Experimental Pop

Today’s Track: Automatic – ‘New Beginning’

April 28, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Izzy Glaudini (Vocals/Synths), Lola Dompé (Drums) and Halle Saxon (Bass Guitar) (2019) (Photo via PR)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and the time is now to fill up your electric car as we take a trip of futuristic Motorik proportions to outer space as we get invested in yet another daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! I don’t think that a fortnight ever goes by where we don’t cover an artist signed by Stones Throw Records – known for artists like MNDSGN, Maylee Todd, Kiefer, Sudan Archives and John Carroll Kirby – but the truth is that the California-based soul specialist label has been churning out loads of great material lately, and I am about to add Automatic to the aforementioned list of their all-star acts. A Synth-Punk trio comprised of Izzy Glaudini (Vocals/Synths), Halle Saxon (Bass/Vocals) & Lola Dompe (Drums/Vocals), Automatic became a mainstay on the L.A. dance club circuit after forming in 2017. Their biggest influence is The Go-Go’s – an 80’s New Wave band who are the only all-female band to have written and played every instrument on a #1 album in the US as of 2017 – who have also provided the three-piece’s namesake. Glaudini and Saxon have played in other Los Angeles-based bands like Mega Bog and The Black Windmill, while Dompe is the daughter of Bauhaus’ Kevin Haskins who – as a teenager – played in Blackblack alongside her sister, Diva Dompe. Automatic will be releasing their second studio album ‘Excess’ on June 24th and they will be touring alongside Tame Impala, Parquet Courts and Osees throughout 2022. Check out the lead single ‘New Beginning’ below.

The music video for ‘New Beginning’ was pitched by director Ambar Navarro as an homage to the Swedish sci-f film ‘Aniara’ – and the band have continued to tease the album’s explorations of the edge of the 70’s club underground and the industrial side of the 80’s by writing that it aims to capture “That fleeting moment when what was once cool quickly turned and became mainstream, all for the sake of consumerism“, adding, “The record is about what happens to our psyches when we’re conditioned to certain values, the consequences of those values and a desire to resist them“, in a press statement. Starting off with more of a Dream Pop-like sound set to the tune of fairly deadpan vocals that recalls many retro female vocal groups like The Ronettes, as Glaudini contemplates the idea of leaving behind a dilapidated Earth in solace of false hope created by the ultra-wealthy who are eyeing manned space travel with piercing lyrics like “In the service of desire/We will travel far away” and “Heard the final echo/It’s almost time to go” as the beats behind her gain traction with a stomping bassline and thudding drums. Once these melodies up the ante a little bit, later lyrics like “Falling through the distance/The stars will light the way” and “Endless service of desire/Every night and every day” are recited more energetically, as Glaudini weighs up some pro’s and con’s of attempting to escape the planet when it gets scorched – with a fair quality of inevitability in her rather unphased voice – as unchecked consumerism continues to reach its logical outcome. While a bit bleak, the lyrics are given more flair by the instrumentation which is undoubtedly more optimistic and colourful. The early insistent Bass groove and her intentionally ‘flat’ vocals slowly morph into heavy Synth stabs and lockstep Motorik drums that give ‘New Beginning’ its distinctly Industrial character, topped off by handclaps in tandem with the percussive combo of an atmospheric Keyboard section and fuzzed-out Snare effects. ‘New Beginning’ ultimately adds a splash of colour and imagination to an otherwise bleak topic, plus it replicates the Disco vibe and the 80’s influences with a modern twist due to the more current social commentary of their lyricism. Overall, this is another eclectic, exciting song being supported by a label who are killing it right now.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Excess’ (LP/Album) (Available from June 24th, 2022) (via Stones Throw Records)

That’s all for now! Thank you for checking out my latest post on the blog, and I will be back tomorrow for ‘New Album Release Fridays’ as we preview the new album by an established urban Indie Rock band from London who were formed through an NME advert in the early 00’s. They won NME’s Album Of The Year award in 2007 for ‘Silent Alarm’ and, in addition, they have roughly sold over three million records worldwide.

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Today’s Track: Everything Everything – ‘Teletype’

April 23, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Vinyl & CD bundle for ‘Raw Data Feel’ (Available from May 20th, 2022) (via AWAL Recordings)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time to save some space on your hard drive for the retrieval of some new digital (and legally purchased) MP3 files as we get invested in yet another 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! First getting their break out via BBC Music Introducing in the mid-2000’s, Everything Everything is a familiar and friendly name for many longtime UK Indie fans given their established profile and diverse discography over the past couple of decades, with the Manchester-based Alternative Pop – bordering on Art-Pop, Industrial Rock and Microhouse – band receiving five Ivor Novello Awards nominations and one Mercury Prize nomination to their name for their efforts. The band also follow in similar foot steps to projects like Django Django, Talk Talk, The The, Duran Duran and The Linda Linda’s in giving their name a multiple repeated title – and if you can think of any more good ones, please feel free to let me know on Twitter (As the link is below) or leave me a note in the comments section. Anyhow, ‘Raw Data Feel’ is the follow-up to 2020’s ‘Re-Animator’ and it will be released on May 20th via Infinity Industries/AWAL Recordings. To make the album, the band enlisted the help of an AI programme that was fed information – including terms and conditions of LinkedIn, the poems regarding Beowulf, 4Chan posts and the teachings of Confucius – to create experimental lyrics, track titles and album artwork for their full-length project. Check out the new single ‘Teletype’ below.

Everything Everything have also confirmed a handful of live UK tour dates taking place between May and September 2022 – including a recent appearance at London’s Roundhouse on April 13th – which includes support slots from L’Objectif, Phoebe Green, Do Nothing and Liz Lawrence. Whetting our appetite for the band’s upcoming sixth studio album, the quartet says of ‘Teletype’ as a single outing, “This song began in a very experimental way, with Alex and Jon sampling voice and guitar then putting it through a process that randomized each chord in a chaotic and glitchy rhythm. A very direct song, straight from the heart, with a fresh new openness that we felt was a good scene-setting for the record”, in a press release. While my work is almost done, I need to share my thoughts on the track to give you a unique take on it. It starts off with a warped Synth-led instrumental which leans loosely into Breakbeat, with a scattered sense of pace that gives refrains like “It’s easy to lie when nothing makes sense anymore” and “I’m a liar, but I’m lying next to you, and you don’t care” a more psychedelic quality. These observations on the confusing world that 2022 presents to us are pushed to the forefront when the bridge closes and the chorus sweeps in, as the 8-bit inspired rhythms and the modular Drums are replaced by a more brooding bassline and a more percussive Drum beat that chirps along to the upbeat tempo of hooks like “You don’t talk a lot but I like it, ‘Cause I can’t tell you everything that went on” and “You might be everything that I want” that mold the glitchy Techno-driven production and the galloping melodicism of Jon’s vocals into a more anthemic and catchy chorus, despite the inherent aggression of the electronic instrumentals or the harshness of the Bass never quite changing much in any dramatic sense. The track maintains it’s Breakbeat origins and Glitch-Pop influences throughout, and the vocals manage to feel distinctly unsullied because there’s a lack of overdub, filtering effects or backing vocals to drown out the emphasis on Jon’s voice. Just because this is an electronically driven track does not mean that auto-tune has to make it sound overly processed, and I like that the band took that direction on this track and it avoids the feeling of the track seeming cheap or tacky. Some of the lyrics, like “I feel alright, yeah, I feel good” and “Gonna take a bit/Maybe this will take a little time to heal”, are slightly lacking in the depth department for me because they feel so straightforward, but their rhythm is still catchy despite the songwriting suffering a little from the AI programme’s influence in my opinion, although the use of the said AI scheme is still a mildly interesting idea on paper. The instrumentation is more effective, however, as the guitar and glitched samples remind me of their ‘Get To Heaven’ era and they give the track its vibrant, experimental feel that catches on infectiously. Overall, this is a vivid single that swiftly avoids the problem of not feeling like one thing, nor the other.

Pictured: Jonathan Higgs (Lead Vocals/Keyboard), Jeremy Pritchard (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals), Alex Robertshaw (Lead Guitar/Rhythm Guitar) and Michael Spearman (Drums/Percussion) (in 2020) (Photo Credit: PR/DIYMag.com)

Everything Everything have been around for 15 years and my blog has been active for a few years, and so it is only natural that stars have aligned before. Find out how here.

‘Arch Enemy’ (2020) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/08/04/todays-track-everything-everything-arch-enemy/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Re-Animator’ (LP/Album) (Released on September 11th, 2020) (via AWAL Recordings)

That brings us to the end of another roughly 24 hour period on the blog, and I’ll be back tomorrow to add a new entry of the weekly ‘Scuzz Sundays’ feature. Thank you for giving me a few minutes today, and join me then as we reminisce over the 20th anniversary of a Gold-certified album in Sweden by a Stockholm-formed indie rock band who are known by many names including Caesars Palace and Twelve Caesars. They are probably best known for their 2002 hit ‘Jerk It Out’ that reached #8 in the UK.

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Today’s Track: Neil Frances – ‘Dancing’

April 21, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Jordan Feller (Drums/Synths) and Marc Gilfrey (Samples/Producer) (2022) (Photo by Victoria Smith)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come time to shine your favourite pair of dancing shoes before we get invested in yet another daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Saying “We like the idea of our music sound-tracking people’s weekends” to Karen Gree of NME in a recent interview, Neil Frances is not a solo artist – but rather the Los-Angeles based Alternative Soul duo of Sydney-born musician Jordan Feller and Southern California native producer Marc Gilfrey, who have named their debut studio album ‘There Is No Neil Frances’ to illustrate the fact. Out now via Nettwerk Music Group, the LP was recorded in Echo Park Studio over the past year and it follows the loose narrative of an insect who is trying to find its place in a utopian dreamscape. Exploring a wide assortment of Alternative Pop and Experimental House sounds on previous releases like 2018’s ‘Took A While’ EP and 2021’s ‘Stay Strong, Play Long’ EP, Neil Frances met in New York and began the project in 2016 with their intention of creating honest and authentic music. The duo have opened up a sold-out show for SG Lewis at The Shrine. They have also supported the likes of Jungle, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Poolside on tours across the US. The duo will also be performing at the Shabang Live Music & Arts Festival, WonderStruck Festival and Firefly Music Festival throughout 2022 as well, and so there’s a handful of places that you can find them love if you thoroughly enjoy the new album like I have, which features contributions by Benny Sings and GRAE. Give ‘Dancing’ a listen below.

Neil Frances have gained support from KCRW, Under The Radar, Magnetic, Flood and Brooklyn Vegan in the past few years, and their own cover version of Stardust’s ‘Music Sounds Better Than You’ has amassed over 70 million streams. Explaining the concept behind their latest outing, the duo say, “Our new album is about self-realization and becoming the person that you dream of. The concept is that we are insects on Earth who ascend into outer space to become divas at a galactic ball”, in their descriptive press statement. As the ninth track on the long-player, ‘Dancing’ marks a transition point into more accessible sounds that seem easier to groove to, compared to the slower build of the earlier tracks, with it’s silky and smooth Nu-Disco vibe. An airy, gently processed lead vocal mixes together with the World Fusion-based Drums in the opening as atmospheric lyrics like “As the sea comes speaking to me/Time will voice its drift out of key” and “When I see this all to my brain/Tell the lord we’ve trouble where we went” cleanly kick-starts the dense journey of Psych-Funk, Trip Hop and Progressive Soul that flows cohesively throughout the single. A bold, one-note hook of “When dancing is seeking delight” illustrates the themes of the track beautifully in the chorus. Musically, the instrumentation represents an ethereal blend of Future Funk and soft R&B that gets stretched out by effective sampling, light vocals and manipulated sounds to create the slow-burning textures and give the groove a hypnotic quality in the process. The sparse danceability reminds me of ‘The Slow Rush’ by Tame Impala, while the vintage-leaning dance music elements recall back Gilligan Moss to my mind and the calming mood of the soulful vocals makes me reminisce over MNDSGN’s material. There’s an eclectic range of influences in here, but Feller and Gilfrey manage to make the spatial trip through these layers of music their own by developing their 90’s New-Age influences with a neat amount of detail and showing their versatility as producers who are not constrained to one specific genre. Overall, ‘Dancing’ is a song that will make your feet move involuntarily to the rhythm.

Pictured: Neil Frances in a photoshoot for ‘Finding Rhythm’ (2021) (Photo via NorthernTransmissions.com)

That brings us to the end of another roughly 24-hour period on the blog, and I really want to wish you great luck for the rest of your week in return for your generous support. I’m going to be back for ‘New Album Release Fridays’ tomorrow as we turn our attention towards the long-awaited and slightly delayed debut album release by an Australian Psychedelic Rock 4-piece who created their own Lazyfest music festival.

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Way Back Wednesdays: The Knife – ‘Silent Shout’

April 20, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Karin Dreijer (Lead Vocals/Keyboard) and Olof Dreijer (Splicing/Effects/Bass) (2006) (via NPR; press shoot)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come for us to go retro with a striking piece that will tell you a story of fairly recent history with another entry of ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ on One Track At A Time, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Ever an elusive and dynamic duo, cult Swedish electronic music duo The Knife (Comprised of siblings Karin and Olof Dreijer) were never afraid to, somewhat uninentionally, capture the attention of the mainstream with their dark-leaning blend of Dubstep, EDM, Art-Pop and Psychedelia, also including some slower and darker strains of Hip-Hop and R&B, throughout the years to create music that, although Pop, was more far-reaching and progressive. First gaining an international following through their 2003 album ‘Deep Cuts’, the duo managed their own record company – Rabid Records – throughout their years of activity between 1999 and 2014. They were known for donning their Venetian masks to hide their faces in many public appearances, and they have won a number of Swedish Grammis awards despite refusing to attend the ceremonies. Although the duo decided to call it a day and disband in 2014, Karin started her own solo project Fever Ray in 2009, while Olof performs as a DJ under the monikers of DJ Coolof and Oni Ayhun. Last year, The Knife celebrated their 20th anniversary by announcing a range of re-issues on Vinyl and concert streams including BTS footage of their various album’s development. ‘Silent Shout’ – their third LP and arguably most well-received release – was among the works being featured. Let’s remember the title single below.

‘Silent Shout’ spawned four singles and the music video for the title track, along with some of the promo photos doing the rounds of the album’s press campaign, were equally inspired by the works of German-American animator Oskar Fischinger and the ‘Black Hole’ series of comic books created by the American cartoonist Charles Burns. This was also a highly influential release – with fellow artists like Lykke Li, Niki and The Dove, Tove Lo and Denmark’s MØ picking up on The Knife’s Dubstep-influenced blend of Dark Electronica and subversive Dance music rather noticeably in the years following its release in 2006. ‘Silent Shout’ – the title track – is an amalgamation of the record’s club-driven musicality and rewarding lyricism, as the deep House-leaning anthem starts off with a drawing set of Synths that evoke a Sci-Fi aesthetic as they waver along to a chilling, unearthly electronic backdrop of multi-tracked Keys and brooding Drums. A barely audible vocal comes in shortly, which also evokes a ghostly – not to mention a slightly haunting – atmosphere at times as the processed vocals are crashed through the ringer of digital manipulation. The severe distortions of Karin’s lyrics create a daring and jarring presence that pulsates from the mid-tempo opening to the early 90’s Techno and Trance qualities of the slowly bubbling outroduction, telling a narrative of a life gone awry that feels tense and high-octane while suiting the template of unpredictable Pop that shapes the rest of the full-length album. The lyrics give the tempo a slightly melodic uplift with their robotic feel, but the rich electronic backdrop incorporates a wide-ranging series of Lo-Fi Hip Hop and Dark Ambient elements, especially in how the reverb keeps the Drums and Synths feeling grounded, without overstating their direct influences. Overall, ‘Silent Shout’ represents some of The Knife’s most consistent and layered work, both in terms of the heightened production and the forward-thinking concept, from their golden years. The stunning title track marries elastic vocals and cosmopolitan instrumentation to a perfectionist level and there’s clearly a valid reason why it is remembered very fondly.

Pictured: Vinyl bundle of ‘Deep Cuts’ (Released on January 17th, 2003) (via Rabid Records)

Thank you for checking out my latest blog post and supporting my creativity, as you have no idea how much that it means to me to see some love being registered for the site. I’ll be back tomorrow, as always, to do ‘Thursday’ with a cheerful dance track by a Los Angeles-based Alternative Soul duo with a confusing name who, originally formed in Chicago, met in 2012. Their debut LP is out now via Nettwerk Music Group.

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Today’s Track: Superorganism (feat. CHAI & Pi Ja Ma) – ‘Teenager’

April 16, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘World Wide Pop’ (LP) (Available on July 15th, 2022) (via Domino Recordings)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time to bring the sunshine to your weekend with yet another 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! It’s really nice to hear that Superorganism are back for more, because their original album was so fun, visually creative and musically compelling. If you somehow missed out on all of their rage a decent number of years ago, Superorganism are a London-based collective of musicians who are spread out across the globe, so half of them met online while the other four members previously played as The Eversons together. Currently signed to Domino Recordings, they released their self-titled debut LP in 2018 and scooped up a place in the top 25 of the UK Albums Chart, alongside nominations at the MTV Europe Music Awards and the Sweden GAFFA Awards. A year later, they also contributed a track to the soundtrack of ‘The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part’ entitled ‘Hello Me & You’ to widen their mainstream exposure. Their second album – ‘World Wide Pop’ – is set for release on July 15th and they have revealed that Ruby, Emily and Robert Strange have left the band. However, they have pulled in an international range of collaborators including Stephen Malkumus, Boa Constrictors, Dylan Cartlidge and Japanese actor Gen Hoshino to contribute to the full-length recording. Pi Ja Ma joins them for ‘Teenager’ – the lead single – which also involves CHAI, who supported Superorganism for their UK and Ireland tour in 2018. It was produced by Stuart Price too, who has previously worked with Madonna and Pet Shop Boys. As you would expect from Superorganism, the music video is a goofy and imaginative affair about refusing to grow up. It stars Will and Grace’s Brian Jordan Alvarez. Check it out below.

Teasing a bit more information about the album without giving too much away, the product description for their new album explains, “World Wide Pop is a showcase for Superorganism’s newly deepened understanding of each other’s interests and impulses, the kind of creative convergence you’d expect when online friends start spending time together IRL”, on Rough Trade’s website. Their previous album was recorded remotely, and so the new outing promises to put them in the same room together. A ‘Jam Band’ tune of a result, ‘Teenager’ continues their uniquely brash and multi-cultural aesthetic with a very bright and processed assortment of sounds that captures the widescreen and virtual vibe which they have always sought so far in their careers, forming a collage of loud samples and crunching Drums that dip their toes into Hyper-Pop, Hypnagogic Pop and Noise Pop that feels comfortable for existing fans. I certainly hear more of a Post-Punk influence that was not particularly prominent before, however, because the overall production feels quite raw and DIY in texture. Distorted guitars and inconsistent Bass sounds add up the finishing touches, completing the vibe with a youthful and unstable quality that suits the key theme of the track. The lyrics are a commentary on how we never really completely change our character beyond our younger years, but the direct hook of “I’m gonna grow up and be a teenager” communicates the message in a quirky and free-wheeling way. Lyrics like “Had enough of growing up, keep making your mistakes and misbehave” find the band clinging to the ‘lost’ feelings of their titular developmental period in life, while lyrics like “Got no time for class/today we learn about the past, and the present, and the future fading so damn fast” suggest that we never move beyond such a pivotal state. It feels almost like a late-00’s children’s theme to an extent, with cartoons like ‘The Amazing World Of Gumball’ and ‘Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil’ coming to my mind, due to the colourful soundscapes and the filtered effects in play. A solid return which manages to capture the wit and engagement of their signature material.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Superorganism’ (Self-Titled LP) (Released on March 2nd, 2018) (via Domino Recordings)

Thank you for checking out my latest post on the blog, and I’ll be back tomorrow for ‘Scuzz Sundays’ as we rekindle the chatter about a not currently active but quite well-remembered 00’s indie rock band formed in Staines-Upon-Thames known for hits like ‘Cash Machine’, ‘Satellites’ and ‘Living For The Weekend’ that have all performed well commercially. They’ve just teased a 15th anniversary show for their ‘Stars Of CCTV’ LP.

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Today’s Track: James Righton – ‘Pause’

April 11, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘JIM, I’M STILL HERE’ (LP/Album) (Available from July 8th, 2022) (via DEEWEE)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has arrived for me to get you re-acquainted with some new music from a familiar face with yet another 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! If you remember the Mercury Prize-winning New Wave rock band Klaxons, known for tracks like ‘Golden Skans’ and a cover of Grace’s ‘It’s Not Over Yet’ in the late-00’s, that will be why you’re so sure that you’ve seen Stratford-Upon-Avon’s James Righton before and couldn’t quite put your finger on exactly where. Righton is married to actress Keira Knightley of all people and he also fronted the Shock Machine project that he began in 2016. He also worked on ABBA’s Voyage virtual concert tours in London last year and following from that project, a new solo album has been announced. Produced by Soulwax, ‘JIM, I’M STILL HERE’ is hitting record store shelves in July through DEEWEE. It follows the shiny Synth-Pop single ‘Release Party’ that he released on the same label last year for DEEWEE’s ‘Foundations’ compilation album release. It’s also the follow-up to 2020’s ‘The Performer’, an Alternative Pop record about the distinction between performer and person that he released during the height of the pandemic in March 2020. This was a record that I grew fond of, due to the Baroque instrumentation and the String sections that he played around with. It saw Righton grappling with his own identity, and the upcoming new album plays a somewhat similar role in exploring the family-based serenity that Righton experienced during the promotion of ‘The Performer’ through lockdown in the eyes of an alter-ego named Jim, and the songs were written in Jim’s perspective as an outrageous rock star. The new album features a guest appearance from ABBA’s Benny Andersson, and ‘Pause’ has been unveiled as the first single. It gets accompanied by a music video that was directed by Julian Klincewicz.

“The alter ego of Jim came to me whilst promoting my previous album The Performer during the first week of lockdown. Life shut down and became centered around family and domestic life. At the same time (and this did feel rather strange) I had to promote The Performer. I was asked more and more to live stream concerts through various social media platforms”, Righton says about the creation of his Jim character, adding, “So, I’d put the kids to sleep, head downstairs to my garage studio, put on my Gucci suit and became someone else. The juxtaposition of these lives felt extreme but also interesting to me. I created Jim. Jim would be the deluded rock star, living out his fantasies from the confines of his garage”, about the exaggerated semi-fictional version of himself in the form of Jim. Prince and Midnite Vultures-era Beck are clear influences the second that you press play on ‘Pause’, with 80’s Synth textures and quirky basslines creating a clear relationship between the sonic juxtapositions of Soulwax’s instrumentation work and Righton’s silky voice, where the eminently danceable Synths and the crunching Drums collide to form a warped take on 90’s Synth-Funk. The lyrics reek of narcissism and sensuality, but there’s a hint of actual romance in the more vulnerable tones of Righton’s voice despite the smooth Synth and keyboard work. A variety of lyrics including “Girl there’s never going to be no other/If I could only be your lover” setting up the stage for this contrast, while the cascading backing vocals and the preening artistry of sequences like “You can’t pause with me for the rest of my life” play with the duality between James’ true personality and the more fanciful aspirations of Jim as his alter ego. It’s an interesting proposition for the new album as the lyricism is not too different to those of 2020’s ‘The Performer’ on the surface level, but the sound is a lot more electronic and the Soulwax blueprints are definitely there. While the sound evolves the palette of The Performer’s sounds, the themes still feel just as intriguing and the explorations of self-identity remain intact. Overall, this was a refreshing and welcome return for Righton.

Pictured: James Righton in an official photoshoot to promote ‘The Performer’ (2020) (Photo Credit: DEEWEE)

If you don’t want to hit ‘Pause’ on James – fast-forward to some of his other cuts here.

‘Release Party’ (2021) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/05/17/todays-track-james-righton-release-party/

‘Edie’ (2020) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/02/todays-track-james-righton-edie/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘The Performer’ (LP/Album) (Released on March 20th, 2022) (via DEEWEE)

That brings me to the bottom of the page! Thank you for checking out my latest post on the blog, and I will be back tomorrow to introduce you to a brand new artist who goes by the name of Junior, a 24-year-old rapper and songwriter based in Bedford – here in the UK. His fantastic new single – ‘Long Way Home’ – was recently spotlighted on a recent episode of BBC Radio 6’s ‘The New Music Fix’ curated by Tom Ravenscroft.

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Today’s Track: Röyksopp (feat. Alison Goldfrapp) – ‘Impossible’

March 22, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Röyksopp (Svein Berge & Torbjørn Brundtland) (DJ’s/Producers) (2022) (Photo via SynthpopFanatic.com)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for us to raise our spirits above from the depths of despair with yet another 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! Weaving between Progressive Synthpop, Acid Techno and Dark Ambient across the last two decades, the Norwegian electronic dance duo of Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland have decided to tear up the rule book in retiring the traditional album release format with their upcoming sixth LP release – ‘Profound Mysteries’ – that hits store shelves on April 29th via Dog Triumph Records. To date, the duo – who were formed in Tromsø in 1998 – have been nominated for two Grammy Awards, won seven Spellemannprisen Awards, performed globally on tours, had four consecutive #1 albums in Norway, and collaborated with huge names like Robyn. Therefore, it’s somewhat strange that, aside from a vague familiarity with their name, they have largely slipped my radar in their time. However, I heard ‘Impossible’ on The Current’s Song Of The Day podcast and its deep, dark grooves were enough for me to keep listening on rather than just hitting the skip button like I sometimes do. ‘Impossible’ features the vocal abilities of Alison Goldfrapp, the lead singer of 00’s commercial euro-disco heavyweights Goldfrapp, and Röyksopp are pitching their imminent full-length new release as “an expanded creative universe and a prodigious conceptual project” in their press release. One of these projects is ‘The Conversation’, a recent short film uploaded to their YouTube channel last month that was directed by Danish filmmaker Martin De Thurah. To give you some more context about what they actually mean, the duo say, “As human beings, what we don’t know vastly overshadows what we do know. As teenagers, we would discuss our own fascination with the infinite and the impossible. The most profound mysteries of life”. Check out the lead single below.

It has been a long time since we’ve heard from the duo since their last LP release – 2014’s ‘The Inevitable End’ – launched almost eight years ago. Commenting on the collaboration for ‘Impossible’, guest vocalist Alison Goldfrapp says, “It’s been great working with the wonderful Svein and Torbjørn from Røyksopp. I’ve been a fan of their music for years and it was a fascinating joy creating ‘Impossible’ together. I truly hope everyone enjoys the track as there’s more to come”, in her press notes. Mimicking the visual of a glittery disco ball slowly fading to a liquid ink black in terms of sound, ‘Impossible’ starts off with a smooth set of Synths that recall a clear Disco influence before slowly growing into a barrage of assaulting textures as the bassline becomes more crunchy in style and the percussive Drum melodies contribute to the shimmering delivery. Goldfrapp’s lyrics feel hypnotic and alluring, with vague and enigmatic, in terms of mood, lyrics like “You’re the world ablaze/You’re the space between/Impossible/The perfect dream” and “I can touch the sky/Hear your lion heart/Feel the inside” that reveal little in the way of clear-cut details, but they carry a sensual yet not overtly sexual tone that floats above the more relentless pace of the instrumental parts to give the thumping concoction of downtempo electronica and progressive disco music an ethereal, polished feel. It builds to a neat closing stretch where the same lyrics are repeated amongst a more silk-like texture of electronic beats, where it feels like high-stakes tension has been relieved in favour of more operatic thrills. It sounds far from overly commercial, but it sounds melodic enough to feel like a natural selection for a single rather than purely an album track, and the vocals from Goldfrapp’s vocalist seem musically upbeat in the vein of their more well-known cuts in the mainstream while retaining an experimental, high-pitched finish. The production feels delicate overall, where a diversity of textures and genre ideas have been put together in a meticulous way that makes them feel coherent together when the sum of each part is added in unison. The spaced-out synths grow a little bit tiresome by the track’s end for me, but the pacing feels sublime and the chemistry between the two acts is excellent too, making the disillusioned grooves feel addictive while rewarding and challenging to keep listening to. Overall, although I feel that ‘Impossible’ is more of a “good track” than a “truly special” one due to it’s tendency to grow just a tad tedious by the end, it features an intriguing array of sounds that indicate subtle hints of different dance-related genres that are whipped together in a blender to conjure up a pretty well-textured smoothie. One for a long night ride home.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Profound Mysteries’ (LP) (Available from April 29th, 2022) (via Dog Triumph Records)

That brings us to the end of a fairly cryptic new post on the blog today, and I’ll be taking a break from my recent recommendations tomorrow as we go retro for ‘Way Back Wednesdays’. Thank you for supporting me today, and please feel free to join me again then for a look back at an early 00’s UK Hip-Hop classic by a British rapper and producer who has produced numerous singles and albums for the Big Dada label since 1994. His track in question was memorable for it’s intentionally similar melody to the ‘Doctor Who’ TV theme track and it reached the top spot of the UK Dance chart.

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Today’s Track: Flume (feat. MAY-A) – ‘Say Nothing’

March 19, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Palaces’ (LP) (Available from May 20th, 2022) (via Future Classic Records)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come for me to contribute to what is hopefully shaping up to be a good weekend for you with Saturday’s track on the blog, given how it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! An Australian pioneer of the Future Bass genre during the 2010’s, Flume is the DJ/Producer of Harley Edward Streten who has topped the ARIA Albums Chart a few times over and he has reached Double Platinum sales in his home turf. He also won Best Dance/Electronic Album at the Grammy Awards in 2017 for his second studio album ‘Skin’. Those who are a little less familiar with the name of Flume may have heard remixes he has created for the likes of Lorde, Arcade Fire and Disclosure in the past. He has also worked with a whole host of Australian and international artists like Anna Lunoe, Chet Faker, Slowthai, JPEG Mafia, SOPHIE, Vince Staples and others on extensive collaborations throughout the years. Following up his well-received ‘Hi, This Is Flume’ mixtape that he released in 2019, as well as his Toro Y Moi collaboration hit ‘The Difference’ from 2020, ‘Palaces’ is his third canonical studio album that is set to arrive on May 20th via Future Classic Records. It has been in the works since Streten relocated to a coastal town in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales, where he says he “found inspiration from the flora and fauna surrounding him” there, and so he has been experimenting with field recordings of nature sounds and birdsong while producing his new full-length recording. The lead single ‘Say Nothing’ features vocals by the rising star MAY-A. Let’s give it a spin below.

The AIR-Award winning musician’s new album enlists guests like Damon Albarn, Caroline Polachek, Emma Louise, Laurel, Quiet Bison, Virgen Maria, Oklou and Kučka for collaborations this time around, and, speaking on the new Alt-Pop cut, Streten explains, “This song is about feelings of post-relationship clarity”, adding, “We wrote the song midway through 2020 while the pandemic was still pretty new. I was really excited about the initial idea, but it was only once I got back to Australia in early 2021 and linked up in the studio with MAY-A that the song really came to life”, in his press statement. Starting off with a blurring effect on the Synths that shortly expands with euphoric Bass and fractured Snares, MAY-A sets up the tone of the vocals with her lovesick croon of “As far as summer goes I’m not even close/To wearing you like clothes when nobody’s home” that feels a little nervous and unsettling, as the Drum and Bass sequences gains traction and sits at the rear view mirror when the pre-chorus comes in. The chorus itself has brooding and pulsating elements that doesn’t quite allow the Bass and the Drums to fully unleash just yet, with a lean structure held together by the polished Pop sound and the viscerality of the dark Synths. It materialises with MAY-A’s declarative croon of “Say nothing, If you don’t wanna say goodbye” that feels a little poignant, and it feels emotional, especially for what predominantly remains a Dance-Pop track. ‘Say Nothing’ shifts away from Straten’s Future Bass origins to acquire a bolder Drum ‘N’ Bass feel, especially in the concluding moments where it feels more aggressively percussive. Behind the decks, he plays with duality in the track by blending dissonant drums with slower chords and elegant vocals in the backdrop, a combination that shouldn’t naturally go together on paper, but it feels pretty cohesive enough due to the Pop feel that lies underneath the leaner, experimental structure. There’s a lot of intricate details in the melting pot of sounds, but it could also fit right in with pop heavyweight DJ’s like Calvin Harris or David Guetta as it feels Pop-oriented and very polished. For me, the ‘Pop Polish’ does feel a little by-the-numbers at times as the chorus doesn’t feel particularly psychedelic or ethereal, however, I feel the production flair would be appealing to many listeners of a more casual variety, although I personally felt it didn’t connect as well as the prior section. That nitpick aside, Straten shows that he’s an excellent producer again by mixing a wide variety of tones together in a way that works to create the overall texture and the songwriting feels more interesting than it may appear on the surface due to the fractured effects on the vocals and the twists on duality as a theme. Appealing to a mainstream audience while experimenting with the tropes of modern Pop, albeit to slightly mixed results on the latter in my opinion, there is laughably an awful lot you could say about the summer-ready ‘Say Nothing’.

Pictured: Flume with Toro Y Moi in the music video shoot for ‘The Difference’ (2020) (Photo Credit: Joyce Kim)

If you want to hear ‘The Difference’ that Toro Y Moi made to Flume’s sound, click here:

Flume & Toro Y Moi – ‘The Difference’ (2020) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/06/06/todays-track-flume-feat-toro-y-moi-the-difference/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘The Difference’ (Single) (Released on April 30th, 2020) (via Future Classic Records)

That brings us to the bottom of the page for another 24-hour period! Thank you for your continued support for the site, and please make sure that you join me again for ‘Scuzz Sundays’ tomorrow as we take a listen to something British from the 2000’s that was probably heavy enough to be played on the channel. It comes from an Alternative Rock band from Newcastle who were pretty beloved on the blog when they released their most recent LP ‘Nature Always Wins’ last winter. This time, we’re going to look at the retro incarnation of the band who are led by Paul Smith and their first studio album – ‘A Certain Trigger’ – was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2005.

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New Album Release Fridays: Charli XCX (feat. Christine and The Queens & Caroline Polachek) – ‘New Shapes’

March 18, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Crash’ (LP) (Released on March 18th, 2022) (via Asylum/Atlantic Records/Warner UK)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for us to look at one of this weekend’s new album releases which is so highly anticipated that it cannot be ignored with yet another 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! It has been an interesting career trajectory for the Cambridge-born singer and songwriter Charlotte Emma Aitchinson to say the least, who began posting her videos to MySpace in 2008 (Ask your parents!), where she was scouted by a promoter who invited Charli to perform at urban warehouse gigs. She later signed to Asylum Records in 2010, where she had some pretty traditional and fairly mainstream Pop hits like ‘Boom Clap’, ‘SuperLove’ and ‘Break The Rules’ while also writing well-known singles for Pop heavyweights like Selena Gomez, Iggy Azalea, Icona Pop, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello. She later became a pioneer of the emerging ‘Hyper Pop’ and ‘Bedroom Pop’ genres while gaining a lot of new fans in the alternative music community with universally praised releases like her 2020 lockdown EP ‘How I’m Feeling Now’ which she produced collaboratively with her fans in a span of six weeks while in self-isolation, a record that played with unconventional Pop structures and experimental electronic production in previously uncharted ways, and it was shortlisted for the 2020 Mercury Prize alongside appearing on year-end lists by Paste, Uproxx, NPR, The Guardian and Consequence Of Sound. Today, she fully leaves the major label Pop music world with her fifth studio album ‘Crash’, which tackles a deal-with-the-devil idea visually. Lyrically, she says that it explores the power of the femme fatale with inspiration from dark spirits and curses which follows the spirit of David Cronenberg’s 1996 film of the same title. Musically, we’re getting a bold fusion of 80’s/90’s power-pop and 00’s synth-pop with a hint of futuristic Bedroom Pop stylings that Charli says was inspired by Janet Jackson. On the BBC Radio 2 playlisted pre-release single ‘New Shapes’, she enlists the help of French Art Pop trailblazer Christine And The Queens and continually rising American star Caroline Polachek. Let’s take it for a drive below.

Charli XCX will be taking her alternative assortment of retro-futurist Pop sounds on the road for a tour of Europe and North America throughout the summer months, and her new LP record features contributions by Rina Sawayama, Digital Farm Animals, Oneohtrix Point Never and several more creatives. ‘New Shapes’ follows a simple story of a stale relationship where both sides are being manipulative, with lyrics like “I don’t know why I got a tendency to run away/Don’t know why I’m always pushing for a sweet escape” that set the scene with bright Synths and 808 beats that will remind you of freestyle girl groups like The Cover Girls or Company B, before a more complex narrative unveils where the narrator is fighting the urge to desert the relationship while feeling exhausted by it, with a cycle of mistreatment manipulating the narrator to feel like a different person while still succumbing to the sexual desire which they share for one another. There are two sides to every coin on ‘New Shapes’ seemingly, where the upbeat keys and the energetic Synth arrangements make it quite easy to overlook the frustrations of the narrator and the complications of their relationship. A strong and consistently high tempo makes the rhythm feel punchy, but the lyrics replicate something a little more mournful in balance. Polachek and Christine are there to play the role of emulating some emotional support from a girl of group friends, who are attempting to cheer Charli XCX up with a scene that may replicate how a group of girls always seem to go to the bathroom together (I went clubbing in my university days, and so that’s a trait I’ve noticed). Their verses are met by a similar soundscape of mechanical drums and reverb-drenched Synths while adding some additional voices to the track for more variety. It doesn’t feel quite as experimental as some of Charli’s other efforts and feels like more of a traditional ‘radio record’ to promote the album, but the blueprints of her wildly successful pandemic EP are still here. I always thought there was something a little different in Charli XCX’s ‘SUCKER’ days of more mainstream Pop where she dealt with overtly sexual content in very expansive ways with a punk attitude, and tracks like ‘New Shapes’ continue to add more nuance to that format. Overall, I think that ‘New Shapes’ is one of the best singles to introduce the more bolder and updated version of Charli XCX to newcomers or previous fans due to it’s accessibility and danceability. It may not feel quite as bold as the tracks on her lockdown EP, but it begs the listener to dance along with it while conveying a sense of urgency and immediacy that clicks together nicely, and that’s coming from somebody who is a little snobbish about this style of Pop music at the best of times. Charli is an extraordinarily talented young lady, and so it’s good that she finally has a platform to show what she’s truly capable of making as a performer and a producer. ‘New Shapes’ may not be her most memorable offering, but there’s something for everyone in here and it conforms to a more accessible Pop sound while not ignoring the experimental EP, and so ‘Crash’ looks more like smooth sailing to me.

Pictured: Charlotte Aitchison at the red carpet of the BRIT Awards (2020) (Photo by Joe Maher/Getty Images)

That brings us to the bottom of the page for another day! Thank you for taking a moment out of today to visit the site, and I’ll be back tomorrow to review another fresh new Pop-oriented single – this time coming from an Australian DJ/Producer who is recognized as a ‘Future Bass’ pioneer of the 2010’s with several Grammy Award nominations and ARIA Awards attention to his name. He reportedly chose his name after his favourite Bon Iver track – although his name is shared by a type of ravine.

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Today’s Track: Porij – ‘Figure Skating’

March 14, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: ‘Eggy’ (Lead Vocals/Keyboard), ‘Tommy’ (Rhythm Guitar/Occasional Backing Vocals), ‘Jammo’ (Bass Guitar/Percussion) and ‘Tom’ (Drums/Occasional Backing Vocals) (in July 2021) (Photo via The Guardian/PR)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke here – and it’s time for me to kick off another long week’s worth of daily track posts on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Porij are back with ‘Figure Skating’, their first new track of 2022, and it warms me up for what’s shaping up to be yet another hectic and engaging year for the Manchester Art-Pop collective – who were formed by Eggy (Vocals/Keys), Tommy (Guitar/Vocals), Jammo (Bass/Percussion) and Tom (Drums/Vocals) when they studied and stayed together at The Royal Nothern College of Music. They explore a fluidity between genres such as House, Liquid Drum ‘N’ Bass, Garage, New Wave and Lo-Fi Rock under the Indie Pop umbrella, with early covers of tracks originally from The Prodigy and Disclosure earning them attention from industry insiders. Porij have released a wide range of singles like ‘Nobody Scared’, ‘Can’t Stop’ and ‘Dirty Love’, some of which were also released on 2020’s ‘Breakfast’ and 2021’s ‘Baby Face’ EP’s, and a lot of these tracks have been selected for daytime airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music. Support has also poured in from ITV Granada, The Guardian, NME, DIY Mag and more including, since I haven’t forgot to mention, this very blog. As I mentioned, it’s looking like a restless year for Porij as they will be supporting Lynks, Metronomy and Obongjayar on tours throughout the year, playing a handful of solo headline gigs, and they will be performing at various music festivals in the summer months like Green Man and The Great Escape. The Winter Olympics may finally be over, but, for their latest track, Porij explore intimacy and immovability through ‘Figure Skating’. Let’s give it a spin below.

Porij – pronounced as ‘Porridge’ as you would expect – seemingly picked their name at random as an inside joke between the band’s original four members, and they recruited future touring partner Lynks to show off his ice figure skating skills in the music video for their most recent track. The band break ‘Figure Skating’ down by saying, “Figure Skating is about intimacy and sensuality in moments that aren’t overtly sexual”, in a press release, explaining, “It’s appreciating romance in the day to day, not the big dramas or passions but the kind of stuff that’s put in a montage in a film. It’s an insight into a secure relationship and explores the moments that are beautifully average, but somehow turn out to be the best bits”, in the note. Starting off with humming synths that evoke a Horn-like texture, Porij take to the rink with soft and gliding vocals which convey the high level of trust and the rehearsed training that goes into a couples ice skating dance routine, with lyrics in the verses like “Crinkled eyes cut white and blue/When I tickle your elbow grease” that sound a little witty on paper while also toying with the close level of intimacy found in the warm textures of the euphoric synths and the right drum melodies. Lyrics like “Inverse, Focus/I’ll hold you down, just you and me” and “Drifting past subconscious feel/Phaser building from within” achieve the similar effects of the Soulful vocals in the verses and chorus, while Eggy’s post-chorus croon of “Skin lying under me” glides seamlessly above the more high tempo percussion. The bassline has the driving melodies and the lyrical determination of a modern dance track, but their croons keep the tone feeling very warm and more grounded in emotive qualities throughout the 4-minute number. Overall, ‘Figure Skating’ just shows Porij getting even better and better, and they were already fairly good to begin with. The track embraces dance music culture, but the band never forgets the inward ideas of intimacy and profound deepness in which they shaped the songwriting and production around. I was simply along for the skate.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Baby Face’ (EP) (Released on September 22nd, 2021) (via Oat Gang Records)

If ‘Figure Skating’ finds you scavenging for more of Porij, you can check out some of their other tracks on the blog below:

‘Can’t Stop’ (2021) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/11/30/todays-track-porij-cant-stop/

‘Nobody Scared’ (2021) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/06/15/todays-track-porij-nobody-scared/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Nobody Scared’ (Single) (Released on April 21st, 2021) (via Oat Gang Records)

That brings us to the end of another blog post for today! Thank you for checking out my little musing and thank you for sparing a moment of time out of you day to show some support for independent creatives like Porij and myself today. I’ll be back tomorrow for something a little bit different as we take a listen to some contemporary classical music from another Manchester-formed act who were shortlisted for the Mercury Prize in 2014. They are currently signed to Blue Note Records, and their most recent single is their first to feature drummer Jon Scott, who replaced Rob Turner in December 2021 for their line-up. They will play at Cambridge’s Junction in November.

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