Deep House

Today’s Track: Loraine James (feat. Eden Samara) – “Running Like That”

July 1, 2021 — Leave a comment

For the log line – I would usually insert some form of a ‘Running’ gag. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Reflection” (LP) (Released on June 4th, 2021) (via HYPERDUB)

Good Afternoon to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here – and it’s time for you to read all about today’s track on the blog, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of new music every day! We’re beginning a new month with an artist that you really should be plugging your ears into – Enfield’s Loraine James, who previously received high praise on the blog with ‘Don’t You See It Now’ from 2020’s ‘Nothing’ EP. A year later, we’ve been treated to her third studio album, ‘Reflection’, which is available now with a special Purple Vinyl edition through Kode9’s Hyperdub label. It’s a BRILLIANT new album that finds James reflecting on 2020 and the modern experience of being a queer black woman. BBC Radio 6 Music host John Ravenscroft is also a huge fan, and he says he’s bought the T-shirt. What a fanboy. It’s been a busy few years for her, however, with support slots for Holly Herndon and Jessy Lanza on tour. ‘Running Like That’ allows James to collaborate with the Canadian singer Eden Samara. A few days ago, a music video was released for it, which takes it’s inspiration from the photographer Richard Misrach and the painter Andrew Wyeth. Spin it below.

Speaking about the lyrics, singer Eden Samara writes “I was imagining a car chase between someone and their shadow self”, breaking it down that the elusive themes of ‘Running Like That’ are really about being chased by the voices in your head, adding, “First, you think it looks like hell, then you realise they based hell on places like that”, to the press release about the video’s two influencers. ‘Running Like That’ is a track that, much like the new album as a whole, tests the boundaries of electronic music for an expression of self-knowledge and a vehicle to examine vulnerability, not just for the sake of being experimental in an irreverent way. Throughout, we get an Urban feel littered with skittering Hip-Hop breakbeats, intelligent Jazz influences, a subversive Warp Records feel and a dark Grime vibe. Samara’s vocals add a new dimension to the sounds through the harmonies, adding a soulful garnish to the crackling beats with a subtle air of Pop about it. The lyrics remain vague, with lines like “I’m running from them all endlessly/They know I’m hiding” and “Shut up and just drive for me” peeking out of the background, layered merticulously over the top of the 80’s, trickling Synth riffs. I personally think there’s an air of Kate Bush about it all, and each of the instrumentals are all right at the cutting edge of progressive Dubstep. Despite the cold and calculated production, there’s a hopeful ambience found in the warmth of the background of tranquil noises. It works brilliantly when paired to the clashing intensity of Samara’s Spoken Word sequences, and it genuinely feels like James is primarily making this music for herself, and not necessarily to push any scene or to emphasize political commentary in particular, and for good reason. An absolute treat.

  • Pictured: Loraine James in a photoshoot for Bandcamp Daily (2021) (Photography by Jase Cooper)

As mentioned, Loraine James previously scored an appearance on the blog with ‘Don’t You See It’, which was taken from the ‘Nothing’ EP released last year. Check it out here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/10/07/todays-track-loraine-james-feat-jonnine-dont-you-see-it/

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Nothing” (EP) (Released on October 2nd, 2020) (via Hyperdub Music)

That’s all for now! It’s ‘New Album Release Friday’ tomorrow, and I’ve got a cracking tune to share with you that comes from the exciting collaboration between a 23-year-old East London rapper who first popped up in 2012 with his ‘BAEP’ EP and the frontman of 00’s UK indie veterans Bombay Bicycle Club.

If you really liked what you just read, you can find us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/. We’re also now on Twitter, so you can check it out and give us a follow here: https://twitter.com/OneTrackAtATim1?fbclid=IwAR2demHDssZESnHDMi6gzTGNZJvdS42Ot930CA9Rttw7n4CJ5nvB8VJbWxE

Today’s Track: Elkka – “Burnt Orange”

May 25, 2021 — Leave a comment

Let’s get to the sweetened Pulp of our favourite Welsh Femme Fatale. New post time!

  • Pictured: Elkka showing off her pandemic studio set-up (2021) (Photo via TheVinylFactory.com)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, just like usual, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of new music every day! ‘Burnt Orange’ has been B-listed on BBC Radio 6 Music, and it comes from Elkka – real name Emma Kirby – a DJ and electronic music producer from Cardiff, who is now based in London. Kirby originally grew up wanting to be a pop star, but she found her true calling in 2016, when she founded the Femme Culture with DJ Saint Ludo. Her label’s successes include Octo Octa and Lone, and it has expanded past club nights and fundraising compilations since winning the ‘Breakthrough Label’ nod at DJ Mag’s ‘Best Of British’ Awards in 2018. Her debut solo LP, ‘Every Body is Welcome’, was another success for her, in 2019, with more established names like Caribou, George FitzGerald and Floating Points sharing her music on their pages, and earning features on Crack and Mixmag. ‘Euphoric Melodies’ is her new EP, and it was released over the past weekend via Technicolour Records – an imprint of Ninja Tune. Check out ‘Burnt Orange’ below.

Elkka’s new five-track release is pitched as “Euphoric Melodies started out as an exploration of what pulls me in, what makes me feel those moments of elation when writing music or listening to it or just when living life”, according to her press notes on the new Extended Play. She adds, “The underlying theme seems to be warmth, euphoria and nostalgia… which is what plays out in this EP in different forms. Little did I know that, as the EP came together, nostalgia for euphoria would be so prevalent” to her address. A multi-faceted production, ‘Burnt Orange’ manages to vividly evoke the Acid Techno of 90’s Warp releases and the Funk/Soul fusion of the late-1970’s with charming flair. Starting off with bouncing Drum sequences and wide reverb to give the bass a danceable repetition, the melodies slowly evolve from a cinematic and quietly String-enhanced scope to a more playful and pop-friendly club atmosphere. A whirling, virtuosic Synth sequence paves the way for an entrancing bassline with bright, hypnotic Drum scatterings. It all feels percussive, before a seemingly wordless vocal riff from Elkka enters the fray. It’s almost like she has spontaneously began to mutter along to her own track during it’s post-production stages. It has an improvisational vibe, with a rhythmic stutter that evokes 00’s Garage tunes. The chorus of-sorts features a vocal breakdown that feels very much like a Jazz Scat, as the light humming and the dance-led textures all come together for the third act to convey optimism and happiness. It feels like a tune, overall, that 90’s film character Austin Powers would only describe as “Groovy Baby”. There’s a delicacy to the production that gives it a reflexive quality where it feels we’re breaking the fourth wall between artist and audience a little bit. It’s very enjoyable, overall, with a fairly distinctive style that creates a vibrant fantasy of a warm, night summer rooftop party.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Euphoric Melodies” (EP) (Released on May 21, 2021) (via Technicolour Records)

That’s all for now! Join me again tomorrow for ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ as we mark the release of Moby’s ‘Reprise’ album on May 28th, this weekend, – a new project of re-imagined orchestral and acoustic versions of the most popular recordings over the course of his career – with a throwback to his highest-charting single in the UK from 1999. It got to the #5 spot in the UK Singles Chart, and every single track from it’s respective album was eventually licensed for use in a film, TV or commercial production of some form. 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: CHAI – “Action”

May 22, 2021 — Leave a comment

Stirred in a milky heritage, “Chai” is actually the Hindu word for “Tea”. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “WINK” (LP) (Released on May 21st, 2021) (via Sub-Pop Records)

Good Morning! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, and it’s time for you to read all about your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! I played this one on my Thursday night radio show two weeks ago, and I still can’t get enough of it. ‘Action’ is one of the singles that was taken from CHAI’s new album, ‘Wink’, which is brand new out this weekend. The girls are a 4-piece Alternative Pop or Disco-Punk (It’s hard to pin them down to any one label, really) band from Nagoya, Japan – Who we previously explored on the blog with ‘Maybe Chocolate Chips’ featuring Ric Wilson, who they met at the Pitchfork Music Festival in 2019. For Western audiences, you’d probably more likely know CHAI from collaborating with Gorillaz and JPEGMafia on a track from Gorillaz’s ‘Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez’ viral video series and compilation, and they toured with Superorganism as their support act in 2018. Take ‘Action’ by viewing the video below.

“A person who winks at a person is one who lives with a pure heart, who lives with flexibility, who does what they want” is what the CHAI girls of Kana, Mana, Yuuki and Yuna penned in a press statement to explain the at-first-glance random title of ‘Wink’ for their new LP release. They added, “A person who winks is a person who is free. With this album, we’re winking at you. We’re living freely and we hope that when you listen, you can wink an live freely, too”. The band were, although half the world away, inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests that took place across the US last June, and so they decided to put their assessments of it into words for ‘Action’. The refrain feels like a nod to Chemical Brothers’ ‘Hey Boy, Hey Girl’, before CHAI intersect these echoes with lines like “Action is more than words” and “It’s okay, it’s okay, everything is okay/Because I believe in you and me” that get the message across simply, but effectively. The instrumentation is buoyant and charming, as shiny Disco-House motifs and a rolling Electronic breakbeat helps to turn ‘Action’ from a title into a self-affirming mantra. The chorus mixes Asian vocals with a punchy, shimmering Synth riff that replaces the strutting drum machine of the verses, building to an instrumental that encourages you to get your groove on. Shadings of R&B, Hip-Hop and Acid House help CHAI to set the mellower mood, but it’s still undeniably Pop music with a highly electronic, danceable series of beats. The lyrics call for a better future and turn these ideas into a sense of cross-cultural encouragement made with their own irresistibly playful edge where the nods to Acid-House and the huge reverb effects widen the scope of the Synth melodies. It’s message continue to show relevancy as people take to the streets to show solidarity with the situation in Palestine, and, for a variety of reasons, this is one of the best singles that I’ve heard all year. Just absolutely brilliant.

  • Pictured: KANA (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar), Yuuki (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals), MANA (Keyboard and Yuna (Acoustic Drum Kit) in a promotional image shoot for “WINK” (2021) (via Music.Mxdwn.com)

If you’ve not had enough of CHAI yet, why not take some ‘Action’ on it by checking out what I had to share about ‘Maybe Chocolate Chips’, an earlier single from the new album, where the band sing about changing their perspectives and viewing moles on their faces like the enhancements of your favourite cookie treat. Catch up here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/03/16/todays-track-chai-feat-ric-wilson-maybe-chocolate-chips/

  • Pictured: CHAI performing at Ameoba, San Francisco (2017) (Photo Credit: Jeff Clayton/YouTube.com)

That’s all for now! However, ‘Scuzz Sundays’ returns tomorrow for an entry that will have any players of the old WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 Xbox 360 video game chomping at the bit. 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: James Righton – “Release Party”

May 17, 2021 — Leave a comment

Following last year’s debut LP, it’s certainly not time yet for a Right-off. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover for “Deewee 050 – Foundations” (Compilation) (Released on May 7, 2021) (via Deewee)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time to make a start to the new week with Monday’s daily track on the blog, as always, since it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Last Saturday, we looked at Charlotte Adigery’s new single from the ‘Foundations’ compilation album that was put together by the DEEWEE label owned by Soulwax & 2 Many DJ’s for release on May 7th. Stratford-born singer-songwriter James Righton has followed in her footsteps, by releasing an exclusive new track for the project of his own. In case you are not familiar, Righton used to be the lead Vocalist and Keyboard player of Klaxons, a ‘New Rave’ band who scored a Mercury Prize win and a few hits in the charts during the mid-2000’s. Since then, he recorded under the ‘Shock Machine’ project that saw him work with director Saam Farahmand. He released his debut album, ‘The Performer’, last March on the DEEWEE label. It’s an album that received generally positive reviews, and an album which I rather really liked too. It looks at the guise of being a ‘Performer’ where one minute you’re playing pop star and the next you’re fathering two children. It does so under an engaging 70’s Neo-Psychedelic Pop sound mixed with delightful String sections and Baroque influences. Righton posted on social media, “Release Party was written in my garage during Lockdown before, completed at DEEWEE studio with Dave & Steph [Dewaele] of Soulwax and 2 Many DJ’s, working together remotely”, about this latest single. Give it a taster down below.

One fun fact about James Righton that you may never guess is that, of all people, he is married to Keira Knightley. The two began dating back in 2011, and were married in the south of France in 2016. Now living in the Islington district of London, they have two children together. Back to the subject at hand, the new bassline-grooving single makes commentary on “tension and release, and the dreams and fantasies we make”, according to Righton, who added that said “Party” is to be confirmed at a later date, hinting that a disco following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions was crucial to his concept of the euphoric Nu-Disco offering. Starting off with a fragmented 80’s Synth line and a propulsive Disco drum machine sequence that wavers and meanders to create a polished electronic groove that feels ready for a retro-futurist dance, his familiar voice greets us with lines like “I wanna see you honey/I wanna meet you on the street” and “There’s no time for us to waste/The precious/Let’s move to the beat now” which add a very instructive vocal to the soundtrack of the party you could be having. Righton’s vocals carry some essence of George Michael in the 80’s, as there’s a sense of flirtation to his mid-tempo tone and spacious breaths, while the chord progression of the track struts and sways it’s way along it’s near five-minute duration. The key hook of “I can feel the release” is kept basic and vague, but a bobbing Keyboard bass creates a slick build and drop-in that adds a lot of shine to the main section. While it may be easy to dismiss compilation-exclusive singles as throwaway efforts or quick promotions, the recent tracks from James Righton and Charlotte Adigery are simultaneously proving otherwise. On Righton’s latest, he continues to establish his name as one of UK Pop’s most criminally underlooked of the scene. He does what he does very well on ‘Release Party’ in making undeniable Pop that has something to it, as opposed to sounding generic and too safe. The smaller touches harken back to Prince of the 90s in the funky Synth undertones, while the erotic quality of his vocals make me think of Lou Hayter. Inspired Pop that’s distinctive and sounds great, and just has something about it, rather than just begging for a quick hit.

  • Pictured: James Righton in Paris, France to promote “The Performer” (2020) (Photo via DEEWEE)

That may be all that I have to say for now. However, if you liked the sound of this, or if you’re new to James Righton and you’re interested in hearing more of him, why not start with my analysis of his single ‘Edie’ from last year’s solo LP, ‘The Performer’? Check it out right here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/02/todays-track-james-righton-edie/

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “The Performer” (LP) (Released on 20th March, 2020) (via DEEWEE)

That’s it for now! I’ll be back tomorrow to introduce you to a recent discovery of mine, who described himself as “A guy called Joey from Michigan who makes music for your emotions” in his own artist biography. His latest album, ‘Old Time Radio’, releases this Friday on the Los Angeles-based independent label Alpha Pup Records. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Charlotte Adigery – “Bear With Me (And I’ll Stand Bare Before You)”

May 8, 2021 — Leave a comment

We’re only thinking about the Bare necessities when it comes to this. New post time!

  • Pictured: Charlotte Adigery in a photoshoot for HuckMag.com (2019) (Photography by DEEWEE)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, I’m wishing you a nice weekend despite the rain, and it’s time for me to get typing up for our daily track on the blog, as always, since it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! DEEWEE have released the ‘Foundations’ compilation album just yesterday, a project including 27 tracks from a selection of it’s artists described as a cohesive “audio experience” which documents the year we’ve had, and Lagasta.com says that “It’s an expression of the values of a musical family with the brothers Stephen and David Dewaele {aka Soulwax & 2 Many DJ’s, who run the label} at it’s heart, featuring their creative input throughout”. On the compilation LP, you’ll find exclusive new tracks from Movulango, James Righton and Charlotte Adigéry. The latter is a very talented Belgian-Carribean Alternative Pop talent who is perhaps best known for the ‘Zandoli’ EP that she released in 2019, which is still the home of the best song lyrically about wigs out there in the unforgettable ‘High Lights’. Her latest single, ‘Bear With Me (And I’ll Stand Bare Before You)’, was written and produced with her partner – and fellow DEEWEE-signed talent – Bolis Pupul during lockdown, and it speaks about the intimacy and vulnerability of our confinement in the era of the cringe-inducing ‘New Normal’. Let’s give it a spin below.

Charlotte Adigéry has supported Neneh Cherry on tour, and, in 2016, she contributed vocals for the Dewaele brothers, or Soulwax & 2 Many DJ’s, theme ‘The Best Thing’ for the soundtrack of the 2016 indie film festival favourite ‘Belgica’, as she continues to establish herself as one of DEEWEE’S most treasured artists. In her own words: “This song is about my insecurities as an artist during the pandemic but also finding joy in other aspects of my life”, adding, “Getting closer with my loved ones, and finding time for self-love and self-care” as she breaks down her expression through the track, which opens with a soulful vocal that gradually introduces strobing drum beats and, later on, downtempo electro-funk synths to the fold. The lyrics take subtle jabs at her personal situation as a music performer, with lines like “Livestreams weren’t part of the dream” and “Do miss the stage, confined” that address her lack of touring revenue and therapeutic parts of the London live circuit that she misses. However, she juxtaposes these sharp, if brief, inklings with the positive takeaways of the modern times, as lines like “They say there’s Dolphins in Venice, They say I’m finally home” and “Relevance guaranteed, Yes, that is what I need” are delivered more hopefully, and they hint towards isolation and connection as a refreshing breather for her. The vocals feel pure and natural, without any effects, and the opening drum intro gradually adds a striving bass thump, dissonant notes of electric guitars, and a glitzy Nu-Disco groove as a multi-dimensional chorus slowly comes into the surface. The futuristic Disco production feels fractured, the harmonies of her vocals are compact, and the cinema-leaning 80’s textures get shinier as the earworm heads in altered directions, which keeps the proceedings unpredictable and varied. While not as repeatable as ‘High Lights’ was, it’s far from your bog-typical compilation filler, as the track gives itself the ability to keep re-inventing it’s own little wheel and it doesn’t rely on one specific element for long. If I were to offer one piece of constructive criticism, it’s that it’s subject matter feels just a tad outdated for me. Restrictions are easing up and, while I can’t speak for anyone else, I don’t particularly want to hear music that’s to do with Covid-19 for much longer. That said, it’s one of the better picks of the bunch and it doesn’t feel conventional for it’s topical matter, and it feels much fresher than some of the other offerings that have been shared over the course of the weird year. This is ‘barely’ a bad song at all, and rather, one that does it’s artist good justice.

  • Pictured: Cover for “Deewee 050 – Foundations” (Compilation) (Available on May 7, 2021) (via Deewee)

Thank you for the support, and checking out the blog today. In ‘Barely’ 24 hours time, a new ‘Scuzz Sundays’ post is set to make an appearance on the site. It marks the second appearance on the blog from a group of Chicago-based Metal legends who scored a UK Top 20 hit in 2015 with a modern cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s 60’s seminal hit ‘The Sound Of Silence’. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Vegyn – “B4 The Computer Crash”

April 26, 2021 — Leave a comment

Can I tell you a Vegan Dad joke? I promise you that it won’t be cheesy. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Like A Good Old Friend” (EP) (Released on Mar 19, 2021) (via PLZ Make It Ruins)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, as per usual, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! I have been playing ‘B4 The Computer Crash’ – twice, actually – on my little radio show, and it comes from an artist who I wasn’t familiar with at all before I caught wind of him on KEXP’s Song Of The Day podcast. Vegyn is the alias of Joe Thornalley, a British, but now Los Angeles-based, electronic IDM music producer known for his production work on two albums from Frank Ocean in the past. In 2019, he released his debut solo album which saw collaborations with Retro X, Jeshi and Freddie Gibbs making the rounds. This year, he’s back with a new EP ‘Like A Good Old Friend’, released last month on his own PLZ Make It Ruins label. As you may have guessed from the title of the new short form record, some of his friends make appearances, the likes of which include London rapper John Glacier, pianist Duval Timothy and the lapsteel guitarist Daniel Aged, all bringing unconventional sensibilities to his core sound. Check out the sampler below.

An episode of depression influenced the mental health struggles being explored in the ‘Like A Good Old Friend’ EP, as he told The Face, “A friend let me stay at their house and they happened to have a piano”, “I was like ‘cool’, OK, I’m just gonna try and figure this thing out”, before he broke it down with, “My chords are definitely weird, but to me they’re not weird. I’m really just playing with shapes and trying to lean into the emotive quality of the music”, in the interview. For me, a Jazz sensibility can be read between the lines of ‘B4 The Computer Crash’ with freestyle melodies and playful beats providing a slightly quirky, but emotionally driven, undertone to the table. The rest of the track swoops in for a 90’s Deep House or slightly Acid Techno feel, as trippy pacing and glitching effects are also commonplace. For my own interpretation of the track, it reminds me of the times when we’re pushing forwards after a bad situation, but whatever is troubling is, comes back and makes us sad again, before briefly being pushed to the back of our minds again, before making us grieve again later. It’s not depressive or anything like that, but it’s depicting a struggle with mental health in an accurate way. The push-and-pull pacing of the track is reminiscent of the push-and-pull nature of sadness, but that is not to say that we don’t find the positive within the negative. These warped beats are matched with a somehow slick, polished and smooth bassline that feels ambient and nostalgic, and so it contrasts the darker edges of the experience with some overlapping warmth. Before, of course, a brief meltdown comes into play once again. The lo-fi Hip Hop beat comes through nicely, and the retro internet dial-up effects play on memory. Familiar, but not too comfortable, Vegyn has released one of the most delightfully unique electronic singles of the year with an excellent balance between warmth and warped.

  • Pictured: Vegyn (aka Joe Thornally) in a recent publicity shoot (2021) (Photo Credit: i-d.vice.com)

That’s all for now – let’s hope the computer doesn’t crash again. Tomorrow’s track sees the triumphant return of one of my favourite modern artists, who has confirmed that her new album will be releasing in September. One day after my birthday, weirdly enough. It’s the follow-up to her breakout third studio album, which won awards for Best Album at the NME Awards and Ivor Novello Awards, as well as being nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2019. 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: Hannah Peel – “Ecovocative”

April 22, 2021 — Leave a comment

You better not slip over a Banana ‘Peel’ on your way to work after this. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Fir Wave” (LP) (Released on March 26th, 2021) (via My Own Pleasure)

Good Afternoon to you – I’m Jacob Braybrooke and since I’ve got my radio show for this week queued up (That’s 7pm on OMG Radio if you fancy tuning in), it’s time for me to quickly get typing up for your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! ‘Ecovocative’ comes to you from the Northern Irish electronic composer Hannah Peel, who is known for blending Classical instrumentation with the latest high-tech Synth gear. She has also composed scores and soundtracks for numerous film and TV productions as well as some theater and dance stage shows, including work on a documentary about ‘Game Of Thrones’. Her sixth album is called ‘Fir Wave’ and it looks at the different cyles of life through a sound design lens. She was inspired to create the work by Delia Derbyshire, who lived on until 2001 as a bit of an unsung hero. She deserved more credit for carrying out the BBC’s Radiophonic Workshop during the 1960’s and creating the iconic theme tune for ‘Doctor Who’. The likes of Aphex Twin, The Chemical Brothers and Orbital have all cited her as a major influence during interviews in the past. For her latest record, which was released on March 26th via My Own Pleasure, Peel was allowed the permission to access the database of Derbyshire and the Radiophonic Workshop by the specialist library organisation KPM, allowing Peel to re-interpret the ‘Electrosonic’ work of Derbyshire to create an Experimental Electronic Ambient album that is thematically based around climate change and sustainability. Let’s check out the puntastic track – ‘Ecovocative’ – below.

Hannah said: “I’m finding it harder to express all those huge feelings and lyrics in words like I used to” in an interview for the new album recording, elaborating, “Instrumental Music can conjure so much more with this new track, I wanted to evoke those patterns in nature, celebrate the detail, the changes in light, play with primal shimmering energy, using obscure bells and the bubbling beats of electronic music” when she mentioned her recent single, following up on a stint when she curated BBC Radio 3’s ‘Night Tracks’ programme. While the publicity chatter drums up music influences of 70’s early Ambient and the Hauntology sub-genre, ‘Ecovocative’ brings up imagery of East Asian biomes and outer Tokyo, feudal Japan aesthetics for me. With no lyrics to construct a meaning from, the context radiates from the clicky Bass sounds and the swelling Synth melodies instead for me. While the heavily electronic instrumentation has not been discarded entirely and dubbed over with natural instrumentation, there’s still something that feels almost ritualistic and pure about the sequences of sound. The opening sounds a little unsettling and evokes a theme of paranoia with slowly glimmering depth, but the tone feels like it’s becoming progressively more hopeful, with a rhythmic drum beat which twinkles and forms a chorus of-sorts in the early going. The chord progression continues to change keys slowly, as the low-lit, gurgling undercurrrent lingers in the background beneath the tolling, Bell-like synths. To me, it feels relaxing and it seems visually broad, but the direct meanings feel unexplored and vague. On the whole, it sounds infinitely tinkered with and merticulously layered, but the slow-burning movements pay off with the gradual introduction of new beats. It dances around your ears and radiates with a circling effect, and so it achieves the explorations of life cycles with a nice level of vibrancy. I feel like I might need to be in a certain frame of mind to enjoy the album as a whole, but the three minute duration of the track glides by very smoothly overall.

  • Pictured: Hannah Peel before a “First Cut Interview” feature (2017) (Photo via MusicTech.net)

The bell tolls for another day – and you can join me again tomorrow for a new entry in our “New Album Release Friday” series, as we shine the spotlight upon one of this week’s most promising new releases. We’re going to be looking at the much-anticipated new album from one of the leading figures behind the young scene of the UK’s Jazz circuit. Signed to Anti- Records, this male producer taught himself to produce beasts in East Ham, London – inspired by his hip-hop sampler heroes Madlib and J Dilla. 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/

Way Back Wednesdays: Roy Davis Jr. & Peven Everett – “Gabriel (1997 Live Garage Mix)”

March 10, 2021 — Leave a comment

There’s as many mixers for Rum, as there are mixes for this classic. Let’s go Way Back!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Gabriel” (Need For Mirrors Bootleg Mix) (Released in 1997 & Reissued 2020)

Top ‘O’ The Morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and it’s that time of day again where I get typing up for your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! In terms of the sounds of the past that influenced the present, ‘Gabriel’ might seem like an obvious choice as an instantly recognizable and pretty memorable era-defining classic of the House and Garage scenes of the late-1990’s. It is important to remind ourselves sometimes, however, that a certain tune had got so popular that it crossed over to mainstream success. Originally conceived by Roy Davis Jr of the Chicago House scene, XL Recordings re-released the track in the UK with Peven Everett as a featured artist, since the Garage icon put together the Trumpet and Vocal sections of the track. A classic was born, and numerous different mixes were released of the track – like the ‘Need For Mirrors Bootleg Mix’ and the ‘Scroll Mix’ which crossed the borders between 00’s ‘Chillout’ compilations and live DJ set closers with a diverse appeal to audiences. Artists such as Basement Jaxx, R.I.P. Productions and M-Beat got themselves in on the action with remixes and covers too. The ‘Live Garage Mix’, however, is the version of the track which seemed to gain the widest attention across Europe. In fact, the single reached the #22 position in the UK Singles Chart in 1997. Let’s take a listen to it below.

While hardly a rarity by any major press of the imagination, the ‘Live Garage Mix’ of ‘Gabriel’ arguably found it’s largest attention when the single peaked at #5 on the UK Dance Singles Chart, where it remained in the charts for five weeks running. It’s influence on the Deep House and Electronic Jazz genres still seems to continue through to this day, where the Large Records label released a 12″ vinyl reissue of the single, including four of the different versions, back in 2015 – almost 20 years after the original track was unleashed to the world in 1996. With a deep bassline formed by a bass-heavy two step drum beat and a mid-tempo synth beat, the familiar vocals of Peven Everett riffs on love and spirituality with a smooth tone, singing lines like “Once, love was the focus of the true message” and “He had good news, for those dedicating their lives, to the spirit” with a sultry and soulful mood. The next verse feels a little more interactive, with Everett instructing: “Those that stand aside and watch, The soul moving, grooving” and “Clap your hands, be the one to show your love overflowing” as he continually references the mission of the archangel Gabriel. He also makes the music itself part of the involvement, with lyrics like “If you love music, deep in your soul” and “Just release your soul to the love that’s holding you, that’s consoling you” going for more of a straight-up Chicago house root for the track. A set of sweeping Horn parts litter the rest of the instrumentation, with a sparse Jazz influence that also briefly touches on melodic Rapcore and Neo-Soul in places as well. I’ve never really noticed before, in this record, how the religious connotations feel like a natural commentary on the social impacts of music, and how the experience of being in a club with a diverse group of people can nourish your soul. Meanwhile, the track certainly has a clear cross appeal to lots of different groups of people. It’s up-tempo enough to feel like a Dance record, but the instrumentals also feel relatively stripped back and suited for home listening too, with a deeply Soul-oriented style that also feels a little ethereal. Overall, it’s a 90’s hit that manages to hold up, as it feels developed musically and has a clear message to boot. Gabriel Play!

  • Pictured: Roy Davis Jr. performing a DJ Set in Chicago, Illinois (Date n/a) (Photo by Sean Delahay)

That’s all for now! Thank you for checking out my latest bog post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as always, as I attempt to clear up some of my backlog with an older, but still pretty recent by all means, track which I perhaps wish that I’d got around to covering a little bit sooner, here on the web. It comes from an infectious Nu-Disco trio who began making music in the sleepy Peak District town of Matlock, and since then, the group have received praise from publications like The Guardian, performed live at the Isle Of Wight Bestival in 2018. They are set to release their debut album, “Power Up”, on March 26th. 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: Avalon Emerson – “Rotting Hills”

February 16, 2021 — Leave a comment

Inspired by Richard Curtis & Hugh Grant… Oh wait, that’s Notting Hill. New post time.

  • Pictured: Avalon Emerson in a DJ Kicks Mix cover shoot (2020) (Photo by David Black/DazedDigital.com)

Hello, and a Good Morning to you! I am Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time again for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, because, if you haven’t read the blog before, it’s routinely my day-to-day pleasure to get writing up about a different piece of music every day! A 32-year-old female software designer-turned-electronic music producer, Avalon Emerson has more or less done it all in her explorations of IDM, Techno and Post-Industrial music. She’s now based in Brooklyn, New York – but she’s also spent time in Berlin, where she was a regular at the Berghain nightclub. Emerson has also performed a full set at Coachella festival, and she has put out remixes for the likes of Robyn, Slowdive and Four Tet over the years. She broke out in 2016 with her single, “The Frontier”, which was ranked among Resident Advisor’s Top Ten Tracks Of The Decade that year. Also known for her series of DJ-Kicks mixes, Emerson’s latest formal release was the “043” EP which housed the single, “Rotting Hills”, which dropped on the AD 93 label in December, and it gained a spot on the A-list of BBC Radio 6Music. This projects followed a road trip that she took with her girlfriend from LA to New York last summer, where the two filmed videos that, as Pitchfork describes it, “blurs the line between the ecstatic and the anxious”. Let’s take a listen to it below.

Pre-existing fans of Emerson’s work may find that an earlier mix of “Rotting Hills” appeared on her latest “DJ-Kicks Mix” back in September, and in an interview with Dazed, Emerson explained the inspiration behind the moods and tones of the track as “a study in contrasts, both tonally and emotionally. Mixing feelings of hopelessness, while also trying to enjoy what we have now in the present”, which she further elaborated on in the EP’s press notes. We’re going to move swiftly forwards, however, and we’re going to think about the reflective nature and the child-like qualities of the electronic beds. Starting off with an element of Afrobeat with a joyous Conga beat, the Synths soon come rumbling in and creating a luscious effect with the shimmering synth patterns that end up flickering on and off. A two-step disco beat is briefly noticeable, while the bright 80’s sounds manage to create a very retro and nostalgic emotion when the synths break to reveal an upbeat bassline. The drums veer away from the comforting feel of the synths and contrast the uplifting qualities with some classic Drill ‘N’ Bass production, adding a more aggressive silver lining to the theme. We continue to build to a clean breakdown, where the tempo of the synths increase and the ferocity of the drums remain, and we reach the conclusion of the trickling synth lines introducing the more old-fashioned sound to the fray once again. It’s reminding me of the vintage Warp Records stylings of the 90’s IDM era, with old-school ambient textures and child-like samples heading into the picture, while the slow-building ambient influences of producers like Photay and In Love With A Ghost give it a forward-thinking coat of paint. It is mostly 80’s and retro however, with global influences like Peggy Gou also drawing my mind. I may be biased as this type of music typically really is right down my street, but it’s another lack of disappointment for me. The influences never lose my attention, and the balancing of throwback and experimentation is smooth. It is another solid performance from a talented producer.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “040” (EP) (Released on December 11th. 2020) (via AD 93)

There’s my daily challenge fulfilled for another day. However, it won’t be long until the clock ticks and I’m here again. It’s not just any old post tomorrow, though, because we’ve got our weekly “Way Back Wednesdays” pick to look forward to. We’re going to be taking an in-depth look at what could be, perhaps, one of the lesser-known mixes from one of the most prolific electronic dance music acts to emerge from the 1990’s. I’m suprised that I haven’t actually covered this Kent-ish DJ brother duo on my little website before, with the cover art of three of their albums famously showcasing stylised atomic Orbitals. 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: Ela Minus – “They Told Us It Was Hard, But They Were Wrong”

February 9, 2021 — Leave a comment

A fresh discovery – ready for you to give either a Plus or a ‘Minus’. Time for a new post.

  • Pictured: Ela Minus at Moogfest in Durham, North Carolina (2019) (Photo via Novationmusic.com)

Good Morning to you – my name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up on the blog for your daily track because, as I’m constantly reminding you, it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Ela Minus is a name that previously eluded me for a while, as I had sifted through sparklers of her material through some support on BBC Radio 6Music and through some bits-and-pieces sent to me by my cohorts from the Student Music Network over the past few months, but it was when I saw her fantastic live performance for KEXP’s Live At Home series that my ears finally paid her the notice she deserved. Currently based in Brooklyn – but born and raised in Bogotá, Columbia – this Techno wizard fell in love with the drums when she attended the Berklee College Of Music when she was 18. Her debut album, “Acts Of Rebellion” was released in late October by Domino Recordings – the same label where you will find more familiar names like Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Hot Chip and Anna Calvi. The 10-track LP received positive reviews, and she cements herself as an effective One-Woman orchestra with a love for exploring Witch-House, Techno, Art Rock and Dream Pop. She also uses the slogan of “Bright Music For Dark Times” to describe her own style, and it is ironic because her music sounds generally pretty moody despite the twinkling keyboards. “They Told Us It Was Hard, But They Were Wrong” is my favourite track of her’s. Check it out below.

Her real name is Gabriela Jimino – and in an ideal world, she would have supported Caribou on tour and then played a euphoric live set at the gigantic Coachella festival last summer, but we all know how that plan turned out. Nonetheless, she summed up her music in an interview with WODJ Magazine, by saying that her overall message of her work is that “I want to give people an alternative. An alternative to everything, another path, another way forward” within her textures. She is as much of a hardware tinkerer as an educated composer, and each of Minus’ mantras feel precisely reflected in the above track. Set off by slowly bubbling sequences that lead into stroking Synth blips, Minus’ voice flows into the chilling grooves created by the Staccato synths and the sonar-like pulse of the airy, gently breathing chord progression. It never quite feels like club music by the direct opening, but the pacing of the sequences gradually intensify and the Drums work in tandem with a provocative Keyboard riff to create a more cooling atmosphere to the darker tones in the towering synth beat. The vocals, meanwhile, create a moodier variation of tones where refrains like “We always know in the first minute or so/If something’s worth staying for” and “If you have to go to the bottom of a hole, To find what’s wrong, just let it go” feel as though they are mildly provoking a resistance. The sequences are broken up by a slower bridge, where Minus’ half-spoken and half-sung voice adds further intrigue. It takes a little while for a big beat to drop, but when it does, it’s paired with an oddly motivational set of lyrics, and the crescendo of the built synths release the tension with a more rhythmic undertone, where looping sonics and meandering keys riff on the more hopeful ambience. What I really love about this track is that there’s a real spirit of DIY Post Punk hidden in the execution though it bears no resemblance to the shouting and guitars of that genre. It really gradually becomes about freedom and independence, and defiance against the corporate. I love to picture this being played at some artsy elaborate French fashion show of modern art, but it also sounds like it could be directly taken from a high-budget Spy flick or a John Wick-like action sequence. It draws on the cinematc, while keeping the underground roots of the ideas intact, sounding like Billie Eilish goes Kraftwerk in the provoctive textures. The underlying theme of her music is an idea that resistance grows from everyday practices, and this feels harsh yet inspired. This is phenomenal and she’s going to do remarkable things.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Acts Of Rebellion” (LP) (Released on October 23, 2020) (via Domino Records)

There’s enough rave-reviewing from me for today! Yet, we’re shifting away from the relatively new releases to the comparatively vintage offerings tomorrow as the “Way Back Wednesdays” series once again takes the floor. In tomorrow’s new entry to the growing library of the feature, we’re going to take a detour back in to 1999 for an in-depth listen back to what is presumed to be the first-ever recording put out by one of Warp Records’ highly prolific electronic dance music producers – Who used to previously self-release his own material for his very own independent label which he famously named “Mute Recordings”. 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/