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 Track: Severed Heads – “All Saints Day (2015 USA Tour)”

August 29, 2020 — Leave a comment

Basement Jazz would ask: Where’s Your (Severed) Head At? It’s time for a new post…

Pictured: Tom Ellard (Lead Vocals/Bass Guitar/Electronic Percussion) and Stewart Lawler (Synths/Keyboard/Engineer) (Current band lineup) at Unsound Festival 2016 (Photo Credit: Paulius Illius/www.SecretThirteen.org)

Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I am writing about your daily track on the blog because, as like always, it is my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! “All Saints Day” has always gone down as a cult classic, from what I gather. It’s probably because of my age, but I just saw this track listed on the KEXP schedule, and I thought the artwork looked really amusing, but I’ve never actually listened to this record. So, it’s going to be as much as a new experience for you as it will be for me, for today. According to my research, this is one of the most popular tracks to ever be performed by Severed Heads, a cult favourite Australian Experimental Electronic Prog-House group, which has seen several line-up changes throughout the years. This track was taken from their eighth LP record, “Rotund For Success”, released in 1989. As with the bulk of the group’s discography, the album has been reissued several times over the years by different labels, in different formats and versions. This late-80’s iteration of the duo saw Tom Ellard work with Stephen Jones on Synths and Production, but the current line-up sees Jones getting replaced by Stewart Lawler on Engineering and Percussion. In any case, Severed Heads has become known for their off-kilter style of production, experimental pop-driven hooks, and twisted splicing effects. Let’s listen to their 2015 USA Tour dub of the track below.

With the history of Severed Heads in their career seeming almost as strange as the highly experimental, IDM-driven style of their music, “All Saints Day” incorporates a House-laden melodicism into a harsh, although not abrasive, electronic synth bassline and a groovy, but slightly distorted, snare effect. It often feels like some kind of “Wrong” or “Broken” auto-tune machine, with Cymbal samples being looped backwards and delayed pedal effects making the club-rolling dancefloor House beats sounding a little bit sideways. There is enough of a melodic Synthpop element to the track though, with a trendy late-80’s synth-oriented club sound and spoken word vocals that often feel comparable to Pet Shop Boys or Bernard Summer. The smooth synth-rock development replaces a grating percussion sample, sounding like a door loudly creaking, from the opening. The vocals flutter above a Disco-Rock layering, going: “For I am willing to believe/Wishing to be strong, Fighting on your side”, over the top of curiously appealing, monstrous vocal samples and the brassy, prominent Synth-Strobe stabs. An unintelligible female vocal loop, a manipulated jumble of celestial Drum blips, and an ethnological, almost tribal, backing vocal loop compete against each other in the bizzare cloud of experimentation. It’s very off-kilter, but it’s well-paced throughout and feels fairly cohesive, but it’s wonky enough to add a touch of charm and warmth. It somewhat feels like a product of it’s time, with innovative 80’s synth stabs and hefty use of the Analogue synth hardware that was new and exciting in it’s heyday, but it also feels very intentionally off-kilter and appealingly unstable enough to have a timeless effect. If it came out tomorrow, I don’t think that anybody would question it much, but you could point directly to its influence. To conclude, it does have “me” written all over it judging by my own personal tastes, and I think this is a really cool tune. I would love to see a revival of this niche dance scene.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Rotund For Success” (Released on 31st October, 1989) (via Volition Records/Nettwerk)

Thank you very much for reading my daily music blog post! As per usual, I will be back tomorrow with your new weekly edition of Scuzz Sundays, the feature where I pick an Emo-Rock or a Pop-Punk relic from between the late-90’s and the mid-00’s to see if it can hold a candle to modern standards! If you are a fan of Burnout Paradise, the classic racer video game from 2008, you’ll be in for a blast from the past tomorrow, so make sure you don’t miss out on it! 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: Lynks Afrikka – “How To Be Successful”

August 12, 2020 — Leave a comment

It’s fair to say it feels like we are all living in Afrikka under this heat. It’s new post time!

Pictured: Lynks Afrikka in a publicity shot to promote the release of “Smash Hits, Vol. 1” (EP) (2020) (via LynksCorp)

Good Morning! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m typing up your daily post on the blog, as per usual, since it is routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Lynks Afrikka is the pseudonym of the Bristol-based English EDM producer, Elliot Brett. Brett is an LGBT artist who has been gaining popularity virally on YouTube and social media, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community, by releasing his own music under his self-produced “LynksCorp” label, accompanied by quirky music videos with enjoyably low production values that have been garnering a cult following. “Smash Hits, Vol. 1” marks the release of his first EP, a compilation of his previously released singles including “On Trend” and “I Don’t Know What I Want” alongside new tracks, including his most recent single, “How To Be Successful”. He has sold out headlined live shows across London, Edinburgh and Margate, alongside supporting Goat Girl, Sorry and Shygirl on tour. On his unique alias, Elliot told DIYMag.com: “I’m worried Lynx Africa are going to sue me and I don’t even want to be called Lynks Afrikka because it’s only called that in England, so everywhere else, I just look like this random white drag queen with Africa in their name,” grimacing as he mocks British millennial culture in his Electronic Dance tracks. I first caught wind of Lynks Afrikka by hearing the new track on X-Posure, John Kennedy’s evening show on Radio X. Let’s hear some life advice as he tells us “How To Be Successful” down below.

Using the aesthetic of a deranged Children’s TV show in the self-isolation produced music video to illustrate his self-frustration of young people feeling pressured to lead a successful life by going to university, getting a marriage, kids and a job, Elliot mocks the “ideal millennial life” with sharp wit and intentionally low-quality Electro-Rock beats, paired with a harsh synth line. I can only describe it as “Heavy Pop”. The lyrics (Or should I say.. Lyrix?) are very sarcastic, while keeping an upbeat tone intact. He provocatively hints at the “Conveyor Belt” life pressures with a tongue-in-cheek view of an older person, with the bridge “Oh! 80.96 years on average/Your life, you have to manage” and later challenging the traits with “Your life feels wasted/Your kids have vacated your family home/You should have faced this years ago”, with an earlier verse emphasizing these points with use of repetition: “Now Ruby goes to uni/Then Alex goes to uni/Then Curt does an Art Foundation/and then goes to uni” that feels quirky, but there’s a charming semblance of Pop-Punk with the hint of angst. Melodically, it starts off with a glossy synth line that bubbles underneath the reverb-drenched vocals, and the synthesizer riffs gradually become more danceable and evocative, eventually forming an Acid Techno Instrumental that feels buoyant and energetic. “Cause’ now it’s the end of the show” signals a breakdown which gives across a 90’s “Club Anthem” feel. Scattered dance breaks around the video and lines like “What can you show?, from years and years and years ago?” take the effervescent British humor up a notch. This probably falls into a specific niche and I feel he’s put his hands on the Auto-Tune machine a little bit too much here, but it really makes me laugh and the instrumentation is good fun. At a time like this, I couldn’t really ask for a lot more.

Pictured: Physical CD copy of “Smash Hits, Vol. 1” (EP) (Released on July 1, 2020) (via LynksCorp) (via Bandcamp.com)

Thank you very much for reading my new post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, for an in-depth look at the popular new single from an Oxfordshire-based singer-songwriter who told NME in a recent interview: “When I was dropped I remember thinking, ‘You idiots – I’m the next Paul McCartney’”. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Nicolas Michaux – “Parrot”

August 11, 2020 — Leave a comment

You’ve got to listen to what the Parrot says – and try to repeat! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Amour Colère” (Available from September 25th, 2020) (via Capitane Records)

Good Morning! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up your daily post on the blog, as like always, because it is my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! “Parrot” is a hidden gem of a new track which I heard during John Ravenscroft’s edition of 6Music Recommends last week, and I’ve sadly never heard of Nicolas Michaux before. Michaux is an emerging singer-songwriter who was born and raised in Belgium, but, according to the info on his Bandcamp page, he now divides his time between his home-turf’s capital city of Brussels and the Danish Islands of Samsø, where his family lives. This is where he writes, records and produces his own music, alongside a bit of time growing vegetables with his family. He self-released his debut album, “à la vie, à la mort”, in 2016, and he performs his music in both English and French. “Parrot” marks the signal that his sophomore LP effort, “Amour Colère” is due for it’s release on September 25th, and he’s signed up to Capitane Records for his next creative endeavor. Let’s take a listen to “Parrot” – with it’s Visualizer video below!

Michaux writes that “It’s one of the oldest songs on the record, but the one I recorded last” and “It’s a slightly obscure and ambiguous song, but by its themes and images I have the impression that it speaks of our time.”, upon explaining the themes and writing of the new track. The hard work paid off, because this is an excellent jangly Tropicalia-Pop cut that hints towards 90’s Brit-Pop and 00’s Synth-Funk, with vocals that evoke Thom Yorke and synth melodies which remind me of LCD Soundsystem. Michaux opens with: “Your frustration has a face, but the guard said no picture” in a low-tone delivery, as a hint of Nu-Disco flavor bursts through the Indie Rock frame, with a dry Snake Drum bassline, and a stripped-back rhythm guitar instrumental. He introduces a radiant backing vocal in after the first chorus, as the Kick Drum groove carries on going within the background of a smoky, baritone Punk direction. The lyrics are ambiguous and undefined, although a soft Political message about using vice presidents as Puppets screams out to me, with the main hook of “Listen to the words that the Parrot says, and try to repeat”. It surprisingly builds to an eminently danceable, globally-influenced outro. It retains the core guitar-and-drum groove, but an acidly jittering bass guitar line gets woven into the mix, along with a repeatedly shimmering guitar backing and a soft, Summery electronic synth riff that makes you feel the need to get up and move. The outro is lively and exciting, evoking qualities of Tropicalia and World-Rock with a slightly Vintage sound with solid ease. Overall, I think it’s brilliant because the production behind the track sounds gloriously eclectic and fresh, with cool guitar lines and a melodic drum groove that burns slowly to the tropical finish. We should be supporting artists like Nicolas Michaux on daytime radio.

Pictured: Nicolas Michaux in a publicity shot to promote the release of “Parrot” (Single) (2020) (Photo via PR)

Thank you very much for reading my new post! I will be back tomorrow for an in-depth look at another emerging musical artist, but this time, it’s going to be on more homely ground, with an LGBT Dance artist currently residing in Bristol. The artist performs under an alias which is named after a popular brand of Deodorant that all British guys typically get for Christmas. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Joe Goddard & Hayden Thorpe – “Unknown Song”

August 3, 2020 — Leave a comment

What on Earth is this?, you might ask. I really couldn’t tell you. It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Joe Goddard (Hot Chip) and Hayden Thorpe (ex-Wild Beasts) in a press image (2020) (via Pitchfork.com)

Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up your daily track on the blog, as per usual, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Forgive me if you’ve never heard this one before, it seems to be a pretty “Unknown” song, apparently. Jokes aside, this one-off single is a collaboration between Joe Goddard, of Hot Chip, and Hayden Thorpe, the former frontman of Wild Beasts (an indie rock band who disbanded in 2018). This single was released a few months ago, and the collaboration came together after Goddard and Thorpe linked up following a shared career-long appreciation for each other’s work, and it marks the first time in which both of these UK-based musicians have worked together. “Unknown Song” was heavily inspired by the global closure of clubs and dancefloors, as Goddard & Thorpe reflect on a new-found sense of connectivity between society, and “a synchronicity with our fellow beings”. Goddard & Thorpe elaborated on this, on a press statement, posting: “In the absence of touch, music is that sensual meeting point”, with Goddard concluding: “We are in the midst of a crisis but gaining the new appreciation of dancing together is a small positive that I hope to hold onto after all of this”, positioning the collaborative track as a soundtrack for awaiting an energetic return to the dancefloor after the pandemic, at long last. Let’s stream the track below.

Joe Goddard and Hayden Thorpe are both signed to Domino Recordings, via their own respective acts, but it’s unclear whether this is a one-off deal, or if they plan to join forces again in the near future. It’s a mesh between their two established styles, as Thorpe’s Falsetto vocals get delivered on top of a thumping electronic beat that evokes Erasure and Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark. Thorpe recites: “Unknown Song, where all the lost chords belong” and “Unknown Song, how do the words go on this one?” over a synth groove that shimmers along to a hand-clapped drum machine loop. It rolls along to the bridge, where the beat violently trips as Thorpe adds: “Got no method, but I’ve killer intuition” before a more pop-oriented chorus that evokes a slick 80’s pop feel, and a warm Summer-primed feeling. A cut-up “Damn right” vocal effect accompanies Thorpe’s euphoric vocals in the chorus. The overall sound of the track evokes 80’s Prog-Synthpop and 90’s EDM in equal measure, and the lyrics have a slice of comedic quirk to them. A playful set of verses remind me of New Order, and the heavy-pop chorus feels like a love letter to the Pet Shop Boys. On the flip side, the structure gets a little flimsy towards the end, with a more commercial feeling to the chorus that marks a stark contrast to the House-oriented style of the verses, but it just about holds itself together due to the clear range of influences, that flow quite well together. In the end, I think it’s fair to write that – more people should know this song!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Unknown Song” (Single) (Released on 8th May, 2020) (via Domino Recordings)

Thank you for reading this post! As always, I’ll be back tomorrow. We’ll be taking an in-depth look at a recent single from an English indie rock group who were known for a similar time period to Hot Chip. The band used Star Trek voice samples to work the time-bending themes of one of their most popular albums, and the band have also been met with critical acclaim that includes earning a total of five nominations for The Ivor Novello awards. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: SAULT – “Wildfires”

July 28, 2020 — Leave a comment

Well… this is gonna make my image gallery for today really boring. It’s new post time!

Pictured: Cover Artworks for “5” and “7” (Albums) (Released in 2019) (via Forever Living Originals)

Is this an Enigmatic treat, or just an aa-SAULT on the ears? Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, as per usual, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! What is there to write about SAULT? Not much, as there’s little to no information on them. All we know is they’re a trio. They are based in London. They are signed to Forever Living Originals, and they drew high acclaim from NME, The Quietus and NPR for the release of two albums in 2019, titled “5” and “7”. As Alexis Petridis, of The Guardian, put it: “No one seems to know who they are, but one thing is for sure: SAULT make hooky, dubby, funky music with echoes of ESG and Can”. In response to the #BlackLivesMatter movement and political protests, SAULT have uploaded a brand new full-length album, “UNTITLED (Black Is…)” to their Bandcamp page, explaining: “We present our first ‘Untitled’ album to mark a moment in time where we, as Black people, and of Black origin, are fighting for our lives”. They’ve clearly been working very hard, with the rapid turnaround. Let’s listen to the lead single, “Wildfires”, below.

Their Spotify biography mysteriously reads: “Add a little SAULT to your life”, and it’s a simple plea that anybody could follow up on pretty easily. on “Wildfires”, SAULT demonstrate now, more than ever, how their music is firmly rooted in dense Black musical traditions, with the sound drawing from the likes of Afrobeat, Soft-Funk and R&B, but predominantly remaining to be a Neo-Soul record. A smoky, but vulnerable, female lyricist recites: “You should be ashamed”, pointing a finger at the US law and order system, before singing: “The bloodshed on your hands… Take off your badge, we all know it was murder”, as a gauzy and meditative synth line glosses over a hand-clapped drum beat and a calming bass guitar riff. The verses also address systemic racism in the US, but it’s more directed closely to SAULT’s personal thoughts and opinions on police brutality, as the female vocalist pines for a better future, and expresses a desire to escape from the political issues, adding: “We are dying, it’s the reason we are crying” to the emotionally-driven core of the heart in the lyrics. A call-to-arms: “But we will never show fear/Even in my eyes/I will rise, In Wildfires”, is used as the narrative thread, to string the anthemic and Ballard-like ideas together. It’s got a hefty amount of depth to the songwriting, and the lyrics can be painful and heavy to process in your head, but it never feels desperate or as though it’s deliberately seeking attention for the group, as instead, the Soul-driven backdrop and the elements of the Blues influence, created through the soft piano section and the mellow guitar-based instrumentation, convey a soothing and light texture. It’s also very refreshing to see a band make a name for themselves in secrecy and mystery, at a time where imagery can often be an over-saturated part of the multi-media music industry. Overall, this is another solid hit for the band. You should definitely check out “Why Why Why” and “Let It Go”, from the two previous albums, while you still can too.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “UNTITLED (Black Is…)” (Released on June 19th, 2020) (via Forever Living Originals)

Thank you for reading this post! Tomorrow, I’ll be switching things up with an in-depth review of the lead single from the new album created by an act which isn’t really a “band” per-say, but it is more described as a collective of various musicians, film producers, street artists and costume designers from Vancouver who contribute to fresh music which straddles between Art-Rock and Post-Punk. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: The Avalanches (feat. Jamie XX, Neneh Cherry & CLYPSO) – “Wherever You Go”

July 23, 2020 — Leave a comment

E.T. – Phone home! You’re Hype-O-Ray has switched on again. It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Wherever You Go” (Double Single) (Released on July 22nd, 2020) (via Modular Recordings)

We’re continuing to build up to a new album of truly Astronomical proportions! Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m typing up your daily track on the blog, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! If you’ve been following the blog since it’s inception last summer, you’ll be very easily aware that I’m a HUGE fan of The Avalanches, a Plunderphonics duo from Australia (A six-piece, at one point) who produced “Since I Left You”, a classic record made from loads of curated samples, which was released in early 2000. “Wildflower”, also an exceptional record in my book, followed up a bizzare 16 years later on. That brings us to 2020, where Robbie Chater and Tony Di Biasi have sporadically released new singles under the name throughout the year to build hype for an upcoming third record, which the duo finished mastering last month. It’s been a bumpy road, with the band debunking rumors of the new album at a few turns, despite us all knowing that it exists. It’s actually been since March that we’ve had a new single, “Running Red Lights” (feat. Rivers Cuomo & Pink Siifu), from the duo. However, it’s probable that the chaos of Covid-19 has bumped their schedule around. It makes sense, as the type of music the duo makes is highly reliant on exciting collaborations with other artists. “Wherever You Go” was released yesterday morning, along with a B-side entitled “Reflecting Light”. The former features big names Jamie XX and Neneh Cherry, with additional work from CLYPSO. The Avalanches’ description reads: “Why do we send music to the stars?” the band’s accompanying statement asks. “Is it because we want our voices to live forever?” and “How else should we become pure spirits, singing forever in the dark?”, with the band also hoping that the anthem will bring hope at the face of “the whole damn world incinerating”. Let’s have a listen to the track below.

To create their own sample-fueled Space odyssey, The Avalanches enlisted the assistance of Mick Jones, of The Clash, to play the piano part in the intro. Moreover, Chater & Di Biasi experimented with samples taken from 1997’s The Voyager Golden Record, a mix-tape used by NASA to contact aliens. This Extra-Terrestrial theme feels enigmatic, and adds deeper exploration to the cosmic ideas that Chater & Di Biasi explored on “We Will Always Love You” and “Running Red Lights”. The intro of the track begins with a man talking about what humans do here on Earth, before a diverse crescendo of synths, made to sound like broken transmissions, fizzles in to get the club melodies rolling. This contrasts the tense feeling of the intro’s atmosphere, before the intensity gradually explodes and layers of voice samples are added into the background. West African chants are next, leading to a heavy synth line and the introduction of Jamie XX’s section, as very dance-laden Acid strobes are pushed to the forefront. Later, Neneh Cherry recites: “So much badness, so much anger, too much war, it’s all so frightening”, ending with the refrain: “On the radio, we can love”, before an interval that harkens back to the soft, gentle piano melodies heard at the beginning of the track. It feels disjointed, deliberately, before we go back to the club-driven, drum-and-bass bulk of the track. At this point, The Avalanches’ production work is impressive, as to be expected, with flickering radio frequency effects and distorted repeats of the different layered sections of the track. The finale bursts with a joyous, meditative backing vocal, with Jamie XX adding: “You go, you go, too” and Neneh Cherry spitting bars: “1, 2, 3, 4, On the dancefloor, that’s where you get yours”, while Sydney-based Troptronica producer CLYPSO adds ethereal and hallucinatory backing vocals, along with tribal chants and subtle Bongo drum sections, to the ongoing track. It’s always a gutsy move to release a dance record at a time where clubs are banned, and it’s a shame that Covid has ruined what they were likely planning. However, I feel The Avalanches have really knocked it out of the park, with this one. The six-minute duration is long and extensive, but the track always feels interesting, thanks to the gradual arrangement of new layers being added throughout the track. Jamie XX adds a profound and psychedelic essence to the sample effects, and Neneh Cherry adds a Gorillaz-esque hip-hop undercurrent to the track, making it sound melodic and intriguing. CLYPSO fits suitably too, with his world-influenced instrumentation blending with the overarching feelings of meditation and space exploration. The production gives a blockbuster feel, with meticulously layered NASA samples that makes it feel fun, with hidden samples and effects that add detail to each corner of the track’s soundscape. There’s a touch of humour here too, with the amusing refrain: “The Whole damn world’s been incinerated” delivered enthusiastically by Cherry at the very end. Combined, all of the collaborations make it feel very psychedelic, groovy and inspired, although it gets to a point where you think: “How many people does it take to make one song”! It’s got more of a Club sound than we usually hear from them. The best of their recent bunch.

Pictured: Mural promoting the release of “We Will Always Love You” in Melbourne, Australia (2020) (via Stereogum)

As previously mentioned, I’ve been closely tracking the new releases from The Avalanches as we build to the upcoming third LP. Click here to read my thoughts on “Running Red Lights” (feat. Rivers Cuomo & Pink Siifu) here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/03/20/todays-track-the-avalanches-feat-rivers-cuomo-pink-siifu-running-red-lights/, and you can also read my review for the comeback single “We Will Always Love You” (feat. Blood Orange) here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/02/21/todays-track-the-avalanches-feat-blood-orange-we-will-always-love-you/

Pictured: Robbie Chater (Mixing/Production/Guitar) and Tony Di Biasi (Keyboard/Synths/Bass) (2020) (via press shot)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as promised, with a break from the new music releases to wind the clock back to 2005 for this week’s retro track. The single became a well-known Top 40 chart hit, in the mid-00’s, for an American rock band, formed in New York City, who split up in 2014. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Man 2 Man (feat. George Parish) – “Male Stripper”

July 1, 2020 — 2 Comments

Novelty classic, or “Stripped” of it’s quality in the years since? It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Man 2 Man: Hits & Rarities 1985-1990” (Released in 1995) (via Retro Disco Hi-NRG)

Good Morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up about your daily track on the blog – just like always – because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! I’ve been looking at a lot of very serious, big new releases for the last week or so, and so I thought it would prove to be a nice palette cleanser to kick off the new month, of July 2020, with a look back at a novelty club classic that became a big hit in the golden age of 1980’s dance and disco music. “Male Stripper”, by Man 2 Man Meet George Parish, was originally released in late 1986, prior to it reaching #4 in the UK Singles Chart after a re-release in 1997. The project originally started as a New York Punk-Dance band called The Fast, it was part of the HI-NRG movement of uptempo and risky club music around the time, but two brothers who were part of the band – Miki Zone and Paul Zone – continued the act as a duo, teaming up with cult electro-pop producer George Parish to record “Male Stripper”, a song which gained big steam on the European club circuit, under the aliases of Man 2 Man. Sadly, Miki Zone became a victim of the AIDS Epidemic and died in 1986, shortly after it’s release. Since then, Paul continued as a solo producer under the name of Man To Man, and released a few tracks that had moderate success, but didn’t trouble the Top 40 singles charts very much. However, Paul Zone did even get to perform “Male Stripper” on Top Of The Pops with George Parish, so it’s not entirely awful. Let’s have a listen back to “Male Stripper” with the original music video below.

Magic Mike will be pleased. You can have that for free, Channing Tatum. A single that sounds almost like the quintessential European disco club classic from the late-1980’s because it more or less was, “Male Stripper” aimed to draw a crowd to the dancefloor, and it succeeded. Beginning with the funny, recognizable Horn sounds, the Zone brothers take the lead with an upbeat synth groove which they interweave with a robotic backing vocal which repeats “I was a male stripper in a go-go bar”, before Paul Zone recites lines such as “Ripples on my chest/I never got an address” and “A modern day jock, A jock with an act” over looped, bouncy drum machine sequences and echoing Vibraphone melodies, with a neat Conga Drum solo added in the bridgefor the good measure. The chorus is absurd: “Strip for me, babe, Strip for you/Strip for you cause’ I want you to”, completed with dueling female backing vocals and the odd “OOh” or “Ahh” from Miki Zone. More gloriously moronic lines: “Built like a truck/I’d bump for a buck” and “Tips in my G-string/I made my living” add humor, layered over the consistently repeating drum machine hooks and synthesized instrumentation sounds. Whilst it’s clearly not designed to be an emotionally challenging display of fine art, it’s entertaining to listen to, and it stands out as a relic because nobody would really write a club track about a gay Male Stripper in this present era, because it’s seen as risky in the sense of modern cultural representation. Conclusively, it sounds like the quintessential 1980’s club track. It is, but it’s good fun.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Male Stripper” (Single/UK Mix) (Released in late 1986) (via Recca Record)

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, continuing to kick off the month in style, with an in-depth look at a track from a Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter and producer from California who is a huge fan of the Dragonball Japanese Manga/Anime series, and he uses it as a big part of his brand. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s 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

Today’s Track: Skule Toyama – “United In The Night”

May 13, 2020 — Leave a comment

This one’s hellbent on destroying some EDM “Stereo”-Types – It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Promotional Cover Artwork for “Stereo” (Single Release) (Released in 2020) (via Business Casual)

Good morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing your daily track on the blog, as always, since it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music, whether it’s old or new, every day. It’s quite a dull backstory of how I found Skule Toyama, as I was just scrolling through my recommendations on Bandcamp and I came across “Stereo”, his new album. With names like “Disco Roller”, “Fantasy Synth” and “Take A Break”, I gave it a chance. The anime-style drawings put me off a bit at first, but after a few listens, I’ve come to really like it. Barely anything is known about Toyama at all and I couldn’t even find any photos of the real man himself. However, it’s implied that Toyama is a male solo producer on their Bandcamp biography. According to this, Toyama is a Mexican artist, of the Chill-Wave genre, who started producing Ambient House music inspired by disco/funk music and the “melancholic aesthetics” of the 1980’s in Mexico. His sound also extends to “Soft-Funk” and “Future-Funk”. Let’s have a listen to the track “United In The Night” below.

I think that “Stereo” is a very appropriate name for a track which sounds so unashamedly EDM Disco-Pop in it’s visuals of lying down with a big speaker on full blast, on a very hot Beach somewhere in Thailand or Jamaica. I’ve never travelled so I don’t know what I’m really going on about there, but I DO know that it’s a very bold move to release a dance record when there’s no market for it since you know… we can’t actually go to a club, but I feel it’s justified by the seamless blending of Toyama’s influences in creating a very calm and relaxed, but still upbeat and danceable, atmosphere which is easy to access and soothing to escape with, but there’s still a hidden complexity and a non-commercialism to the overall textures that demand your further attention in repeated listens. “United In The Night” has a very beat-driven, looping bassline which moulds over a luminous, washing synth line and very groove-ridden drum machine sequences. There’s an unashamedly pop sound on the surface, but I picked “United In The Night” to analyse because it has a slightly rougher texture and it evokes a slightly more somber feeling than a lot of the other tracks found on “Stereo”. This is due to the whimsical, fantastical element of the vocal sample which is unintelligible, but mutters phrases with “Live in your Dreams” and Japanese words, in a way that feels akin to the old game of Chinese Whispers us Brits used to play in primary school, in it’s cheeky vocal layering. There’s a syncopated guitar riff in here, with even a slight use of Jazz instrumentation in the later stages of the track. The clear EDM pop style, the funkish grooves, the vivid, if typically Anime, visual aesthetics and the eclectic sonic palette create a sound that is very enjoyable. It was a great find. Please don’t go mainstream Toyama – you are just right as you are!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Stereo” (Released via Bandcamp on April 10, 2020) (via Business Casual Records)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at a slightly older track, released in 2017, by another artist of the Chill-Wave genre that I also recently found on Bandcamp. He’s from Paris, France and he’s signed to the Z-Tapes indie label. He seems to have a much larger online following than Skule Toyama and he has a single called “Flowers” feat. Nori which has over 9.6m views on YouTube. 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