Today’s Track: Dawn Richard – “Nostalgia”

September 20, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Dawn Nostalgia in a ‘Second Line’ official press shoot (2021) (Photo by Alexander Le’Jo)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come for me to, yet again, get writing up on the blog for another daily track on the blog, not forgetting that it’s always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! A multi-talented Disco producer, Louisiana’s Dawn Richard is a singer, songwriter, dancer, model, actress and animator who shot to success when she auditioned for the US TV reality talent series ‘Making The Band 3’ in 2004 as a member of the US girl group Danity Kane, who were officially active from 2005 until 2009. Since that time, Richard joined the duo of Dirty Money with her fellow American singer-songwriter Kalenna Harper, and she began her solo career as DAWN in 2011, before releasing six full-length albums on her own merit. Her latest, ‘Second Line’, was released through Merge Records and Entertainment One to critical acclaim earlier in the year, and the title refers to the parade tradition of the same name that occurs in Richard’s hometown of New Orleans, with the new record exploring the African-American cultural heritage of the practice and fuses elements of R&B, Disco, Hip-Hop and Ambient Pop together as a tribute to, as Richard states in the LP’s product description, “A movement to bring pioneering Black women in electronic music to the forefront”. The recent album also follows Richard’s alter ego as King Creole, an “assassin of archetypes, a Black girl from the South at a crossroads in her artistic career”. Sounds good! Her latest single, ‘Nostalgia’, has also seen tremendous support from BBC Radio 6 Music, KCRW and MPR’s The Current. Give it a listen below.

Regarding the album’s themes, Dawn Richard explained when her latest album was announced, “The definition of a Second Line in New Orleans is a celebration of someone’s homecoming. In death and in life, we celebrate the impact of a person’s legacy through dance and music”, adding to her press release, “I’m celebrating the death of old views in the industry. The death of boxes and limits. I’m celebrating the homecoming of the future. The homecoming to the new wave of artists. The emergence of all the King Creoles’ to come. This is our revival”, and so, on that note, it’s not tricky to see why forward-thinking radio stations like 6Music have pushed the track so heavily in recent months. A feel-good dance anthem for the modern society, ‘Nostalgia’ has a retro-revivalist sound that strikes me as Sophie Ellis Bextor goes experimental in terms of its creative direction, with Richard constantly asking rhetorical questions like “What does it mean to Second Line? To give the good footwork with the good work” atop a video game-like soundtrack that mixes twinkling Keys with chilled Lo-Fi House melodies. Later lyrics, like “I’m trying to find purpose/But I’m lost in your circus” are highly processed, and pulsates off the back of flickering bass lines that feel bouncy in texture, and uses spaced-out synths and ad-lib vocal sequences to put a more contemporary twist on the euphoric street dance traditions of the big, colourful parades of 80’s New Orleans. She also repeatedly asks the likes of “Do you love me anymore?” and “Can we work this out?” atop a robotic monotone ad-lib effect towards the end of the track, before declaring “I want those days back” in a stilted tone. The grooving synths and the rhythmic utters, however, thread different elements of Psych-Funk, Prog-Pop, House and R&B together in an effective way by mixing a slightly comical delivery with a nostalgic throwback feel that leans into Soul and engaging Synth-Pop. All in all, this is a well-developed dance track which feels eclectic and varied, and Richard nods to the past while pointing to the future in the way that she re-contextualizes the traditions that inspired the record.

Pictured: Dawn Richard in an official press shot for 21Ninety.com (2021) (Photo by @steviedphotos)

That’s all that I have time for today! Seriously… I have a shift at work coming up right after I’ve published this one. I’ll be back tomorrow, however, as we globe trot outside of my native UK again. My next pick comes from a Brazillian Alternative Folk singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger who has enjoyed heavy support from KCRW in recent months. Netflix fans will know him for performing ‘Tuyo’, the theme track for the Netflix original TV series’ ‘Narcos’ and ‘Narcos: Mexico’.

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Today’s Track: Cola Boyy (feat. John Carroll Kirby & JGrrey) – “Mailbox”

August 17, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Prosthetic Boombox’ (LP) (Released on June 18, 2021) (via Record Makers)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s finally time for me to deliver yet another daily track on the blog, since it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Cola Boyy, otherwise known as Matthew Urango to his family, is a multi-instrumentalist and left wing activist from Oxnard, California – which is also the hometown of Anderson Paak and Madlib. His self-produced blend of Funk and Hypnagogic Pop belongs mostly to the Nu-Disco genre, and he was previously the second guitarist for the Indie Pop band Sea Lions. He was born with a club foot defect, along with scoliosis, kryphosis and spina bifida, and he turned to a life in music after he was discriminated by previous employers, ending up in hospital with pneumonia after he was pushed to overwork by a supermarket employer. You might now have known that at first, though, due to the joyous and defiant dance music that he makes at home. This has all led to Urango being seemingly scouted for talent by The Avalanches, appearing with Mick Jones for a track on their latest album, ‘We Will Always Love You’, which was released last year. He has also toured with MGMT and remains close friends with John Carroll Kirby, who each appear, in some capacity, on his debut album, ‘Prosthetic Boombox’, which is out now via the Record Makers label. The new record also features appearances from Nicolas Godin (from Air), French DJ Myd and Infinite Bisous. Sort his ‘Mailbox’ below.

‘Prosthetic Boombox’ was written across the space of six years between the US and Paris, and Urango says of the LP’s title, “I have a prosthetic leg ya know, and at the time I came up with the title, it was about not being embarrassed or shy about it anymore. That allowed me to look at the bigger picture instead of just what I was going through as an individual”, he tells TheLineOfBestFit.com in a recent interview. Starting off with a numbered female vocal sample, Cola Boyy soon dives into pure ecstatic cheer as the Kirby-produced instrumentals strut their flirtatiously Funk stuff. Lyrics like “Let me daydream/avoiding my responsibilities” sound like the ambitions of my life in musical form, while the brief verses find him lamenting having to focus on mundane tasks in favour of pursuing his own imaginative goals, a theme that feels very relatable, if a little bit formulaic. The vocals are just as easy to connect with, as Urango recites a high pitch of child-like wonder above the squelching Synths and the cascading Strings of the arrangement. The keyboard hooks overflow with heart, while the loose-leaned R&B influences add a reflective shine to these proceedings. It can admittedly sound a bit like cheesy commercial radio funk at times, but it fits quite nicely with the nostalgic aesthetics and these bright sounds certainly feel intentional to the looping grooves of the production style. It gets quite repetitious, but the track never feels like it’s getting tedious because the melodies feel very punchy, and even the more corny electric piano sections have a playful dynamic to them, ensuring that we are looking at the optimistic themes from the correct perspective. This is a very enjoyable and heartfelt listen overall, and given that The Avalanches are one of my favourite group acts, on a more personal note, I certainly trust their veteran ears for finding potential new stars. A well-developed exercise in world-building, changing perceptions on how disabled songwriters should be treated with the same level of respect to those who aren’t, and embracing the multi-culturality of your background.

Pictured: Cola Boyy (Matthew Urango) in a ‘Prosthetic Boombox’ PR shoot (2021) (Photo by Ross Harris)

That’s all for now! Thank you for sticking with me until the very end of the page, and I’ll be back tomorrow for a detour into the sounds of the past that have become more influential in the present for ‘Way Back Wednesdays’, and, in my next pick, we’re taking a trip to the 1970’s for a recording from a Danbury-born writer, comedian and musician which feels like a strong influence for Oasis. The artist collaborated with Monty Python, played in The Rutles and was also a member of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band art collective, before he very sadly passed away in the latter stages of 2019.

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Today’s Track: Peggy Gou (feat. OHHYUK) – “Nabi”

August 5, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Peggy Gou in a recent press shoot (2021) (Photo courtesy of Jungwook Mok/Edm.com)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, and now is the right time to cheer yourself up with your daily track on the blog, as per usual, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Her first new solo tune since 2019’s ‘Starry Night’, the South Korean DJ and Producer Peggy Gou has brought her A-game to the global clubs again with ‘Nabi’. We last heard from her on 2020’s ‘Jigoo’, a guest spot on Maurice Fulton’s ‘Earth’ EP. She’s had an interesting career trajectory so far – from releasing her ‘DJ Kicks: Peggy Gou’ mix on !k7 Records, to launching Gudu Records, an independent EDM label of her very own. She has also released her material on Ninja Tune and Phonica, and Gou has even spent her time in London, at 18 years of age, studying for a degree in Fashion at the London College Of Fashion, before graduating and subsequently working as the London Corresponding Editor for Harper’s Bazaar Korea. She is now currently based in Berlin, Germany – where she spends her time tinkering away with downtempo dance anthems like ‘Nabi’. Gou’s new single sees her enlists the help of OHHYUK, from the South Korean rock band Hyukoh, who added, “It’s been a long time since Covid-19 has adapted to the changes it has made in society. It contains the desire to become a butterfly and fly away from the beautiful days before” to Gou’s press release. Give ‘Nabi’ a spin below.

“We’ve all been through so much over the last year and it’s {Nabi} about facing up to the problems and negativity in our lives and learning how to deal with it”, says Gou on her process for creating ‘Nabi’, who added, “When people hear ‘Nabi’, they’ll hopefully feel the same sense of healing – that feeling that everything’s going to be OK – that I feel when I listen to the songs that inspired it”, to her press notes. Starting off with a kick drum sample and Hi-Hat snares, we’re treated to a feel-good 80’s-style dance track with gorgeously plush instrumentation and sultry Korean vocals. Some of these lyrics roughly translate to “Time, amid that emptiness/I’m about to leave now” and “In my silence time/I can only see hatred in the distance” in English, some cryptic and poignant songwriting about the passages of time, and how the natural progression of time can lead to positive change. I loved the 00’s throwback feel of ‘Starry Night’ and also the wonky experimentation on ‘Jigoo’, but I’ve noticed how ‘Nabi’ skews more towards a retro-revivalist aesthetic, with more focus on building an atmosphere with the floaty vocal harmonies and the thudding drum machine riffs. The BPM framework isn’t wildly frenetic, but the subtle Dub influences of the bright Piano rolls and the late-80’s Lounge Jazz feel of the more soulful chorus keep the pace moving quickly due to the refreshing extracts of these influences being pulled from. The spoken word piece from OHHYUK adds another intriguing layer to the sound, while the subdued warmth of the hazy, sunshine sounds of the sparse percussion and the earworm vocal hooks hints towards Gou possibly exploring a more 00’s ChillOut or Chillwave style of electronic production in the future, but the fundamentally nostalgic dressing of the laidback beats keeps the cohesion in balance rather robustly. Overall, this was a very satisfying return from Gou, with an eclectic palette of some varied influences that are embossed neatly into the soundscape, and this would be a great pick for BBC Radio 2.

Pictured: Peggy Gou performing at Dimensions Festival (2018) (Photo via TheVinylFactory.com)

Thank you for sticking with me until the end today, and, if you’re new to the blog and would enjoy more of this style of content, then please feel free to join me again tomorrow for the ‘New Album Release Fridays’ as we shine the spotlight on one of the weekend’s notable new album releases. I know that Kanye West is dominating the headlines tomorrow for the release of ‘DONDA’, but I’m instead going to be writing about something that got delayed to this Friday, in July, that I’ve been very excited to hear. This is a collaborative LP between the frontman of Bombay Bicycle Club and a 28-year-old rapper from East London, who first popped up in 2012 with the ‘BAEP’ EP.

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Today’s Track: Myd – “Born A Loser”

August 2, 2021 — Leave a comment

You are either born like a Teenage Dirtbag – or a privileged politician. New post time!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Born A Loser’ (CD) (Released on April 30th, 2021) (via Ed Banger Records)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, and it’s time for you to bring your trunks and a towel to the beach while you read all about my daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Myd is an electronic dance music producer and sound engineer from Paris, France who was certainly aiming for ‘Summer Anthem’ status when he released ‘Born A Loser’, his debut solo studio album, on Because Music and Ed Banger Records back in April. The 14-track project features guest spots from Mac DeMarco, Bakar and Juan Wauters, and is billed as his coming-of-age story and a soundtrack to the eccentric side of life, although the title track flips that style of mood on its head for a neat twist. Myd got his foot in the door of the music industry as a prior member of the 4-piece experimental House group Club Cheval, and he has worked as a producer for French Hip-Hop acts like Alonzo, SCH, Lacrim and Georgio. Give ‘Born A Loser’ a whirl below.

Built from a sample of Bobby Lee’s quirky 1966 track, ‘Born A Loser’ is an intriguing Alt-House track which Myd bills as “The song is an anthem dedicated to all the people who think they are losers. This feeling should give them the strength they need to go and achieve great things”, in his own words, according to a press release. A terrific house re-work, created from hitting the switch to twist a memorable male vocal sample, that we didn’t know we ever needed – the tune deviates from the happy-go-lucky, sunshine beach melodies of the Funk-leaning efforts from the new record by taking some notable influence from the Hauntology sub-genre. Starting off with an ecstatic kick drum beat, Myd soon subverts the more cheerful and Jazz-oriented tone with a quickly warping Synth sequence that leads smoothly into a male vocal that represents a form of wailing sadness, as the pitch becomes maddened and frenzied by the unrelenting, yet comical and bouncy, bassline that carries the atmospheric qualities of the sound forwards to some driving beats and rumbling Bass sequences. While feeling minimalist and a little simple in execution on paper, the track quickly encompasses fine elements of Chicago House, with the fist-pumping Bass and the chanting backing vocals that lie with subtlety behind the main picture, and elements of Neo-Psychedelia with the modulated sounds and the vibrant keyboard riffs. It plays out almost like a drunken round of Jazzercise, as opposed to a lazy paddle in the pool, with a darker variation of tones and a gyrating pace of noise that gives the sound a nicely wonky and curvy feel. Although the track’s natural habitat would be a summer festival or a club performance, which is a shame, there’s definitely enough substance to accommodate at-home listening to a very good extent. This is Tres Bien.

Pictured: Myd in the official music video for ‘Together We Stand’ (2021) (Photo via PR/YouTube.com)

Thank you for celebrating your inner ‘weirdy’ on the blog with me today, and please feel free to join me for more fresh music tomorrow, with my pick being from one of my favourite albums in the last three months, and a single that I’m obsessed with to boot. It comes from a Nu-Funk, Soul and soft Jazz singer-songwriter, producer and graphic designer from Los Angeles, California who has recently performed a KEXP ‘Live From Home’ session. Last year, he released a collaborative album with Lionmilk.

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Today’s Track: Rachel Lime – “Voyager 3”

June 17, 2021 — Leave a comment

Hello – from the children of the planet Earth. Time to get intergalactic for a new post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “A.U.” (LP) (Released on June 11th, 2021) (via Inside Voices)

Greetings and good evening to you, it’s Jacob Braybrooke here, and it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, as per usual, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! We are going cosmic today – with ‘Voyager 3’ from the fresh new Minnesota-based singer-songwriter Rachel Lime, who makes sample-enhanced music in the wheelhouse of Alternative Pop, Chamber-Pop and Electronic Rock, and her PR’s artist biography on Bandcamp and Spotify simply reads as “Music in search of other worlds”. She released her debut solo album, ‘A.U.’, last week through Inside Voices, the new label managed by the Big Bld founder and High Pulp drummer Rob Granfett. It follows a span of her career where she has dropped music on her Soundcloud account quietly for the last decade or so, and her own musical journey began when she decided to learn how to play the Piano at the age of 7. The influences for the record go beyond music, with Lime noting the work of astronomer and author Carl Sagan, especially on his 1985 novel ‘Contact’, as her inspirations. Like The Avalanches have explored on their latest material, Lime also looked to NASA’s Golden Voyager record for her theme, a record put into space in the hopes of extraterrestrial life learning about humanity by unveiling it. Let’s check out Alan De Lean-Taverna’s music video for ‘Voyager 3’ below.

“I wrote this song inspired by the tradition of space disco, and the Voyager golden record, sent into space with Voyager 1 and 2 by NASA”, Rachel Lime told Jasmine Albertson in a recent interview with KEXP, adding, “This interstellar message in a bottle has always really moved me. This idea of humanity trying desperately to communicate itself to Someone Out There, to attempt to connect, to prove that we have created beautiful things”, when expanding on the driving forces behind her process of writing the tune and co-producing the storyboards for the music video. It opens with the iconic sample from the Golden Voyager record, and the greeting of ‘Annyeonghaseyo’ in Korean where Lime has her heritage. A soulful keyboard riff that feels woozy and off-key sets the scene, as lyrics like “I sing a song in a bottle, I give it to the interstellar waves” and “The future’s nice/In the starlight” permeate through the synth-led beats with disorienting vocal effects. The vocals feel almost sensual and flirtatious, or alien and unusual, with interludes which see Congo drums and guitar instrumentals fill the space. The production feels merticulous and tinkered away at, with a slower bridge that finds Lime wishing, “We want to make contact/We gave you a code to break” as the rhythm slowly builds it’s way back to the retro-futurist Keys and the virtuosic Drums that scatter along the undeniably 80’s bassline. It feels paced similarly to a dance track, with different instruments and effects that have their turns, and are each built to gradually. This works really nicely because it gives the total aesthetic a quirky edge, and this makes Lime feel memorable amongst her peers. I’m certain that an alien would love a jive in the kitchen to this. If they ever find it. That is.

Pictured: Rachel Lime in the music video for “Voyager 3” (in 2021) (Photo by Alan De Leon Taverna)

That’s it for today’s trip! Don’t forget to join me again tomorrow where, as it’s Friday, we’ll be looking at one of the most notable new album releases of the weekend. We’ll be giving the opportunity to a 20-year-old singer-songwriter making her own Art-Pop music from the suburb of Little Ferry, New Jersey. Born to a Mexican father and a Dominican mother, her new album is based on her love for 80’s-era Michael Jackson. 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: Girl Ray – “Give Me Your Love”

June 8, 2021 — Leave a comment

The North London ladies are back with a Hot Chip on their shoulder. New post time!

Pictured: Poppy Franklin (Lead Guitar/Lead Vocals/Keyboard), Iris McConnell (Drums) & Sophie Moss (Bass Guitar) (2019) (via PR)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, as per usual, and it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, just like always, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! ‘Give Me Your Love’ is the first piece of new material in two years from the North London Indie Pop trio Girl Ray, who premiered the new single on Lauren Laverne’s Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 6Music last week. It’s the follow-up to 2019’s ‘Girl’, Girl Ray’s second studio album, which I grew rather fond of ever since it’s release, because it was a well-made Pop record that was an updated and slightly tongue-in-cheek homage to the Jangle Pop girl group of the 70’s. Their latest piece of work is an 8-minute summer festival set closer that was recorded at London’s Relax & Enjoy with co-production from Joe Goddard and Al Doyle from Hot Chip, giving the track a more dance-based coat of paint in comparison to the more down-tempo, crooner sound of the previous album. The music video was shot in Kent and directed by Alex Cantouris as a spoof or homage to the shocking 2019 Pagan horror film, ‘Midsommar’. Give it your love below.

Poppy Hankin from Girl Ray spoke of the collaboration: “We worked on this song with Al Doyle and Joe Goddard from Hot Chip in their studio off Brick Lane in London. We had one day left with them, so we thought we’d unearth an old demo of a slightly house-leaning song I’d been working on a few months before”, adding, “With all of the awfulness of 2020 in our heads – it was important to us that it sounded optimistic and hopeful; a song for future summers where people can dance and enjoy music together once again”, to the press release. Starting off with a tribal-like drum part that becomes more like tropical in substance as the track continually wares on, we get long backing vocal harmonies and washed-out Synth chords that gets the joyous instrumentation rolling along to a summer dance beat. Lyrics about unrequited love and heartbreak despite a warm setting peek through, with lines like “Heat is in the air/And the sun is going down/I need your touch” and “Hazy little dreams/The sparkle of the scene/Beautifal girls” are given an echoing effect, building up the summer atmosphere. The chorus raises the tempo, with a melodic hook, as “I know that it’s right but it still hurts/Every single time, I make it worse” and “Keep me in your sights/I’ll keep you in mine/Tell you every night how much you’re worth” that creates more optimism. It’s a very lengthy track with a near 8-minute duration, but it has a clear two-act structure. The first half is a more traditional Girl Ray tune that we’re used to hearing from them, and the second half has the clear Hot Chip blueprints in it’s grasp as we’re taken to a lengthy instrumental with vibrant, robotic vocal samples and a glitzy House sound. The overall production is very detailed, with light brushings of Steel Pans and forlorn Piano chords making up the background. However, these different elements feel consistent enough as to not present a clash of two styles here. A lot of work clearly went into the collaboration to achieve this. I felt that the length got a little tiresome towards the end, however, a shorter radio edit is available on streaming platforms if you’d prefer that option, and so that’s not a major critique. Overall, I felt it was a nice way for Girl Ray to make a return because it presents an expansion upon their earlier sound. It’s nothing drastic, but it keeps everything fresh enough and it still screams ‘Summer Festival’ the entire way through, and so I would not regret taking myself to the beach with a deck chair and a Pina Colada for this one.

Pictured: Girl Ray in a promo photoshoot to promote “Earl Grey” (in November 2015) (via PR)

Like what you hear? If you want more, you can give my post about Girl Ray’s ‘Girl’, the title track and promotional single from their previous LP release, your love here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/27/todays-track-girl-ray-girl/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Girl” (Released on November 22nd, 2019) (via Moshi Moshi Records)

There’s Tuesday’s track over with! Feel free to show your kind support again tomorrow, as we switch gears from looking at the most notable new music releases to reminiscing over the sounds of the past that have influenced those of the present with ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ on the blog. Tomorrow’s selection is a real golden oldie from the late-1940s that you can find on the ‘Delta Radio’ soundtrack of the ‘Mafia 2’ video game from 2010, originally composed by an American Saxophonist who was known as ‘The King Of The Jukebox’ and was a Rock N’ Roll Hall Of Fame inductee. 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: James Righton – “Release Party”

May 17, 2021 — Leave a comment

Following last year’s debut LP, it’s certainly not time yet for a Right-off. New post time!

Pictured: Cover for “Deewee 050 – Foundations” (Compilation) (Released on May 7, 2021) (via Deewee)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time to make a start to the new week with Monday’s daily track on the blog, as always, since it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Last Saturday, we looked at Charlotte Adigery’s new single from the ‘Foundations’ compilation album that was put together by the DEEWEE label owned by Soulwax & 2 Many DJ’s for release on May 7th. Stratford-born singer-songwriter James Righton has followed in her footsteps, by releasing an exclusive new track for the project of his own. In case you are not familiar, Righton used to be the lead Vocalist and Keyboard player of Klaxons, a ‘New Rave’ band who scored a Mercury Prize win and a few hits in the charts during the mid-2000’s. Since then, he recorded under the ‘Shock Machine’ project that saw him work with director Saam Farahmand. He released his debut album, ‘The Performer’, last March on the DEEWEE label. It’s an album that received generally positive reviews, and an album which I rather really liked too. It looks at the guise of being a ‘Performer’ where one minute you’re playing pop star and the next you’re fathering two children. It does so under an engaging 70’s Neo-Psychedelic Pop sound mixed with delightful String sections and Baroque influences. Righton posted on social media, “Release Party was written in my garage during Lockdown before, completed at DEEWEE studio with Dave & Steph [Dewaele] of Soulwax and 2 Many DJ’s, working together remotely”, about this latest single. Give it a taster down below.

One fun fact about James Righton that you may never guess is that, of all people, he is married to Keira Knightley. The two began dating back in 2011, and were married in the south of France in 2016. Now living in the Islington district of London, they have two children together. Back to the subject at hand, the new bassline-grooving single makes commentary on “tension and release, and the dreams and fantasies we make”, according to Righton, who added that said “Party” is to be confirmed at a later date, hinting that a disco following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions was crucial to his concept of the euphoric Nu-Disco offering. Starting off with a fragmented 80’s Synth line and a propulsive Disco drum machine sequence that wavers and meanders to create a polished electronic groove that feels ready for a retro-futurist dance, his familiar voice greets us with lines like “I wanna see you honey/I wanna meet you on the street” and “There’s no time for us to waste/The precious/Let’s move to the beat now” which add a very instructive vocal to the soundtrack of the party you could be having. Righton’s vocals carry some essence of George Michael in the 80’s, as there’s a sense of flirtation to his mid-tempo tone and spacious breaths, while the chord progression of the track struts and sways it’s way along it’s near five-minute duration. The key hook of “I can feel the release” is kept basic and vague, but a bobbing Keyboard bass creates a slick build and drop-in that adds a lot of shine to the main section. While it may be easy to dismiss compilation-exclusive singles as throwaway efforts or quick promotions, the recent tracks from James Righton and Charlotte Adigery are simultaneously proving otherwise. On Righton’s latest, he continues to establish his name as one of UK Pop’s most criminally underlooked of the scene. He does what he does very well on ‘Release Party’ in making undeniable Pop that has something to it, as opposed to sounding generic and too safe. The smaller touches harken back to Prince of the 90s in the funky Synth undertones, while the erotic quality of his vocals make me think of Lou Hayter. Inspired Pop that’s distinctive and sounds great, and just has something about it, rather than just begging for a quick hit.

Pictured: James Righton in Paris, France to promote “The Performer” (2020) (Photo via DEEWEE)

That may be all that I have to say for now. However, if you liked the sound of this, or if you’re new to James Righton and you’re interested in hearing more of him, why not start with my analysis of his single ‘Edie’ from last year’s solo LP, ‘The Performer’? Check it out right here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/02/todays-track-james-righton-edie/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “The Performer” (LP) (Released on 20th March, 2020) (via DEEWEE)

That’s it for now! I’ll be back tomorrow to introduce you to a recent discovery of mine, who described himself as “A guy called Joey from Michigan who makes music for your emotions” in his own artist biography. His latest album, ‘Old Time Radio’, releases this Friday on the Los Angeles-based independent label Alpha Pup Records. 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: Gilligan Moss – “Special Thing”

May 15, 2021 — Leave a comment

Here’s hoping future releases don’t turn out to be a Moss-ive letdown. New post time!

Pictured: Gilligan Moss (Evan Dorfman & Ben Cronin) (2021) (PR photography by Thatcher Keats)

Good Morning to you – it’s Jacob Braybrooke, and I’m back from a well-earned non-essential shopping trip, and so it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Introductions for your Saturay go out to Evan Dorfman and Ben Cronin, two funky House music producers from the rural parts of Chicago who have recently released their debut album on Foreign Family Collective as Gilligan Moss. It’s a self-titled affair, although the project originally began as a solo project for Evan a few years ago, before bringing his friend since the age of three along for the ride. This feels reflected in the child-like and freeform electronic dance recordings you’ll find on the record, which makes for a very enjoyable listen overall, and it’s an especially good ‘Cheering Up’ record or a joyful piece of fare for if you’re bored on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. One of the official singles was ‘Special Thing’ – check it out below.

According to the duo, “Special Thing was written as an ode to our French predecessors – Robots and monoliths alike”, elaborating on their inspiration and process by writing, “Simple songs are often the hardest, and in true collaborative fashion, it’s a tune that Ben rescued from Evan’s trash pile. We’re glad he did. Grab yourself an ice cold ‘Pfizer and head down to the beach to listen to this one”, for their press release. It’s a natural step forward for Evan, who started out by remixing Sia and Glass Animals on his own. ‘Special Thing’ feels mature and textured, with a hypnotic vocal sample that floats peacefully above some percussive, late-80’s World Music-like drum beats and the Disco elements created by the continous guitar riffs. The bassline is topped off by a lot of polish, with a slight French or European Nu-House feel that reminds me of bands like Air or Beth Hirsch. It’s clear that Evan and Ben love a bit of Daft Punk from this, but that kind of influence is done nicely here, with a filtered vocal loop that gives everything a vaguely Soulful coat of paint. A mid-tempo Synth breakdown comes in as we pass the halfway mark, presenting it’s ideas of chord progression carefully as we veer outside of it’s familiar grooves for a breather. The vocal sample feels chopped and screwed up, which, towards the end, creates a more Kaleidoscopic effect. This closing section honestly reminds me of MGMT’s ‘Oracular Spectacular’ era, as an overall psychedelic influence provides variation on the ‘Pure Pop’ moments of the repeating beats. The sight of chickens being embraced in the video also helps to give the track’s patterns an underlying sense of humor. It’s a very pleasant listen overall, which should accomodate a wide variety of listeners because it feels upbeat enough to dance to, but it never feels too heavy or it strays too far beyond it’s rather chilled mood tapestry. An engaging single that lives up to it’s name.

Pictured: Cover Art for “Gilligan Moss” (LP) (Released on April 9, 2021) (via Foreign Family Collective)

Thanks for laying your eyes on my latest post! Scuzz Sundays is back tomorrow after an impromptu week off, as we pick up on where we left off last Saturday. It marks the second appearance on the blog from a group of Chicago-based Metal legends who scored a UK Top 20 hit in 2015 with a modern cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s 60’s seminal hit ‘The Sound Of Silence’. 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: Charlotte Adigery – “Bear With Me (And I’ll Stand Bare Before You)”

May 8, 2021 — Leave a comment

We’re only thinking about the Bare necessities when it comes to this. New post time!

Pictured: Charlotte Adigery in a photoshoot for HuckMag.com (2019) (Photography by DEEWEE)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, I’m wishing you a nice weekend despite the rain, and it’s time for me to get typing up for our daily track on the blog, as always, since it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! DEEWEE have released the ‘Foundations’ compilation album just yesterday, a project including 27 tracks from a selection of it’s artists described as a cohesive “audio experience” which documents the year we’ve had, and Lagasta.com says that “It’s an expression of the values of a musical family with the brothers Stephen and David Dewaele {aka Soulwax & 2 Many DJ’s, who run the label} at it’s heart, featuring their creative input throughout”. On the compilation LP, you’ll find exclusive new tracks from Movulango, James Righton and Charlotte Adigéry. The latter is a very talented Belgian-Carribean Alternative Pop talent who is perhaps best known for the ‘Zandoli’ EP that she released in 2019, which is still the home of the best song lyrically about wigs out there in the unforgettable ‘High Lights’. Her latest single, ‘Bear With Me (And I’ll Stand Bare Before You)’, was written and produced with her partner – and fellow DEEWEE-signed talent – Bolis Pupul during lockdown, and it speaks about the intimacy and vulnerability of our confinement in the era of the cringe-inducing ‘New Normal’. Let’s give it a spin below.

Charlotte Adigéry has supported Neneh Cherry on tour, and, in 2016, she contributed vocals for the Dewaele brothers, or Soulwax & 2 Many DJ’s, theme ‘The Best Thing’ for the soundtrack of the 2016 indie film festival favourite ‘Belgica’, as she continues to establish herself as one of DEEWEE’S most treasured artists. In her own words: “This song is about my insecurities as an artist during the pandemic but also finding joy in other aspects of my life”, adding, “Getting closer with my loved ones, and finding time for self-love and self-care” as she breaks down her expression through the track, which opens with a soulful vocal that gradually introduces strobing drum beats and, later on, downtempo electro-funk synths to the fold. The lyrics take subtle jabs at her personal situation as a music performer, with lines like “Livestreams weren’t part of the dream” and “Do miss the stage, confined” that address her lack of touring revenue and therapeutic parts of the London live circuit that she misses. However, she juxtaposes these sharp, if brief, inklings with the positive takeaways of the modern times, as lines like “They say there’s Dolphins in Venice, They say I’m finally home” and “Relevance guaranteed, Yes, that is what I need” are delivered more hopefully, and they hint towards isolation and connection as a refreshing breather for her. The vocals feel pure and natural, without any effects, and the opening drum intro gradually adds a striving bass thump, dissonant notes of electric guitars, and a glitzy Nu-Disco groove as a multi-dimensional chorus slowly comes into the surface. The futuristic Disco production feels fractured, the harmonies of her vocals are compact, and the cinema-leaning 80’s textures get shinier as the earworm heads in altered directions, which keeps the proceedings unpredictable and varied. While not as repeatable as ‘High Lights’ was, it’s far from your bog-typical compilation filler, as the track gives itself the ability to keep re-inventing it’s own little wheel and it doesn’t rely on one specific element for long. If I were to offer one piece of constructive criticism, it’s that it’s subject matter feels just a tad outdated for me. Restrictions are easing up and, while I can’t speak for anyone else, I don’t particularly want to hear music that’s to do with Covid-19 for much longer. That said, it’s one of the better picks of the bunch and it doesn’t feel conventional for it’s topical matter, and it feels much fresher than some of the other offerings that have been shared over the course of the weird year. This is ‘barely’ a bad song at all, and rather, one that does it’s artist good justice.

Pictured: Cover for “Deewee 050 – Foundations” (Compilation) (Available on May 7, 2021) (via Deewee)

Thank you for the support, and checking out the blog today. In ‘Barely’ 24 hours time, a new ‘Scuzz Sundays’ post is set to make an appearance on the site. It marks the second appearance on the blog from a group of Chicago-based Metal legends who scored a UK Top 20 hit in 2015 with a modern cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s 60’s seminal hit ‘The Sound Of Silence’. 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: Jungle – “Keep Moving”

April 24, 2021 — Leave a comment

Um Bongo, Um Bongo, they made this one in the Congo in the Jungle. New post time!

Pictured: Josh Lloyd-Watson (Vocals/Guitar) & Tom McFarland (Keyboard/Synths) (2021) (Photo via PR)

Good Evening to you – I’m Jacob Braybrooke, I’ve just finished off my scripts for my Ambient Music documentary as a part of my MA coursework, and that means I’ve got to quickly jump on-board for your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! ‘Keep Moving’ is the new single from the London-based now-duo of Electronic Soul artists Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland, which has been getting support across the dial from the likes of BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6 Music, NTS Radio, and now my humble abode of OMG Radio, over the course of the last handful of weeks. They have released two critically acclaimed albums, with their self-titled debut LP getting nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2014. Their third album, ‘Loving In Stereo’ is set for release on August 13th via Caiola Records, and it’s their first one to feature collaborations in the shape of US rapper Bas and the emerging Tamil-Swiss vocalist Priya Ragu. The music video was shot in one take and directed by Charlie Di Placido. Let’s check it out below.

The theme of ‘Loving In Stereo’ is new beginnings, a feeling emulated by the aim of the big dancefloor vibe of the lead single ‘Keep Moving’, which was premiered as Annie Mac’s ‘Hottest Record In The World’ one evening on BBC Radio 1 when it was first aired on the radio. Experimenting with a choir, Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland mix up an anthemic, festival heavy-hitting Neo-Soul sound with a very pop-oriented, Disco sound that feels nostalgic enough for a relative throwback to the days of old when we were allowed to pack out a beach resort in Malibu and sip cocktails. I think that it succeeds because it manages to feel relevant to our times socially, but these connections feel vague enough for the single to stand the test of time. The hooks are excessively melodic, and a light Gospel backing vocal complements the ongoing groove, which has a more boasting and strutful personality to it. Call backs to 70’s Bee-Gees are present here, but the detailed guitar licks and the toe-tapping Drum beats fulfill the needs of a modern listenership. The lyrics such as “Unless you understand it, Then find out what to do” and “Don’t think about it, I’ll be running with you” are catchy, and play on not looking back. It’s nothing too political or anything, but it encourages dancing and combines the Soul sound with some more intriguing explorations of Funk. It also has a big ‘Summer Anthem’ feel with it’s rich, percussive melodies and it’s upbeat Violin samples that bounce along to the beat. Overall – I quite like this, and I could see it going for some decent crossover appeal and potentially leaving a mark on the commercial charts. I enjoy that it sounds well-produced, but not overproduced. There’s a lot of polish to the production and the vocals, but it never goes overboard on the auto-tune effects or tries to throw too many elements at a wall to see what sticks. This feels like a very effective Comeback track. Groovy Baby!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Loving In Stereo” (LP) (Available from August 13, 2021) (via Caiola, AWAL)

That’s all I have time for today – but I’ll be hoping to publish another entry to our ‘Scuzz Sundays’ feature tomorrow, so join me back here in roughly 24 hours time to revisit a staple from THAT PHASE – this time coming from a well-known Hard-Rock, Ska-Punk and Street Punk project who are still making music today, and have independantly sold over four million albums globally making them one of Punk’s most successful independant Metal crossover groups. 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/