bass/Engineering) performing a live set at a reunion show at the 02 Academy in Bournemouth (in December 2016) (Photo Credit: Charlie Raven Photography)

A 90’s dance classic to give you that Friday Feeling! Good Morning to you, my name is Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Bentley Rhythm Ace are an Electronic Dance duo formed in 1996 in Birmingham, consisting of engineer Richard Marsh and producer Mike Stokes. This name is, believed to have been, a reference to the Rhythm Ace line-up of analogue drum machines, which were manufactured by Ace Tone and distributed by Bentley Pianos. The duo built up an underground following, signed to Skint Records and released their self-titled debut album in 1997. The album received widespread critical acclaim and it spawned a few mainstream hits, particularly “Bentley’s Gonna Sort You Out”, which reached #17 on the UK Singles Chart. The duo switched to Parlophone for a follow-up album “For Your Ears Only” in 2000, but it was nowhere near as successful. Stokes and March disbanded shortly after, but they reunited the act in 2016, starting off with a few low-key shows, before headlining their own shows and playing at a lot of festivals across the UK circuit. The duo played a big role in the “British Big Beat” movement of the 1990’s, which is an era where club music became very popular, pioneered by famous dance artists like The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, Basement Jaxx, Fat Boy Slim and Propellerheads. Let’s have a listen back to “Bentley’s Gonna Sort You Out” below!

A track which would bring back fond memories for fans of the 1990’s dance crossover mainstream era of “Big Beat”, “Bentley’s Gonna Sort You Out” is a showcase for the duo’s ability to re-purpose samples, to use instrumental splicing effects and digital sequencing pad FX technology to generate a new sound from an old record, although it does feel like a product of it’s time. It is a mostly ambient track, which March and Stokes revealed in an interview that it originally sprung up from a German album of Striptease Music by the Werner Muller Orchestra. The track begins with a glitched, spaced synth pad sequence created by a Roland JD-8000, a digital piece of old analogue synth software. The next section introduces a winding keyboard/synth riff which, quite literally, bloops along to the settled, mid-tempo groove established in the first third of the track. The final section consists of a light, psychedelic bass hook and a mild Strobe effect created by a Novation BassStation. The pacing is quite aired, with a female backing vocal which heavily breathes “I love you”, a sample which breaks up the three different parts of the track. It may come across as a bit too straight-forward for some, but there are some lovely and well-produced sampling effects in play. The duo seemed to be pulling in a lot of influences from the Sample-Delia and Plunderphonics genres. You will love this if you are a fan of The Avalanches.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Bentley Rhythm Ace” (Album) (Released on 12th May, 1997) (via Skint Records)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. I’ll be back tomorrow for an in-depth review of the new track from a Brighton 4-piece “Indie” pop/rock band who are signed to Warner Group Records, have cited Weezer as their major influence and worked with U2 and Daughter’s producer, Joylon Thomas, for their self-titled debut LP released in 2017. 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: Flume (feat. Toro Y Moi) – “The Difference”

June 6, 2020 — Leave a comment

‘The Difference’ between the two artists are carefully exploited on their collaboration!

Pictured: Flume and Toro Y Moi in the music video shoot for “The Difference” (2020) (Photo Credit: Joyce Kim)

Good Morning! It’s been a long week for us all and we’ve finally reached the weekend, eh? I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! “The Difference” is a new single that I’ve heard on BBC Radio 6Music’s A-List for a week or two, created by Australian DJ Flume in collaboration with American electronic music artist Toro Y Moi, who I’m quite fond of. I’m less familiar with Flume, but I know that he’s collaborated with Anna Lunoe in the past. Flume also has remix credits for Arcade Fire, Lorde, Disclosure and Sam Smith. Flume and Moi said on the record: “We made this song between a day at my place in L.A. and a day at Chaz [Bear]’s spot in Oakland,” Flume said in a statement. “This was our first time working together, I’ve been a Toro Y Moi fan for a while. His song “Talamak” is a longtime favorite. I listened to that one a lot when I first started Flume as a project.” It feels like a great tease for something bigger to come. Play spot “The Difference” in the video for the track below.

Frankly, I can taste “The Difference” (I’m sorry, Sainsbury’s) between both artists on their link-up single, as Flume balances a skittering drum-and-bass style with the melodic breakbeat hooks that Moi usually creates, feeling like as much of a collision between the unique qualities of both artists as much as it does a collaboration. It also feels pop-inspired and likeable for a casual audience, which really helps in getting the artistry of Flume and Moi heard. The vocals skillfully tweeter between the skittering trap-led bassline and a glowing, floaty backing vocal sample that hums along to the upbeat chorus. Moi chants: “I don’t know about you/But I got to get out/And I don’t know how soon/But if we die, I want to bring the whole thing” before the layered electro-pop beats implode, leading to an explosion of crisp EDM beats, with the whistling backing vocal sample retaining the cohesion underneath. It’s very short at 2:19, but the track feels like it has a lot to do in it’s brevity. It’s infectious and catchy, while highlighting a little bit of directional growth for both Moi and Flume as modern electro-pop dance artists. The songwriting is built around the vibrancy suitably as well, as I love how it ends abruptly, to spill out the colour but also leave you at a sudden end. It’s excellent! Enjoy it before the mainstream properly catches onto it. I think they will, and I have a feeling you’re going to hear this on loads of adverts soon!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “The Difference” (Single) (Released on April 30th, 2020) (via Future Classic Records)

Thank you very much for reading this post! Just to make you aware, we support the #BlackLivesMatter movement on One Track At A Time! Please check your local area for good charitable causes which help all those being directly affected by racism and injustice. As always, it’s a fun post tomorrow because I will be posting your new weekly edition of Scuzz Sundays – it’s a big one this week, so I’m not actually going to give you any clues as to what it is – I want to leave it as a suprise for you! 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: Washed Out – “Too Late”

June 5, 2020 — Leave a comment

A bit late on this, but it’s better to be ‘Too Late’ than never! It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Washed Out (aka Ernest Weatherly Green Jr.) performing a live set (2020) (Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna)

Good Afternoon! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m typing up your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Washed Out is the professional moniker of Ernest Weatherly Greene Jr – an American singer, songwriter and record producer from Georgia in the US, who is considered to be one of the main pioneers of Chill-Wave, a genre of soft-funk electronic ambient music popularized on sites like YouTube over the mid-2010’s. He is signed to Sub Pop Records. His latest single is “Too Late”, which was released on April 9th earlier this year. Sadly, the Covid-19 pandemic thwarted (I love that word – it doesn’t get used often enough!) his plans to film an expensive music video shoot in Italy for “Too Late” with a team of international filmmakers. Therefore, he turned to the great general public instead. His dedicated fanbase sent in their own, raw old holiday footage aplenty, eventually being edited in to create the new, official music video for the song. Send in a postcard from Thailand with a listen to “Too Late” below.

The sunset-tinged crowd-sourced videos fit perfectly with the soft, dreamy ambient sound of “Too Late”, a track that just sees Washed Out do exactly what he’s been doing best for the last near-decade of his career since the release of his debut album “Within and Without” in 2011. It’s quite long at 5 minutes, but the small touches of detail to the production work and the equally soothing visuals of the video carry it through to the end nicely. It’s bright and hazy, with Greene Jr. singing: “Is it too late to fall in love tonight?, ‘Cause I’m falling out/Can’t believe how fast the sparks can fly, I’m your satellite”, at an unhurried pace, with his vocals drenched in a Falsetto, as the luminous synth lines and the shimmering bass beats interweave through the reverberated effects to create a calm, dreamy feeling. It sounds interesting how Greene Jr. is crooning about heartbreak while the video’s fan footage look much more idyllic and cheerful. It almost sounds sad and downbeat, as if there is now a sadness in a tropical paradise where there was once a great deal of happiness and joy. However, the bass line sounds upbeat and progressive enough for the ambience to sound dance-oriented while the pacing gradually increases from the beginning to the end. Overall, I know that most places are loosening their restrictions now, so I’m a bit late to the party for this one. However, it’s a blissful and confidently produced track that satisfies with its exploration of different textures within the sun-glazed backdrop.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Too Late” (Single) (Released on April 9th, 2020) (via Sub Pop Records)

Thank you very much for reading this post! Just to make you aware, we support the #BlackLivesMatter movement on One Track At A Time! Please check your local area for good charitable causes which help all those being directly affected. I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at the new track from an established DJ and producer from Australia who has remix credits for Lorde, Arcade Fire, Disclosure and Sam Smith. 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: Wajatta – “Don’t Let Get You Down”

May 21, 2020 — Leave a comment

Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but they won’t let get me down. It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Wajatta (Reggie Watts & John Tejada) in a press shot to promote “Don’t Let Get You Down” (2020) (via PR)

Good afternoon, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and – you guessed it! – I’m typing up about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Even bank holidays! “Don’t Let Get You Down” is another one of the recent tracks that I never quite got around to writing about before, but it’s worth a listen. It’s the titular single of the sophomore LP from American Electronic Dance duo Wajatta, which is comprised of Reggie Watts and John Trejada. They’re signed to Brainfeeder, an imprint of the Ninja Tune label. Wajatta (wa-Ha-ta) are influenced by the Chicago House sounds of the 1970’s, with their roots in Detroit Techno, 70’s funk and New York Hip-Hop. Watts describes “Don’t Let Get You Down” as “The poppiest song we’ve ever done”. Believe it or not – and I didn’t actually know this until just a couple of days ago – Watts is an on-air personality and drummer for The Late Late Show with James Corden, an American late-night TV talk show. He did a bit of cross-promoting by performing this track live on the show. Let’s watch it below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJXuiKoH2MI

I LOVE the support of the crowd on this one – who cheer for almost everything that Watts does. It’s clear that he’s got quite the following and it could lead to some major commercial success for the duo. “Don’t Let Get You Down” – poor grammar aside – seems to play off his character-driven personality in the sense that his vocal delivery is fairly quirky and strange. The track is very hook-based, with a light whistling melody running during the track, and brightly pulsating synth sounds. Watts sings: “Don’t let get you down, I know how love can feel” over the top of metallic drum beats and a minimally looping bassline. There’s a light techno sensibility within the instrumental sections, with a synth-heavy focus on acidic strobe effects, but the overall mixing remains mellow and calming. Watts’ voice is unique and silky, with nonsensical mutters and a Falsetto production style which can get a tad annoying, but it also comes off as groove-led and comedic with decent range. The overall sound has a real 00’s throwback to it, which makes me think of Eric Prydz and Bob Sinclair on repeated listens. This is because the melodic structure is slowly paced, but the deep house qualities feel very prominent. All in all, it’s not a bad track at all – and the sense of character comes across strongly. However, I don’t feel that it’s quite there. The synths bubble under the surface to build a sense of tension, but there’s little payoff. The track does have a bit of an overly commercial undertone to it in the lack of innovation. However, it’s a pleasant and smooth-sailing house track that has a good vocal range. So, the flaws “Don’t Let Get It Down” to a point that detracts it too highly.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Don’t Let Get You Down” (Released on 28th February 2020) (via Brainfeeder)

Thank you for reading this post! Please make sure that you stay safe, don’t do anything silly and keep on washing those hands. As always, please join me tomorrow – Where i’ll be giving an in-depth look (or listen, rather) at the new track from an American hip-hop producer from Nanuet, New York who directs and edits his own music videos. He opened for Wu-Tang Clan on their 20th Anniversary Tour in Europe as a “dream gig”! 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: KAYTRANADA (feat. Charlotte Day Wilson) – "What You Need"

April 24, 2020 — Leave a comment

This Haitian DJ is hellbent on building “Celestial” grooves! It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Press shot of KAYTRANADA (Louis Kelvin Celestin) backstage at the Sonar Barcelona Festival 2019 (July 2019)

Good morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing to you about your daily track on the blog, as it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to do so, virus or not! Since it’s a pretty barren week for new releases and, given our unfortunate time, they will all probably be for a while, I’m instead going to focus on writing about slightly older music that I discovered earlier on, but I never got around to writing to you about. KAYTRANADA (He spells out all of his name in block capital letters, so I’m going to as well!) is the pseudonym of Louis Kelvin Celestin, an Electronic Dance music producer from Haiti who started out as one half of a duo with Lou Phelps, The Celestians. In 2016, he rose to fame as a solo artist with “99.9%”, a record which explored a psychedelic and experimental rock sound. He followed it up with “Bubba” in December of last year, a more mellow-sounding electronic dance record, which featured collaborations with the likes of Pharrell Williams, Estelle, Tinashe and Kali Uchis, to name a few. Sadly, Forrest Gump’s “Bubba” wasn’t among them. “What You Need” is a single he recorded with Charlotte Day Wilson. Let’s have a listen to it below.

“What You Need” is one of the more mid-tempo, house-ready selections from his second album, “Bubba”, but, at the same time, I think that it avoids a strict categorization. It’s a lot more radio-friendly than some of his other output, but Wilson’s guest spot on vocals and the glittering production work adds an element of soul to deem it alternative enough to not sound generic. Wilson recites: “I never wanted you to see this part of me/I wish you would have told the truth/Oh, than make us settle”, as she reminisces about a past relationship that went awry. The chorus hook goes: “Be in my arms/Slowing my beating heart/’Cause even when it’s wrong you’ll see/That it’s what you need” as a spacious synth twirls around the main chorus lyric. The elements of 00’s disco continue to develop with a slight variation of the first verse: “I never wanted you to see this part of me/Now all I can hope to do/Is tell you still” as a light keyboard riff enters the fray and the slight Funk groove adds a laidback and chilled-out emotion with a breathed quality. The end result is a groovy little number which would make a good warm-up for a longer club night of more hardcore dance tunes. It is a good spot of sun-soaked, roof-down-in-the-car, sultry house vibes.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “BUBBA” (Released on 13th December, 2019) (via R.C.A. Records)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, with an in-depth look at a charity single which was produced during quarantine by the frontman of a well-known American alternative rock band who named themselves after a song performed by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah band in The Beatles’ 1967 musical film – “Magical Mystery Tour”! 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: Tomo Nakayama – “Tick Tock”

April 21, 2020 — Leave a comment

The clock is ticking, hopefully, on this awful Quarantime time! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Portrait Cover Artwork for “Pieces Of Sky” (Released on September 8th, 2017) (via Ricebelly Music)

He’d like to “Get To Know You” now! Happy Tuesday, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music on the blog to you each day! One of the most recent releases that I’ve covered on the blog lately, “Melonday” is the new LP record by Tomo Nakayama, an electronic artist signed to Ricebelly Records. Nakayama was raised in Japan, but he is currently based in California. Nakayama has a strong background in composing independent film scores and he’s also got his roots set in indie folk, as he is best known for being the leader of cinematic indie folk group Grand Hallway. “Melonday” is a surprising departure from the ambient and tranquil sounds of his previous catalogue because he’s exploring a very pop, feet-on-the-dancefloor sound, focusing on groovy disco-pop anthems, with the aid of co-producer Yuuki Matthews, who’s also worked with Teardrops and The Shins – Let’s have a listen to “Tick Tock” in the self-produced music video for it below!

On his first day of COVID-19 quarantine, Tomo Nakayama laid out a white sheet in his studio and decided to groove to the sound of “Tick Tock” to film his own music video for the track. It’s a compelling move to release a dance album while nobody is allowed to congregate for a boogie on a dancefloor. I feel that Nakayama has done as good as a job as he could have though, and I think the intimacy of this video adds a light-hearted humor that we all need in this time. Nakayama croons: “Girl in the evening gown/Where do you go when you’ve got nothing around?” and “We live in a lonely time/You’ve got your devices/I’m in service to mine” above a stuttering synth melody which shimmers and shakes over a tender backing vocal. He also comments on the dating app culture that we’ve come used to, quickly reflecting on his age and experience level when it comes to romance: “Swiping away the signs/Of growing older/But, I believe in you”, before he repeats the chorus: “Tick tock when you look at the clock/And the second hand starts to move/You look tough, but I like you a lot and I know you like me too”, a melodic synth hook that comes after a slowed, self-reflective line of interwoven synth beats. The chord progression is very propulsive, as he trades acoustic guitar strums for bright, swirling watercolor synths. It sounds very 80’s, and unashamedly so, with a clear Breakfast Club throwback style. It’s a track simply about being open and honest when it comes to finding love in the digital era, but I feel there’s a personality and maturity behind the simplicity of the surface and the part where he grabs a shoe and shimmers: “hello” with it held to his ear as a phone cracks me up. Lyrically, it’s easy and simple to follow, with kinetic hooks and catchy vocals creating a very Phoenix sound. It’s bright, ‘cutesy’ synthpop sweetness!

Pictured: Tomo Nakayama with a physical vinyl copy of “Melonday” (Released on April 7th, 2020) (via Facebook)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, with an in-depth look at a recently released single which made it to John Kennedy’s X-Posure evening show playlist on Radio X! It’s the new dance project from a trio of musical icons including a former Radiohead producer, the vocalist of FEMME/lau.ra and Joey Waronker, who’s toured with REM and Beck as their live drummer. 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/