Today’s Track: Planningtorock – “Beulah Loves Dancing”

February 5, 2020 — 1 Comment

I’ve been Planningtowrite this one for an entire day! It’s time for your new blog post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Beulah Loves Dancing” (October 2018) (Available on Bandcamp.com)

Good afternoon to you, Jacob Braybrooke here with your daily track for the blog! Jam Roston, formerly named Janine Roston, is an English electronic dance producer who currently lives in Berlin, Germany. She rose to fame after launching her own label, Rostron Records, where she released “Have It All”, her debut LP in 2006. Later, she went on the “Sound Of Silver” world tour with LCD Soundsystem in 2007 and released a remix of The Knife’s “Marble House” a year prior. “Beulah Loves Dancing” is a little bit old, but it’s still a recent track in her discography. It’s the lead single from her fourth LP, “Powerhouse”, a self-released album from 2018. I caught the track floated around on the BBC Radio stations for a little while in it’s original release and I’ve remembered it for long enough to feature it on the blog. Give the track a listen below.

I think it’s easy to see why it’s a very memorable little dance anthem, as it has a very original sound and the narrative framework is creative. The lyrics of the track pays tribute to the musically energised youth of Jam’s sister. With a down-tempo mood, she croons: “Back in the 80’s me and my sister were given a personal Walkman”, before referring to her sister, who loved her house music and would make her own mixtapes and cassettes. It became an obsession for her, which is beat-matched by a trippy acid synth line which remains steady, but teases a subtle line of breakbeat melodies. The bridge is led by an eccentric dreamscape vocal: “Beulah loves dancing/Has always loved music, yeah”, the story continues, with Roston taking a trip down memory lane, saying: “And I kid you not, the whole house would be shaking” as Beulah would prance about to her club music upstairs. It seems almost akin to a pop song, with a catchy vocal rhyme that hypnotically paces around the percussive techno melodies. The delivery of the vocals is particularly down-tempo, which keeps the fizzing synth notes to a controlled pace. I think the fade-out at the end is particularly nice and I love the unique composition of the track, with the childhood story being an anecdote which the melodic rhythms are built around. However, to a certain extent, I find the arrangement of the track to get a bit tedious and it doesn’t push it’s sound forward it’s techno-oriented soundscape as much as it’s experimentation suggests. Overall, I think it’s a three-star-out-of-five track as it’s use of storytelling is very intriguing and the fluctuating acid snare line is enjoyable, but the instrumentation feels limited to a point where I feel the track tries to do a bit much for it’s own good. I feel opinions may vary on this one, so I’d love to hear yours!

Pictured: Jam Roston (Planningtorock) in a photoshoot for her official website (2018)

Thank you for reading this post! Beulah Loves Dancing and so do I, so I’ll be dancing my way back on to the blog tomorrow with an in-depth look at a track from The Specials which is a cover version of an old Jamaican track released back in 1967! The cover version by The Specials reached #10 in the UK Singles Chart! 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 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: Jon Hopkins (feat. Kelly Lee Owens) – “Luminous Spaces”

January 22, 2020 — Leave a comment

Lighting up the sky with this space-ious electronic maverick! Time for your new post!

Pictured: Jon Hopkins in a photoshoot for a Q&A with Red Bull Music (2013) (Photo Credit: Sarah Ginn)

A sci-fi themed EDM anthem that will transport you to an alternate galaxy, “Luminous Spaces” is the new single from Surrey-born DJ Jon Hopkins, also featuring guest vocals from Welsh artist Kelly Lee Owens. Good evening to you, Jacob Braybrooke here! I’ve just arrived back from a university trip to the WB Studio Tour in London, where I saw a lot of the props, costumes and sets designed and used for the Harry Potter films. I’m not a huge fan, to be honest, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would! I’m a little exhausted, so I’m going to keep it short and sweet today, but it’s easy for me to write to you about Jon Hopkins since he’s one of my heroes. He’s mostly known for just making noises on his laptop, but his improvisational style is impressive and it results in the creation of a cinematic, theatrical sound, which really makes him stand out from the other fellow DJ’s working in the IDM genre. He received his major breakthrough from scoring the 2010 Gareth Edwards film, “Monsters”, before going on to release studio records like “Immunity” in 2013, which was nominated for the Mercury Prize Award that year. He’s recently announced a new “Polarity” tour, stopping off at tour dates in Bath, Dublin, Edinburgh and London, in March. No further details of a new LP have been confirmed. However, I think it’s safe to assume that we’ll be hearing a follow-up to his Grammy-nominated album “Singularity”, released in 2018, fairly soon. Hear the edit of “Luminous Spaces” below.

Once again proving that, in music, there are two sides to every coin – this is a wonderful electronic, Leftfield-inspired, IDM track which begins as a light, trance number and later evolves into a more danceable house anthem, but the track doesn’t lose the soft-spoken charm and the echo-drenched delights created by the first half. Owens opens: “Did you notice? Fill up the spaces…”, above a gently resonating line of synths and a low-tempo bassline, creating a sparkling effect of soundscapes. This gradually builds in it’s pacing and it’s structure, but it never feels slow, as the pop-laden backdrop creates a sense of 90’s nostalgia which pushes the programming of the ambience forwards at a brisk pace. Before long, layers upon layers of different synth melodies are being added to the vocal hook, as Owens renders: “To feel again”, before the track drives a sharp turn, as Hopkins takes over the music machine. He replaces Owens’ soft-spoken vocals with a deafening helping of kick drums and a vibrant, sweeping sequence of methodically formatted snares, as the slow-trance melody is replaced by the embracing of a more thunderous set of sounds. Overall, it’s a wonderful little single which showcases Hopkins’ at the best of his theatrical abilities, but it also adds new elements to his sound courtesy of Owens’ gentle vocals!

Pictured: Jon Hopkins in an interview with FACT magazine (Photo Credit: Dan Medhurst) (2015)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with a look at a dubplate reggae track from an underground Birmingham act, of which I’ve covered a track on the blog before, who publish dubplate remixes for all of their featured artists on their Bandcamp.com page! 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/

Today’s Track: Floating Points – “Anasickmodular”

January 8, 2020 — Leave a comment

Is it science, magic or great music? a combination of all three? Time for a new post!

Pictured: Sam Shepherd in a photoshoot for an interview on the RedBull.com website (January 2018)

Jacob Braybrooke here! It’s not Rocket Science! Well, for this guy, it’s Neuroscience! Seriously, he has a degree in it! I’ve been listening quite a bit to Floating Points recently, a DJ of all things acid techno whose real name is Sam Shepherd, the co-founder of the Eglo Records label. His recent album, “Crush”, was released last November on the Ninja Tune label. It’s an experimental piece of music which dynamically mixes a range of improvisational sounds and electronic ambient works recorded around the world. It’s January, so there isn’t going to be much out until the early Spring heats up. That gives you the perfect excuse for you to go and check it out!

“Anasickmodular” is one of the singles from the album, which has made the A-list of BBC Radio 6Music for several weeks. It was named after the team who did the visual projections, the fact that he was feeling poorly on the day and how he bought a modular out of the box to record it! For me, “Anasickmodular” draws a heavy comparison to the likes of Aphex Twin and Squarepusher. Since the genre of this single is of a similar tone and style, it reminds me of several Warp Records releases from around the mid-90’s, which partially contributes as to why I like it so much. The mixing and production of the track was created during Shepherd’s live improvised set at Dekmantel Festival in 2017, with other engineering stages completed during a tour date in Sydney. For me, this gives the track it’s freeform and carefree style, which echoes throughout the strange break-beat melodies and the ethereal, percussive garage beats. The texture, as a result, sounds very warm and euphoric, due to a hypnotic trance transition which feels like the music equivalent to a child’s drawing. A twitching, off-kilter drum pattern harkens back to Warp’s late-90’s IDM exports. The midway point is a real standout, as the assortment of ambient sounds swell up to form a synth tendril which forms the effect of an orchestral crescendo. It feels like Shepherd has definitely put his club sensibilities to the test and really pushed himself, as an artist, to deliver this track. He adds a layer of scientific IDM to make it essential!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Crush” (October 2019)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with a look at a new track from an Irish singer-songwriter and music producer who is known for being part of the Irish Trip Hop duo Moloko, who were responsible for the chart hits “The Time Is Now”, “Sing It Back” and “Familiar Feeling”! 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/

Christmas Eve Special: Aphex Twin – “XMAS EVET_10 (Thanaton3 Mix)”

December 24, 2019 — 1 Comment

Merry XMAS EVE T_10 to you too! I know you’re a bit shy, Richard! I hope your card came! For everybody else, it’s finally time for a truly special Christmas Eve blog post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Syro” (2014)

Only the most hardcore of Aphex fans will get the Druqks reference above! I have already expressed just how much love, admiration and respect that I have for Richard D. James, otherwise known under his main pseudonym of Aphex Twin, SO many times on the blog and on social media. So, I’m not going to hammer over you with the details again. But, if you’re new to the blog – just to give you a hint, I spent a whopping total of over 95 hours listening to his material over the year of 2019. That’s not even half of it, as it doesn’t count his releases under many other pseudonyms like AFX, Polygon Window, GAK, The Tuss and others. I’m Jacob Braybrooke, I’m a nerd for Aphex Twin and this Christmas Eve on the blog, I’m covering “XMAS_EVET10 [120] (thanaton3 mix)” from Syro. I think it’s as much of a Christmas song as Die Hard is a Christmas film. I mean, it does have ‘XMAS-EVE’ in the title, so I think that’ll do for me!

I’ve been planning to write about this exact track for XMAS_EVE for about 4 months now. It’s very difficult to really explain which genre it is and how it sounds as the track is over 10 minutes long and there is just SO much to it. I should probably start by telling you that it’s been taken from Richard’s big comeback LP record following 2011’s “Druqks”, “Syro”, which was released in September 2014. On the record, Richard explores a more sonic direction and a deep-house style of production. It sounds very futuristic and complex, which is very different to his iconic 90’s releases. It’s lost it’s experimental value, as gone are the wacky melodies and the jabs at the music industry, which are instead replaced by a style of production where every single beat has been mechanically engineered to such a perfected degree. It’s entirely Meticulous and you’re going to have to give it a lot of time and work before you properly start to take different pieces from it. However, that’s a great compliment, as it is just such a fantastic record that will reward you in heaps and it’s going to stay in your Psyche for a long time, as it continues to unfold while you keep persevering with it. “XMAS_EVET10” is an ambient track, although it does have modulated vocals from Richard’s children. It’s still a little bit festive in the first few minutes, as it evokes a feeling of warmth and comfort. The childhood excitement of Christmas Day morning. As the track progresses, the Vaporwave-influenced bassline stutters and keeps replacing elements with alternating synth riffs and several hand-programmed, analogue mutations. There’s a quiet melodic energy and a 00’s IDM feel to the funky acid house rhythm. It’s deep techno done best by the legendary electronic maverick, with a sound that replaces a fading sense of familiarity with a strange sense of discovery. It’s very lush and it’s been layered very intelligently, with Richard tinkering away at the different computer-controlled beats to a near-endless level. The result is a gorgeous track that manages to justify a 10 minute long duration. How many other tracks can you think of that manage such a feat? Part of why Richard is such a hero to me is that even though the musical landscape around him changed unrecognisably in the years that he decided to seemingly retire the Aphex Twin moniker, he made his comeback with interwoven soundscapes that still manage to absolutely enthrall and captivate. I wholeheartedly feel that, as a student, I should be raving to more of this rather than the accepted dose of generic S Club 7 and One Direction that I’m being offered at my university events and I wish that more of my peers would understand where I’m coming from with that strong opinion. Now, that is my true Christmas wish!

Pictured: Richard D. James in a photshoot for a rare interview with MTV (October 1996)

You can also read my in-depth thoughts on 2001’s “Vordhosbn” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/09/24/todays-track-aphex-twin-vordhosbn/

Pictured: Richard D. James on a poster for a live performance at Hallum University, Sheffield, England (1993)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back in the proper festive spirit tomorrow, of course, for a Quick post (It’s my Christmas as well, you know!) on a legendary Christmas classic from a former Beatle bassist who is currently scheduled to be headlining The Main Stage on the Saturday night at Glastonbury in June 2020! 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: Caribou – “You & I”

December 9, 2019 — 1 Comment

With deadlines coming up for me on Thursday, it’s been just another Manic Monday, but Caribou is back to enlighten our moods! It’s time for your Monday music musing!

Pictured: Dan Snaith in a photoshoot for a Q&A interview with Stereogum (2014)

Leaving a six-year gap between 2014’s “Our Love” and his upcoming fifth studio release under the Caribou stage alias, which has been Canadian disc jockey Dan Snaith’s main gig since 2005, has left even his most patient fans with an awfully long wait. It’s difficult to remember that Snaith hasn’t been away from pumping out new material for very long, having dropped two new releases under his Daphni side-project in 2017. However, the overdue wait is finally over because Snaith has recently announced a new LP under the Caribou name, “Suddenly”, which is slated for release on February 28th via the City Slang records label. He’s also just been confirmed as part of the Saturday headliners for the All Points East Festival in May 2020 at Victoria Park in London next year, sitting comfortably alongside Tame Impala and Glass Animals. Not a shabby lineup at all! To start building up hype for the marketing machine of the new LP record, Snaith has unveiled a new single, “You & I”, which is a follow-up to the amazing soul-inspired, funk-heavy tune “Home” released in October.

The track starts off with a relatively slow-pace as the hallowed synth beats and the controlled drumbeat flickers between light moods and soundscape emotions like a disco ball shining down on a half-empty slow dance at some kind of school prom. Yeah, that sounded better in my head. Anyways, give it a listen and you’ll be able to hear what I mean. This is quintessentially a Caribou record, which has been mixed with a soul-laden influence of ambient experimentation lifted from the likes of Bonobo or Four Tet. From the slight tinge of neo-psychedelia and old-school electronic pop. A sudden (*boom*tiss) rush of guitar lines and autotuned male vocals provide a brief respite from the layered soundscapes and precise new-wave engineering, where Snaith manages to create an ultimate feeling of distance and dream circumstances not coming to a whole fruititon. The vocals, recited under a falsetto, “You can take your place up in the sky/I will find a way to get it on down here/Just as long as you aren’t here”, evoke an instantaneous effect of dream-pop and shoegazing, with the part-decimated vocal lines, in the drop, providing an effect of distortion, as the falsetto quickly fades out and gets replaced by a melancholic, but still dance-heavy, time-signatured sequence of IDM-heavy snares. The result is an overruling selection of themes, which bounce off each other and connect with each other to create an intelligent EDM sound which creates a wide contrast of themes and tones, all existing within an 80’s-drenched electro-funk soundscape, which creates an emotion of vulnerability and give-and-take nostalgia. Festival crowds, here he comes!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Suddenly” (February 28th, 2020)

You can also read my thoughts on “Home”, a previously released track from the forthcoming new record, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/10/28/todays-track-caribou-home/

Pictured: Dan Snaith hard at work producing music in his office studio!

Thank you for reading this post! Make sure you read the blog tomorrow, as I’ll be looking at a recent track from an American contemporary Christian singer who has performed across India, Uzbekistan, Israel, Guatemala and toured with Aaron Boyd. 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. Rockwell Knuckles, Tef Poe & Daemon) – “Urgent, Important, Please Read”

December 7, 2019 — 1 Comment

I ask for you to do the same by reading my blog! I’m urgently writing this post for you!

Pictured: Joshua Paul Davis sifting through his personal collection of over 60,000 records (2016)

DJ Shadow is back in our ears! “Our Pathetic Age” is the new, and sixth, full-length album from Shadow, his real name being Joshua Paul Davis. It works as a double-sided album, with the tracks on the first side of the record being instrumental, ambient-techno recordings and the tracks on the second side of the record featuring tracks with guest vocalists such as De La Soul, Nas and frequent collaborators Run The Jewels. Released on November 15, this record is a hip-hop commentary on the way that social media has changed our society and how online presence can be addictive for the public, more so than living life through a physical eyesight. “Urgent, Important, Please Read” is the third single on the record, featuring the vocal talents of Tef Poe, Rockwell Knuckles and Daemon. How many people does it take to record a song these days? That’s a rich pointer to make though, because like “Rocket Fuel” released earlier in the year, over the summer months, this track is an absolute corker!

The track starts off with an instant wave of reverb-drenched synth-led baselines as Poe introduces his vocal performance and the lyrical themes of the track: “I don’t know if you’ve been looking at your phones or looking at your screens, but, um…Careful with your info”, before the fast-paced grime flow kicks in over the top of Shadow’s trip-hop bassline, which adds a layer of drama and horror to the vocals, as the heavy breakbeat snares connote a sense of trauma and phobia in it’s fluctuating wavelength, as the industrial style dips above and below the lyrical references to digital surveillance and online manipulation of behaviour. A big shout-out, from a wrestling fan, to the name drop for WCW Nitro, by the way. A cornerstone of the 90’s, a title which Shadow also fulfills and plays off in his own right of the sound of this new LP record. There are brief glimmers of relaxation here and there, with a slow fading as the vocal bridge settles in: “So it seems to me this confusion is a human error/We keep allowing this to grow, the machines are gonna win/I’m…I’m gonna be the first to say it” before the track gets back to it’s very consistent drilling effect, although it’s not all doom and gloom. Overall, it’s a thought-provoking commentary on the online anxieties of futuristic technology and the 24/7 society which can threaten our earthly perspectives to change in specific ways and it shows new life for Shadow 20 years into his career, although the sound of the track also harkens back to the exciting underground hip-hop scene of the 90’s. There’s such a lot to unpack and discuss here!

Pictured: DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist (Lucas MacFadden) mixing together in the studio (Photo Credit: Derek Daily)

You can also read my thoughts on “Rocket Fuel”, a single featuring 70’s hip hop icons De La Soul from the brand new album, released over the summer, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/08/19/todays-track-dj-shadow-feat-de-la-soul-rocket-fuel/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Our Pathetic Age” (Released on November 15th, 2019) (via Mass Appeal Records)

Thank you very much for reading this post and for all of the kind comments I’ve been getting lately! I’ll be back tomorrow, as always, with your weekly throwback to the emo-pop/rock scene of the 2000’s as it’s nearly time for another Scuzz Sunday blog post! 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: Caribou – “Home”

October 28, 2019 — Leave a comment

It’s been my second week of work experience at a professional broadcaster today, but now I’m Home, so it’s time for me to write you a paragraph or two about a new track!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Home” (October 2019) (Single Release)

“Caribou”, which is not to be confused with the energy drink “Carabao”, is one of the several different monikers of which Dan Snaith, a Canadian DJ, composer and producer, releases his works of art, in the form of intelligent dance music, under. Along with aliases such as “Manitoba” and “Daphni”, he has released several essential albums that have become influential for EDM artists to follow, such as his 2007 LP record “Andorra”, which won the 2008 Polaris Music Prize. He’s also known for curating the “Nightmare Before Christmas” in Minehead in 2013, which was also hosted by All Tomorrow’s Parties, with Snaith also co-performing alongside Battles and Les Savy Fely. “Home” is his new single, which is his first piece of new material in the five years since “Our Love”, a 2014 LP record, although he’s produced new music as “Daphni” since that point. The track lands with the announcement of Caribou headlining Liverpool’s Invisible Wind Factory next year, as well as a UK tour coming up later in 2020. The jam was premiered as BBC Radio 1’s “Hottest Record In The World” by Annie Mac on October 8th, with a new LP record possibly being on the way.

The main riff of “Home” is a sample taken from Gloria Barnes’ 1971 soul classic tune of the same title, with Snaith’s electronic production work acting as an enhancement of the soulful mood and the gospel influences off the original Barnes’ record. In an interview with NME, Snaith said the track reflects “moments when something changes suddenly”, which “catalyses a change in your whole life – when you need to go back to something familiar, pick up the pieces and start again.”, which is also a great summary of how a student like me usually feels when travelling on the train for a trip home at christmas time. Back on-topic now. The track uses house influences and bumps them up a notch, with a winding staircase of jazz melodies and chiming psychedelia adding an acid trip-feel to the thematic context of this track. It reminds me a little bit of The Avalanches, in which the layout feels dynamic and adds several layers of horns and string composition without it being easily noticed on the first listen. The vocal hook: “It’s just what she pleases/Cause she’s happy on her own/She picks up all the pieces, she’s going home” is wistful and has a child-like soul sensibility to it, making it feel accessible to a more casual audience than some of Caribou’s other records, without feeling too poppy or over commercial-ised. Overall, this is a solid single with a neat ending, yet it is very rewarding towards repeat listens.

Pictured: Dan Snaith (Caribou) in a photoshoot for a Q&A interview feature (2014) (Photo Credit: Stereogum)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at a new track from a legendary 90’s US Pop/rock/whatever-he-wants icon who has secretly turned down a role in composing the score and soundtrack for the Netflix TV hit “Mad Men” not once, not twice, but multiple times! 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: Jon Hopkins – “Open Eye Signal”

October 23, 2019 — Leave a comment

If you’re looking for a signal towards great music, you’ve hopefully come to the right place for a daily musing! It’s time for your Wednesday post!

I remember flicking through the highlights of Glatonbury Festival 2019 on BBC iPlayer and catching a few tracks from an enchanting live set from Jon Hopkins, a UK electronic dance artist with a background in producing scores for film soundtracks, most notably for Gareth Edwards’ 2010 breakout hit sci-fi smash “Monsters”. He’s a very talented individual who used to work closely with renowned singer-actress Imogen Heap, as he first gained notoriety from playing the keyboard alongside her, before moving on to a production role for albums from the likes of Brian Eno, David Holmes and, weirdly enough, Coldplay, of all bands. His biggest hit is “Singularity”, an album which gained lots of critical acclaim and charted within the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart when it was first released in 2015. “Open Eye Signal” is a single from his fourth LP record, “Immunity”, which was released in June 2013 by Domino Records and it was nominated for the Mercury Prize Award of the next year.

“Open Eye Signal” is a track from Hopkins which really makes a great deal of sense when you consider that Hopkins has a vital background in performing for soundtracks on films and television. This is an ambient electronic dance track that has a cinematic quality to it, created by the mixing of the heavy bass colliding with the percussion which feels industrial in texture, smashing into the techno-infouenced rhythm and the consistently fast pacing, although the beats feel very merticulously layered as the track builds upon it’s layout in a gradual manner. The result is an 8-minute delight which never lets up, a track which is very cerebral in it’s delivery, leading to a close which feels organic in a rather subtle way. Overall, it’s very methodical in nature and it’a harkening back to the intelligent dance craze of the late 90’s, while conveying new tones of human evolution and drawing on the themes of science and the environment in a way which feels, in the ending, successful in it’s delivery.

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with a signature track from an alternative rock group who have famously produced a metal/punk cover version of Simon & Garfunkel’s 1964 classic “The Sound Of Silence”! If you really 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/