Today’s Track: Anna Lunoe (feat. Nina Las Vegas) – “One Thirty”

April 15, 2020 — Leave a comment

Two DJ’s who are spacing up a Lunoe Eclipse of their own! It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Anna Lunoe at the first-ever female solo DJ set at EDC in Las Vegas (2016) (Photo Credit: Festival Sherpa)

Good morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! Having collaborated with Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, one of my personal favourites as one of the most underrated British electronic dance artists, and becoming the first woman to headline a solo DJ set for Ministry Of Sound in Australia and on the main stage of the Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas in 2016, Australian EDM Producer Anna Lunoe certainly sounds like a very cool artist to collaborate with or interview, and a great role model for aspiring female EDM musicians. The host of a weekly show on Apple’s Beats 1 Radio, Lunoe has come a long way from hosting at a small independent youth broadcaster to curating three compilations that hit gold certifications in Australia. The latest release in her ongoing success story is “One Thirty”, the follow-up to her “Right Party” EP which she released last year. “One Thirty”, a single featuring Nina Las Vegas, another prolific Australian dance music producer, was released as a joint production between Mad Decent records and NLV Records. The track was released in September 2019 as Lunoe and Vegas’ first collaboration together, despite being close friends for years. This pairs Lunoe’s house style with Vegas’ synth work. Let’s have a listen below.

That’s a gorgeous piece of illustrated artwork (above)! Although I don’t feel the music itself is quite as experimental and interesting, it’s still a nicely diversified and structured electronic dance record which does a reasonably good job of getting you ready to hit the dancefloor. Lunoe crafts a distorted, bass-heavy vocal sample to tie a catchy and energetic pop beat together. She wraps it around an ever-shifting acid bassline mixed by Vegas, who asserts a fast-paced and constantly evolving rhythm. Lunoe also pulls elements of Garage with her breakbeat interludes and syncopated hi-hat snares, topped off with irregular drum patterns. Vegas further diversifies the record with a West African aesthetic which fills the track with tribal chants and a playful synthesized drum melody which serves the quick-witted tempo of the track well. At certain points, I feel the vocal processing – although imaginative – can be a little overused and these devices, for me, take away from the artist a little in music, so I feel a certain commercial restriction may have held it back just a touch. Let’s not forget these are two very commercially successful artists after all. However, it’s still a lively and energetic dance collaboration which is effective, if not innovative. Overall, I feel that Lunoe and Vegas have great chemistry and they’ve used it to create a nice platform to showcase their different abilities together, although the vocals are a little too highly processed for me. However, different types of music are for different times and places, and I know that a live club environment is the intended way to experience the personality and culture behind this track! Solid and groovy, if standard, EDM fare!

Pictured: Anna Lunoe chilling while dropping her “Blaze Of Glory” video (2018) (Photo Credit: dancingastronaut.com)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, with an in-depth look at the brand new track from a fresh alternative hip-hop, neo-soul artist from South-East London who cites Ms. Lauryn Hill, Ms. Dynamite and Erykah Badu as her musical influences and she appeared in an Adidas advert campaign featuring poster advertisements and remixed music from up-and-coming artists getting spotlighted by the sportswear brand last year! Her latest single has made it to the C-List of BBC Radio 6Music’s daytime playlist! 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: Little Dragon – “Hold On”

April 11, 2020 — Leave a comment

Dragons would make good accountants… The economies of Scale! It’s new post time!

Pictured: Vinyl Copy of “New Me, Same Us” (2020) (Available now from http://www.strangerthanparadiserecords.com)

It’s just another Gothenburg morning for this Swedish electronic funk band, but it’s just another Saturday morning for me – Jacob Braybrooke – because I’m writing about your daily post on the blog! It’s my day-to-day pleasure to give you an in-depth look at a different track every day! Little Dragon were formed in 1996 when they attended music “jams” at an after-school club in high school, with frontwoman Yukimi Nagano meeting Fredrick Wallin and Erick Bodin, deciding on their name due to the “little tantrums” that Nagano would stress over during their sessions. She’s a perfectionist! So far, Little Dragon have six LP records under their belt, with “Nabuma Rubberband” from 2014, their fourth album, being considered their best, receiving a Best Dance/Electronic Album nomination at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in 2015. The quartet are back with “Same Me, New Us”, pairing up with the Ninja Tune label this time for it’s release, which was on March 27th. The new album explores more soul and disco elements than the group have previously. Let’s listen to “Hold On” below…

It doesn’t quite veer into cosmic-themed territory, but “Hold On”, the leading single of the new album, is still a celestrial groover based on a disco-tinged rhythm. Lyrically, the track explores the qualities of having an evolving life that’s worth living. This is conveyed through a pulsating keyboard riff and a mid-tempo drum groove. Among a wealth of calm synthesizer framework, Nagano croons: “Hold on/Where you gone?/Where you going?” over a sleek melody of 70’s dancefloor pop. She continues: “Baby stay/time has changed us so in every way/Beyond our dreams and more/the stars are not aligned”, a vocal hook of reconciliation glazed in an R&B smoothness. She later adds: “Hold on, before you go/One thing that you should know/I never meant to hurt you so/I wish you happiness, joy and good fortune, boy”, before a short interlude paves the way for a luminous keyboard riff that sounds timeless yet contemporary, but looks to the Saturday Night Fever of the 70’s for an added punch of inspiration. The feet-on-the-floor soundscape is dance-able and relaxing, but it feels a bit sophisticated in extra measure. The key sound changes throughout the song and it’s diverse, which acts as a fun teaser for the core theme of shift in the album. The sound is very clean and polished and I think it would be a good fit for a daytime radio station because it feels accessible, but it isn’t too generic. Although the track delivers the key beats of the album to good effect, I feel the modern electro-pop sensibilities can feel a little bit half-baked or undercooked, with the track being a soulful blend in alternative pop, electronica and disco-funk, but never feeling entirely cohesive. It’s decent though, and I think that comparisons to The Knife shall be made.

Pictured: Yukimi Nagano (Lead Vocals/Percussion), Fredrick Wallin (Bass Guitar/Synths), Håkan Wirenstrand (Keyboard/Mixing) and Erik Bodin (Drums/Cowbell) (2020) (via Rolling Stone)

Don’t forget to catch up with my WWE WrestleMania 36 Weekend Special if you missed out – Friday’s post, “El Santo: The Silver Masked Avenger” by The Nick Atoms, is here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/03/wwe-wrestlemania-36-weekend-special-the-nick-atoms-el-santo-the-silver-masked-avenger/. Saturday’s post on Bruce Springsteen’s “The Wrestler”, is here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/04/wwe-wrestlemania-36-weekend-special-bruce-springsteen-the-wrestler/. The weekend’s final post on “The Legend Of Chavo Guerrero” by The Mountain Goats can be perused here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/05/wwe-wrestlemania-36-weekend-special-the-mountain-goats-the-legend-of-chavo-guerrero/!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “New Me, Same Us” (Released on 27th March, 2020) (via Ninja Tune Records)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I hope that you stay safe and that you enjoyed reading it, as well as discovering some cool music in the process! Don’t forget to check back with the blog tomorrow – Yes, it’s Easter Sunday – but it’s also going to be time for your first new Scuzz Sundays post in two whole weeks! We’re almost there! 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: Matroda – “Beef Stick”

April 10, 2020 — Leave a comment

He could be mixing songs about beef until the cows come home! Time for a new post!

Pictured: Matroda (Matija Rodic) in a press photoshoot for his Spotify profile page (2019) (via PR)

I don’t know how else to start a post for a track like this – so I’ll just start off by wishing you a good afternoon and reminding you that I’m Jacob Braybrooke and it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write to you about a different track on the blog every day! “Beef Stick”, of all titles, is a bulky club track released in 2018 by Croatian DJ and producer Matija Rodic – who is known for releasing music under the alias of Matroda. Rodic was influenced by the likes of Frank Sinatra and The Beatles in his youth and he’s been trained to play the violin, keyboard and drums – but instead of taking a classical music approach, Rodic exploded onto the UK Garage scene in 2015 with his biggest hit, a remix of 2015’s “California” by SNBRN, which he composed with Chris Lake – a single which reached #2 on the Beatport dance charts and polled in as #5 on SiriusFM’s 2015 songs of the year. He’s since gained support from Calvin Harris and Diplo. He’s also worked with world-renowned producer Porter Robinson. Needless to say, “Beef Stick” isn’t meant to be taken seriously – Let’s get into the meat of it below!

Released back in 2018 on the DIM MAK label – “Beef Stick” wastes no time in chopping to the grind (I’m very sorry) of the heavy, pulsating drum-and-bass riffs which are wrapped around a late-night club primed, unforgiving EDM structure. The concurrent drum patterns interweave with the cheeky vocal sample, which goes: “I went down to the store cuz’ I had to get a beef stick/She giggle thought of you’, said you had a pencil d***”, layered above a dark-house, sub-heavy frequency of short drum loops and boisterous tempo shifts. The production work is power-driven and compact, with a sturdy bass line and a reverb-doused vocal hook that’s robust and aggressive in nature. It feels like the electrical technicalities are wrapped around the virtue of the daft vocal sample, making it sound juvenile and crass in it’s delivery. But – if I was a bit tipsy and I was in a club late one night with this playing through the loud speakers of the floor – I’d think there are much worse things that you could be listening to. It’s obvious that Matroda has developed his following in a light-hearted way by offering up heavy, absurd mixes – and that’s a quality of electronic dance music that goes back to the Aphex Twin days of the 90’s, where he would stick his face around each of his album covers to poke fun at the industry, so there’s an element of personality to it. Some music is for a certain place and a certain time, and I do think a loud and obnoxious club setting is the more appropriate setting for this track to be enjoyed. The humour of the track is funny and the vocal sample – as immature as it may sound – is a catchy little refrain that has been stuck in my head for a good few hours now. It’s clearly not a fine art – but it’s a novelty that lasts, if only for a little while. Am I insane?

Pictured: Matroda (Matija Rodic) readying his keyboard in his studio (2019) (Photo Credit: dancingastronaut.com)

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Beef Stick” (Single) (Released 5th October 2018) (via Dim Mak)

Thank you for reading this post – I hope you enjoyed it! It’s almost time for our first Scuzz Sundays post in two long weeks, but first, make sure that you check back with the blog tomorrow for my in-depth review of a recent track by an established Swedish Electronic-Pop group who received a nomination for their fourth album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, held in 2015! 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 Knife – “Is It Medicine?”

March 18, 2020 — Leave a comment

Here’s a cult favorite act who’s popularity never got the chop! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Karin Dreijer (Lead Vocals/Keyboard) and Olof Dreijer (Splicing/Effects/Bass) (2006) (via NPR; press shoot)

“Cutting” their discography loose at just four solo albums over their career, The Knife are a Swedish Alternative Electronic pop duo who achieved huge breakthrough success with 2003’s “Deep Cuts”, spawning a big international following on their own independent label, Rabid Records. A certain aura of mystique is built around the careers of Karin Dreijer and Olof Dreijer, who certainly aren’t afraid to rush new music into production, along with their public appearances wearing Venetian masks at press events and their bold refusal to attend awards ceremonies. The Knife eventually disbanded after the release of “Shake The Habitual” in 2014, not counting a joint-production with Mt. Sims and Planningtorock. But their impact wasn’t beaten to the cut, neither like my awful Knife puns have been. One of the most curious tracks on 2003’s “Deep Cuts” is “Is It Medicine?”, which merges a rolling, synth-based electro-bassline with a power-led, 1970’s retro-pop sensibility. Let’s have a listen to it below!

“Is It Medicine?” is a powerful dancefloor filler about handling the difficulty of social anxiety and claustrophobia. This rough-edged tone is created by an aggressive electro-pop strobe line, which effervescently interweaves with a brazen vocal hook, as Dreijer croons: “I don’t know/I don’t know what to say/Is it medicine or a social skill?” over a layered fusion of futuristic guitar samples and progressive keyboard riffs, aided by a call-and-response part of backing vocals from Dreijer. The duo make jabs at the 9-5 office work culture: “Another day has come to an end/Then you start to cry again” and discuss feelings of internal quarantine: “being sad is a full time work”, as a mid-tempo acid techno beat jousts with a conflicting, loud vocal shriek from Dreijer near the end of the track. The female vocals will almost certainly be of an acquired taste and it may be difficult for new listeners to access on a first listen, but “Is It Medicine?” has managed to stand the test of time fairly well, with a timeless pop sound that feels dated and ahead of it’s time in equal measure. It provides call-backs to the new-wave influences of New Order and Eurythmics, while also having a contemporary euro-pop sound that feels closer to the likes of Robyn and Bjork. A track that’s tucked away a little bit, “Is It Medicine?” still has it’s imperfect pop appeal.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Deep Cuts” (Released on 17th January, 2003) (via Rabid Records)

Thank you for reading this post! I hope that you enjoyed reading it! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, with an in-depth look at a single released back in 2018 by a Canadian indie dream-pop band who have self-released all of their music and once performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival, along with live performances at the heavy-hitting Coachella and Lollapalooza festivals! 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: Dread Zeppelin – “Your Time Is Gonna Come”

March 13, 2020 — Leave a comment

Mentally drained, the time for bedtime has almost come… It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Un-Led-Ed” (Released on 24th July, 1990) (via I.R.S. music label)

It’s almost the weekend… The time is gonna come! Good evening to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! For a band which is essentially a novelty tribute band for a 70’s classic rock band, Dread Zeppelin are strangely prolific, having produced and recorded a whopping total of 15 albums between 1990 and 2011. Obviously, Dread Zeppelin are a Dub-plate take on the 1970’s British Heavy metal pioneers Led Zeppelin, having produced each of their tracks as covers of Led Zeppelin tracks, with a Reggae style. The band were formed in California in 1989, which led to an extensive touring schedule as a part of a long tenure with IRS Records – led by an Elvis Presley impersonator named Tortelvis on lead vocals. Dread Zeppelin have also been publically endorsed by Robert Plant, the lead vocalist of Led Zeppelin, who has stated that he prefers Dread Zeppelin’s 1990’s cover of “Your Time Is Gonna Come” to his own band’s original version. Compare for yourself with Dread Zeppelin’s cover below!

Dread Zeppelin’s cover version of “Your Time Is Gonna Come” by Led Zeppelin starts off as you might probably expect, with the recognizable opening lead guitar riffs of the track being replaced by the bouncy sounds of a Sitar, before a fizzled synth-line and a funk-laden groove settles into a constant affair of mid-tempo arrangement, before Tortelvis enters the fray: “Women lie/You’ll be cheated, you’ll be hurtin’/Messing around with every guy in town/Puttin’ me down for thinking of someone new”, with Tortelvis adding a vintage 70’s rock-and-roll edge to the duelling Rastafarian backing vocals. He later continues “Made up my mind to break you this time/Won’t be so fine, it’s my turn to cry/Do what you want, I won’t take your brunt/It’s fading away, I can’t feel you anymore” over an acoustic layer of Cuica riffs and Harpischord sections. The chorus sounds as triumphant as Zeppelin’s classic original, but with a lack of stadium rock sensibilites and a replaced sense of care-free fun, created by a thumping steel drum rhythm and a soft dose of licked bass guitar melodies. On paper, it sounds like a horrific idea which simply shouldn’t work, but it does. I’ve found there’s a dark corner of my mind that tells me I like this song and I can’t help but nod in approval to that. It’s humorous and quirky, with a cheerful quality of light-hearted Dub textures and the anthemic chanting vocals of the chorus have managed to translate to a more pop-driven style with effective results. The joke doesn’t quite ware itself out and the varied instrumentation keeps it melodic enough to hold your interest. The result is an entertaining novelty track which strikes the balance of accessibility and credibility. Your time, to have a boogie to this, has come!

Pictured: Ed Zeppelin (Graphic Artist/Writer/Producer), Tortelvis (Lead Guitar), Jah Paul Jo (Lead Guitar), Carl Jah (Rhythmn Guitar/Backing Vocals), Put-Mon (Bass Guitar) and Charlie Haj (Drums/Percussion) (1989) (via WikiWand)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, with an in-depth look at the final track that I’m going to cover on the blog from “Our Pathetic Age”, the outstanding new double album from American EDM/Trip-Hop icon DJ Shadow, who claims to own a personal collection of over 60,000 records! 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: Róisín Murphy – “Murphy’s Law”

March 10, 2020 — Leave a comment

Just as it feels like Róisín Murphy’s at the top of her game, she decrees Murphy’s Law!

Pictured: Róisín Murphy perfoming a headline set at the BBC Radio 6Music Festival (2020) (Photo Credit: Sarah Jeynes)

Murphy’s Law has struck again! Good night, I’m Jacob Braybrooke – writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! It certainly comes as a pleasure to report on a new Róisín Murphy track being released – a follow-up track to her 2019 club banger “Narcissus”, a club track which made it onto the radio! Murphy is best known for being one part of an Irish electronic dance duo with producer Mark Brydon called Moloko. They had mainstream chart hits around the world, with the likes of “Sing It Back” and “The Time Is Now”, being particularly successful commercially in the UK. She’s been authoritatively re-assuring her position as the new queen of disco with a recent comeback of-sorts, which led her to become one of the headline acts at this year’s BBC Radio 6Music Festival, which took place at The Roundhouse in Camden last weekend. Evolution was a recurring theme of her set, following frequent costume changes and altered versions of the key tracks in her discography, both from her time as one half of Moloko and as a solo artist. She also dedicated her live set to the late-great Andy Weatherhall, which was a very touching notion. With a song called “Murphy’s Law”, you already know it’s going to be a banger! There’s a 3-minute edit available on YouTube, but I’ve attached the full version below!

A twinkling keyboard riff sets us off, as Murphy provides the narrative framework for her vocal performance: “I feel my story’s still untold/But I’ll make my own happy ending” as a percussive layer of hand-clap effects take us through the refrain: “I think maybe I’ve outgrown this old town/I see you almost every day/And every time I turn around/Our love is stuck on replay”, a line which echoes the sentimental tone through a melodic, old-school pop rhythm. Murphy continues: “Ever since we broke up/I’ve been afraid to go out”, as Murphy matches a 70’s disco throwback style with more emphatic songwriting functions. An expertly polished synth line draws the chorus in: “It’s Murphy’s law/I’m gonna meet you tonight/Just one match could relight the flame”, a static bass guitar riff underlines the sonic direction, “And just when everything is going ‘alright/Murphy’s law is gonna strike again”, with the track gradually adding layers of wavering drum loops and interweaving guitar licks, as Murphy writes from the perspective of an ageing character visiting her old town to rekindle interest with an old flame: “All of my hard work keeps going down the drain”, while feeling unfulfilled and untapped. A mature dancefloor filler, Murphy anchors the end of the track with: “Keep on/Keep on/Keep on/Keep on…”, a sentiment which evokes the disco classics of “Saturday Night Fever” or Chic’s older work on classics like “Le Freak” in the late 1970’s. In comparison to Narcissus, Murphy’s Law detracts from the string-based arrangements and provides a larger variation of moods with it’s more gentle pacing. It manages to live up to the lofty expectations of the track’s title, with Murphy’s personality, as an artist, really managing to hold your attention throughout the long, 8-minute duration of the track. The lyricism is memorable and the style is nostalgic, albeit progressive. I think Murphy’s great – your Queen Of Disco!

Pictured: Róisín Murphy in a photoshoot for an interview with London In Stereo (2019) (Photo Credit: Nicola Nodland)

You can read my thoughts on “Narcissus” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/01/09/todays-track-roisin-murphy-narcissus/

Pictured: Róisín Murphy pictured with her co-producer and co-lyricist Mark Brydon in their Moloko days (date unknown) (Photo Credit: Alwaysontherun.net)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as always, with an in-depth look at a wrestling-themed track, released in 2012, by a British post punk band who were formed back in 2005, had a UK top 10 hit with “Heavyweight Champion Of The World” and were invited to support Oasis on their final tour – playing a blockbuster show at Wembley Stadium! 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: Caribou – “Never Come Back”

February 28, 2020 — Leave a comment

Suddenly… Dan Snaith has a brand new Caribou LP out! It’s time for your Friday post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Never Come Back” (2019)

It’s Friday, which means it’s the end of the week, but it also signals the release of a dozen new albums and singles, with Caribou’s “Suddenly” taking the spotlight on the blog this week! In case you’re unaware, Caribou is an electronic project set up by Canadian composer Dan Snaith, who also writes and records material as Daphni and Manitoba. It’s been a long time since we’ve heard from him, with 2014’s “Our Love” becoming a beloved LP record in the years since. “Suddenly”, released today on City Slang Records and Merge Records, is a photo album of a record where Snaith analyses the events in his life which surround him, such as his daughter being born in a Car on the way to the hospital. The album also deals with loss and memory, in the form of carefully textured soundscapes. I’ve recently been introduced to Snaith’s work with the release of “Home”, the lead single of the album, as Snaith has drummed up enough interest with me for me to own a physical copy for my record collection, which I’ve only just started. Let’s have a listen to the track “Never Come Back” below.

A sophisticated and enthralling track which veers into slightly commercial territory, but it confidently manages not to lose the vocally emotive trademark of Caribou’s sound, “Never Look Back” is a synthetic dance-pop delight that doesn’t miss a step in it’s stabbing EDM strobes and it’s uptempo pacing. With a sultry tone, Snaith repeats: “And you never come back to”, in sequenced timing with a consistent House trance, which is layered over the top of a 90’s-esque keyboard loop. The melodic stricture keeps stuttering, but Snaith adds the sound of a happy-go-lucky Cowbell and an unrelenting drum machine chord, which kicks into full-throttle mode near the end of the track. Before proceedings get too repetitious, Snaith refrains: “I can never forget it/Promise me you don’t regret it/You and I were together/even though we both knew better”, as the pop-filled rhythm begins to settle into a slower pace, before Snaith quickly pushes the makeshift-disco sound to the center of attention again. The track does sound a little poppier by his typical standards, but I feel that Snaith manages to cross over to a casual audience, who might be seeing him at festivals this summer, fairly wisely because he manages to effectively control the chaos by letting it sound familiar to his existing fans, while adding a crowd-pleasing, throwback dance sound to his existing repertoire. The single also translates the cohesive themes of the album, as the sultry vocal hook is kept consistent to contrast the breakneck changes of tempo and rhythm. It’s an ace track from an album which is set to deliver on it’s hype.

Pictured: Dan Snaith recording in his home studio

I’ve previously covered a few of Caribou’s other singles taken from the new record on the blog! Click here to read my thoughts on my discovery of “Home” (https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/10/28/todays-track-caribou-home/) and click here to read my thoughts on “You and I” (https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/09/todays-track-caribou-you-i/)

Pictured: Dan Snaith pictured in front of a mural to accompany the announcement of “Suddenly” (2020) (via PR)

Thank you for reading this post! It’s almost time for another weekly Scuzz Sundays post, but, before then – make sure that you check back with the blog tomorrow, where I’ll be writing an in-depth review, for you, on the new single from a legendary British electronic dance duo who are known for producing Dub and Chillout anthems which have been described by Alex Paterson as “ambient house for the E generation”! 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: 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: Ross From Friends – “Pale Blue Dot”

February 22, 2020 — Leave a comment

This is like something straight out of a TV sitcom…oh wait! It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Ross From Friends (Felix Cary Weatherall) in a press photoshoot for his own Facebook artist page (2018)

Good evening to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke, writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my everyday pleasure to do so. If you’re looking to find a new Saturday rave vibe, you’re in the right place, as I’m sharing my feelings of “Pale Blue Dot” by Essex-born British producer Felix Clary Weatherall, who goes under the alias of Ross From Friends. Alas, this is not David Schwimmer’s character from the beloved TV sitcom Friends, it’s the work of Weatherhall, who chose the name because a recording studio he used had a DVD of Friends stuck inside the TV, meaning it was the only form of entertainment that was available to him. “Pale Blue Dot” is a single taken from his debut LP, “Family Portrait”, which he released in November 2018 via the Brainfeeder music label. The official music video for “Pale Blue Dot” is embeded below and it’s put together from archival You’ve Been Framed-style home videos which tell the story of Weatherhall going to spontaneous raves set up by his mum and dad, using his dad’s homemade sound-system, which they took out on a tour bus with them around Europe in the 90’s. Let’s have a listen to “Pale Blue Dot” by watching the video below.

Weatherhall, labelled by The Guardian as “one to watch”, combines hints of lo-fi jungle, Latin disco-pop and Techno house, to create a vibrant electronic dance anthem which feels reminiscent of the abstract melancholy of Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and the synthesized drum lines of DJ Seinfeld. The track is entirely instrumental, with no lyrics or vocals to be heard. This allows Weatherhall the space to experiment with different hints of several genres, with a shuffling acid strobe which stutters around the pop-oriented layers of the track, married by a neo-psychedelic synth line which takes inspiration from the leftfield disco side of Mount Kimbie. There is a subtle narration in play, as the high-pitched squeals of a disc scratch and the wash of the core bassline fizzle to a tropical kilter. The texture is domineered by a glitched arrangement of violin strings and strategically-placed ambience. It expresses a hint of Weatherhall’s personality, with a cohesive structure that feels like a nostalgic backdrop to the overall nu-disco rhythm. It’s clear the keyboard riffs have been lovingly crafted and the music video adds a more intimate layer to the track than you might expect at first glance, although I don’t find the electronic instrumentation to be hugely interesting, with the track pulling influence from the emotive composition of Caribou and the ever-shifting beats heard in The Knife’s music to entertaining effect, even if it doesn’t go beyond these peers in as much detail as I would have liked. On the positive side, it doesn’t sound too commercial or generic and I think the track’s fairly listenable on repeat due to the hidden complexities underneath the surface. I think he could probably do with a better stage name, but he sounds as solid as a rock!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Family Portrait” (Released in July 2018) (via Brainfeeder)

Thank you for reading this post! Make sure you check back tomorrow, as it’s nearly time for another Scuzz Sundays post on the blog – and I’ll be looking at an iconic track from an American heavy metal band whose lead vocalist once appeared on an episode of BBC 2’s TV quiz series, “QI”! 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: La Roux – “Automatic Driver”

February 7, 2020 — Leave a comment

La Roux’s “Supervision”, after six years, is finally here!… and so is your new blog post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Supervision” (2019)

Like a giddy six year old on Christmas morning, I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to say that one of my all-time favourites, La Roux, finally has a new LP record that you can buy in your local record stores, or stream I guess – in this day and age, right now as I type! “Supervision”, which was released today on Elly Jackson’s own new independent record label Supercolour Records, is the follow-up to my favourite pop album of all-time, “Trouble In Paradise”, released way back in 2014. Mainly known for the mainstream chart hits spawned by her Grammy-winning debut album, “La Roux”, which was released way back in 2009, “Supervision” is the first La Roux record to be completely written and recorded as a solo act for Elly Jackson. She’s been selling it as the culmination of the ongoing flying solo saga and the record she’s always been wanting to make. I, for one, absolutely can’t wait to hear the results later today… When all of my day-to-day jobs are done, since I know that I can relax at that point. In the meantime, you can obtain a sample with the video for “Automatic Driver” below.

It looks like Tiger Woods has a new opponent for the Golfing season! A new wave synth-pop track with a strange resemblance to old country influences, “Automatic Driver” is an electro-pop break-up anthem which lyrically explores the feeling of unrequited goods in a long-term relationship and finding the “auto-pilot” who controls the steering of a relation-ship. That’s a bad pun, but at least I tried. Nonetheless, Jackson croons in her trademark Falsetto voice: “We can fight till it’s light/Doesn’t mend it/Do you still dream we’re alright/and we’ll find it”, over a fizzing keyboard strobe. She croons: “I wanted to manage information/Find the automatic driver”, as a stream of sultry techno flares sneak their way into the track to the melody of Jackson whistling. It’s later followed up by a groove-laden vocal rhyme: “I wanted to make a contribution, baby/I wanted to start a revolution with you”, topped off by a more reflective texture: “After I waited so long to find you/Why did I let myself run and hide from you?”, as Jackson laments the possibility of definitively breaking up with her one true romantic partner. Lyrically, it’s a little bit different to the feisty attitude of lead single “International Women Of Leisure” and the moving-up spirit of “Gullible Fool”, with a slightly light opening compared to the former, matched with the sentimentality of the latter. It still retains the maturity and the old-fashioned pop sound that I’ve loved hearing from the sound of her new tracks, but it’s also very progressive in adding more country-tinged strings to her bows. It’s another terrific release from Jackson which I’ve avoided listening for too much as to control my exposure to the new album before it came out. Now, I’m off to try on my Supervision long sleeve t-shirt and hear the new album, in full, for the very first time. I hope that you give the new record a chance too, as you might end up loving it as much as I shall!

Pictured: “Supervision” Amazon.co.uk Bundle (2020)

If you somehow still haven’t quite got your La Roux fix for today, you can still read my glowing reviews for her other two singles from “Supervision”, “International Woman Of Leisure”here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/01/todays-track-la-roux-international-woman-of-leisure/ and “Gullible Fool” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/06/todays-track-la-roux-gullible-fool/

Pictured: La Roux (Elly Jackson) in a press photoshoot for “Supervision” interviews (February 2020) (Via PR)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow and I’ll hopefully have calmed down a little bit then, as I’m going to be writing about the new track from a French pop artist whose second album was named the “Album Of The Year” in 2018 by The Guardian! Don’t forget that it’s also nearly time for another Scuzz Sunday! 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/