Today’s Track: Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – ‘Blood In The Snow’

April 5, 2022 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Vinyl copy of ‘When The Lights Go’ (LP) (Available from July 22nd, 2022) (via Nice Age Records)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come for you to get invested in yet another daily track on the blog, despite any incredulous looks on my face, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! 2012 (Although I discovered this soon-to-be specified record a year or two later). Picture the scene. I was a young sprog, sitting on the college bus every morning, beginning to experience alternative music outside of the mainstream for the first couple of times with a hair full of dandruff, finding my place in the world. I was being simply swept away by the vibrant Drum ‘N’ Bass and ethereal Jungle sounds of Orlando Tobias Higginbottom (aka Oxford-born House producer Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs) who injected colour in to the club environments of the 2010’s with his melancholic textures and a sense of longing in his voice, one in few of which I truly connected with at the time, with TEED’s critically acclaimed debut album release of ‘Trouble’. An entire decade later, ‘When The Lights Go’, the follow-up to that “Jacob Classic” of an album, is finally set to arrive on July 22nd. Higginbottom is a classically trained musician who is the son of a former choir conductor from New College, Oxford and he found his own footing through his studies at the Junior Royal Academy Of Music in London, before he became obsessed with electronic music through tapes lent by his siblings. He has since become one of my favourite musicians, and one of Britain’s most underrated exports in my honest opinion, although he is currently based in Los Angeles. To say that this dinosaur has been totally er, extinct between the ten year gap would be totally untrue, however. He has released several EP’s like 2013’s ‘Get Lost VI’, 2020’s ‘I Can Hear The Birds’ and 2021’s ‘The Distance’ to typically amazing results. ‘Heartbreak’, a collaboration with Bonobo, was also nominated for the ‘Best Electronic/Dance Recording’ nod at this year’s Grammy Awards. He has also collaborated with the likes of Anna Lunoe, SG Lewis, Kelsey Lu, Shura, Dillon Francis, Porter Robinson and Amtrac over the years too, as well as touring regularly. There is a great deal of excitement towards the new album, as it represents his most substantial body of material in ten years. Check out the lead single – ‘Blood In The Snow’ – below.

‘When The Lights Go’ will feature seventeen tracks, which were all largely recorded at Higginbottom’s own home in Los Angeles, California. He will also resume touring the US and Europe throughout the spring, including a Brooklyn show at Elsewhere Hall on April 29th alongside Kate Garvey and Heathered Pearls, with solo shows in Miami, Austin, Chicago and more to follow. Talking about the arctic theme of ‘Blood In The Snow’, he says, “The song is about melting glaciers and about wanting a daughter, and where to put love in this tailspin”, in his press assertion. Hitting the ground running with a haunting Double Bass intro accentuated by glistening Keyboard riffs and hazy Synth pads, Higginbottom warmly sings lyrics like “How much longer?, Before the damn begins to break” and “Precious winter, enough will all the growth” that feel downbeat and contemplative, while ominous and slightly reclusive in tone, as he questions his ambitions towards some parenthood and compares the emotions to the cyclical processes of nature. The chorus is gentle but striking, with the colder textures combining to the somber tune of lyrics like “Names for a daughter/Blood in the snow” and “But I want her, More than you know” that feel insular and precise, although the beat-driven pacing is laid out fairly sparsely. The instrumentation blends these arena-level electronics with his human, poignant vocals, where the distorted Synths create some interplay with the melancholic qualities of his vulnerable vocals by building gradually towards a halting crescendo, where his layers of textures simply crunch together. The verses are given space by the progressive Jazz-influenced Drums and the warping Synths that build to a slight alter in pace and mood in the late stages of the track where the different Snare sound comes in and, like his vocals, these changes feel subtle but delicate and merticulously crafted. This feels very different to the more club-driven sound of 2012’s ‘Trouble’ because the assortment of sounds deliver a low-key groove instead of an anthemic ‘danceability’ to them, but the delicate vocals of Higginbottom and the progressive, yet certainly grounded, take on Indietronica is still in there. It is admittedly a slow burn, but it makes for an emotional experience when you hear the different elements come together by the end and it has a similar tone of quintessentially British sadness and almost deliberately ‘flat’ vocals that only Higginbottom could really get away with, while the lyrics promise more maturity and growth from him as a songwriter, and it feels like rarity for him to use his own voice as the producer in this day and age too. ‘Blood In The Snow’ really stands out if you hear it on the radio, and it feels different to the spectrum of genres that he is often associated with, while sounding unmistakably like him in its bold production. Instead of totally extinct, this feels totally brilliant – and I’m stoked to hear the album.

Pictured: Orlando Tobias Higginbottom (aka Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs) (2019) (Photo via EDM.com)

Here’s my TEED-related posts to get you warmed up for this highly anticipated album.

‘Los Angeles’ (2020) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/08/05/todays-track-totally-enormous-extinct-dinosaurs-los-angeles/

‘Heartbreak’ (with Bonobo) (2020) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/10/06/todays-track-bonobo-totally-enormous-extinct-dinosaurs-heartbreak/

‘The Distance’ (2021) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/10/16/todays-track-totally-enormous-extinct-dinosaurs-the-distance/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘The Distance’ (EP) (Released on October 27th, 2021) (via Nice Age Records)

That brings us to the end of yet another daily track on the blog, and thank you for continuing to support the site, as your time and attention is always appreciated very highly. It feels quite unbelievable that we’ve almost come up to another ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ post so swiftly, but that feature continues tomorrow with a post regarding a North Carolina-born Funk, R&B and Soul singer-songwriter who sadly left us in February. She was known for her controversially sexual-oriented performance style and songwriting. She was also the second wife of beloved trumpeter Miles Davis.

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Today’s Track: Nia Archives – ’18 & Over’

January 17, 2022 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ’18 & Over’ (Single) (Released on November 25th, 2021) (via HIJINXX)

Good Morning to you! You’re tuned into the text of Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for us to dive headfirst into a new week of January with yet another daily track on the blog, given that it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! A 21-year-old musician who was born in Leeds and raised in Manchester, Nia Archives is a London-based singer-songwriter, producer and visual artist who you may remember from the ‘Headz Gone West’ EP that she released last April that we discussed a few times on the blog. Nia Archives is an exciting new artist who fuses a range of Hip-Hop, Neo-Soul, Dubstep, Drum and Bass, Drill and Techno, House and Jungle elements into her melting pot of sounds. She is also the founder of the ‘HIJINX’ label, which is also the name of her visual archive of short DIY-style film documentaries which was a side project that she started before producing any music. Her influences includes names like Burial, J Dilla and Roots Manuva. She has recently released the follow-up track to her ‘Forbidden Feelingz’ single that she released last October with a heavier-than-usual dance recording that she implores us, lyrically, was designed for ’18 and Over’. She digs into her Carribean heritage for her new single that samples one of her favourite classic Reggae cuts – ‘Young Lover’ by Cocoa Tea from 1987. The Taliable-directed music video pays homage to London’s sound-system culture and references ‘Yardie’ films like ‘The Harder They Come’ and ‘Babylon’ from the 60’s and 70’s. She comments, “For the ’18 and Over’ video, I knew that the visuals had to be iconic as the song is an absolute banger. Working with Taliable who was the director and editor was super fun, I feel we creatively gelled really well to create this vibrant piece”, in her press statement. Let’s check it out if you are ’18 and Over’ below.

Nia continues, “The actual video was shot in my warehouse yard, I thought it would be sick to use that space as no one has ever shot a music video there – meaning it is unique to me. We kept things even more local by asking Hackney native Mark Solution if he could set up his wicked ‘Solution Soundsystem’ – it was an honour to feature it in my video”, adding, “There are also some references to the original record that I sampled for viewers to spot”, in her press notes. Starting off with chirping bird sounds that remind me of the sweetness of Aphex Twin’s ‘Syro’ from 2014 in the classic Jungle template, paired up to a steady breakbeat instrumental, Nia develops the soundscape further with a driving bass line and some twinkling Synths as she layers her vocals above the main hook of the focused sample of “Now, this one was designed for 18 and over” with a psychedelic Neo-Soul backing as the breakbeats get continually more fragmented throughout the progress of adding her own lyrics. The glistening synths soon augment into a booming bass beat that feels like a nuanced representation of Dub-rooted texture that she playfully gives a UK drum & bass twist as the ethereal mix warps into a Jungle aesthetic, eventually leaving behind a central emphasis on the early 90’s rave melodies that give us a spellbinding symphony of breakbeats, as the lyrics promise to give us. While the ‘Headz Gone West’ EP leaned into her anxieties on entering a relationship and overthinking her intimate emotions, ’18 & Over’ is a purer exploration of the Post-Garage and Jungle-driven feel that has always existed within her sound. It all feels very exciting and gripping as a result, creating very surprising shifts in production and fusing her early sound with a flipside of some traditional Reggae to pay homage to her Jamaican heritage and the country’s creative output. A heavy and engrossing evolution of her artistry that is unique to her.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Headz Gone West’ (EP) (Released on April 29th, 2021) (via HIJINXX)

If you also think that Nia Archives is one of the most engaging new artists to follow in 2022, check out my previous post about ‘Headz Gone West’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/05/03/todays-track-nia-archives-headz-gone-west/

Pictured: Nia Archives in a still from the ‘Headz Gone West’ music video (2021) (Photo by Delphino Productions)

That brings us to a pretty thrilling end to today’s track on the blog. Many blessings for showing your support and I’ll be back tomorrow as we continue to hear some of the most important voices in the industry with the next post that arrives tomorrow. It will come your way by a Harlem-based poet, teacher and founding member of the Spoken Word band The Last Poets, who were widely considered to be the first Hip-Hop group.

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Today’s Track: Maya Jane Coles – “Night Creature”

October 21, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Maya Jane Coles in the official music video for ‘Run To You’ (2021) (Photo via PR/EDM.com)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to add yet another daily post to my monstrous tally of past uploads, because for the last two years, it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Today’s track is ‘Night Creature’ – and this aptly titled drum-and-bass tune comes your way from the award-winning Maya Jane Coles, an electronic house music producer and studio engineer who was born in London, and Coles is an icon of the LGBTQ+ music community. Her success is no overnight sensation, however, because Coles has instead spent numerous years playing at festivals and clubs, and she has gained attention from making remixes for the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Depeche Mode, along with getting sampled by mainstream stars like Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry. Ever since Coles became active in 2006, she has collaborated with names like Tricky, Peaches and Young M.A. on her own original work. Coles has a new album coming out, ‘Night Creature’, which is her first release under her actual name since her ‘Would You Kill (4 Me)’ EP that was issued last year, but she also released her second album under the Nocturnal Sunshine side alias – ‘Full Circle’ – in 2019. She was previously a part of the electronic Dub duo of She Is In Danger with Lena Cullen, and you may also recognize her from her other secondary alias of CAYAM, which she has also released her music under. She confirmed her latest album last month alongside the release of a Triple Single where she shared the mixes ‘Night Creature’, ‘Survival Mode’ and ‘Need’ from her new LP, which sees the light of day on 29th October via her own label, I/AM/ME, and it features guest feature spots from the likes of vocalists Julia Stone, Lie Ning and Claudia Kane, and her frequent collaborator Karin Park, who are all participating on the new 13-track collection of cuts. For Coles, a DJ of Japanese descent, her new record feels like the antidote to our recent collective experiences under Covid-19 restrictions, as the LP will be exploring the allure and energy of the rave experiences which comes to life when the evening gradually turns into night and the light becomes dark. Check out the title track below.

This is spooky season after all, and after performing recent DJ sets at Fabric and Leeds’ Mint Festival late last month, Coles has been building up a sense of terror and dread for next week’s perfectly timed release, explaining about the new LP in a press release, “When it comes to my music-making, I’ve pretty much always been a creature of the night. My creativity tends to work at its best during those peaceful hours when my surroundings are at a standstill and I feel completely in my own world”, before contrasting and comparing with, “Then on the flip side, in the club, the night can shift into the most energetic and ecstatic moments in time” in her press statement. ‘Night Creature’ – the title track of the record – feels like a fitting musical transfer of these ideas, starting off with a mix of twinkling and otherworldly Horn melodies, before the Bass kicks in and the tranquil Synth melodies continue to run through some rougher melodies and a paced increase in aggression. There’s a little distortion to the bassline, which begins with a relatively slow-burning energy before the tempos frequently become more erratic and irregular in their nature. Shimmering patterns in the later portions of the track contrast the more extra-terrestrial themes naturally, as the Techno-inspired drops of Bass rumbles and kick Drum melodies become more versatile and display contrasting moods to the other aspects of the single. It feels like an eclectic dance track that would really benefit from the high energy of the crowds within the European festival circuit, and there’s a rather ominous atmosphere that undercurrents the whole package. Although there’s not a great deal left to say about the track, it certainly feels groovy and danceable in an unconventional way as the Halloween theme fits the harder melodies and the cerebral production, and it is nice how the track never veers into an over-the-top ‘Bro-Step’ style of production, sticking to her roots in club-oriented Techno and rumbling Hyperdub-like, UK-synonymous Dubstep flavours instead. A monster-mash of good ideas, both visually and musically.

Pictured: Maya Jane Coles performing a DJ set at Parklife Festival (2015) (Photo by Derek Bremner)

That’s all for today! Thank you for checking out my latest post, and I’ll be back with more posts to celebrate ‘Spooky Season’ next weekend. In the meantime, though, ‘New Album Release Fridays’ is another matter for me to deal with, so feel free to revisit the site tomorrow as we talk about the new LP from a Florida-based musician of Ecuadorian descent whose previous album got a rave review from Pitchfork. He was the recipient of 2019’s Grants To Artists award in music from the Foundation For Contemporary Arts, and he appeared on a tune from Ela Minus’ debut album last year.

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Today’s Track: The Bug (feat. Flowdan) – “Pressure”

September 14, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Fire’ (Album/LP) (Released on August 27th, 2021) (via Ninja Tune)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke and it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day, so it’s time to put that into practice by publishing yet another daily track on the blog! Having been active in the UK’s underground Techno scene since the 1990’s, notably as one of Hyperdub’s most significant signings during the early 2000’s, Weymouth-based electronic music producer and journalist Kevin ‘The Bug’ Martin has dabbled in the genres of Dubstep, Post-Hardcore, Industrial Hip-Hop, Dancehall, Power Electronics and more in experimental ways throughout the course of the last two decades, fronting different music projects like ICE, Curse Of The Golden Vampire and Techno Animal. There was also the collaborative moniker of King Midas Sound, which he has fulfilled with graphic designer Kiki Hitomi and poet Roger Robinson. There’s an air of 80’s Avant-Punk on his recently released solo album, ‘Fire’, which quickly became one of the year’s most anticipated hardcore album releases when it was released in the same month that it was announced, arriving in late August on the excellent Ninja Tune label. The album features collaborations with several vocalists including Logan, Flowdan, Nazamba, Manga Saint Hilare and more. This is Martin’s first solo album release since 2014, and he’s pitched it as a spiritual sequel to 2008’s ‘London Zoo’ and 2014’s ‘Angels & Devils’. The record has a scorching hot tone and it explores a range of socio-economic tensions and climate issues. Give the single, ‘Pressure’, a listen below.

“I’m always asking – how can I ramp this up more? How can I get more people out of control? For me, a live show should be unforgettable, should alter your DNA, or scar your life in a good way – that’s always been my goal, to set up shows that are unforgettable”, Martin told us in a press release, adding, “I like friction, fanning the flames with sound, and this album is the most reflective of the live show in terms of intensity and sheer f**k-off attitude of those shows”, he explained. ‘Fire’ is certainly one of Martin’s heaviest releases for a few years, but, as per usual from Martin, this isn’t a record that simply feels like a turn up the dial and shout for the sake of noise, in a Scuzz Sundays guilty pleasure way, but it instead uses Drone sounds and Dark Ambient influences to comment on a diversity of issues that seem to plague the modern world that we’re all a part of today. Working with frequent partner Flowdan on ‘Pressure’, Martin kicks the intensity of the new release into full gear with some anthemic two-step Drum beats and some relentless attacks from a string of reverb-drenched rumblings of Bass. Flowdan’s Hip-Hop vocals show serious flair, with the London-based MC adding a heavy Grime element to the chaotic energy of the tune, spitting thought-provoking lyrics like “Babylon time dun/Yuh sing for the stretcher” and “Wait for the revolution, but the revolution can’t stand” at a breakneck pace, as he conjures up some striking imagery of fleeing refugees and recent events in Alfghanistan that hit at a great speed and with an understandingly strong impact. Martin’s electronic soundscape deserves plenty of credit for the well-developed and uneasy atmosphere too. He kicks off the tune in riotous fashion with a jagged blast of sirens and foghorns, before he complements Flowdan’s hard-hitting vocals that rails against poverty and inequality at the fault of the government with a genuinely post-apocalyptic variety of sounds that shows his considerable experience and doesn’t hide behind the vocals from Flowdan as a literary device. Instead, the two together decide to hit their problems at their core with a passionate energy. On the whole, this is certainly not a mainstream release by any stretch of the imagination, but Kevin Martin and Flowdan do an absolutely brilliant job of unleashing a barrage of pent-up rage with good intelligence and academic creativity. There’s a ton of atmosphere as a result here and it feels undeniably cool. A release which you certainly should not skip.

Pictured: Kevin ‘The Bug’ Martin in a studio PR shoot for ‘Fire’ (2021) (Photo via TheVinylFactory.com)

That brings us to the end of the page for another day, and thank you very much for your continued support with my daily project. I will be back tomorrow for ‘Way Back Wednesdays’, as we take a break from my recent recommendations to revisit one of the most influential sounds of the past for the present. This week’s pick comes from a female-led band who were one of the greatest Bristol-based pioneers of Trip-Hop in the mid-90’s, and they were named after a nearby town of the same name. The trio sometimes bought a fourth member, Dave McDonald, on board as their own engineer.

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Today’s Track: Mochipet – “Godzilla League Of Legends”

August 19, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Godzilla Resurgence’ (EP) (Released on May 11, 2021) (via Daly City Records)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the text of Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come around again for me to 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! You’ve probably read the title of today’s track, and it looks pretty absurd, but this is a little EP release that I genuinely felt was pretty cool. My mother reads the blog every single day, and so this one’s also a not-so discreet nod and a wink at her, since we’ve been having a few little jokes about the ‘Godzilla’ franchise lately. She was very thrilled to see the latest one was added to Prime video. This one comes to you from the Taiwanese-American electronic house/EDM producer David Wang, who uses his own musical alias of Mochipet, which was based upon his long-term obsession with dinosaurs. As Mochipet, he has released music for several different labels – including Peace Off, Violent Turd and Death $ucker, and he is also the founder of the Daly City Records indie label. Wang’s latest EP, ‘Godzilla Resurgence’, was released in May as a tribute to his late father, who passed away as the project was nearing its completion. It is, of course, named after the mythical Kaiju who has starred in many films since the 1950’s. Proceeds are going towards his dad’s burial costs. Give it a Kaiju breath below.

“I saw my first ‘Godzilla’ movie when I was around 10 years old in Taiwan”, Wang told MixMag Asia late last year, later adding, “I actually didn’t like it at first. I didn’t understand why Godzilla was destroying Japan and I didn’t like that it was in black and white. It was not till later in my life, I began to appreciate Godzilla for its representation of human need for control and the Atomic Bomb that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki and destroyed many lives during World War II”, Wang spoke of how Godzilla’s symbol of death and destruction due to mankind’s quest for power has become an influence for his heavy blend of psychedelic EDM and no-nonsense ‘Brostep’ style of electronic production. On ‘Godzilla League Of Legends’, Wang really doesn’t pull back any of his skills for another day, and he instead mimics the fire-breathing giants of the EP’s namesake through the variety of weighty Bass sounds. The slower fade out at the beginning sets the tone for a cinematic affair, before the instrumentation comes in and displays a much more fiery side by putting the harsh distortion and the thick basslines into full throttle. The gears are changed slightly, in intervals, by a whimsical female backing vocal that goes for a little ethereality, and I felt this part of the equation was a nice touch since it was textured more gently than the core drum and bass melodies. The tune, in its entirety, is a solid evocation of Japanese manga animation series or action-heavy video game soundtracks, with a sonic palette that feels packed with rather aggressive melodies and it creates a very Animated feel to the heightened atmosphere overall. There’s plenty of tension found in the segmented decrease of the overall tempo, while the synths feel pretty playful at times. The drums feel smooth, and the long fade-out brings a cooling energy to the tune when it nears its conclusion. It may drag on just a little bit, but I rather enjoyed the unique style that it goes for and the subject matter feels pretty original, as this is not a single about typical topics like a break-up or a night out, and so it demands some attention to get the most out of. If you enjoy the heavier stuff, this one’s for you.

Pictured: Mochipet (aka David Wang) at a monster’s tea party (2019) (Photo via aaronswartzday.org)

That brings us to the end of the page for another day, and many thanks again for sticking with me until this point. If you’re looking for some exciting new releases to get a hold of tomorrow, please look no further than the blog as we delve into ‘New Album Release Fridays’ tomorrow. This week’s pick comes from a Dublin-formed indie folk band who will be performing at The Junction in Cambridge in October. They have been shortlisted for the Mercury Prize twice, and won the Choice Music prize in 2010.

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Today’s Track: Al Wootton – “Over”

July 12, 2021 — Leave a comment

All bear ‘Witness’ to the underground DJ king of England’s East Coast. New post time!

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, and it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, just like always, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Your pick for today is a little more dated than usual, considering how the ‘Witness’ LP actually came out last summer, but it will still feel recent enough. The release in mind comes from the respected Dubstep and Deep House producer Al Wootton, who I heard spotlighted on a recent episode of 6Music Recommends curated by John Ravenscroft, and it caught my interest. I had not heard of him before, but my research tells me that Wootton first arrived on the UK’s club circuit in 2009 under the ‘Deadboy’ alias, and he sported influential recordings like ‘U Cheated’ and ‘If U Want Me’ on the underground dance scene, releasing his material on labels including Well Rounded and Numbers. He is now the owner of Trule, his own label, with signees including the likes of Pugilist, Jubilee and Bash. ‘Witness’ is his first album to be released under his actual name, which he created in his home studio in his town of Ramsgate. Check out ‘Over’ below.

Writing about his process regarding the album release, Al Wootton notes: “I allowed tracks to develop and mutate as I introduced new sounds and textures with a much greater sense of freedom than when I am focusing on making tracks work solely in a club context, but I don’t feel like that dampened the energy of any of the tracks”, adding, “The creation of ‘Witness’ was, for me, one of those rare times when the practical and technical conditions are just right, and creativity flows from some unknown source beyond yourself and all you have to do is get out of your own way”, to the product description of his ‘Witness’ LP on Unearthed Sounds. The free-flowing mentality of his process is exemplified blatantly on ‘Over’, a euphoric and slightly melancholic glide between Acid House and Dark Ambient. The textures are rich, as a tinge of somber darkness mixes with a ghostly scream. These dingy sections remind me of Manchester-based IDM producer Andy Stott, as the Spectogram-like vocal sample distorts itself around a murky aesthetic, mimicking a cry of pain. This points back to some of the work that Aphex Twin explored on ‘I Care Because You Do’ too, most similarly to ‘Ventolin’, as an abrasive pulse playfully develops over the top of the more Garage-like bass rumbles. The journey to the cooling synths are not that neat of a ride, bearing in mind, with it’s harsh mirage of Plump kicks, and the flourishes of Hip-Hop breakbeats that peek in as occasional flurries. The ethereal Synth pads and the tonal changes of the deep ambience, however, are always there to inject a short shower of energy and emotion into the proceedings, however. It feels like a broad sweep of niche electronic dance genres in a single track, with production that feels positively unpredictable and melodies that feel infinitely tinkered with, as these beats naturally develop past the gloomy Burial-style intro at the start. I came away refueled.

Pictured: Al Wootton in a photoshoot to promote a Balamii radio show (2021) (Photo via Twitter.com)

That’s all for now! Please feel free to join me again tomorrow for some more tips of recommended listening. Then, we’ll be delving deep into the latest single from an underground UK rapper who comes from the Peckham district of South London, who fell in love with the art-form of Hip-Hop due to J Dilla and A Tribe Called Quest in the 90’s. He was one half of the ‘Con+Kwake’ duo with drummer Kwake Bass. On tour, he has supported the likes of Public Enemy, Slum Village and Mos Def.

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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.

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Today’s Track: Nia Archives – “Headz Gone West”

May 3, 2021 — Leave a comment

Headz, Shoulderz, Kneez and Toez…Kneez and Toez. On that note, it’s new post time!

Pictured: Nia Archives in a promotional shoot for The Pit, London (2020) (Article by Ben Tibbits)

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 always, since it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! ‘Headz Gone West’ is a short-and-sweet single that’s been sneaking it’s way onto my radio show and streaming library over the last week or so. It comes from the London-based (by way of Manchester and Leeds) singer-songwriter and visual graphic designer Nia Archives, who mixes Erykah Badu-inspired Neo-Soul and light Hip-Hop with more DIY-spirited Jungle and Drum & Bass production. There’s also some love for House music and UK Garage included in the pot too. Archives has just released her debut EP, of the same name as her latest track, via HIJINXX – which is also the name of the youth street art project that she also manages. Nia has remixed Lauren Faith, and collaborated with Zeitgeist, and so the stock is rising for this young lady, who claims to work primarily from her bedroom using old and second-hand kit to express herself through her material. Tune in below.

“Making the EP was super fun!”, Nia told Clash Music, elaborating, “I had a little DIY set up in my room, and I would sit up all night making loads of quick beats for fun… some of them I would end up proper vibesing to and kept working on them”, finishing up with, “Overall, the project is massively inspired by my love for breakbeats, jungle and D’n’B – and ‘Headz Gone West’ is the second track I wrote for it straight after ‘Sober Feels'” as she guided us along the process of putting together her first solo release. Her Jamaican heritage seems to have played a role in the intoxicating blend of lo-fi synths and Dub underlayers, paired up with lyrics that talk about independence, difficult relationships with familial figures and alcoholic addiction. The chorus of “My head has gone west, ain’t never getting nowhere, I watch the sunrise and then the sunset, I wanna get high so I can forget” balances a storm within the beauty, while a slightly more subdued verse gives space for lines like “I can’t sleep at night, I have so much on my mind” to address the elephant in the room willingly, despite the tone of the beats feeling danceable, and the subject matter of the lyrics feeling relatable. What I like about what Nia does here is the blending of traits from different genres that feel soulful, yet unwind in an experimental way that holds a personal quality for her. The explorations of late 80’s liquid rave music culture and German Soundsystem Reggae all fit under a similar umbrella and so the pieces all fit together neatly. The cohesion is really nice, yet there’s a feeling of “Summer anthem” to the mildly euphoric style. The lyrics have a darker mood if you read between the lines of the skittering, IDM-like breakbeats, however, and there’s simply a decent deal of interesting fusions to maintain your attention here. There’s a little over-reliance on repetition, but the duration is cut short and sweet, as to not overstay it’s welcome too much. Overall, it’s early days for her, but these results seem solid and very promising.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Headz Gone West” (EP) (Released on April 29, 2021) (via HIJINXX)

That’s all for today – but don’t forget to bring your Headz back over to the blog tomorrow for another review of recent, new music, this time coming from the Hip-Hop side of the pond, as we bring our focus to another emerging artist who was born in Boston, raised in Kenya, and now lives in New York City after graduating from the Berklee College of Music. 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: Candy Girls – “Wham Bam”

March 31, 2021 — Leave a comment

The obscure 90’s hit that was as sweet as candy, but crazy as a Bat. Let’s go Way Back!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Wham Bam” (Single) (Released in 1996) (via VC Recordings)

Good Morning, Sweet Tooth cravers! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for our weekly ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ spot on the blog, where we take a look at something from before the 2000’s that was off-the-radar, underrated, obscure, or, of course, seminal – since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! An off-it’s-handlebars chart hit from 1996, The Candy Girls’ ‘Wham Bam’ is something of a bizzare anomaly. Released during the explosion of Acid House and Ibiza-ready floorfillers of the 90’s Big Beat dance craze, ‘Wham Bam’ seems to almost play out like a half-remembered entity in itself now. I write this because, despite the track reaching the #20 spot of the UK Singles Chart shortly following it’s release, I could find hardly any information about it on the internet. A re-mixed ‘Dolly Mixture’ edit of the track exists, but it’s slim pickings from there. I guess I could start by telling you that it is the brainchild of Northern Irish DJ and record producer Alex Masterson, who has released music with numerous titles over the years. His most consistent production alias is probably Yomanda, but there’s also Amen! UK (who he had another modest chart hit with ‘Passion’ under), Celine Diablo, Erotixis and Working Class Hero – he’s also worked as Hi-Gate (a project which he frequently collaborates with Judge Jules on) – to name a few more. With several monikers in his grasp, he’s actually had several modest chart hits combined. Let’s take a look back at ‘Wham Bam’ – which also reached the US’s Billboard Dance Songs Club chart – below.

The vocalist on the track is Candice Jordan – an American singer who soon went on to make some underground dance releases as ‘Candy J’, and she also had another UK Top 40-reaching hit with the Belfast-born, but now London-based DJ Paul Masterson, when he released ‘Fee Fi Fo Fum’ a year prior as Candy Girls. From the very little information I could gather, Candy Girls was a very short-lived project. ‘I Want Candy’ (featuring Valerie Malcoln) was his final track as ‘Candy Girls’ to leave a dent on the charts. Still, judging from the bizzare spoken word sections where Jordan breaks up with her man, before doing a 180-degree turn on this and crying for forgiveness from him, intersected by the unrelated and meaningless refrain of “Wham Bam, thank you ma’am”, the case is pretty arguable that it was probably conceived as just a novelty act in the first place. The first half of the track sees Jordan listing off the bad deeds of her former man, with her head held high, in the most cheesy delivery imaginable, but it’s mildly amusing for it’s irreverent sense of humor, while a downbeat keyboard sample creates a melodramatic vibe. The chorus sees the “Wham Bam, thank you ma’am” hook being repeated as strobing synths and commercial D&B sounds carry the main melody. The last section of the track sees the synth instrumentation and the classical samples come together as the alternating emotions finds Jordan regretting her decision immediately. She begs for him to return, as the odd visual imagery of the video and the irritating vocal performance from Jordan roll to an end. Overall, there is not much I can say about the track other than saying that it is, indeed, very odd. I think the critical flaw comes from how the track tries to balance these two different moods to a point where the House beats feel like an afterthought. In combining these tones with an oddball sense of comedy and an Ibiza house novelty style, it manages to have no sense of mood at all, because we haven’t built to that feeling of tension or atmosphere. Surreal and looking/feeling like an ultra-bizzare dream, it plays out as a ‘Handbag’ house club anthem that manages to make me chuckle a bit at points, but it leaves me feeling largely confused for the most part. One of the most deeply flawed structures I’ve heard, or one of the oddest to grace the charts. Either way, it’s rubbish.

Pictured: Yomanda (Paul Masterson) performing a live DJ set (2020) (Photo via Facebook.com)

You’ll have to let me know if you remember that one. It’s a bit before my time! Anyhow, there will be no Scuzz Sundays feature this week because I’ve got a weekend of loosely Easter-themed festivities to take place over the Bank Holiday weekend for your enjoyment instead – so watch this space for some treats coming very soon. We’re getting the party started tomorrow with a recent Future Funk release that comes from one of my latest Bandcamp finds. This Mexican DJ is signed to the specialist Neon City Records label, and his latest album has achieved over 10k streams on Spotify. 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/