New Album Release Fridays: Helado Negro – “Outside The Outside”

October 22, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Far In’ (LP) (Released on October 22nd, 2021) (via 4AD)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up for yet another daily track on the blog, because it’s always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! ‘New Album Release Fridays’ is the time of the week where we unbox one of the most exciting new LP releases of the weekend, and this week’s line-up includes plenty of options to choose from. The likes of Elton John, Self Esteem, HONNE, JPEGMafia, Parquet Courts, Biffy Clyro and Don Broco are all releasing new albums today, but, for me, the Miami-born and New York-based Nu-Disco producer Helado Negro (the main alias of Roberto Carlos Lange) is the little artist who could. You may recognize his voice from ‘Close’, the closing track of Colombian electronic music producer Ela Minus’ album ‘Acts Of Rebellion’, which he was featured on last year. As a solo artist, Lange won the United States Artists’ Fellow In Music in 2019 and he was later the recipient of the 2019 Grants To Artists Award from the Foundation For Contemporary Arts. He was also the winner of the Joyce Foundation in 2015, so there’s plenty of critical acclaim under his belt. Lange has been producing a significant amount of musical and visual art work since he first became active in 2009 through various aliases, and he’s known for his non-conventional approaches to Avant-Pop while also expressing his Latinx identity and his pluralistic sensibilities. 2021’s ‘Far In’ is his seventh full-length solo album, and it is the follow-up to 2019’s ‘This Is How You Smile’ and 2016’s ‘Private Energy’, as well as his first record to be issued on the 4AD label. Born to Ecuadorian immigrants, the record explores his childhood anxieties of feeling like an outsider in his family’s community, and his road to finding a sense of belonging. Lange simply said, “Escape is never out there, you have to look inward”, in a press release. The notable single ‘Outside The Outside’ is married beautifully to a music video consisting of camcorder footage of his family’s South Florida house parties of the 1980’s, so let’s give it a listen.

“This is a song about intimate partnerships and long-loving friendships. To be loyal freaks and an outsider amongst outsiders”, he says about the standout single ‘Outside The Outside’, while adding, about the video, “My family came to this country as outsiders looking for and finding community. People would come to our house and bond through music, family and dancing. They usually began at 8 PM and lasted until 5 AM”, he says of the guests who would stay up all night to dance the Salsa or Merengue, before he concluded, “I used to wake up and it would be 7 AM in the morning and people would still be downstairs drinking”, with a laugh in a recent interview. I think it’s fair to say that this particular concept is alien to us Brits, and so ‘Outside The Outside’ does a great job of creating a late-night vibe with an infectious groove and calling to mind the alienation that Lange struggled handling when he was being raised as a South Florida native despite his rich descent. Lyrics like “There we were/Up all night/Terrified, kissing you twice” and “They were mine/Changed my life, I forgot to show you why” feel hushed and intoned, while the electronic Synths warping around these words feel Lo-Fi and Minimalist in production. The chorus is a simple one, while a touch of introspection touches the other lyrics, as if Lange is reminiscing over the innocence that he also used to feel at the parties while growing up, as he uses lyrics like “Because my world only opens/When your world comes in” to demonstrate these emotions, and discuss how a group of lost souls coming together has formed close relationships. While the lyrics are well-written and inspired enough, it’s also the instrumentation and production that makes the track come together so strongly like it does. The track has a dance music feel, yet it goes for a more reflective and nostalgic tone instead of a swooping and euphoric one, not relying on dancefloor-ready builds and festival-friendly basslines, and instead going for something more subdued and hushed. It feels like a nice platform for Lange’s crooning vocals to create a variety of moods from, while the glistening Disco melodies and the spiraling percussion feels melodic enough to dance along to, whether as a casual listener or a hardcore fan of his work. Overall, ‘Outside The Outside’ is a cracking single that confidently captures the feelings of fostering an environment that feels supportive and comfortable that have shaped the inspiration of Lange’s new album, and the only light we see is that of a dangling Disco ball on the house’s ceiling.

Pictured: Helado Negro performing for GRAMMY’s ‘Press Play At Home’ series (2021) (Photo via PR)

That is all for today! Thank you very much for joining me, and I’ll be back for more musical musings tomorrow. We’ll be listening to the latest single from the quirky indie New Zealand Psych-Pop group Unknown Mortal Orchestra, who have teamed up with the puppeteer of The Muppets and Sesame Street to produce their latest music video.

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New Album Release Friday: Nubiyan Twist (feat. Soweto Kinch & Nick Richards) – “Buckle Up”

March 12, 2021 — Leave a comment

You may stop to ask, how many people does it take to make one song. New post time!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Freedom Fables” (Released on March 12th, 2021) (via Strut Records)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and, you guessed it, it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, since it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Here we are again. New release day. This week’s offerings include a new solo LP from Cypress Hill’s DJ Muggs The Black Goat, a live album from North London’s Sorry and the return of German indie pop duo Haerts – who have had their music featured in numerous film & TV productions like ‘Carrie’, ’13 Reasons Why’ and ‘Love, Simon’. Tom Grennan is paving the way for the mainstream crowd, and Grouplove are back with a surprise new album. However, the record that’s earned the spotlight from me for this week comes from Nubiyan Twist. Born out of Leeds and currently based in London, they are a 10-piece Afro-Jazz collective comprised of a 4-piece Horn section, two vocalists and an electronics rhythms section. Orchestrated by guitarist/producer Tom Excell, the band have released their second album, ‘Freedom Fables’, today via Strut Records. The guest list includes CHERISE, KOG, Ria Moran and more – each of which “explores their own memoirs, a freedom of expression underpinning our belief that music is the ultimate narrative for unity” on the record. The group have seen rotational airplay from BBC Radio 6Music in recent weeks, among frequent performances on Jamie Cullum’s show on BBC Radio 2, with an appearance on ‘Later… With Jools Holland’ set to follow this month. So – let’s hit the gas pedal (Ya get it?…) on ‘Buckle Up’ below.

‘Buckle Up’ sees the London-based collective enlisting the help of saxophonist Soweto Kinch for a melodic solo, and a further call for help from vocalist Nick Richards, who sings about the mundanity of an unfulfilling life cycle. With Latin Jazz, Afrobeat and Trip-Hop callbacks, the single was an effective teaser for a record where “You can hear touches of broken beat, blunted hip hop, highlife, Latin, jazz and UK Soul running through the tracks” according to Tom Excell in a press statement for the album’s announcement. Although seeing a few Covid-related delays along the way, it’s here in the end. Predominantly, I feel that ‘Buckle Up’ references the sounds that the ensemble grew up becoming attached to, with a vintage tinge of Roy Hargrove-esque Brass melodies and undulating Organ polyrhythms blending with the more modern production allocated by the synth-inflected backing of the grooves and the bright horn lines which permeate the mostly Soulful qualities of the sound. The vocal section of “Sometimes I lean back in my chair, look up at the sky, Past these clouds and stars/To find new perspectives to loosen up my life” pads out the first half, while the second portion of the track goes for a more Hip Hop-inflicted beat. A speedy vocal delivery from Richards lowers the melodicism a tad, and the chorus allows the splashings of Trumpet melodies to shine with a more summery, energising mood, with vocal lines like “A journey to find a sense of peace and not desire” and “If I could catch a glimpse, Maybe this time find a door to the peace of my mind” feel much more self-reflective and self-developed. The Latin Jazz style feels at ease with the more melodic Hip-Hop influences though, with a little Dubplate and Reggae bursting through the Spoken Word outro. Overall, while the results are not a groundbreaking record, they are deeply satisfying and quite likeable. It feels relaxed, although not too restrained, and it feels nicely accessible – I’m glad that I could come along for the ride.

Pictured: Tom Excell (Lead Vocals/Producer), Nick Richards (Saxophone), Pilo Adami (Percussion), Oli Cadman (Keyboard), Denis Scully (Baritone Saxophone), Joe Henwood (Drum Machine), Finn Booth (Bass Guitar), Luke Wynter (Synths) and Jonny Enser (Horns/Woodwinds) (in 2021) (Photo via PR)

Thank you for reading my latest blog post! I’ll be rather busy making the trip back to my university term-time accommodation tomorrow, and so my entry tomorrow will probably be a little shorter and sweeter than usual. I can’t let the team down though, so I will be back with an in-depth look at the final track in my pre-Christmas backlog, at last. Tomorrow’s band emerged from a promising wave of early-2010’s British Hardcore Punk groups, with the line-up being a 5-piece super-group of musicians from bands like Arms Race, Vile Spirit and Gutter Knife. 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: Namy & Ayoni – “Disco Dancing”

January 2, 2021 — Leave a comment

The Usos. The Dudley Boyz. Demolition – all of the great tag-teams… New Post Time!

Pictured: Namy (DJ/Producer) in a photoshoot for an interview feature (2018) (via Tokyophonic.com)

The Road Warriors. The New Age Outlaws. The Young Bucks – and, yes, I’ve realized that if you are not a fan of pro wrestling like me, then, those references are probably falling onto deaf ears for you. Anyways, I am Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up about your daily track on the blog, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write to you about a different piece of music every day! Today’s team-up marks the collaboration the Japanese electronic music producer Namy, who has a love affair with Funk, Latino and Jazz music, and the vocalist is Ayoni, a Barbadian-born singer, songwriter and model who was mentored by Patrice Rushen. Their track is “Disco Dancing”, and although this is the first track that I’ve heard from either of the two musicians to be honest with you, I think their stars are on the rise. “Disco Dancing” was released as a one-off single back in October, but I wasn’t honestly too sure what tracks to pick on a “Nothing” day such as the 2nd of January, and so it’s nice to be able to take a look back at some of the missed gems – perhaps – that 2020 had to offer, as we wait for releases. Take a look at the Hanaé Sanchez-directed video below.

Ayoni described her link-up with Namy as a spontaneous, impulsive kind of deal, posting: “I was listening on the Spotify app and came across one of Namy’s collaborators. I loved the energy in his tracks, his production style and how his music really lends itself to movement” in the press notes, explaining: “We decided to work and create while he was in Japan, and I was in Houston, and it ended up being a very fun, collaborative experience”, said the currently Los-Angeles based Pop-Soul singer. It’s a tricky move to release such a dance-oriented track in these harsh times, but I also think they bring a sense of normalcy and warmth to a time that is awaiting the glorious re-opening of nightclubs and live music bars. For me, “Disco Dancing” serves as a very satisfactory contrast to the more hard-hitting experiences that we have been having throughout the last year. Opened by a groovy set of funk guitar licks and a two-step synth beat, Ayoni sings: “We don’t need no metrics, Just your hand will do” over the top of a hyper-melodic, sugar-coated 80’s snare beat. A soulful undertone is a large factor of the verses, before the bridge takes it up a notch with “Sparkling in Cosmic, Saccharine right through” bringing a Sci-Fi, virtual feel to the record. The chorus raises up the tempo, as Ayoni chants: “Just for tonight, Send me, send me higher love” and “How did you make me fall for you, When we’re disco dancing?” over the top of a syncopated drum beat and a mid-tempo bass groove that briefly starts and stops. An upbeat, anthemic Power-Pop chorus rings through the multicultural influences of the track, and a fragmented set of drum claps and light Acid synths add some percussive sounds to the mix. It’s got a slick, super-polished Funk style that reminds me of Skylar Spence, Tomo Nakayama and Skule Toyama, in the way that it refuses to deny indulgent Pop in being a key drive behind the melodies. On the flip side, the lyrics don’t particularly grab me, as they don’t seem to have anything particularly interesting to say. However, Ayoni does a nice job with what she has to work with, as a powerful voice commands the Pop elements of the track without bordering into too much auto-tune, and the structure of the track is a bit overly reliant on the mainstream Pop ballad layout for me, but the production still manages to sound well-inspired. There’s a lot of things that I like about this track, along with a few nitpicks that I don’t like so much, but it feels recent enough, and it makes for a decent listen overall, due to some solid electronic synth production that feels vibrant.

Pictured: Ayoni (Singer/Songwriter) in a photoshoot for a Get To Know Q&A (2019) (via DailyTrojan.com)

Thank you for checking out my latest blog post. As always, join me again tomorrow – When it will be time for the first regular weekly entry of Scuzz Sundays of the New Year, right here in 2021. We’re going to be kicking off, potentially, the next 52 weeks worth of the feature with one of the biggest singles that we’ve yet to revisit. It is one of my childhood classics, and it comes from a band who have had several line-up changes throughout the years – along with once recording one of the most divisive cult classics in pop-punk history, with an album that was heavily inspired by… The Beatles! 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: Jane In Palma – “One By One (Original Mix)”

October 8, 2020 — Leave a comment

This is basically Cuckoo from the titular BBC sitcom in music form. It’s new post time!

Pictured: Jane In Palma (a.k.a. Julian Smith) in the music video for “Safety Net” (2020) (via Vimeo.com)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and it’s my duty to get writing up about your spotlighted daily track on the blog, because it’s still always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! With such a name as quirky as “Jane In Palma” (a parody of the popular Australian Psychedelic Rock artist Tame Impala), you’d be forgiven for thinking this is just a “p**s take” of that culture. No, this is an incredibly experimental project. “Jane In Palma” is the latest moniker of the California-native percussionist and composer Julian Smith, who has released his material under several different aliases, with Dan Froth being his most notable, and he’s previously been associated with WNCL Recordings, Phonica White and UNO! NYC (between the years of 2010 – 2016) under that pseudonym. “Saftey Net” is the second album of his “Jane In Palma” alias, and it’s the follow-up to 2016’s debut “Primitive Thoughts”, and it was released over the summer, on July 8, via Snake Free Roofing. He has gained support from BBC Radio 1, Rinse FM, NTS Radio and Ibiza Global Radio, of all places. For me, I heard of the artist through one of John Ravenscroft’s recent turns on 6Music Recommends, of which Smith was the featured ‘Spotlight Artist’ of the particular programme. In any case, Smith has been claiming for himself to be “based somewhere between the Balearics and the Basque country”, although I am not too sure if this is a part of the act or not, but I’ve given Smith the benefit of the doubt on that. A purely Instrumental track, let’s give ourselves a gander to “One By One” below.

For his first album of the “Jane In Palma” title, Smith’s “Primitive Thoughts” LP from 2016 saw him interpret the surroundings of two locations – empty caves on the isle of Mallorica – which he used as his recording locations. On his Bandcamp page, Smith explains how “Safety Net” is all about exploring the themes of offline living, and ignoring the presence of the media around us, and the record electronically touches upon elements of Garage-Rock, Post-Punk and Surf-Rock from a sonic standpoint. Although “One By One” is not very representative at all of the core sound of the record overall, personally, it is my favourite track on the record because of it’s simplicity. The rest of the record is an interesting mix of idiosyncratic 80’s hip-hop instrumentals and underground production methods, where “the facts don’t matter if the source is crooked”, according to Smith himself, but the sound that makes up the original mix of “One By One” is a more formulaic and gentle process. It mixes up an audibly soft funk rhythm of a plucky bass guitar riff with a delightfully upbeat Conga drum beat that catches on a melodious, repetitive groove that continually sits on the top of a slightly stuttered time signature. A few push-and-pulls of the pacing can be heard now and again, but it mainly stays at a punchy mid-tempo feel, with a springy interlude towards the end. There’s evidently nothing at all to talk about lyrically here because it’s an entirely instrumental effort, but the tones are cheerful and free-form, allowing the patterns of the repeated guitar-and-drum pattern to catch the attention of your ears. The sound pallete is not too busy, but there’s enough going on to make it feel relaxed and humble, if unashamedly formulaic, to keep you occupied and simply in a nice mood. Overall, it allows Smith to nurture his creativity mind-set, and explore sequenced sets of productions with the use of the experimental recording processes, without even the need to think about the commercial justifications to do so. A “pet project” down to a tee, I find the simplicity of “One By One” to be very appealing, with music which seems basic but groovy. Definitely worth keeping your tabs on this artist.

Pictured: Cover Art for “Safety Net” (Album/LP) (Released on July 8th, 2020) (via Snake Free Roofing)

Thank you very much for reading the new post! Don’t forget that I’ll be back again tomorrow, for an in-depth look at another experimental enigma, who is more accustomed to the underground Hip-Hop Fusion realm. It comes off the back of an impressive debut album released two years ago, and the new record features guest collaborative work from Iggy Pop, Jimi Goodwin (of Doves) and Jason Williamson (of The Sleaford Mobs). 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: Groove Armada – “Lover4Now”

October 1, 2020 — Leave a comment

The Electronic Dance duo back to prove the old ways are the best! It’s new post time!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Edge On The Horizon” (Available on October 2nd, 2020) (via BMG Rights)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and, as usual, I’m back on the daily blogging round again today, because it’s still always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! This Friday, tomorrow even, sees the release of “Edge Of The Horizon”, the first new album from Groove Armada, the London-based 1990’s Electronic “Big Beat” duo of Tom Findlay and Andy Cato, to come from the classic duo in exactly ten years. “At The River”, “I See You Baby” and “Superstylin'” are just three of the ten UK Top 40-charting singles to come from the duo’s output over their established 30-year career. They have also released eight studio albums, four of which have charted within the Top 50 of the UK Albums Chart. Prolific as the duo’s decent chart success would suggest, the two producers have crossed over in genres and styles, since meeting in the mid-1990’s, where the duo began the project by setting up their own series of club nights in London (Remember those?) named “Captain Sensual at the Helm of the Groove Armada”, and it was inspired by 1970’s discotheque, which impressed local pioneer “Tummy Touch” to help them get their break, and kick-start their crossover appeal to the mainstream. “Edge Of The Horizon” was very much inspired by the classic 80’s Synth-Funk sounds which Cato and Findlay grew up listening to, and the current Covid-19 restrictions seemed like the right moment for this, as Cato said, in a press release, “During those studio days, the rest of the world shuts down. There’s an intensity, anyone looking in might say madness, that kicks in when we’re totally lost amongst the instruments, synths and records day and night.”, adding, “But that shared, unspoken feeling that comes when we both know we’ve got it right cuts through as clear as ever”. “Edge Of The Horizon” features collaborative tracks with Nick Littlemore (of Empire Of The Sun and Pnau band fame) and the Chicago House producer, Paris Brightledge. The lead single, “Lover4Now”, features guest vocals from Todd Edwards. Let’s listen to it below.

“Lover4Now” feels very much like Cato and Findlay’s ode to 80’s Italo disco, and it, of course, comes accompanied by that cutesy animated music video which sees Mio (the Dog) and Cosmos (the Cat) on their adorable search for love following an online dating session. The rhythms and 1970’s-driven lead vocals immediately call back to Rick James’ “Super Freak” from 1981 to me, as vocalist Tom Edwards delivers his lyrics playing on deceitful romance and alluring lust with a vintage, somewhat fearful, yet still with a playful and upbeat touch, with a mid-1970’s Funk croon. The whirling synthesizers beats in between the vocal sections, where Edwards recites, “Her words are like a song on the radio, Stuck in your head with nothing meaningful” seem bright and intelligent, with catchy pop hooks which feel like a love letter to the vintage style of pop and R&B that seem to have inspired the new track greatly. It has a very “old-fashioned” and “European” disco sound/feel to it, with a light-hearted element of production and subtle elements of early Garage and Detroit House creeping in from the visuals of Ibiza sunsets and cheeky, short-lived Summer romances. The up-tempo backing vocals and the stop-and-start nature of the keyboard synths in the bridge, as Edwards recites: “You need a little sympathy, you’ve had enough wasting your time”, over the top of a brisk ambience. Lines in the chorus feel more rhythmic, as Edwards sings the likes of “There you go looking for her again, and how many before you have there been?” and “She’ll only say what she thinks you wanna hear/You think that she will notice, but she won’t” to put across the ideas of the initial physical thrill of passionate romance, and the mental dangers to come from this. There is never really a “drop” here in terms of the synths raising their intensity up to another level, but the beat feels punchy enough and it’s kept at a relaxed pace to catch your ears nicely. Overall, it skews a bit more poppy than what I would normally choose to listen to, but I feel it’s still a cool record. It has a hugely “old” feel to it, yet I find it to be refreshing in today’s era of very auto-tuned hip-hop/pop-hybrids and business-driven releases aimed at the Teenage girl market. Overall, I really like this. Much better than expected.

Pictured: Groove Armada (Andy Cato & Tom Findlay) in a press shoot (2020) (Photo via BMG Rights UK)

Thank you very much for reading my new post! As per usual, I will be back tomorrow for an in-depth listen to a recent single from another one of the week’s new album releases. I am very fond of this artist, so I have covered her work on the blog once or twice before. This comes from a contemporary Disco-Pop female artist who was once a member of Moloko, a duo with her partner Mark Brydon, who had a few mainstream chart hits in the 80’s with tracks like “Sing It Back” and “The Time Is Now”. 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: Maajo (feat. Ismalia Sané) – “Esukey”

September 12, 2020 — Leave a comment

The band representing “a rare tropical breeze from the cold north”. It’s new post time!

Pictured: Maajo (Jon Thureson, Juhani Lammi, Thomas Lammi, Jussi Laitinen, Janne Melanen and Mitja Virikko) in a publicity shoot to promote “Tropic Of Tulli” (in 2016) (via TheRansomNote.com)

Good Morning! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and, as always, I’m typing up about your daily track on the blog, since it’s routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! This week’s theme has seemingly become a case of catching up with releases which I had missed during the chaos of the kick-started COVID-19 pandemic in the early Spring, such as Nicolas Jaar’s “Cenizas” and Porridge Radio’s “Every Bad” earlier in the week. Last, but by no means least, we have “Kuru Kuru”, the second album from Finnish World-Funk collective, Maajo. This is a lesser-known band, and I first caught wind of “Esukey” by a recent episode of KEXP’s Song Of The Day podcast. Although Maajo had formed in Finland, they have taken a large amount of influence for their chord progression and lyrical devices from traditional African music, while combining these passions with electronic sources. “Kuru Kuru” is the group’s second album to be released by the Queen Nanny record label and it was released in April. The band have previously released music on the Permanent Vacation label, and another branch of their portfolio includes a remixed soundtrack for the 1920’s silent film, “Lost World”, along with receiving remix treatments from Luke Vibert and Call Super themselves. “Esukey” features the Senegalsese lyricist Ismaila Sané, who started his career in the 1970’s as a percussionist, and as a solo dancer/choreographer of African ballet, before he relocated to Finland in the late-1990’s. Most notably, Sané won the “Citizen Of The Year” prize in 2003, which marked the first time an emigrant received the award knowingly. Let’s take a listen to their work on “Esukey” below. Make sure you stay tuned after the track ends to hear a translation from Sané on the lyrics which he sung.

I hope that you stayed until the end! Maajo describe themselves as “a rare tropical breeze from the cold north” in each of their press releases, and it’s a marketing tagline that seems rather unquestionable, to make for a refreshing change of pace. “Esukey” has a very far-reaching sound globally, with a wide range of African and Bollywood appeal, and further influences that come across as more Balearic and Funk-oriented. Elements of Birdsong and lyrics (translated, obviously) refer to enjoying the nature around us on the planet and connecting with wildlife across our borders. It’s difficult to recognise the electronic sequences within the track, as it instead places a much larger emphasis on a percussive, groove-driven sound. Unfortunately, I am unable to understand many of the lyrics and I’m mostly in exactly the same boat as you when it comes down to the vocal aspects, but the language of percussive instrumentals and nostalgic Afrobeat undertones thankfully skew far more universally. There is a gentle R&B-tinge established from the outset, with a mellow keyboard section giving off the introductions. Shortly after, we’re greeted to straightforwadly upbeat Senglanese lyrics from Sané, who connects these dots together with an involving voice and an optimistic mood. Kalimbas rattle along and Balafons riffs tick along to create a joyous, percussive groove that creates a lively bassline to communicate an organic and natural quality that can resonate with an English-speaking audience. It skips along with a quick pace, with reggae sensibilities due to the drum beats and a slightly-skewing electronic fusion created by the keyboard melodies, to add some more harmonization to the mix. The track is all over and done with rather quickly, and I think it would take a few listens for you to fully grasp the sonic concepts being explored. Yet, it never feels frantic and too chaotic for it’s own good, instead evoking a decent sense of warmth and joy, with calming vocal textures and punchy guitar melodies. Overall, it makes for something that feels easy and rewarding to listen to, despite the foreign lyrics themselves – with a fruity flavour.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Kuru Kuru” (Album/LP) (Released on April 10th, 2020) (via Queen Nanny)

Thank you very much for reading this post! Don’t forget that, as usual, it will be time for a brand new weekly installment in our Scuzz Sundays series tomorrow, which, if you are new to the blog, is the time of the week where we take a look back at an Emo-Rock or a Pop-Punk relic which was released between the late-1990’s and the early-2000’s, to see if it can hold up to it’s qualities in the present day! 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 Post: Khruangbin – “Pelota”

June 26, 2020 — Leave a comment

Does it live up to the hype or should it go in the Khruang-Bin? It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Laura Lee (Lead Vocals/Bass Guitar), Mark Speer (Lead Guitar/Occasional Backing Vocals) and Donald “DJ” Johnson (Drums/Percussion) in a press shoot for the “Con Todo El Mundo” debut album era (2018) (via Echoes.org)

At last, it’s big release time! Good Morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! I’m glad the scorching hot weather has calmed down a bit, aren’t you? But, imagine the feeling of partying on a pleasantly warm beach in Croatia while you hear a DJ busting out the Earthly, Dub-inflicted Funk sounds of Khruangbin! It would be perfection, and it’s a tranquil feeling that the Houston trio of Laura Lee, Mark Speer and Donald “DJ” Johnson are hoping to capture on the new album, “Mortdechai”, which is the follow-up to 2018’s “Con Todo El Mundo” and it’s 2019 dub remix album “Hasta El Cielo”. They also released “Texas Sun”, a collaborative 4-track EP with Leon Bridges, in January of this year. So, they’ve been all over the shop – both sonically and geographically. I was very impressed with “Time (You and I)” and “So We Won’t Forget”, the previous two singles from the brand new album, although they don’t switch up the familiar formula of Khruangbin from their previous releases very much. “Mortdechai” releases today on the Dead Oceans label. It’s up to “Pelota”, the new single to be released by the band in support of the new album, to carry the hype train along. Let’s have a listen to it below.

A music video that is loosely based upon an animated Japanese film which has not been named by the band, Khruangbin’s “Pelota” sees director Hugo Rodríguez pair images of a Japanese Anime-style character morph through spherical shapes as the guitar-driven motifs of “Pelota” warp around a Latin American Pop style, full of Polyrhythmic drum beats and hand-clapped Jazz intervals. Khruangbin’s new album is their first to feature prominent vocals on every track, deviating from their predominantly instrumental style prior, but I was even more surprised to hear vocalist/bassist Laura Lee sing in Spanish on the new track, “Pelota”. The core lyric hook, “Ahorita Yo Puedo Ser Uno Pelota”, is a rough translation to the irreverent chorus “Right now, I can be the ball” in Spanish – an undercurrent to the track’s hidden meaning of the band exploring and observing the world by envisioning themselves as rubber balls. Silly as it may sound, it works well. This is because the band retain their dub-based, Funk and World aura with bass guitar riffs that feel familiar to their existing work, pleasing their built-in fanbase. “Pelota” has a more grounded feel to the previous two singles, “Time (You and I)” and “So We Won’t Forget”, due to the tempo being slightly raised by the lead vocals, and a lesser focus on their psychedelic trip. The instrumentation feels quite percussive, with an energetic lead guitar melody and jolting Steel Drum melodies rippling throughout. Although it’s a mostly abstract outing, it manages to negate my light concerns of the new album not sounding different enough to their prior releases to stand out amongst them. The proof will be in the pudding, however, and judging by the quality of all three singles from the new album, it’s shaping up to be one of, and potentially even, their best. I absolutely can’t wait to stream it later today once my jobs are done.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Mortdechai” (Released on June 26th, 2020) (via Dead Oceans)

As I mentioned, I am a huge fan of Khruangbin so I have covered multiple tracks from them in the past. Have a listen to “Time (You and I)” and “So We Won’t Forget”, the other two singles from their new album, “Mortdechai”, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/05/02/todays-track-khruangbin-time-you-and-i/ and here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/05/20/todays-track-khruangbin-so-we-wont-forget/, respectively. Check out my thoughts on “Texas Sun”, the titular track of their collaborative EP with Leon Bridges, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/01/06/todays-track-khruangbin-feat-leon-bridges-texas-sun/. Finally, you can check out the festive hit “Christmas Time Is Here” below: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/13/todays-track-khruangbin-christmas-time-is-here/

Pictured: Khruangbin outside of the BBC Radio 6Music studios (2018) (via BBC Music)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at a track from a South-London based drums player who was one half of the sax-and-drums duo Binker & Moses, and he also fronted his own indie rock band, Exodus. 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