Today’s Track: God Colony (feat. Flohio) – “The Real”

May 16, 2020 — Leave a comment

This little release is going to put the ‘Hippity’ in the ‘Hop’! It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: God Colony (James Rand & Thomas Gorton) press shoot to promote “Etiquette” (2019) (via NTS)

Good morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! It’s almost time for another weekly Scuzz Sundays blog post, but, before then – here’s a little hip-hop track that’s been doing the rounds on NTS Radio and BBC Radio 6Music. “The Real” is a collaboration between God Colony – a London-based Industrial Hip-Hop music-producing duo who have been self-releasing mixtapes on Bandcamp since they formed in 2015 – and Flohio, a 25-year-old British-Nigerian rapper who has gained momentum over the last few years and was a key standout at the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, The Netherlands back in January 2020. “The Real” is a single that God Colony and Flohio self-released together in February. But, is it “The Real” deal? Let’s have a listen to “The Real” to find out below!

As sonically diverse as it seems lyrically, God Colony and Flohio’s “The Real” is a sharp, fast-paced hip-hop track which covers a wide variety of different themes and it should go down a long way in nurturing the potential of both acts and establishing themselves further on the UK’s Grime scene. Flohio is particuarly excellent at the forefont of the track here, rapping about the difficulty of choosing love over fame: “I’m on a level up like I never lost/Like I never lost, how much does it cost to stay on top”, over skittering trap beats and cleanly polished acid lines. Flohio also raps about the sentimentality of trusting your family amidst dissension: “Mum give me a minute, They said I made a killing” and “Dad give me a minute, she said your kid is the realist/Friends I might just blow, give me a minute, they said they were coming in next”, quickly changing from one direct address to another. The bars come thick and fast, layered over electronic synth lines that wash over the vocals of Flohio and the embellishment of a clear British Dubplate sound. At a later point, the bassline slows down and Flohio’s vocals are drowned under a hazy, distorted strobe effect which strips back the chaotic speed and allows room for a more upbeat, motivational tone. The crackling sound effects at the end play up to the overarching themes of “Keeping it cool” and “being Real” when ledged between a rock and a hard place. The overall track sounds very contemporary and I have little doubt the masses will be hearing it on the FIFA 21 soundtrack, but it sounds like an effective mix of UK Grime and Light Techno, with subtle Reggae influences and a Garage vibe created by it’s fact pacing and it’s emphasis on electric bass instrumentation. It’s nothing truly groundbreaking, but it sounds fresh and Flohio’s vocal performance is superb. A bright future is ahead!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “The Real” (Single Release) (Released on February 20th, 2020) (Self-Released)

Thank you for reading this post! At this time, please make sure that you stay safe, don’t do anything silly and keep on washing those hands! Don’t forget to join me tomorrow for your brand new weekly edition of Scuzz Sundays, our weekly stroll down the memory lane of late 90’s – mid 00’s emo or pop-punk releases from THAT PHASE of our pre-teen lives! 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

Little Simz (feat. Alewya) – “Where’s My Lighter?”

May 15, 2020 — 1 Comment

My sister used to love playing The Sims on PC back in the day! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Little Simz with “Best British Album” at the NME Awards (2019) (Photo by Dean Chalkley)

Good afternoon to you, we’ve officially made it through another week of lockdown! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and, as usual, I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! One of 2019’s breakout artists, Little Simz, the pseudonym of North London-born rapper and TV actress ‘Simbi’ Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, has returned with a new EP release in her sproadic ‘Drop’ series, “Drop 6”, which was released on 6th May 2020 via 101 Music. I am a MASSIVE fan of Little Simz, the recipient of the prestigious Best British Album award at the NME Awards last year with “Grey Area”, of which she brought up her mum on-stage with her to accept the award. Wrongly ignored by the BRIT Awards – a very cheap and poor move – Little Simz was fantastic with “Grey Area”, a raw and honest album that dealt with a variety of different themes, both personal and cultural, in observational and truly gripping ways. “Drop 6” is a record the 26-year-old prodigy has just created in Lockdown by Freestyle Jam sessions. Although it doesn’t have the studio production of “Grey Area” behind it, the EP still sees Simz providing a time capsule of life in quarantine, a rough-edged release that also delivers a very careful optimism that we really need in these times. “Where’s My Lighter” is the fifth and final cut of the new EP, a streamlined and minimally produced affair that features Alewya on guest vocals. Let’s have a listen to the new single below!

On “Where’s My Lighter”, Simbi returns to her long-running mixtape series with a cathartic number that offers up a gloomy meditation of self-reliance and a piano-led monologue that pushes the uncertainty of our current time, but Simbi reassures us that she’s focusing her next steps on her passion for her music and her responsibility to follow-up her critically-acclaimed third album. She raps: “I’m focusing on my next masterpiece/Breakin’ my back to make sure my family eats like…”, reciting an unfinished line over a mellow trap beat layered over a downtempo piano melody. Alewya recites a soulful backing vocal over Simbi’s aggressive bars, providing a smoky afterthought to an otherwise bleak and melancholic tone. Simbi’s lyricism isn’t without a hopeful note though, layering a synth-heavy effect that distorts her vocals in the chorus: “You know I’m a be right here when you need that truth/I got the sixth sense, but I use seven, you know how I groove”, adding a metronomic drum loop that adds a subtle radiance, ending the chorus with: “I don’t play when it’s business/Took it day by day, but we in this”, sharing a universal feeling of hope as she reassures us that it will be over soon and she will always be able to use her expression of art to tide her over until the end. She ends the track on a note of peace, repeating the chorus, but leaving it unfinished to remind us that her story is still being written. It’s an anthem that feels fitting of “Grey Area”‘s legacy because it’s Simbi doing what she does best. It’s thoughtful and observational hip-hop that feels quite raw and cerebral, but it’s melodic and sonically diverse with creative songwriting narrated by an artist who just says it as it is, making her feel down-to-earth and relatable in the process. She’s becoming an icon and this biased writer is in love with the blissful idea of that!

Pictured: Little Simz in a “Grey Area” promotional photoshoot (March 2019) (Photo Credit: TAMIYM)

Thank you very much for reading this post! Please make sure that you stay safe, don’t do anything silly and you keep on washing those hands! It’s time for another Scuzz Sundays post in two days time, but before then – join me tomorrow for an in-depth look at another new hip-hop track. This time, it’s from a London-based Industrial Hip Hop music-producing duo who have, in the past, worked with the likes of Kojey Radical and Stash Marina on tracks that were released for free on Soundcloud! 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: The Streets (feat. Tame Impala) – “Call My Phone Thinking I’m Doing Nothing Better”

May 8, 2020 — 1 Comment

The word on The Streets is… Mike Skinner is finally back! It’s time for your daily post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “None Of US Are Getting Out Of This Alive” (Available on July 10, 2020) (via Island Records)

Sweet Victory! Good morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Mike Skinner is the brain behind the brawns of The Streets, his English rap act, who created his iconic debut album “Original Pirate Material” from 2002 on just his laptop in his bedroom. The album was a huge hit and Skinner has become a force to be reckoned with, releasing hit singles like “Dry Your Eyes” and “Fit But You Know It”. Known for his Garage sound and his anecdotal tracks storytelling the lives of working class British life, Skinner’s credited to be one of the best UK hip hop artists of all-time. I’ve always found his style to be a bit dull and monotonous for my tastes, but he’s decided to enlist the help of Tame Impala, who I really like, for a new single entitled “Call My Phone Thinking I’m Doing Nothing Better”. The single will be released on Skinner’s mixtape “None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Alive”, which comes out on July 10th on Island Records. Let’s listen to it below.

Directed by Mike Skinner, the social-distancing inspired video for “Call My Phone Thinking I’m Doing Nothing Better” lets us see Skinner trapped in the mountains and calling his friend, Kevin Parker of Tame Impala, for help. It lyrically encapsulates with Skinner and Parker rapping and singing about their social distance with missed opportunities. Skinner raps: “The phone is ringing/Can’t use it till’ it stops/I moan and listen, the tone emits/The only man in black/hi-viz jackets in the Cab”, over a shuffling synth backing beat at a rhythmic pace that feels reminiscent of old-school Streets. Tame Impala comes in at a breakneck pace as the rap bars draw out to a hazy synth line wash and a reverberated vocal delivery: “I was gonna call you back, I swear/Just as soon as I felt up to it/It just hasn’t happened yet/And I’m still gonna call you back one day” with the electronic instrumentation creating a slight tinge of Psychedelia, as you’d come to expect from Tame Impala. The lyricism is strong and immediate with plenty of references to the Covid-19 situation. The funky, experimental rap verses are catchy and the drumming sequences give it more depth. Weirdly, I would usually not like The Streets and like Tame Impala but oddly enough, it’s the other way around with this. Skinner’s rap verses feel melodic and traditional, whereas the Tame Impala sections feel strange and out-of-place, as Skinner creates Baritone Garage melodies whereas Parker creates a vocal sample that sounds processed and clunky as if he’s going back to his music. It makes the track feel uneven and disjointed in the execution of the genres that it explores. Overall, there are good elements in the track, but it just doesn’t quite work. Skinner’s vocals are quite good, but the Tame Impala sections sound bizzare. Let’s hope this track doesn’t keep “ringing” about in my head.

Pictured: Mike Skinner (The Streets) in a press shoot (2020) (Photo Credit: http://www.diymag.com)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at a brand new single from an emerging punk band who are from New York and released their debut EP “Distance Is A Mirror” on Wharf Cat Records last November. Please stay inside, don’t do anything silly and keep washing your hands! 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: Hi-Grade Hi-Fi (feat. Richie Culture) – “Warrior”

November 13, 2019 — 1 Comment

Peaceful vibes across the whole nation! It’s time to liven up your day with a new post!

Pictured: Still Image from the “Warrior” music video (2019)

“Born as a warrior”, “grow as a warrior” and “raised as a warrior” are some very catchy lines indeed, from the single “Warrior” by Hi-Grade Hi-Fi, a UK Reggae group who are gaining a lot of traction in their local music scene of Birmingham. According to his own Facebook page, the aim is to be “a Reggae Sound System like no other” as “Hi Grade Hi-Fi bring the raw elements of Jamaican carnival and Sound System culture alongside live musicians to deliver ‘A class’ High Grade Reggae music”. “Warrior” features guest vocals from Richie Culture and it was released, alongside a black-and-white music video directed by Vafa Motamedi, by Reggaeville Records on July 2. It’s the follow-up to “Dreads”, which has amassed over 9.9k views on YouTube.

“Warrior” is a hip-hop track with a very distinct Jamaican ska vibe, which echoes throughout the rhythm of the track, as Bongo Drums and Clavinet melodies can be heard in the background of the fast-paced vocals, adding a layer of traditional Jamaican culture to the track, which is surprising and infectious for an indie record of it’s style. The vocals aren’t overly political, but they address a wide range of contemporary topics and subjects which affect the youth of today’s society, with a slight skew of appeal to the black youth ethnicity, although it can be heard and enjoyed by anybody. It ranges from educating the youth in poverty, to the knife threats on the streets and the messages of universal love and peace across different subcultures and counter-cultures, which is delivered as a verbal message of “togetherness in unity” at the end of the track. These issues are important and controversial, but the track never seems overly judgmental or preaches a way of teaching or speaking that feels biased or directed at a certain political party or any powerful individuals in a way that feels too in-your-face or defamatory. It’s instead replaced by a taste of here-and-now, aided by a sound based on the original fundamentals of Jamaican ska! Props to the dancing man at the end of the video too!

Pictured: Promotional Artwork for “Dreada” (2018) (Available via Bandcamp)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with a look at a new track from a British female solo artist who once worked as a teacher in a nursery in full-time for 4 years, before making the lifelong decision to commit to producing and recording her own 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/

Mercury Prize 2019 Special Edition: Dave – “Streatham”

September 21, 2019 — 1 Comment

A big congratulations to Dave for winning this year’s Mercury Prize award for his first LP record, “Psychodrama”! What a show it was! It’s time for your Saturday blog post!

Pictured: Dave Orobosa Omoregie accepting the Hyundai Mercury Prize 2019!

Dave had to overcome a lot of very tough competition from the likes of IDLES, Foals, Anna Calvi and (my personal favourite) Little Simz to win this year’s Mercury Prize for his new LP, “Psychodrama”, which was released on March 9th on Neighbourhood Recordings. “Streatham” is one of the album’s singles, which reached the heights of #9 on the UK Singles Charts in March, a track which takes influence from obscure genres like Afrobeat to create a UK rap anthem which directly confronts the themes of mental health and it largely references Dave’s youth as a way of connecting the ideas.

“Streatham”, named after the South London district, is a track which feels like an autobiographical story of Dave’s upbringing as a young grime artist. He adds a personal flavour to the fast-paced electronic bass on the track, as he vents stories about his family and the cold home that he grew up in. In the track, he tells anecdotes about receiving his first car where his intoxicated friend got a DUI charge, abuse during his past relationships and the fact he used to skip all of his lectures in his time at university. Dave raps up a coming-of-age story in a song as he reflects on his mistakes, but he also celebrates these decisions as the influences that have molded his songwriting talents as an artist and the fact that he’s made it in the business that he’s truly passionate for. This track feels increasingly diverse as it goes along, with some poppier vocals and a slightly more light-hearted tone balancing out the rough-edged melodies and the more strikingly aggressive stories. Dave is smart in addressing the ghosts of his past, while accepting the mistakes he’s made as the experiences which have shaped him on a very personal level. Overall, it’s a very solid and concise track which has an element of beauty to it. I think that I still would have preferred for Little Simz to win the Mercury Prize award because she is more underground, whereas Dave is a little bit more conventional, but that’s just my opinion! The track is still a winning number from Dave that’s full of energy and I like the bold direction he’s taken. I wish him all the best after receiving this huge career pick-up. It feels like a good pre-cursor to the Brit Awards, which seem like they’re going to be absolutely huge for him. If it beats Ed Sheeran, it’s decent enough for me!

Pictured: Cover Art For “Psychodrama” (2018)
Pictured: Still from the “Streatham” music video

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with a new weekly edition of my Scuzz Sundays series of themed blog posts! 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: Little Simz – “God Bless Mary”

September 4, 2019 — 1 Comment

God Bless Mary and all of you for reading this blog! It’s time for your Wednesday post!

“God Bless Mary” is a rap/hip-hop track by Simbi Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, who is better known as Little Simz, from her debut LP, “A Curious Tale Of Trials + Persons”, which was released in September 2015 by her own independent record label, AGE: 101 Music. This track was released as an apology to a woman called Mary, who used to be her sleep-deprived neighbour, as she would not complain or say anything at all when Simz would loudly jam and make her music in the room directly next to the walls. Simz croons: “I know it don’t do shit for you if I go global/but through these walls I know you hear my vocals” and she recognizes Mary as a lady who, come to think of it, “has heard everything before the world has”. It’s a track that tells a rags-to-riches narrative of Simz experimenting with her sound and beginning a career in the hip-hop genre that would prove to be successful. However, it’s also a touching tribute to Mary as she considers how she was rude and selfish by placing loud speakers on the wall directly next to Mary’s bed. It’s a track that doesn’t necessarily sound very polished and glossy, but the roughness and the aggression adds very dynamic effects to the layers of storytelling. The bars are very fast-paced, the lyrics feel organic and the EDM-inspired beats add a little bit of extra style to the track, but the story of Simz finally delivering a personal and heartfelt apology to Mary, through her expression of street poetry, makes sure the track has a lot of substance. It’s a fantastic track with a great little story and although the quality of the rest of the LP isn’t quite up there with the quality of her new LP, “Grey Area”, released in March 2019, it provides an opening to hear Simz’ evolution as a storyteller and a character with a lot of potential to become an icon in the future of the UK rap/hip-hop/grime landscape. “Grey Area” is one of the best rap records in decades and it’s probably, overall, my favourite album of this year so far. It’s powerful and emotionally moving, while sounding very cool and underground. Excuse my language, but I think she’s just absolutely fucking brilliant!

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at a brand new Drum & Bass track from an English EDM DJ who was recently featured on 6Music’s “Fantastic Beats and Where To Find Them” section of Mary Anne Hobbs’ daytime morning show! If you liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every daily new post is up and like the Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/