Progressive Synthpop

Today’s Track: Katarína Máliková – “Vodník”

January 3, 2020 — Leave a comment

Here’s a new track for you to hear while you’re taking down those Christmas decorations before heading back to work next week, if you haven’t done so already…

  • Pictured: Katarína Máliková at the Radio Head Awards (2016)

Jacob Braybrooke here! Since it’s the 3rd January, a rather nothingless day since we all haven’t quite got back into the swing of returning to our normal working lives. Have you eaten all your Christmas chocolates yet?, I thought it would be a great chance for me to showcase something truly unique and different on the blog. Today’s musing is on “Vodník” by Katarína Máliková, a track which I discovered from KEXP’s Song Of The Day podcast a few weeks ago. Máliková is a Singer-Songwriter from Slovakia, who has been causing a lot of positive buzz in Slovakian indie circles. On “Vodník”, she wisely dodges any-and-all comparisons to the Eurovision Song Contest. Instead, she opts for an intriguing mix of Orchestral folk and dark synthpop melodies!

On “Vodník”, Máliková displays a wonderful prowess of emotionally moving lyricism with dark new-wave synths that stutter and crash into each other, with the track sounding like music made in the magic hour throughout. The lyrics are Slovakian, which evokes a distinct ambiguity for English-speaking listeners. It sounds orchestral and theatrical, with a folklore vibe which is comparable to Björk’s style of vocal performance and electronic production on 2001’s “Vespertine”, with an industrial beat-driven backdrop full of IDM-eque distortions and reverb-drenched drum snares, often comparable to the 80’s-influenced soundscapes found on Bat For Lashes “Lost Girls”, which was released last year. It isn’t such a far cry from Peel-branded acts such as Joy Division and New Order, but it does definitely have a unique flavour of Polyphonic and experimental sounds that makes it feel unlike anything else in direct comparison, although the evocative, Scandonavian-inspired synthpop falls between the category of Grimes and KKA Twigs in equal measure. Overall, I feel the vocals work harmoniously with Máliková’s bold sense of electronic instrumentation to complete a brave and intimate track. The track is available to buy or stream from her sophomore LP, “Postalgia”, which was released in November via the Sinko Records label. Judging from how fresh and powerful she sounds, combined with a strong layout, on “Vodník”, I really hope that 2020 is going to be absolutely massive for her!

  • Pictured: Katarína Máliková performing a live set at Pohoda Music Festival (August 2017)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at the new track from an English synth-pop/dance group who, in an interview in 2010, told the press that none of them knew how to drive, as the band got around the old fashioned way – on their own two feet, instead! Also, don’t forget to check out the blog on Sunday, as it’s almost time for my first Scuzz Sunday post of the new year! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

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

December 24, 2019 — 1 Comment

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

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Syro” (2014)

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back in the proper festive spirit tomorrow, of course, for a Quick post (It’s my Christmas as well, you know!) on a legendary Christmas classic from a former Beatle bassist who is currently scheduled to be headlining The Main Stage on the Saturday night at Glastonbury in June 2020! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: The Orielles – “Come Down On Jupiter”

December 20, 2019 — Leave a comment

I’ve been to Saturn! It has a shop, a pub, a Tandoori… Oh wait, that’s one of the local villages near to me… Sutton! It’s time to get the Friday feeling with your new musing!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Disco Volador” (28th February 2020) (LP Record)

The Orielles, an experimental indie-rock 3-piece from West Yorkshire, are scheduled to release “Disco Volador” next month, which is the follow-up to their debut album, “Silver Dollar Moment” in February 2018 on Heavenly Recordings. The LP was very successful, with critics falling over themselves in praise for the artistic direction of the band, including BBC Radio 6Music, who placed it near the top of their “Best Albums Of 2018” list, with the band also getting a range of editorials written about them on The Guardian’s site. I sure can’t wait to hear their next Tango from Halifax! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and today’s track on the blog is “Come Down On Jupiter” by The Orielles!

Despite it’s astronomical implications, “Come Down On Jupiter” has a slowly paced beginning which feels akin to getting prepared for a long journey (in this case – a space flight), which builds up to a neat vocal performance from Esmé Hand-Halford and a technicolour-filled aeshetic of sounds, while still falling under a consistent indie-rock banner. There is a variety of diversity packed into this single track, including a punk-infused Slide Guitar melody and psychedelic disco-rock elements created by an electronically-oriented chorus of subtle, yet charismatic, keyboard synth riffs and some ominously formatted Guard Piano chords during the introductory sequence. The track gradually builds up in it’s pacing and you’re left with a slight Urban aethetic by the end, despite the led chants of “Thrift Shop Cowboys”, due to the slick bass guitar riffs and the overall mysterious nature of the lyrical themes. The lyrics may be hard to decipher for a more casual audience, but I’ve found a soothing and distinctive style in this track that makes it addictive for me to revisit. I also like the video, which blends mundanity with the sub-concious in the gloomy setting of a Bakery or Pie shop, creating a stark contrast between the sound and the aesthetics, which reminds me of Gorillaz and Muncie Girls. Prepare for lift-off!

  • Pictured: Esmé Dee Hand-Halford (Vocals, Bass), Sidonie B Hand-Halford (Drums) and Henry Carlyle Wade (Guitar)

Thank you very much for reading this post! As Christmas week draws close, I will be looking at another festive track you might not have head before on tomorrow’s blog post from an alternative dream-pop 3-piece whose name derives from the name of a French football club! 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/