Psychedelic Jazz

Way Back Wednesdays: The Free Design – “Kites Are Fun”

September 1, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Kites Are Fun’ (LP) (Released in 1967) (via Light In The Attic Records)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for us to enjoy an in-depth revisit of a pre-00’s sound of the past that has become very influential for the present for ‘Way Back Wednesdays’, which is in-keeping with my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of new music every day! Having caught an old episode of Cherry Red Radio on a whim two or three weeks ago, I quickly learned about The Free Design, an early 60’s to mid 70’s family pop group who were formed in Delevan, New York and went on to become huge influences for the likes of The Beach Boys, Beck, Stereolab and Belle & Sebastian, despite receiving relatively little attention during their earlier stages of their career. Comprised of three of four Dedrick siblings, this “harmony group” – of many from the time – speedily recorded a two song demo and subsequently found a home with the independent easy listening record label Project 3, a platform that allowed more creative freedom for them than most competitors. The band dabbled in Neo-Psychedelia, Jangle-Pop, Sunshine Pop and soft Funk, but failed to land a hit because their label suffered from their low resources to promote their artists very aggressively. Almost four decades later, however, Light In The Attic Records had re-issued most of the quintet’s back catalog of albums and singles, revealing a band that were unfairly slept on to a new generation of new-found fans. 1967’s ‘Kites Are Fun’ was cited as a huge influence for Japanese percussionist Cornelius, and the title track was the only real single release from it, having reached #33 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts in the US, thus becoming their only single to chart. Unveil the mysteries of ‘Kites Are Fun’ below.

Indie acts such as The High Llamas and Pizzicato Five have all cited The Free Design’s music as influences for their own for their happy-go-lucky brand of late-60’s Baroque Pop and pastoral Soft-Folk, and the critics have always seemed to be in agreement with this level of praise, and the title cut of 1967’s ‘Kites Are Fun’ earned single status on Billboard’s ‘Bubbling Under The Top 100’ and ‘Top 40 Easy Listening’ surveys in the US. The sounds on the title track are so 60’s that you might want a pair of sunglasses and a convertible Cadillac to complement your easy listening experience. It is a lovely mix of sophisticated Pop music and chilled Folk melodies, however, with the hushed croon delivering lyrics like “We’d like to be a zillion miles away from everyone/’Cause Mum and Dad and Uncle Bill don’t realize Kites Are Fun” as they celebrate child-like innocence with the gentle thump of a Tambourine and a whimsical Horn section carrying us to a peaceful chorus. The lyrical themes follow the typical embrace of peace and love that strangely didn’t resonate with the ‘Hipster’ crowd of the time due to its lack of commercial success, but the band deliver plenty of high notes when the intimate lyrics such as “See my kite, it’s green and white” that use gentle rhyming schemes to emphasize the nostalgic atmosphere of the cheerful sounds. It’s not massively upbeat however, and what strikes me most about their choice of instrumentation is how they emphasize sophisticated chords that are more often associated with Chamber Folk or Classical Jazz music to blur the lines between psychedelic pop, folk music and lounge Jazz in a way that gives them an individual edge over their peer groups of the time. This renders ‘Kites Are Fun’ as a lovely listen throughout, where a subtle sense of melancholy and a strong pushing of Sunshine Pop boundaries make for a mix of late-60’s and early 70’s music that was not quite done by another band in the same way since their time. Lyrics like “But we like each other more than anything” have a somewhat comic effect, while the orchestral instrumentation, especially the Flute sounds that all get peppered throughout the choral melodies, slot the track into a relaxed Easy Listening vibe that feels emotive enough, but expands the vocabulary of the writing. Just like Kites – this is a lot of fun!

  • Pictured: Chris Dedrick (Lead Vocals/Acoustic Guitar), Bruce Dedrick (Lead Guitar), Ellen Dedrick (Tambourine), Stefanie Dedrick (Percussion) & Sandy Dedrick (Drums) (1967) (Photo by TVTropes.org)

That brings us to the end of the page for another day! Thank you for ringing in the new month with me, and it is my birthday tomorrow, but I look forward to finding some time to talk about some new music regardless. Tomorrow’s pick comes from an American Bedroom Pop singer-songwriter who began making music at the age of 13 and he grew up in Moraga, California situated in the San Francisco Bay area. He’s become prolific in a short span of time, and IQ says that his music is “genre-bending”.

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Today’s Track: Kozmodrum – “Wormhoooooooooole…”

August 23, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Janko Novoselić (Drums/Percussion/Synths/FX/Visuals), Ivan Kapec (Lead Guitar), Goran Delač (Bass Guitar), Elvis Penava (Rhythm Guitar) and Hrvoje Galler (Keyboards) (2021) (Photo via JazzMusicArchives.com)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and now is the time for me to pollute your ears with another daily track on the blog, because it’s always been my day-to-day pleasure to write to you about a different piece of music every day! This is a shortened week of project work for me on the blog this week, and so I’ll be going away for my sister’s wedding during the week, but I still wanted to sneak ‘Wormhole’ in, and this new one comes from a Croatian 5-piece group called Kozmodrum. Exploring Dub, Techno and House, the quintet have found success in their domestic market and they seem to be looking to gain new fans overseas with the release of their self-titled third full-length album, back in June, via Rika Muzika. Describing their sound as “Organic House Music”, the band use the framework of a DJ set by producing electronic compositions that were designed to be played openly, where they loop beats until a cue point is given to indicate a switch to another part. On Facebook, they pitch this as “Jazz-infused Post-Rock meets Ambient Electronica meets Tech House with a percussion twist”, and that sounds really good to me. A 5-piece led by a classically trained drummer – Janko Novoselić – Kozmodrum won a Porin Award (The Croatian equivalent to the BRIT’s) for their second LP, ‘Gravity’, released in 2017. I was really pleased that John Ravenscroft introduced me to this project on BBC Radio 6 Music a number of weeks ago because it’s been growing on me ever since. Check out the lead single of the band’s new album, ‘Wormhole’, below.

Kozmodrum cites Tycho and Elektro Guzzi as their stylistic influences for their new record, and they told Twisted Soul, “After our first two albums, that were each very different in their own way – the first one being an exploration of Jazz/Fusion moods and the second veering toward more electronic/ambient atmospheres – this album is the most truthful representation of how we really sound live” in their own promo message. ‘Wormhole’ is a tune that was being developed over the space of five years until it reached its final form that you can hear on the new LP, and this tireless dedication to their own craft clearly shows in the meticulous structuring and the layers that build throughout the track. The six-minute duration seems to be on the longer side of things, but the instrumentation is paced nicely and it feels packed neatly considering the various Drum, Synth, Keyboard and Bass sequences in play. There’s no vocals, just pretty guitar melodies and splashings of rumbling Bass that gets a light-hearted tone across, and the animated music video adds nicely to the hand-woven aesthetic of the overall proceedings. As you would expect for a mix between Jazz and non-traditional Dance music, there is a fairly minimalist start to things before the different layers keep building and then evolving to form new loops, creating some sublime electronic grooves that have a bright warmth to them in the process. More complex, fragmented and harmonic Synth sounds follow in the later stages and small elements of Prog-Jazz and Math-Rock are evoked through the specific timing schemes. I really like how the track takes cues from Nu-Jazz, non-traditional Punk and experimental Electronic music to do something unique with the instruments being used, and the resulting sound is a blissful and chilled affair that is never afraid to throw some rougher sounds into the mixture. Once established, the grooves bump and slither their way through a Psychedelic concoction of genres that just slips neatly into your ears and keeps you actively listening out for the chord changes at the same time because they feel interesting and carefully textured. In summary, it is a lovely listen and definitely worthy of more ears than it’s been getting.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Kozmodrum’ (Self-Titled LP) (Released on June 25th, 2021) (via Rika Muzika)

That brings us to the end of the page for another day! Thank you for reaching this historic part of the day for me, and please feel free to join me again tomorrow as we do it all over again. I’ll be supporting more music from a lesser-known artist in John Peel style again as we take a detour into some DIY Hip-Hop production. My next pick comes from a 30-year-old rapper from South East London who has based his new album, ‘Section 1’, on the tragedies that have all defined his twenties, such as mental health struggles and familial loss. It’s a hard-hitting listen that demands your hearing.

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Today’s Track: MNDSGN – “Hope You’re Doin’ Better”

August 3, 2021 — Leave a comment

Massaging the inner workings of your crowded mind on a bright day. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Rare Pleasure’ (LP) (Released on May 14th, 2021) (via Stones Throw Records)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, and it’s time for me to unload with another music recommendation for you, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! ‘Rare Pleasure’ is the brilliant new album on Stones Throw Records from the Los-Angeles based singer-songwriter and graphic designer Ringgo Ancheta, who releases his own Soulful blend of laidback Jazz and soft Funk music as MNDSGN. That does look pretty unpronounceable at first glance, but you are supposed to say it as “Mind Design”. He is very new to my ears, in all honesty, but he has been doing the rounds for several years, collaborating with Danny Brown for ‘Classic Drug References, Vol. 1’ in 2013, working in the side project of Vivians with The Koreatown Oddity for a self-titled album in 2015, and, last year, he released the gorgeous ‘Forever In Your Sun’ collaborative album with Lionmilk. He is the youngest brother of four in his family, of Filipino descent, and he developed his interests in music when he learned how to play the Organ at a young age, before his older brother introduced him to Hip-Hop music and beat production. If you’re a fan of Thundercat or Toro Y Moi, you’d love this. Check out ‘Hope You’re Doin’ Better’ below.

To gain your interest further, Stones Throw Records’ description of ‘Rare Pleasure’ reads like: “Inspired by soundtrack music, Samba, Exotica and 70’s/80’s library records, Rare Pleasure is intensely intimate, sourcing lyrics from MNDSGN’s family and interpersonal experiences, and reflective of the world at large”, and the new LP features guest appearances from Anna Wise, Kiefer, Carlos Niño, Devin Morison and more, who all contribute precisely to Ancheta’s mellow sonic soundboard. The title more or less tells you all that you need to know about the track, with Ancheta singing about the severed bonds of friendships when circumstances of life naturally change, and how distance or disagreement plays a role in the cycle of human nature. Lyrics like “Going through the motions like that” and “You know you’ve got a friend whenever you need one” make his intentions clear, while Anchetta delivers these vocals with a familial warmth and the musical equivalent of a polite smile, bolstered by some mid-tempo keyboard riffs and some light influence from 1970’s Funk that plays out like George Clinton has just gradually slowed down to a crawl at one of his Parliament and Funkadelic parties. The soulful grooves are quite cerebral in pace, mellow in tempo and they are given a more airy weight, but the reverberated Synth patterns and the clear Neo-Jazz production, created by some gently pulsating Drum melodies and some tight Brass samples, feel rhythmic enough to get a funky groove going. It’s not a dance track by any means, but it feels very soothing, and these softly catchy melodies allow the timed duration of the track to slowly dissipate away as you tune in to the thick basslines, simply relaxing your ear-drums and conveying some very hypnotic effects in the process. The dreamy vocals call back to Frank Ocean at his most haziest, and the soothing guitar melodies reminds me of late J Dilla, while some child-like qualities carry the basic themes of the songwriting to a more compelling level. This is a truly excellent lead single from a fantastic new album, which has been on regular rotation among my lists and my libraries for the past crop of weeks, and I would highly recommend streaming the full record the whole way through for more. ‘Slowdance’ is another top-notch single with a similar, but more flirtatious, tone to it. A very well-arranged new release that is impossible not for me to recommend. Bravo.

  • Pictured: MNDSGN (Ringgo Ancheta) in a photoshoot for ‘Medium Rare’ (2021) (Photo via KRCW.com)

Thank you for your continued support for the blog, and, if you’ve been going through a tough time lately, I hope you’re doin’ better. Please feel free to join me again tomorrow, as we go ‘Way Back’ to late-1960’s Jamaica for our weekly Wednesday throwback, as we revisit one of the most prolific female vocalists of the old-school Jamaican Reggae scene, who released her material on Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label.

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Today’s Track: Curtis Harding – “Hopeful”

July 26, 2021 — Leave a comment

“Hope is seeing light, in spite of being surrounded by darkness”. Time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Hopeful’ (Single) (Released on May 18th, 2021) (via Anti- Records)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, and it’s time for another optimistic 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! ‘Hopeful’ is the latest single from the Atlanta-based Soul singer-songwriter Curtis Harding, who records his own music with his self-described ‘Slop ‘n’ Soul’ style where he carries across the influences of R&B, Blues, Gospel, Psychedelic Rock and Country into his process of songwriting and musicality. In the past, Harding has been known for backing mainstream star CeeLo Green. Also, he is a founding member of Night Sun, an R&B-infused Garage-Rock band with former members from Black Lips, which has been active in Atlanta since 1999. Harding has now inked a solo record contract with Anti- Records, the same label which is also home to the likes of Booker T. Jones, Deafheaven, Mavis Staples and The Black Keys. There’s no news on a new album release associated with ‘Hopeful’ yet, but it has been four years since his last album material. ‘Hopeful’ arrives with a music video directed by Lynsey Weatherspoon, which directly references the events of 2020, like the Black Lives Matter protests, of which the lyrics were influenced by. Let’s give it a spin below.

A peaceful protest for the current racial affairs of the present times, Harding reflects on ‘Hopeful’ as, “I wrote ‘Hopeful’ some time ago, but in theory it goes far beyond a time and place”, Harding explained in a press release, noting, “I’ve always tried to carry it {Hope} wherever I am. Darkness finds us all, hope allows us the fortitude to seek out the light” in his self-assessment. For us, it’s the unmatched energy that his vocals bring to the track that brings home what we were all feeling in the millions last year, and how we can progress our mindset as a society to craft a brighter future for all. A radiant Gospel backing vocal of ‘Hopeful’ spreads across the canvas, while a melodic Hip-Hop delivery and tight Drums piece the decisive emotions together. Harding’s voice conveys qualities of vulnerability, longing, tenderness and peace as the stabbing Percussion and the funky Guitars provide an upbeat, yet golden era of Jazz-leaning, backbeat. Lyrics like “Now in this present darkness/All ears listen just a mass has formed to cure the common condition” and “A catalog of parables that’s broke down in a tongue/That’s been corrupted no substance to be hidden from” are delivered with a rhythmic flow. It feels like an effort split into two acts, with a long Wah-Wah guitar solo signaling the transition into a more melodramatic vibe. Horns, Strings, Brass stabs, cinematic female backing vocals and soulful Psychedelia carry the angrier, bluesier direction through to the perceptible climax, while the first half of the instrumental arrangements are a notch more Pop-driven, aside from a few quiet Organ chords that whistle briskly in the soundscape, marking a shift in the times. On the whole, this is a solid single that tells us that Harding is back, but, it also tells us that attitudes change for the better, and, as a society, we are fundamentally good and typically have our combined hearts in the right place, although a straight road to such positive unity can have it’s fair share of twists. Although it may feel a tad too 2020 for the next year at the first glance, the instrumentation definitely has a timeless feeling, and so do the key messages and personal values that Harding is raising awareness of.

  • Pictured: Curtis Harding in a PR shoot for ‘The 405 Exchange Podcast’ (2017) (via Ken Grand-Pierre)

That leaves us on a very Hopeful note to end the day with, but please feel free to join me again tomorrow for some more intriguing new music. The pick in question comes from a Los Angeles native who proclaims herself as the “Wal-Mart Marilyn Monroe” because she has been associated with the entertainment industry since a very young age. She was a child star on screen and is professionally trained in tap dancing. She has just released her debut solo album on Johnny Jewel’s label – Italians Do It Better.

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New Album Release Friday: Greentea Peng – “Nah, It Ain’t The Same”

June 4, 2021 — Leave a comment

It’s New Album Release Day – and it’s time to get this Par-Tea started! New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “MAN-MADE” (LP) (Released on June 4th, 2021) (via Virgin/EMI Records)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here – and I’m here to deliver your 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! It’s ‘New Album Release Friday’ on One Track At A Time – and this week’s notable releases come from James (Who are looking for their third consecutive UK Top 10 album), the rave-reviewed UK indie rock band Wolf Alice, the debut EP from the Hackney Punk trio Deep Tan and The Avalanches’ ‘Since I Left You’ receives a 20th Anniversary Deluxe re-issue. However, the spotlight deserves to go to the self-described ‘Psychedelic R&B’ South London-based Neo-Soul Singer-Songwriter Greentea Peng (aka Aria Wells) who has been slowly building up to the long-awaited release of ‘MAN-MADE’, her debut solo album, over the last handful of years with the Earbud-produced singles like ‘Ghost Town’, ‘Revolution’ and ‘Hu-Man’. The record arrives at shop shelves from today onwards on Virgin’s EMI label, and the long-player’s release date was previously shared along with ‘Nah, It Ain’t The Same’, as a promotional single. Fusing Dub, soft Hip-Hop and soulful Garage, Wells blends her influences of Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill and Ms. Dynamite with her love of Green Tea and the London slang word of ‘Peng’ – meaning cool or attractive. Debuted alongside a Machine Operated-produced music video, Wells says ‘Nah, It Ain’t The Same’ is “an expression and exploration of my utter confusion and inner conflicts amidst shifting paradigms”, as per her relevant press notes. Check it out down below.

Posting on Instagram, Wells writes of ‘MAN-MADE’, “Thank you to everyone who helped to bring this together. Its been a real process forming this album, a real trip. I’m so excited to begin this roll out.”, elaborating on it’s themes, “Deliberations of a (hu) man subject to the Pendulum swing, a reflection of my utter confusion and inner most conflicts/contradictions amidst these shifting paradigms. Always love. Always mushrooms. PEACE”, in her own wildly amusing words. Supported by her own backing band, Wells conjures up a very intriguing mix of Dub instrumentals and Neo-Soul rhythms as she expresses the modern life of men through a female perspective. Wells sings “Inner battles dwell like city kids beneath the poverty line/I’m feeding my senses” and “Food for thought is money well spent/Cause most of our so-called knowledge is rented” with her familiar, radiant croon, as she discusses female poverty in deprived areas of London with a calm and relaxed attitude. The backing beats keep bending and evolving, starting off with a soft Drum melody that permeates through the track, before a sequence of Garage-like electronic beats and a more hostile series of entrancing Jazz-like Hip-Hop rhythms ensues. An Upright Bass instrumental, the continually crackling Drum beats, spacious keyboard melodies and light Vinyl scratches make up the concoction. Imbued with the Punk-rooted assertion that we’ve come to expect from Wells, she tugs at the heart of her own personal matters by mixing Reggae-like melody with Spoken Word poetry that feels noticeably downcast, but quite natural and self-conscious, re-enforcing herself as a voice worthy of hearing.

  • Pictured: Greentea Peng (aka Aria Wells) in an early photoshoot (in 2019) (Photo Credit: Emma Williams)

If you think that Greentea is ‘Peng’ – you may want to seek joy in some of her other offerings. Still my favourite, ‘Ghost Town’, was previously covered on the blog here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/16/todays-track-greentea-peng-ghost-town/. In her early days, and my own early days on the blog, we also looked at ‘Mr. Sun (Miss Da Sun)’, when she was a younger upstart. Check it out here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/12/todays-track-greentea-peng-mr-sun-miss-da-sun/

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Ghost Town” (Single/EP) (Released on 4th March 2020) (via Melody Maker)

That’s everything for today! Thanks for sticking with me until the end, and be sure to check back with me at exactly the same place again tomorrow, as we cover the announcement of the sophomore album release later this summer from a young lady from Northumberland, who has previously made an appearance on the blog, who attended the BRIT’s School in Croydon. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she has kept herself busy as the first artist to appear on Microsoft’s virtual ‘RE:Surface’ live-streamed concerts. 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: Elkka – “Burnt Orange”

May 25, 2021 — Leave a comment

Let’s get to the sweetened Pulp of our favourite Welsh Femme Fatale. New post time!

  • Pictured: Elkka showing off her pandemic studio set-up (2021) (Photo via TheVinylFactory.com)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, just like usual, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of new music every day! ‘Burnt Orange’ has been B-listed on BBC Radio 6 Music, and it comes from Elkka – real name Emma Kirby – a DJ and electronic music producer from Cardiff, who is now based in London. Kirby originally grew up wanting to be a pop star, but she found her true calling in 2016, when she founded the Femme Culture with DJ Saint Ludo. Her label’s successes include Octo Octa and Lone, and it has expanded past club nights and fundraising compilations since winning the ‘Breakthrough Label’ nod at DJ Mag’s ‘Best Of British’ Awards in 2018. Her debut solo LP, ‘Every Body is Welcome’, was another success for her, in 2019, with more established names like Caribou, George FitzGerald and Floating Points sharing her music on their pages, and earning features on Crack and Mixmag. ‘Euphoric Melodies’ is her new EP, and it was released over the past weekend via Technicolour Records – an imprint of Ninja Tune. Check out ‘Burnt Orange’ below.

Elkka’s new five-track release is pitched as “Euphoric Melodies started out as an exploration of what pulls me in, what makes me feel those moments of elation when writing music or listening to it or just when living life”, according to her press notes on the new Extended Play. She adds, “The underlying theme seems to be warmth, euphoria and nostalgia… which is what plays out in this EP in different forms. Little did I know that, as the EP came together, nostalgia for euphoria would be so prevalent” to her address. A multi-faceted production, ‘Burnt Orange’ manages to vividly evoke the Acid Techno of 90’s Warp releases and the Funk/Soul fusion of the late-1970’s with charming flair. Starting off with bouncing Drum sequences and wide reverb to give the bass a danceable repetition, the melodies slowly evolve from a cinematic and quietly String-enhanced scope to a more playful and pop-friendly club atmosphere. A whirling, virtuosic Synth sequence paves the way for an entrancing bassline with bright, hypnotic Drum scatterings. It all feels percussive, before a seemingly wordless vocal riff from Elkka enters the fray. It’s almost like she has spontaneously began to mutter along to her own track during it’s post-production stages. It has an improvisational vibe, with a rhythmic stutter that evokes 00’s Garage tunes. The chorus of-sorts features a vocal breakdown that feels very much like a Jazz Scat, as the light humming and the dance-led textures all come together for the third act to convey optimism and happiness. It feels like a tune, overall, that 90’s film character Austin Powers would only describe as “Groovy Baby”. There’s a delicacy to the production that gives it a reflexive quality where it feels we’re breaking the fourth wall between artist and audience a little bit. It’s very enjoyable, overall, with a fairly distinctive style that creates a vibrant fantasy of a warm, night summer rooftop party.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Euphoric Melodies” (EP) (Released on May 21, 2021) (via Technicolour Records)

That’s all for now! Join me again tomorrow for ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ as we mark the release of Moby’s ‘Reprise’ album on May 28th, this weekend, – a new project of re-imagined orchestral and acoustic versions of the most popular recordings over the course of his career – with a throwback to his highest-charting single in the UK from 1999. It got to the #5 spot in the UK Singles Chart, and every single track from it’s respective album was eventually licensed for use in a film, TV or commercial production of some form. 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/

New Album Release Friday: Alfa Mist – “Run Outs”

April 23, 2021 — Leave a comment

If you love Jazz, you may end up kicking yourself if you ‘Mist’ this one. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Bring Backs” (LP) (Released on April 23rd, 2021) (via Anti- Records)

Good Morning to you – I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, like always, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! This week’s pack of long-player releases include the new albums from mainstream mega-stars Tom Jones and Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, who are both looking to keep troubling the charts, no doubt, along with a new deluxe edition of ‘Isles’ by the Belfast dance breakouts Bicep, and new offerings from underrated Art-Rock collective Field Music, and Grammy-nominated Chapel Hill-based DJ Porter Robinson falling not far behind. This time, we’re going to sample a piece from ‘Bring Backs’, the new LP from the rising London Nu-Jazz star Alfa Mist, which is the much-anticipated solo follow-up to 2017’s ‘Antiphon’ – releasing today via Anti- Records. Mist’s been showered with praise over the years, and I’ve heard a lot of good things about him from the ‘Deep Cuts’ channel on Discord which I spend roughly 30 seconds per day looking at. I just never have much time to look at it properly and I’m a hectically busy guy right now. His genres of Prog-Jazz and Electronic Jazz have been going under a renaissance in recent years, however, with the likes of Moses Boyd, Nubya Garcia and Nubiyan Twist being notable names for these scenes. Mist hails from East Ham, London where he taught himself to produce beats. The pianist wrote and self-produced the new body of work, which he recorded in London with a cast of collaborators including Jamie Houghton, Kaya Thomas-Dyke and Lex Amor. Let’s sample it with a recent single, “Bring Backs”, below.

“Bring Backs” brings together the disparate sounds of it’s guests, and gets topped off by a Spoken Word poem written by Hilary Thomas to tie things together. For Mist, it seems to be a document of who he was and who he has become, as he told the press “Run Outs is a street game I remember playing when I was younger. I used to think of making beats and playing with a band as separate worlds until I realized I was always trying to achieve the same thing”, adding, “Making the music I want to make. With the song Run Outs I’m bringing together the vibe of my earliest beats with where I am today” in his press notes. Another instrumental track to follow up on Hannah Peel’s ‘Ecovocotive’ from yesterday’s blog post – ‘Run Outs’ carries forwards it’s nostalgic qualities and intimate layers with it’s relative simplicity. The opening Piano groove feels light and mildly ethereal, before the off-kilter drumming signatures and the sparse rhythms of a more electronic nature push-and-pull the overall pacing of the track. Together, these elements act out as a continous layer of instrumentation that gradually adds layers of percussion, bass, Brass instrumentation and quiet string sections to the fray, although none of these elements stay in the picture for too long, as to overstay their welcome. It feels like a relaxing track that would sound great as part of the ambience of an Arts-based Coffee Shop or the ‘early doors’ section of a Jazz bar. The sounds are polished and intricate, with a slight touch of distortion that adds some unpredictability to the mix. It sounds like it’s coming from the heart and it’s clear that Mist is really giving everything his all here, and isn’t the kind of artist to walk into a studio and record over a pre-built track. I feel like, perhaps, it could have done with a little bit more ‘oomph’ for the lack of a better term, with more catchy progression to make it a bit more memorable. This is not bland, however, and it’s far from it, with an altogether rich and easy-flowing sound which can accommodate a diverse selection of it’s listeners. At-times stunning, the overall sum of it’s parts makes it seem a nice and enjoyable listen, with each small piece fitting neatly into the jigsaw.

  • Pictured: Alfa Mist performing live at the SWX in Bristol (in 2020) (Photo by Elliott Simpson)

That’s it for today – ‘Scuzz Sundays’ is penciled in for two days time, but, in the meantime, remember to check back in with me tomorrow for my review of the triumphant return track of a well-liked UK electronic soul/disco now-duo who were shortlisted for the Mercury Prize in 2014 following the release of their self-titled debut album that year. Their new single has been getting support across the dial, with airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio 1, Radio X, NTS Radio and elsewhere. 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/

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

March 12, 2021 — Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for reading my latest blog post! I’ll be rather busy making the trip back to my university term-time accommodation tomorrow, and so my entry tomorrow will probably be a little shorter and sweeter than usual. I can’t let the team down though, so I will be back with an in-depth look at the final track in my pre-Christmas backlog, at last. Tomorrow’s band emerged from a promising wave of early-2010’s British Hardcore Punk groups, with the line-up being a 5-piece super-group of musicians from bands like Arms Race, Vile Spirit and Gutter Knife. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

International Women’s Day 2021 Special: St. Vincent – “Digital Witness” (2014)

March 8, 2021 — 1 Comment

An alternative ode to just sitting in front of the TV! Happy International Women’s Day!

  • Pictured: St. Vincent performing “Digital Witness” on Later… With Jools Holland (2014) (via BBC.com)

Good Afternoon to you – and wishing very a happy International Women’s Day to all readers on the blog, thanks for continuing to stick with me in these harsh times! Or, if you’ve never been here before, Welcome – I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and this is the place where I get writing up about a different piece of music every single day! As noted, it has been declared as the annual International Women’s Day today, and so I thought it would be nice to feature a female artist who inspires me today. I would usually always pivot towards Bjork and I think she’s my favourite female music artist of all time for her socio-economic currency, but I know I’ve talked to death about her on the blog and on the radio, so let’s give someone else a well-deserved celebration instead. St. Vincent is the alias that Oklahoma-born Art-Pop singer songwriter Annie Clark uses to release music under, and she’s become an icon of the Alternative music genre ever since she began her career as a member of The Polyphonic Spree. She is of a similar ilk to Prince or Bowie in the ways that she’s going to release her raw, unedited material whether the industry cares or not, and she always pushes the boundaries and reinvents herself successfully between her releases. She’s currently gearing up to release her next album, “Daddy’s Home” on May 14th, and the internet music community seems to be super excited for that one. However, when I look to the archives, arguably none of her tracks stick out at me quite like “Digital Witness” does, which was released as a single in 2014 from her self-titled fourth album. The album received unanimously strong praise from critics, with publications like The Guardian, Slant and NME naming it their Album Of The Year at the time, along with winning the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album in 2015 – also making Clark the first female artist to win the nod twice. One fun bit of pop culture trivia for you is that she dated supermodel and actress Cara Delevingne between 2014 and 2016. I think Clark was actually quite a bit older than Cara, not that it’s all that relevant, but it’s a solid Showbiz fact still. Nevertheless, St. Vincent is a much beloved female artist who is definitely paving the way for the industry and the ways in which high-caliber female creatives perform on the stage and on screen. Let’s delve into “Digital Witness” below.

St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) has also been very significant for the representation of gender politics in her work, with St. Vincent telling Rolling Stone in a 2014 interview that “I don’t have anything to hide, but I’d rather the emphasis be on the music” when she was asked whether she identified as straight or homosexual, and she’s also worked with high-profile names like David Byrne and Swans, a collaboration of which Byrne commented: “Despite having toured with her for almost a year, I don’t think I know her much better, at least not on a personal level… mystery is not a bad thing for a beautiful, talented young woman (or man) to embrace. And she does it without seeming to be standoffish or distant.” in a profile for Village Voice. Clark just carries an aura of bold, vibrant focus on just her creativity itself, a natural sense of passion and determination that I hold dearest in “Digital Witness”. She immediately instructs us to “Get back to your seats” in the opening line of the track, before she builds her commentary on the social media addiction themes with a funky, squelching trumpet beat. It feels tense and sophisticated, while having a defiantly odd and lovingly strange sound. The Jazz elements feel idiosyncratic, with light Pop hooks like “People turn the TV on, it looks just like a window” and “Digital witnesses, what’s the point of even sleeping?” permeating through the angular grooves. Her vocals are balancing a slightly bitter tone with a more celebratory one, with the chorus lyrics of “If I can’t show it, If you can’t see me/What’s the point of even sleeping?” permeating over the top of a delayed pedal effect where the Synth-adjusted Brass instrumental feels a bit more raw and painful. There’s a sense of flirtation with the dissonance of the guitar work that characterizes the overall sound, as bright and pastoral textures are added to juxtapose the more angry, unsettling sections. The instrumental feels busy, but each of the different elements plays a detailed part, where the themes of viral media consumption and the wider implications of this – a wonky perception of personal image and the risks we pay to attain surveillance, are all hidden between the chords too. It’s really a brilliant tune – with smart wordplay and a layer of surrealist themes that feels as relentlessly likeable as it also feels cautionary. I also love the moments where she adds a “YAH” to the end of the chorus – as well as being purely adorable, it feels cryptic and manages to put you in a train of thought, almost hypnotically as the off-kilter Trumpet section continues raging on. It all feels a bit Prince, but it also feels culturally relevant and distinctively original. A very accomplished piece of truly great music that can never age and may yet evolve with the times. *Readjusts Neck* YAAAH!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “St. Vincent” (LP) (Released on Feb 24th, 2014) (via Loma Vista Recordings)

Time to catch my breath – After I remind you that I’ll be back tomorrow, like always, with an in-depth look at some more music. It’s a brand new tune that I’ve been loving on my radio show tomorrow, as we keep up the positive energy. Indeed, tomorrow’s new track is a great find that comes from the solo project of one half of the sibling Chicago Psych-Rock duo Wild Belle, and the track was also featured on a recent episode of BBC Radio 6Music Recommends with Tom Ravenscroft. 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: Menahan Street Band – “The Duke”

February 23, 2021 — Leave a comment

Nearly a decade – but they’re gonna give us something to Taco about. New post time!

  • Pictured: Physical Vinyl copy of “The Exciting Sounds Of Menahan Street Band” (LP) (Released on February 26th, 2021) (via Daptone Records) (Available to buy from shopdaptonerecords.com)

My word… I do miss my street food. On that tangent, I’m Jacob Braybrooke – and it’s time for me to get typing up on the blog for your daily track on the blog, because it’s routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! A now six-piece retro Funk and Soul collective encompassing a strong variety of musicians from The Budos Band, El Michels Affair, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings and Antibalas, Menahan Street Band are an Instrumental Jazz group who were founded in Brooklyn, New York in 2007 by Thomas Brenneck, who gave this project their moniker while living in an apartment on Menahan Street in the NY neighborhood of Bushwick. Even if you think you’ve never heard their music before, the chances are more likely that you probably have, and that’s because their original tracks have been sampled widely in Hip-Hop by contemporary artists like Kendrick Lamar, Kid Cudi and 50 Cent. Citing Ella Fitzgerald, Curtis Mayfield and Ennio Morricone as main influences, the collective are currently signed to Daptone Records. Now, after a ten-yer hiatus, “The Exciting Sounds Of Menahan Street Band”, the act’s third full-length album, is set to release this Friday on that label. Check out one of the new singles, “The Duke”, below.

Yes, you read that correctly. It’s been nearly a full decade, but Menahan Street Band are following up on 2012’s “The Crossing” this week. Entitled “The Duke”, their recent single was recorded at the old Dunham Studio in Brooklyn during the Charles Bradley “Victim Of Love” sessions. Shared in a statement from the artists on Instagram, the band said “Some turned into songs that made Charles’ album. We tried putting vocals on this track, but Charles could never get into it. Years later, while putting together ‘The Exciting Sounds Of…’ album, we thought this was the perfect place for The Duke”, when commenting on the track’s previous origins, with this cut being originally intended for Charles Bradley, before the Instrumental collective put their own fresh spin on the template. A classical-sounding and traditioanlly built Jazz instrumental, “The Duke” feels playful and joyous in it’s approach, with a vintage and nostalgic 80’s Soul Fusion sound that highly reminds me of Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, and a little of Khruangbin too with it’s light-hearted World Music elements. Starting off with a tinny Organ riff, “The Duke” evolves into a more hypnotic affair with the sweeping Trumpet sounds and the funk-laden guitar licks that are added into the chorus. It unveils more tone and timbre, with a two-step drum beat coming into the second verse, after we settle back into the groove created by the continous Organ melody. The final section of the piece feels more restrained, with an angular rhythm guitar solo briefly replacing the warmth of the toy-like and playful Keyboard instrumentation, but all three elements of the Jazz, Soul and R&B sound remain intact because of the push-and-pull nature of the Brass-based instrumentation. The chorus is reminiscent of a crescendo, while the verse acts as a small build-up for the groove to be unleashed into a more melodic explosion of sounds in the chorus. The mood and design is quite fascinating, but the focal Jazz sound is one full of comfort and warmth. Although the instrumental sound never really “goes anywhere” in the typical sense, we’re left with a delightfully old-school and vintage-feeling assortment of moods. Top marks for this.

  • Pictured: Thomas Brenneck (Lead Guitar), Nick Movshon (Bass Guitar), Mike Deller (Organ), Dave Guy (Trumpet), Leon Michaels (Saxophone) & Homer Steinwess (Drums) (2020) (via Frontview Magazine)

Thank you for reading this post – I’m very grateful for your support. That’s all for now, but please check back with me tomorrow for another episode in our “Way Back Wednesdays” weekly feature where we remember the pre-2000’s music sounds that should be remembered from time to time. In a rare look at a mainstream-oriented tune tomorrow, we’re going to treat my mother to one of her favourites. It comes from an Australian star of stage and screen who, despite suffering injuries to his back in the new series of ITV’s ‘Dancing On Ice’, he’s still not going to give up the fight for you! 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/