Dark Wave

Scuzz Sundays: AFI – “Miss Murder”

January 19, 2020 — Leave a comment

I think AFI are going to need Miss Marple to solve this murder! It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: AFI (Davey Havock, Jade Puget, Hunte Burgen and Adam Carson) at the MTV Awards (2006) (Zimbio.com)

Happy Scuzz Sunday to you! As usual, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and it’s the day of the week where I take you on a leisurely stroll down memory lane of the late 1990’s-mid 2000’s punk/emo/rock genre, as I revisit some of the artists and tracks which I used to listen to in my childhood, as part of THAT phase. “Miss Murder” by AFI is this week’s special track, a tune which achieved good commercial success, having reached the #44 spot in the UK Singles Chart upon it’s original release in 2006. I vividly remember the dark/gothic music video and I can also remember getting a perfect score of the track on Guitar Hero 3: Legends Of Rock on the Xbox 360. Those were the days, right? It’s taken from AFI’s seventh LP, “DecemberUnderground”, a landmark record in the development of new punk and progressive metal as a genre beyond the commercial emo status. AFI are still popular, having released the “Blood Album” in January 2017.

I still get a real kick from the vocal breakdown in the middle. It’s still deeply satisfying to jam out to! The bass guitar riff, conjoined throughout the track, also comes off as an iconic guitar riff for me, with it’s distinctive three-note structure and it’s large punk-hardcore influence, which echoes throughout the track at a steady, yet confidently upbeat, pace. The track is unashamedly over-the-top and it reminds me of the gothic and operatic style which was being popularized by My Chemical Romance at the time, although the track is produced with even darker qualities which dips into influences from the Glam-Rock bands of the 70’s, such as Black Sabbath. Davey Havock, in his vocal performance, croons: “with just a look/they shook/and heavens bowed before him/simply a look can break you heart, later followed up by “Dreams of his crash won’t pass/Oh, how they all adored him/Beauty will last when spiraled down”, two verses which have a very gloomy and anthemic context to them, although they’re delivered in a slightly tongue-in-cheek, or should I say, smeared black mascara, way. This builds up to a crescendo of chanting vocals and a melodic breakdown of frantic drum beats and precarious bass guitar lines. Havock collapses in fright and leads a choral, shouting bridge. This is finished off with some synthesized beat jitters. The track got a mixed critical reception when it was originally released, although it’s become a cult favourite since. I don’t really understand the reason for the former, as it’s a rare example of an over-the-top, 00’s goth-punk anthem that stands the test of time. Fun fact: the video is directed by Marc Webb, who went on to direct The Amazing Spider-Man films and 500 Days Of Summer. He also directed videos for Jimmy Eat World, Evanescence and Weezer around the same time!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “DecemberUnderground” (June 2006) (Interscope Records)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, with a holiday plan to whisk you away to sunny Jamaica (audibly, not literally, of course!), as we warm up our hearts on a cold January day with a look at a classic Jamaican Rocksteady track from 1967 from a small vocal choir led by Winston Riley, who briefly reformed in 1982 with a re-recorded version of one of their hit singles and a brand new album! 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: Floating Points – “Anasickmodular”

January 8, 2020 — Leave a comment

Is it science, magic or great music? a combination of all three? Time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Sam Shepherd in a photoshoot for an interview on the RedBull.com website (January 2018)

Jacob Braybrooke here! It’s not Rocket Science! Well, for this guy, it’s Neuroscience! Seriously, he has a degree in it! I’ve been listening quite a bit to Floating Points recently, a DJ of all things acid techno whose real name is Sam Shepherd, the co-founder of the Eglo Records label. His recent album, “Crush”, was released last November on the Ninja Tune label. It’s an experimental piece of music which dynamically mixes a range of improvisational sounds and electronic ambient works recorded around the world. It’s January, so there isn’t going to be much out until the early Spring heats up. That gives you the perfect excuse for you to go and check it out!

“Anasickmodular” is one of the singles from the album, which has made the A-list of BBC Radio 6Music for several weeks. It was named after the team who did the visual projections, the fact that he was feeling poorly on the day and how he bought a modular out of the box to record it! For me, “Anasickmodular” draws a heavy comparison to the likes of Aphex Twin and Squarepusher. Since the genre of this single is of a similar tone and style, it reminds me of several Warp Records releases from around the mid-90’s, which partially contributes as to why I like it so much. The mixing and production of the track was created during Shepherd’s live improvised set at Dekmantel Festival in 2017, with other engineering stages completed during a tour date in Sydney. For me, this gives the track it’s freeform and carefree style, which echoes throughout the strange break-beat melodies and the ethereal, percussive garage beats. The texture, as a result, sounds very warm and euphoric, due to a hypnotic trance transition which feels like the music equivalent to a child’s drawing. A twitching, off-kilter drum pattern harkens back to Warp’s late-90’s IDM exports. The midway point is a real standout, as the assortment of ambient sounds swell up to form a synth tendril which forms the effect of an orchestral crescendo. It feels like Shepherd has definitely put his club sensibilities to the test and really pushed himself, as an artist, to deliver this track. He adds a layer of scientific IDM to make it essential!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Crush” (October 2019)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with a look at a new track from an Irish singer-songwriter and music producer who is known for being part of the Irish Trip Hop duo Moloko, who were responsible for the chart hits “The Time Is Now”, “Sing It Back” and “Familiar Feeling”! 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: Katarína Máliková – “Vodník”

January 3, 2020 — Leave a comment

Here’s a new track for you to hear while you’re taking down those Christmas decorations before heading back to work next week, if you haven’t done so already…

  • Pictured: Katarína Máliková at the Radio Head Awards (2016)

Jacob Braybrooke here! Since it’s the 3rd January, a rather nothingless day since we all haven’t quite got back into the swing of returning to our normal working lives. Have you eaten all your Christmas chocolates yet?, I thought it would be a great chance for me to showcase something truly unique and different on the blog. Today’s musing is on “Vodník” by Katarína Máliková, a track which I discovered from KEXP’s Song Of The Day podcast a few weeks ago. Máliková is a Singer-Songwriter from Slovakia, who has been causing a lot of positive buzz in Slovakian indie circles. On “Vodník”, she wisely dodges any-and-all comparisons to the Eurovision Song Contest. Instead, she opts for an intriguing mix of Orchestral folk and dark synthpop melodies!

On “Vodník”, Máliková displays a wonderful prowess of emotionally moving lyricism with dark new-wave synths that stutter and crash into each other, with the track sounding like music made in the magic hour throughout. The lyrics are Slovakian, which evokes a distinct ambiguity for English-speaking listeners. It sounds orchestral and theatrical, with a folklore vibe which is comparable to Björk’s style of vocal performance and electronic production on 2001’s “Vespertine”, with an industrial beat-driven backdrop full of IDM-eque distortions and reverb-drenched drum snares, often comparable to the 80’s-influenced soundscapes found on Bat For Lashes “Lost Girls”, which was released last year. It isn’t such a far cry from Peel-branded acts such as Joy Division and New Order, but it does definitely have a unique flavour of Polyphonic and experimental sounds that makes it feel unlike anything else in direct comparison, although the evocative, Scandonavian-inspired synthpop falls between the category of Grimes and KKA Twigs in equal measure. Overall, I feel the vocals work harmoniously with Máliková’s bold sense of electronic instrumentation to complete a brave and intimate track. The track is available to buy or stream from her sophomore LP, “Postalgia”, which was released in November via the Sinko Records label. Judging from how fresh and powerful she sounds, combined with a strong layout, on “Vodník”, I really hope that 2020 is going to be absolutely massive for her!

  • Pictured: Katarína Máliková performing a live set at Pohoda Music Festival (August 2017)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at the new track from an English synth-pop/dance group who, in an interview in 2010, told the press that none of them knew how to drive, as the band got around the old fashioned way – on their own two feet, instead! Also, don’t forget to check out the blog on Sunday, as it’s almost time for my first Scuzz Sunday post of the new year! 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: Björk – “Hidden Place”

November 19, 2019 — Leave a comment

I keep all of my ideas for these daily musings in a hidden place, as well as all of my darkest secrets, fears and regrets! On a much lighter note, your daily post has arrived!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Vespertine” (2001) (Physical CD)

VESPERTINE!!! WHAT AN ALBUM!!! It’s so wildly different and dauntlessly ambitious to anything that not just Björk, but any solo artist had attempted prior to the record’s original release in August 2001. It has a darkly intimate style, which borders on explicit references to making love and embracing the inner beauty of a partner, which is created by an intriguing combination of organic and electronic instrumentation. The album went down a storm with critics and audiences alike when it was released, with a huge amount of praise being aimed at the compelling lyricism, the bold vocal performances from Björk and the overall themes of love and sex being explored very comprehensively. It’s since been named on several “best album of all-time” polls and it’s still widely considered to be Björk’s best work by several publications and Björk’s fanbase. “Hidden Place” was the leading single from the album and it eventually reached #21 on the UK Singles Chart in August 2001, preceding “Pagan Poetry” and “Cocoon”, which also peaked inside the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart, despite the music videos receiving little airplay on MTV’s channel due to their suggestive material. Now that dark-pop is a bit more common, does “Hidden Place” still hold up?

The answer to that question is a resounding yes, with the track sounding as exciting and fascinating, if not more so, than it would have upon it’s release in 2001. The track features beautifal violin loops, an operatic backing choir and a pristine harp arrangement, which adds a majestic emotion of fantasy to the provocative lyricism. Bjork contemplates her heartfelt, although slightly disturbing, feelings of being desperate to see the one she loves: “Through the warmest cord of care/Your love was sent to me/I’m not sure what to do with it/Or where to put it” and contemplates the ideas of making love to him: “I’m so close to tears/And so close to/Simply calling you up/I’m simply suggesting” before she projects the powerfully written chorus onto the listener by suggesting that she goes to a Hidden Place with the partner. It continues with further intimacy, as “to almost have allowed/one’s fingers to stroke” and “there lies my love/I’ll hide it under a blanket”, which can be suggestive of our narrator performing sexual actions with her partner. The lyrical content is raunchy and evocative of pleasure in a dark position, but it never feels shocking or distasteful for the sake of shocking listeners. This is due to the combination of organic sounds and each of the musical influences being pulled from different genres. There are thumping synth lines, which convey the sound of a heartbeat by quickly swirling around the string-arranged composition, which conveys the themes of a dark fairy tale and it plays on the vulnerability of Björk as a witch-like character in a fable context. If you pardon this use of vocabulary – it is a very pleasurable song to listen to.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Hidden Place” (2001) (Single)

You can read my thoughts on Bjork’s 2017 track “Arisen My Senses” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/10/14/todays-track-bjork-arisen-my-senses/

  • Pictured: Björk wearing her infamous swan dress at the 71st Oscars in March 2001

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at a mid-80’s track from a San Francisco-based US Rock band which was later covered by Korn in September 2016! 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: Bat For Lashes – “Desert Man”

November 14, 2019 — Leave a comment

I’m coming right back at you with a fresh Thursday blog musing like a Bat Out Of Hell!

  • Pictured: Natasha Khan in a photoshoot for a Stereogum interview (2019)

A two-time BRIT award nominee, Natasha Khan, under the pseudonym of Bat For Lashes, has been releasing a large variety of subversive pop and folktronica records, most of which have sonically bordered on cosmic fairy tale sounds and folklore renditions of her own personal events, to universal critical acclaim and prestigious awards consideration, such as receiving Mercury Prize nominations for “Fur and Gold”, her 2006 debut LP record, and later in 2009 for “Two Suns” and 2016 for “The Bride”. A very gifted art-pop songwriter, Khan uses her intriguing descendent from an English mother and a Pakistani father to uniquely integrate the two cultures into her own sound, which has since gone on to capture the hearts and the attention of many. She has recently released her fifth LP record, “Lost Girls”, which explores a cinematic 1980’s sound, being inspired by film soundtracks of the time and the pioneering classical composers of the time. “Desert Man” is the new single, which follows “Kids In The Dark”, a track that I can’t wait to hear in the end credits of the next season of Netflix’s TV hit “Stranger Things”. Listen to it and you’ll instantly know we’re going to!

“Desert Man” is a track with a slightly more upbeat and dance-influenced sound than Khan’s previous counterpart, with the vocals being drenched in reverb and the drum melodies are very melodic as they create a synth-pop layer to surround the echoes of Khan’s vocals and the heavy 80’s-esque style of the new-wave rock hooks. The track takes a more aggressive turn when Khan cues up a burst of swooping trance energy with “It’s hard to get it high with you/And I’ll go alone, I’ve waited so long to/Take it slow, desert man”, as a line of synthpop riffs and high-pitched vocal harmonies add more ice to the tempo of the proceedings. This is a track that relies on a nostalgic formula and it bring a lot of unfamiliarity to break new ground, but it isn’t a bad thing at all because Khan uses this formula in an exciting and intriguing way – as the synth-bass repetition and the powerful vocal hooks are a delight of pure 80’s joy. As the dust clears, you feel the sense that she couldn’t possibly be any more 80’s if she tried!

  • Pictured: Natasha Khan in an interview on “Lost Girls” with NME (2019)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at a forgotten single from a cult alternative 80’s group who were, at first, turned down by every major record label, so they set up Candle Records and then went on to sell over 10,000 copies of their very first single, which was their first song to be written, recorded and produced.  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: Editors – “Black Gold”

October 15, 2019 — 1 Comment

I have spent a very long time Editing a lot of my posts on the blog, but it’s definitely been worth it for the fun and all of your positive comments! Here’s your Tuesday post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Black Gold” (2019)

Editors are a post-punk revival band who have been popularized ever since my childhood, originally being formed as Pilot, in Birmingham in 2002. They are the kind of band whose singles are often a little bit too commercial for my personal liking, but they have some real stand-outs as album tracks in their discography. I really like the dark and ethereal atmosphere on most of their LP records, which were clearly influenced by many alternative rock bands of the 1980’s and 1990’s, such as Echo & The Bunnymen, Joy Division and The Chameleons, not to mention the 80’s group who have withstood the test of time by themselves, New Order! However, Editors have always been good at expanding upon the influence of their musical favourites by creating a sound that is still unique and original for themselves, which has set them apart from other bands within the genre like Interpol and White Lies. Delightfully, Editors have just announced the release of “Black Gold”, a best-of compilation LP record, which is arriving on October 25th, with two discs full of their most commercially successful and their most critically-acclaimed tracks, as well as a brand new single, “Black Gold”. The band are also embarking on a new world tour, with 5 live dates in the UK, as well as stopping off in several international territories like France, Sweden, Italy, Switzerland and Belgium. It runs from January until June 2020!

“Black Gold” sees The Editors dabble into a more electronic sound, with a very explosive introduction of electro-pop synths and fizzy breakbeat melodies from the offset of the record, before Tom Smith kicks in with the vocals: ““I know you better than you know yourself” as the drum notes and the twanging bass guitar riff keeps things running at a very melodic pace. It provides a rush of energy, as Smith remarks: “Don’t change; I need you tonight.”, before the track drops a range of distorted vocals: ““Black gold is the color” as the electronic instrumentation serves up a chorus that crashes down onto a platform that sounds ripe for stadium shows and live concert appearances. There are quieter moments, such as the Falsetto-based vocals in the bridge and the jangling transition into the pop-centric chorus, but the pacing seems a little bit off in places as the vocal arrangements overlap as a few of the lyrics will be difficult to be audible on your first few listens. I’m also not very sure where this single lands within the band’s canonical discography, but it’s an interesting direction for the band to take, even if it may sound a little bit too commercial for some. That may have something to do with Andy Burrows co-writing the track, a producer who hasn’t worked as part of Editors before. These are only minor criticisms though, as it’s still a decent record overall and I’m impressed by the band’s willingness to take a new direction after being a very established band for, what doesn’t feel like, a decade now.

  • Pictured: Tom Smith (Lead Vocals, Piano), Russell Letch (Bass Guitar, Synths), Edward Lay (Drums), Justin Lockey (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals) and Elliott Williams (Keyboard, Backing Vocals) (2013) (via Festileaks.com)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with a look at a new track from an Australian synthpop band whose debut record was nominated for Best Dance Release at the ARIA Music Awards of 2011, but famously lost out to Cut Copy’s “Zonoscope”! If you really 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/