Today’s Track: FVLCRVM -“Words”

March 16, 2020 — Leave a comment

The name’s like an LOL or YOLO – There’s my attempt to cheer you up! New post time!

Pictured: FVLCRVM in a press photoshoot to promote the release of “Loose” (2018) (Photo Credit: New Noise Magazine)

Fear thee not, We haven’t reached the age of meme-ified, internet text-based stage titling- FVLCRVM is actually a name taken from a “mad Russian jet fighter” according to this DJ! Good evening, I’m Jacob Braybrooke, writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s still my day-to-day pleasure to do so! I couldn’t find the real name of FVLCRVM, but he’s a Slovakian electronic music producer who I discovered through listening to NTS Radio last week. He played a live set at this year’s Eurosonic Festival at Groningen in The Netherlands, being described as one of the “stand-out” artists from the festival by radio presenter Kevin Cole. He began his career by playing the funk guitar in his church band before he formed a math-rock band with some friends from church, before he broke into the international dance club scene with “Hi!” in May 2017, a viral hit on YouTube, which gained support from Mixmag and Resident Advisor and has amassed over 42k views at time of writing. “Words” was released in 2018, but a new EP is due to arrive later this year. Let’s have a listen to “Words” below.

I could have left “Words” to speak for itself – but that would be lazy of me! The most recognizable element of the track, for me, after my first listen, was the similarity in voice to Damon Albarn, of Blur and Gorillaz fame, although the tone is more dance-centric and the synth-based instrumentation has a fairly post-apocalyptic texture. However, there’s a melodic bassline that feels ‘pop’ enough to add a decent level of accessibility and a gentle theme of hope. It’s matched by FVLCRVM’s smoothly filtered vocals, where he calls for action environmentally, singing: “The bitter/the pleasant/the status/the class wars” over a layered EDM stab which bubbles under the surface. The chorus is a simply delivered, minimalist vocal line: “It’s all just words to me”, which is layered underneath a gentle breath of treble and a skittering, sci-fi-ish acid strobe. FVLCRVM continues: “The sandstorm/The beaches/The bottom line/The human kind”, a repetitious hook he signs off: “I wish I understood you better”, before the developing composition falls off-kilter and goes into a chaotic state of frenzy, playing off the regular theme of inconsistency, due to the sudden tempo shifts and glitching progressions during the track. A slight gospel influence adds depth behind the track, lyrically, as FVLCRVM continues to recite his vocals and convey an important ecological message. Overall, it’s a track which caught me off-guard with it’s hidden complexities underneath it’s pop-driven dance melody, leaving us with a fairly strong interweaving of artistic expression, with an accessibility. This one’s a good ‘un!

Pictured: FVLCRVM in an official photoshoot for his talent agency’s website (2019) (via http://www.earth-agency.com)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual – with an in-depth look at an album-only track from a British, London-based Indie Rock band who have returned from a six-year hiatus, after working on solo projects – and have dabbled in experimenting with genres like Folk, World, Electronica and Jazz Fusion in their career, as well as being the Sunday night headliners of this year’s BBC Radio 6Music Festival in Camden two weekends ago. 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: DJ Shadow (feat. Run The Jewels) – “Kings and Queens”

March 14, 2020 — Leave a comment

Just like “Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker”, another trilogy finally meets it’s end – I really hope this is a slightly more satisfying one – it’s time for your Saturday blog post!

Pictured: DJ Shadow (Joshua Paul Davis) going record shopping and no doubt looking to add to his personal collection of over 60,000 records (2016) (Photo Credit: Derick Daily)

Good morning to the “Kings and Queens” – you, dear readers – who read my music musings every day! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! I’m really fond of DJ Shadow, particularly “Endtroducing…”, his all-time classic album which he created with just a tape recorder and a turntable and an MPC-60 sampling machine and released in 1996 to universal acclaim. His latest album, “Our Pathetic Age”, is another belter – a double album comprised of instrumental tracks on one side and collaboration-heavy vocal tracks on the second side. I’ve previously covered “Rocket Fuel” and “Urgent, Important, Please Read”, two other tracks from the album, on my blog – so I thought I’d cover another one to cap off a nice little trilogy over the weekend on the blog for you! Have a listen to “Kings & Queens”, featuring hip hop duo Run The Jewels, below.

Run The Jewels are close friends to Joshua Paul Davis, having frequently collaborated on the bass-heavy single “Nobody Speak” from Davis’ previous album, “The Mountain Will Fall” from 2016, adding a dynamic to the new record which crafts a contrasting tone to the back half of the double album compared to the first side – it’s as if Davis has stopped creating melancholic drill ‘n’ bass beats and thrown a party, where he’s having a grand old time with his friends instead. “Kings & Queens” evokes a very celebratory, upbeat mood – even if the subject matter is dark – hinting at a hopeful future. El-P raps about his late grandmother: “I heard the story, just once with my mom/She said the bottles you held didn’t last very long/When you gave out, no one knew that you gone/Or knew that you couldn’t bring food to the dog” as Davis composes a skittering drum loop and a warm EDM trip, which he wraps around a soulful string sample. Killer Mike pays tribute to his mum, mentioning Denise (“Somethin’ bout the feel of this beat/Makes me think about Denise”), also mentioning his other family members like Lenny and Shonda, before he raps about the lessons his mother taught him: “‘Told me stand like a man/And never fold for these hoes”, before Shadow arranges an inspirational chorus filled with gospel-choir vocals, which are inflicted with string melodies and given more depth by a stuttering breakbeat pause. The topical humor is witty and anecdotal, with a personal flavour of storytelling and narration which feels appropriate given the wider themes of the album as a whole. A bright past is reminisced about and a peaceful future is less distant on “Kings & Queens”, an outstanding hit of string-based hip-hop that manages to be dance-oriented and lyrically impactful in equal measure. The art work of “Our Pathetic Age” is incredible too – I’d really like to get a physical copy for my collection!

Pictured: Run The Jewels (Killer Mike & El-P) posing backstage at Fortress Fest in Fort Worth, Texas (2017) (Photo Credit: Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

If you haven’t caught up with the rest of my DJ Shadow trilogy of posts yet, you can read my thoughts on “Rocket Fuel”, featuring 80’s hip-hop legends De La Soul here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/08/19/todays-track-dj-shadow-feat-de-la-soul-rocket-fuel/, and “Urgent, Important, Please Read”, featuring the combined talents of Rockwell Knuckles, Tef Poe and Dameon, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/07/todays-track-dj-shadow-feat-rockwell-knuckles-tef-poe-daemon-urgent-important-please-read/

Pictured: Cut Chemist (Lucas MacFadden) producing with DJ Shadow in their studio (2014) (via Flood Magazine)

Thank you for reading my post – I hope you have a nice day! Make sure you check back with the blog tomorrow, where I’ll be taking you on a leisurely stroll down memory lane with a new “Scuzz Sundays” blog post – where I revisit a late 1990’s or mid 2000’s emo-punk track in honor of the late-great Scuzz TV freeview rock music video channel. 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: Moby – “Power Is Taken”

March 7, 2020 — 1 Comment

In the words of the great Scott Pilgrim in the 2010 Edgar Wright-directed cult classic film, “Once you were a Vegan and now you will be gone”! – It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Moby (Richard Melville Hall) with his “Vegan For Life” neck tattoo (2020) (Photo Credit: Jonathan Nesvadba)

Did I mention that he’s a Vegan? I’m Jacob Braybrooke, writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! “Power Is Taken” is the 90’s EDM-rave new track from American electronic composer Moby, who is also a famous animal rights activist and a bestselling author, having published four books, including two memoirs and a photo gallery. He was born in 1965 and raised in Harlem, before moving over to New York City in 1990 to pursue his interest in Electronic music and he then became a very prolific DJ after finding his roots in the underground Punk scene in the decade prior. “Go” and “Porcelain” were his breakthrough hits, before the release of his fifth album, “Play”, in 1999 – an album which is still regarded as one of the all-time best. His seventeenth album, “All Visible Objects”, is set to be released on May 15th via Little Idiot and Mute Records, with the new LP record facing a two month setback, as it was originally set for release in March. The album’s sales will go to eleven not-for-profit organizations. Let’s hear the new single, “Power Is Taken”, below.

The music video for “Power Of Taken” begins with a gleaming array of light ambience, before the comic-art drawings lead to a dramatic shift in tension, as a frightening strobe synth line and a beat-driven punch of siren noises, mixed with a Prodigy-esque, unashamedly mid-90’s drum machine melody. D.H. Peligro powerfully recites: “We who hate oppression/Must fight against the oppressors/Power is not shared/Power is taken”, a line which hints at a call of political action. That’s more or less it for the vocals, as an aggressive line of heavy synthesizers and energetic jolts of acid-techno beats maintain the forefront of the track. It slows down for a breather at the 3-minute mark, before the heavy layer of raved-up dance beats call for a final run, to the imagery of real-world brutality in the video. It has a very daring and aggressive nature, with a clear defiance in focus. The problem is how the vocals feel brief and vague, along with a repetitious EDM beat which doesn’t feel very contemporary. A rebellious and youthful spirit is created, adding a decent sense of tongue-in-cheek fun, but it lacks the meticulous production of Moby’s down-tempo phase. I’m also struggling to really identify who it’s for, as these kinds of rave tunes aren’t being played in mainstream venues anymore and the 90’s kids who fell in love with Moby in his peak era might not really go clubbing anymore and it’s not really the kind of track that you would sit and play at home either. The general gist is that it feels outdated, a sentiment of sadness since the underground trance genre still has a niche. I think that it’s fun and entertaining for a little while, but it’s sadly not very original or interesting!

Pictured: Moby (Richard Melville Hall) in a press shoot (2019) (Photo Credit: Mo Kaufer/www.dancingastronaut.com)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with another weekly installment of my Scuzz Sundays blog series! Be prepared to take a stroll down my personal memory lane of late 90’s to early 00’s emo punk anthems! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Confidence Man – “Does It Make You Feel Good?”

February 26, 2020 — 1 Comment

Did it make me feel good? You’ll have to read my thoughts in today’s post to find out!

Pictured: Janet Planet (Vocals) and Sugar Bones (Vocals) in a photoshoot for “Does It Make You Feel Good? (2019) (Photo Credit: Zac Bayly)

Good evening – It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my everyday duty and pleasure to do so! I’ve been very busy helping on the latest Staffs TV production, “Society Pub Quiz” at University today, so it’s another late-night post from me, which might be a blessing in disguise since I’m going to be introducing you to a chilled dance-pop anthem from the Australian EDM group Confidence Man, who were formed in Brisbane in 2016. The group made a huge name for themselves with their debut album, “Confident Music For Confident People”, which they released to critical acclaim and commercial success in April 2018, with the LP record earning the group the award for the “Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album” at the AIR Independent Music Awards last year. It was a very goofy, comical dance record which is very fun and entertaining to listen to! They’ve since returned with a one-off single, “Does It Make You Feel Good?”, which they released back in November 2019. The group are now signed to the Heavenly Recordings record label. Let’s have a little listen to “Does It Make You Feel Good?” with the music video below.

Did that make you feel good? The track is a slight departure from the sound of their full-length album, with a lighter emphasis on underlying darkness and humorous songwriting, with the group opting for a more feel-good and internationally appealing focus, with a light-hearted, old-school disco tone. The funnily named Janet Planet asks: “If something doesn’t make you right/Does it make you feel good?” above a mellow infusion of gentle house scratches and sentimental synth-line patterns. Planet croons: “I know you’re gonna do me wrong/But I got numbers in my telephone”, a verse she later ends with “It’s our love baby/our love, baby”, a line which carries itself to a soft-centered pop groove, through the use of a settled, mid-tempo snare and a hidden layer of synthetic Bongo drum patterns. The track ends on a very hopeful note, as Planet finishes: “Does it make you feel good?/Does it make you feel good?” over a pulsating drum machine riff, followed by a simplistic fade-out. Whilst I don’t think the track is necessarily bad, I couldn’t help but feel rather lukewarm towards this one, which is a shame. I really enjoyed their album because it was filled with invention and humor, with an overly tongue-in-cheek thread which connected each of the tracks together, which made it sound unique and inspiring with it’s unashamedly “dorky” context. In the case of this, I feel it’s following the influence of more mainstream pop acts, rather than doing it’s own thing. As for the positives, I like how it’s an accessible record for casual listeners to enjoy and I think it’s good how the band, lyrically, explore a more serious theme. However, the reason I’m not overly fond of this track is because of this evolution. With a less chaotic style and the removal of witty vocals, it just lacks the energy and rebellious spirit which made them a unique act to follow. While the subtle psychedelia is nice, it doesn’t match the fierce and sharp dance beats which made them stand out. It ultimately sounds like the band are just trying to have a hit, an aesthetic which doesn’t sit right with me. While I feel the 80’s disco style is entertaining to a point, the band lost one of their bigger strengths along the way, leading to a track which is chilled and laidback, but it feels quite dull and not inspired too fully. It’s alright, man – but it’s not my Confidence Man!

Pictured: Janet Planet (Vocals), Sugar Bones (Vocals), Reggie Goodchild (Synths) and Clarence McGuffie (Drums)

You can also read my thoughts on Confidence Man’s Christmas track, “Santa’s Comin’ Down The Chimney”, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/04/todays-track-confidence-man-santas-comin-down-the-chimney/

Pictured: Confidence Man performing a live gig at “The Great Escape” (2017) (Photo Credit: Brighton & Hove news)

Thank you for reading this post! As always, I hope you enjoyed it! – please make sure that you check back with the blog tomorrow to read my in-depth review of the new track from a legendary English Alternative Rock singer-songwriter who recently contributed on the production of the recent independent venue week documentary film: “Long And Winding Road”. along with Phillip Selway, Gaz Coombes, Squid, Kele Okereke, Novelist, Fatboy Slim, Richard Hawley and many more! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Ross From Friends – “Pale Blue Dot”

February 22, 2020 — Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for reading this post! Make sure you check back tomorrow, as it’s nearly time for another Scuzz Sundays post on the blog – and I’ll be looking at an iconic track from an American heavy metal band whose lead vocalist once appeared on an episode of BBC 2’s TV quiz series, “QI”! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Holy Fuck (feat. Nicholas Allbrook) – “Free Gloss”

February 13, 2020 — Leave a comment

It’s so R-Rated, they’ve already made me drop an F-bomb! It’s time for your daily post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Deleter” (Released on January 17th, 2020) (Vinyl copy available from myshopify.co.uk)

I don’t think they take themselves very seriously…! A still-quite-tired Jacob Braybrooke here, getting your new post sorted for another day on the blog. “Free Gloss” is the new track from Progressive Electronic Pop pioneers Holy Fuck (I have to say Holy F on the radio…), who have returned after 4 years with the release of a new LP, “Deleter”, which was released last month via the Last Gang Records independent label. This is the follow-up LP to their comeback album, “Congrats”, which was released in 2016 after the band took a six-year hiatus to focus on their solo careers. Although the band have never crossed over into the mainstream before, they have built their career around their sizeable cult following and their unique live performance set-ups, which have seen the band use improvised instruments like toy lasers and 35mm film synchronizers to loop and splice their own sound effects into the format of their tracks, rather than using laptops or pre-produced backing tracks. They’ve recently been working alongside Nicholas Allbrook, who is the front-man of the Australian psychedelic rock band Pond and he used to go on tour with Tame Impala as their live bassist. Let’s have a listen to the radio edit of “Free Gloss” below.

With the “Deleter” LP also featuring the talents of Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor and Liars’ Angus Andrew, it seems to be that the Montreal electronic outfit are carving out a niche themselves in the “Electronic 90’s” style of genre. I feel that “Free Gloss” is sequenced distinctively enough to stand out though, as Pond’s Nicholas Allbrook delivers his faded-out vocals under a pummeling keyboard riff and a flickering guitar rhythm. With an undecipherable line of lyrics, Allbrook delivers the stuttering arrangement of half-crooned, 90’s dance stylized vocals layered above a dramatic template of vibrant, digitally-created melodies which drill against the light-hearted club energy of Allbrook’s vocals to create a push-and-pull effect, balancing an energetic synth bassline with the heavy guitar riffs, which have been mastered below the domineering keyboard effects, to sound futuristic and progressive. At the halfway mark, the complex sequence of electronic riffs drown to a quaint halt for a moment, before the amalgamation of keyboard melodies and drum sequences ascend back to their domineering position on the track, as it fades to a close. It’s ultimately a tricky song to write about due to the complex plethora of effects that it conveys in it’s sound, but I feel it’s ultimately an intriguing and satisfying journey through an experimental sonic soundscape, which reminds me of the Big Beat era of the late 90’s featuring British dance acts like The Chemical Brothers and Basement Jaxx. It would have been nicer to hear the lyrics more clearly, but the sophistication helps it to work.

Pictured: Brian Borcherdt (Lead Vocalist/Sequencing), Graham Walsh (Keyboard/Programming), Matt “Punchy” McQuaid (Bass Guitar/Effects) and Matt Schulz (Drum Kits) (Photo Credit: Fortitude Magazine) (2016)

Thank you for reading this post! Make sure you kick off your weekend with the blog tomorrow, as we’ll be celebrating the release of Tame Impala’s new album “The Slow Rush”, with an in-depth look at “Lost In Yesterday”, whch is the most recent single to be released in support of the record! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: DJ Seinfeld – “Electrician”

January 28, 2020 — 1 Comment

There are a couple of dodgy lightbulbs dotted around my house, so I think that I might be needing an “Electrician” in my house soon! It’s time for your new blog post!

Pictured: DJ Seinfeld (Armand Jakobsson) producing his own “After Party Playlist” mix for BBC Radio 1 (April 2018)

Jokes aside, I played this little trance gem on my show just a few hours ago. Jacob Braybrooke here, as always, with your daily track on the blog. This track comes from Swedish disc jockey and electronic music producer Armand Jakobsson, who goes under the alias of DJ Seinfeld. He’s also been creating EDM tunes under the aliases of Rimbaudian and Birds Of Sweden over the years, having become known for his emotive cuts and sweeping ambient breaks as part of his own Lobster Fury label. Seinfeld’s made a definitive career for himself in the American house scene, also taking influence from Acid Techno pioneers and vintage Jungle artists of the 1990’s. “Electrician” is taken from his recent “Galazy” EP, a four-track EP release which sees DJ Seinfeld explore a mellow Acid Techno sound. Let’s check out “Electrician” below!

A DJ who has received a bit of flack from working in the lo-fi house scene, a controversial genre in the music industry at times, Seinfeld learns to craft a haze-dipped, maturely earnest pop house sound for his first release on the Young Ethics label. A repeated “I love you” line repeats and swirls on the top of a sonically identifiable line of ocassionally placed cowbells and a swollen build of atmospherically introspective moods and a low-key bassline. The vocals are later replaced by the digital sound of bird calls, which chirp in the background, adding an important layer of comfort and warmth to the textured sound. Running at just under seven minutes in length, the constant spiral of pop-heavy treble inflictions and soft, Aphex-influenced drill ‘n’ bass sections are given a breather by the propelling Breakbeat snares, which are used in a quality-over-quantity manner, along with a slight Jungle sound. It may not be Seinfeld’s most experimental work to date, with a lack of noisy Techno percussion or off-kilter snare stabs, but “Electrician” is a well-paced, gradually building layer of slow-dance sounds which end up being more interesting than they may seem when taking from an analytical point of view. A lush, spacious synth backdrop is the highlight of a track which is safe, but nicely produced.

Pictured: DJ Seinfeld (Armand Jakobsson) at an undisclosed rave (March 2019)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with a look at another track from an Australian singer-songwriter who’s returned from a six-year hiatus who gained over a million plays on Soundcloud for one of his earliest tracks and he’s often been likened to Morrisey, Lana Del Rey and Gotye! (remember him?) 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: Mura Masa (feat. Slowthai) – “Deal Wiv It”

January 18, 2020 — Leave a comment

Sometimes in life, we’ve got issues we just have to Deal Wiv! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Mura Masa performing a live set at SummerStage, NYC in August 2018 (Photo Credit: Open Ears Music)

Jacob Braybrooke here, as usual, with an in-depth look at a hip hop-inspired dance track, to get you ready for grooving on a Saturday club night! “Deal Wiv It” is the new single from Mura Masa, a Guernsey-born EDM producer who started recording dance tracks on YouTube and “other corners of the internet” at the age of 15. The track is the lead single from his new album, “R.Y.C”, his second LP, which was released yesterday by Polydor Records. He is best known for making history as the first artist to be nominated as both a musician and a producer for the same album at the Grammy Awards, as his self-titled debut album, which was released in 2017, was nominated for “Best Dance/Electronic Album” and “Best Recording Package” at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. The lead single, “Deal Wiv It”, also features British rapper Slowthai, an artist from Northampton who released his debut album “Nothing Great About Britian” to unanimous critical acclaim last year. I like playing The Devil’s Advocate, however, as it wasn’t personally to my tastes. Shall we take a look at the video below?

“Deal Wiv It” is presented as a narrative-told story, with the video featuring Slowthai performing the actions of the narrator of the track. This reminds me of “The Day I Died”, a song by Just Jackl which was a minor hit in 2009. It has an immediate kick drum start, followed by a LOT of f’n and geff’n from Slowthai, establishing the tone of youth in revolt. I wouldn’t have liked to cut the radio edit for this one! Slowthai adds an element of aggression and charisma to the track, which moulds with the punchy rap chorus and the cutting lyrics being rapped over a shaky set of drum snares, introspected by a fast-paced guitar delivery and a youthful, rebellious grime energy. This is bolstered by a fiery, upbeat attitude being delivered by Slowthai: “Life is hard but it’s quite exciting/Spin around, it’s your white light/They say I can’t speak my mind or vent my frustration/Fucking deal wiv it”, with an overall Garage-Rock quality. Overall, I think it’s a track which people will enjoy due to it’s raw style and it’s rough-edged nature, but it doesn’t connect with me, personally. This is because I just don’t like Slowthai and I find his sound to be irritating due to his arrogant delivery and the silly filler noises he makes. But then again, I think he’s like Marmite. Love it or hate it!

Pictured: Mura Masa (Alex Crossnan) in a photoshoot for an interview with NME.com (January 2020)

Thank you for reading this post! Tomorrow on the blog, it’s the very special day where I look back at a rock/punk/emo track from the late 90’s to the mid 00’s… Scuzz Sundays! I’ll be revisiting a well-known goth-punk track which I used to play on Guitar Hero 3: Legends Of Rock on the Xbox 360! 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: A Tribe Called RED (feat. Black Bear) – “The OG”

January 13, 2020 — Leave a comment

Here’s a daily musing on a new single from a duo who surprised me out of nowhere in 2015 with “the seal of the Halluci Nation”. However, will they manage to retain my “seal of approval”? To answer that, you’ll have to continue reading below to find out!

Pictured: Tim “2oolman” Hill (Production/Engineering) and Ehren “Bear Witness” Thomas (Mixing/Percussion)

Good evening, Jacob Braybroke here! I first discovered A Tribe Called RED, a Canadian electronic hip-hop group from Ontario, through the KEXP Song Of The Day podcast resource a few years back, leading me to enjoy listening to their 2015 LP, “We Are The Halluci Nation”, an album which showcased the group’s very unique strength of bringing activism to the dancefloor in a way that’s fun and musically well-rounded. Named as a homage to hip-hop legends A Tribe Called Quest, A Tribe Called Red are back, releasing a string of new singles towards the latter end of 2019. However, as a duo now, since Ian Campeau left the band due to health complications in 2017. One of the biggest new singles, “The OG”, features frequent guest collaborator Black Bear, as the band return to their self-described “Stadium Pow-Wow” sound for good measure!

A very colorful and world-inspired track, due to the African tribal chanting and the two-step Taiko drumming, “The OG” is a new track which succeeds in re-establishing the experimental sound of A Tribe Called Red and reasserting, after a few years of hiatus, the band’s refusal of boxing their sound into one specific genre. “The OG” begins with the modulated vocals of Black Bear, before a pulsating sound of bombastic electronic snare trips and loud tribal chants. The track leads into a sample of Romeo Saganah’s speech in the United Nations in September 2018, before the potent – almost violent – drumming sounds and indigenous chants continue, right after Saganah’s speech about Indegenious rights and the Trans Mountain Pipeline. This is a track which pulls a lot of different genres together – as the bassline-driven rhythm crashes along to EDM-style vibrations, which viciously pulls further influence from the likes of Heavy Techno, all produced under a wide array of Reggae styles. It’s a track which really flourishes in encompassing several genres in one overall package, while modifying the influences of each – so that it doesn’t seem to lose much of an overall cohesive quality. The result is a track which feels very political and it may be likely to cause a little bit of controversy among certain groups of different religions, but, in terms of the sound and aesthetic, it’s an enchanting return to form for A Tribe Called RED and although it’s familiar to “We Are The Halluci Nation”, I’m still excited to hearing a fully-fledged LP release to see how they expand their “Pow-Wow” sound!

Pictured: A Tribe Called Red performing a live set at the Lost Lake Festival in 2017 (Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be continuing to introduce you to some more new music inspired by different sounds from around the world tomorrow, as I’ll be looking at a new solo track from the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the famous Liverpool band Bloc Party! 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: Squarepusher – “Vortrack” (Fracture Remix)

January 11, 2020 — Leave a comment

As seen below, your Saturday post is finally up! So – you better be there or be Square!

As usual, Jacob Braybrooke here! Fancy a rave? I’m just asking that because a HUGE bombshell dropped over the last few weeks of December 2019… as Squarepusher, Warp Records-affiliated heavy techno genuis, is back! Tom Jenkinson, otherwise known as Squarepusher, is an Electronic Dance DJ known for crafting landmark releases in the genres of IDM, Drum-and-Bass, Drill-and-Bass and Electroacoustic Rock. Also known for his very industrial sound and mischief when it comes to behind-the-scenes interviews for his craft, Squarepusher also has a signature live set-up, which features a mix of electronic sound outsourcing, live instrumental playout and digital signall processing. He’s back with “Vortrack”, with the Fracture Remix paving the way as the lead single for his upcoming album, “Be Up A Hello”, due for it’s release on January 31st. Did you know that Jenkinson also provided the ambient music soundtrack for the Olivia Colman-narrated CBeebies 60-minute wind-down programme “Daydreams”? I guess that you do learn something new each day! Although that’s an interesting little tidbit, I don’t think you’ll be hearing “Vortrack” on children’s TV… For reasons that will become incredibly obvious from the video below!

A gifted ambient technician and a master of his musical craft, Jenkinson has conjured up a storm of buzz amongst motivated EDM/IDM fans for the new release from his return to the scene on “Vortrack”. The Fracture Remix is an undeniably traditional Heavy Drum-and-Bass anthem which certainly isn’t lending itself all that freely to the faint-hearted crowds of mainstream pop. However, on “Vortrack”, I feel the old-school sensibilities of the remix may be it’s biggest strength. According to publicity materials, the new record will bring a return to a “bewildering array of vintage analogue and digital hardware”, which implies, to me that Squarepusher is developing a product of nostalgia and DIY culture, which are the joyous elements which gave the way for his big breakthrough in the early 90’s. The crowd-pleasing, heavy techno jolts on the “Vortrack” remix have a discernibly murky quality to them, which brings an implication of political influence, in it’s eclectic mixing of it’s sonic palette. The tension, as a result, is very dramatic and the effect of the heavy tone is marginalized to a very solid and effective level. At the 2-minute mark, Jenkinson adds a swelling of computer-controlled bass melodies and pushes (if you mind the pun) the feeling of tension at the front seat of the track. An unabashedly retro sound, with an appealing stab of nauseous intensity, results in a solid and effective comeback from a master of his craft, who clearly knows exactly where he’s going to push his signature IDM sound.

Pictured: Squarepusher (Tom Jenkinson) performing a live DJ set at Donaufestival in Austria (2012)

Thank you for reading this post and… if you are going out raving tonight – have fun and stay safe! Also, make sure you’re ready for tomorrow’s Scuzz Sunday post, as I’ll be looking at a throwback emo tune from a band who have sold over 40 million records worldwide! 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/