Reggae

Today’s Track: Rudy Mills – “A Long Story”

May 26, 2020 — Leave a comment

I could write a novel about him – but I’ll cut a long story short! It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “This Is Trojan: Rock Steady” (Compilation LP Box-Set) (Released in April 2018)

Good afternoon to you, my name is Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, since it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Whew, it’s a hot day. That’s why I have decided to write about a classic Jamaican Rocksteady track from the sunny Kingston sounds of the late 1960’s. You can very easily put your feet up to “A Long Story” on full volume in the garden. “A Long Story” was written and performed by Rudy Mills in 1967, a single which legendary producer Derek Harriott discovered him – and started working with him – from. It has led to Mills’ being selected for spots in more than 20 compilation albums from the likes of Trojan Records and Universal throughout the decades, including use on the British ITV 2 Historical Sitcom TV series “Plebs”. Rudy Mills is still enjoying an active and lucrative career today, with his most recent release being the one-off track “Lonely” last year. Let’s have a listen to his 60’s hit “A Long Story” below!

Rudy is not one for storybook endings, then. Rudy Mills’ “A Long Story” begins as a whimsical ode to a traditional break-up with a love interest and it later becomes a Reggae anthem of keeping your chin up and moving on, knowing that’s best for a friend. Mills’ seems to be an on-looker of the situation, using a second-person tense as his reference and crooning: “She didn’t love him/She only made believe/That’s why he’s hurting/She made the grown boy sad”, after Mills’ briefly elaborates on the repeating “Yes, It’s a long story” hook with: “About a fella, Who had a girl he loved/But she hurt him, and made him cry”, two verses which are spaciously placed between a shimmering Kick Drum beat, a sparse variety of Steel Drum clashes and a lengthy series of very long, very high notes from Mills. The songwriting has a touch of irony and satire, with minimally short vocal hooks and steady, albeit slowly progressing, acoustic Reggae instrumentation. There’s a light splattering of Rock in the percussive structure, but the powerful vocals from Mills are the clear icing on the cake to the “Classic” status of this tune. To this day, it sounds old-school, but there’s a cerebral pacing to the sound and a deep irony to the lyricism that makes it feel distinct to the feel-good and sweet sounds of the genre, although it also hits those points with the warmth of the joyful and soulful Ska melodies. May you live A Long Story to tell, Rudy!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Rudy Mills’ Reggae Hits” (Compilation LP) (Released in 1969) (via Pama Records)

Thank you for reading this post! Given our current times, I ask that you please stay safe inside, don’t do anything silly and you keep on washing those hands! I will be veering into laidback electronic dance territory tomorrow with an in-depth review of a recent track from an up-and-coming solo producer based in North London who used to present an online show for NTS Radio and he has, so far, worked with the likes of Sampha, Paul Epworth, David Byrne and Westerman! 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: Oscar Jerome – "Sun For Someone"

April 7, 2020 — Leave a comment

The sun has no need to go to study – it has a million degrees! It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Oscar Jerome in a photoshoot for a “The Line Of Best Fit” editorial (2019) (Photo Credit: Joshua Adkins)

Well, the sun certainly is out for everyone today! Good afternoon to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! Oscar Jerome is an emerging neo-soul and jazz fusion singer-songwriter from Norwich. Jerome is a fresh signing for Caroline International, the label which distributes releases from the likes of Kate Tempest and Iggy Pop, who will release Jerome’s yet-to-be-titled debut album when it’s completed later this year. Jerome is perhaps best known as the guitarist of KOKOROKO, an Afrobeat collective formed in London. Jerome began his solo career with a self-titled EP released in 2016, followed by a second EP, “Where Are Your Branches”, which he self-released last year. “Sun For Someone” is his latest release, a new single which handles themes of environmental pollution. Let’s have a listen to “Sun For Someone” in the video below.

Jerome has a love for vintage Jazz greats, namely Miles Davis, Curtis Mayfield and George Benson, an eclectic range of influences that he blends with a streamlined, modernized neo-soul synth production style on his new track. This is enhanced by a Tropicalia, Dub aesthetic that combines lo-fi elements of jittering hip-hop fusion with slight elements of 60’s Rocksteady. Jerome recites, in a soulful delivery: “Someone’s screaming trouble in the paradox/No time to bless your cotton socks/Mind thick with soot/Pulling blessings out your throat with a fishing hook”, a mellow section that Jerome interweaves with a light, acoustic guitar strum and a warm backing vocal, a refrain that he chants: “The sun will always come for someone/But it doesn’t shine for everyone/And it doesn’t come on time”, an elegant yet melancholic hook which feels kaleidoscopic and blunt, but the sadness may not be easily distinguished on a first listen, due to the radiant and bright melodies of the synthesized backing track. An electric guitar solo is later thrown in for good measure, before Jerome continues: “I’ve been working night and day in the paradox/Thanking God for the Goldie Locks/Breath deep, cry long, scream loud/Searching for sanction on a stormy cloud”, a smooth vocal hook which gets underpinned by a rougher pitch and a constant drum machine pattern. The overall sound of the track is diverse and varied, although the sum of all parts are Blues-y and World-inspired qualities that feel befitting of a theme. I appreciate the hidden complexities beneath the sun-dripped guitar-based melodies, as the Reggae elements fuse with the gentle Dub textures to create a comforting emotion to counteract the fairly miserable lyrical content. It’s obviously geared more towards the music lovers crowd, but I feel that’s a good thing as it will really appeal to listeners who began their love affair with 70’s funk or British soul. Thumbs up for this!

  • Pictured: Oscar Jerome performing at the EFG London Jazz Festival in 2019 (Photo Credit: Karolina Wielocha)

Don’t forget to catch up with my WWE WrestleMania 36 Weekend Special if you missed out – Friday’s post, “El Santo: The Silver Masked Avenger” by The Nick Atoms, is here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/03/wwe-wrestlemania-36-weekend-special-the-nick-atoms-el-santo-the-silver-masked-avenger/. Saturday’s post on Bruce Springsteen’s “The Wrestler”, is here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/04/wwe-wrestlemania-36-weekend-special-bruce-springsteen-the-wrestler/. The weekend’s final post on “The Legend Of Chavo Guerrero” by The Mountain Goats can be perused here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/05/wwe-wrestlemania-36-weekend-special-the-mountain-goats-the-legend-of-chavo-guerrero/!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Sun For Someone” (Single) (2020) (via Caroline International)

Thank you for reading this post! Stay safe and healthy! Don’t forget to check up on the blog tomorrow – where I’ll be giving you my in-depth thoughts on a new track which I’ve been loving recently from a 4-piece psychedelic rock group from Los Angeles, California who made their late-night TV debut by performing “Friendship (Is A Small Boat In A Storm)” on Conan in 2017! 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: Dread Zeppelin – “Your Time Is Gonna Come”

March 13, 2020 — Leave a comment

Mentally drained, the time for bedtime has almost come… It’s time for your new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Un-Led-Ed” (Released on 24th July, 1990) (via I.R.S. music label)

It’s almost the weekend… The time is gonna come! Good evening to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! For a band which is essentially a novelty tribute band for a 70’s classic rock band, Dread Zeppelin are strangely prolific, having produced and recorded a whopping total of 15 albums between 1990 and 2011. Obviously, Dread Zeppelin are a Dub-plate take on the 1970’s British Heavy metal pioneers Led Zeppelin, having produced each of their tracks as covers of Led Zeppelin tracks, with a Reggae style. The band were formed in California in 1989, which led to an extensive touring schedule as a part of a long tenure with IRS Records – led by an Elvis Presley impersonator named Tortelvis on lead vocals. Dread Zeppelin have also been publically endorsed by Robert Plant, the lead vocalist of Led Zeppelin, who has stated that he prefers Dread Zeppelin’s 1990’s cover of “Your Time Is Gonna Come” to his own band’s original version. Compare for yourself with Dread Zeppelin’s cover below!

Dread Zeppelin’s cover version of “Your Time Is Gonna Come” by Led Zeppelin starts off as you might probably expect, with the recognizable opening lead guitar riffs of the track being replaced by the bouncy sounds of a Sitar, before a fizzled synth-line and a funk-laden groove settles into a constant affair of mid-tempo arrangement, before Tortelvis enters the fray: “Women lie/You’ll be cheated, you’ll be hurtin’/Messing around with every guy in town/Puttin’ me down for thinking of someone new”, with Tortelvis adding a vintage 70’s rock-and-roll edge to the duelling Rastafarian backing vocals. He later continues “Made up my mind to break you this time/Won’t be so fine, it’s my turn to cry/Do what you want, I won’t take your brunt/It’s fading away, I can’t feel you anymore” over an acoustic layer of Cuica riffs and Harpischord sections. The chorus sounds as triumphant as Zeppelin’s classic original, but with a lack of stadium rock sensibilites and a replaced sense of care-free fun, created by a thumping steel drum rhythm and a soft dose of licked bass guitar melodies. On paper, it sounds like a horrific idea which simply shouldn’t work, but it does. I’ve found there’s a dark corner of my mind that tells me I like this song and I can’t help but nod in approval to that. It’s humorous and quirky, with a cheerful quality of light-hearted Dub textures and the anthemic chanting vocals of the chorus have managed to translate to a more pop-driven style with effective results. The joke doesn’t quite ware itself out and the varied instrumentation keeps it melodic enough to hold your interest. The result is an entertaining novelty track which strikes the balance of accessibility and credibility. Your time, to have a boogie to this, has come!

  • Pictured: Ed Zeppelin (Graphic Artist/Writer/Producer), Tortelvis (Lead Guitar), Jah Paul Jo (Lead Guitar), Carl Jah (Rhythmn Guitar/Backing Vocals), Put-Mon (Bass Guitar) and Charlie Haj (Drums/Percussion) (1989) (via WikiWand)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, with an in-depth look at the final track that I’m going to cover on the blog from “Our Pathetic Age”, the outstanding new double album from American EDM/Trip-Hop icon DJ Shadow, who claims to own a personal collection of over 60,000 records! 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 Melodians – “I Will Get Along Without You”

February 17, 2020 — Leave a comment

I won’t get along without your likes, follows and support! It’s time for your new post!

  • Pictured: Tony Brevett (Vocals), Brent Dowe (Vocals), Trevor McNaughton (Vocals) (Photo Credit: Darren Farnsworth)

Good evening to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke, writing about your daily track on the blog, as promised! It’s a wet, frosty and in most places, icy, February where I’m situated in the UK, with my local area of Stoke-On-Trent being hit by snow storms especially. As they say, Jack Frost’s been nipping at my toes. So, rather than moan about the weather, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to whisk you away to a bright, sunshine-glazed destination to start off your week, and I’m going to do so with an old Jamaican Rocksteady classic from 1967. A little known fact is that “I Will Get Along Without You”, by classic Jamaican vocal trio The Melodians, is actually a reworked cover of a song published by Milton Kellem all of the way back in 1951, originally titled: “Gonna Get Along Without Ya Now”. There have been many versions since, with The Melodians being credited for influencing the likes of UB40 and She & Him to produce their own versions in more recent times. Formed by Tony Brevett, Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton, The Melodians went on to receive the coveted “Iconic Award” from the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) in 2017, although the trio had a few line-up changes and different producers over the years, with Bramwell Brown, Renford Cogle and Vin joining the ranks later on. Cogle was involved from the off, writing and arranging material for the vocalists. I discovered “I Will Get Along Without You” through the “This Is Trojan: Rock Steady” compilation album, released in April 2018, where the individual tracks are comfortably sitting on the system of my student radio station’s playout software. Let’s hear the track below!

The track immediately begins with a Vintage Jazz sound, which gets created by a nestled solo from trumpets courtesy of backing group The Supersonics. The vocals sink in: “You had a heart that I used to share/And then you went away, girl/Now you come back, telling me to forgive you/But I won’t change my mind”, Brevett takes the lead as he sends his ex-girlfriend packing: “I’ve found someone who loves me more than you do/And she will never, break my heart”, with Dowe and McNaughton tweeting and whistling in perfect harmony. Brevett continues to play up the lyrical theme of joyful break-up from a romantic partner: “So don’t you ever try to change my mind/Cause’ I won’t take you back”, with Dowe and McNaughton adding: “You gotta tell her one more time”, over a light, hazy and sun-dripped acoustic guitar riff and the effortlessly smooth use of Vibraphones and Saxophones. Simplicity is key, with minimalist production work and a jaunty, swayable dance beat which reminds me of the undeniable influence that classic Jamaican music has carved into the pop sensibilities of today, even if it isn’t noticed at once. The brass instrumentation is the musical stand-out, as it adds the signature groove which carries the slow-paced harmonies along. The lyrics are fairly interesting, with a slight implication that the narrator may have cheated on his ex-partner, who cheated on him prior to this, which adds a darker tone to contrast the light-hearted quality of the traditional Dub sound. By using elements of Ska, Jazz and Soul – The Melodians have created a thoroughly enjoyable classic which holds up on it’s own two feet decades after it was originally released. It precisely hits the sweet spot of the traditional Reggae sound on the head!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “This Is Trojan: Rock Steady) (Compilation Album Box-Set) (April 2018)

Thank you for reading this post! Make sure that you check back with the blog tomorrow, as I’ll be back with an in-depth look at another old classic! However, this time – it’s a classic ambient dance anthem, released in 1991, by a London-formed dance group who collaborated with Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour on their tenth studio album, released in 2010! They’re also set to play this year’s All Points East Festival at Victoria Park in London this May! 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/https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Hi Grade Hi-Fi (feat. Kes D’ Jordan) – “Turn Up The Heat”

January 23, 2020 — Leave a comment

We should turn down the fog and turn up the heat in the UK! Time for your new post!

  • Pictured: Hi-Grade Hi-Fi performing a live set at the Soundsystem Culture Festival (2019) (Credit: Stalingrad O’ Neill)

Jacob Braybrooke here! Here’s an up-tempo Reggae jive that I played on my most recent radio show, which comes courtesy of underground Birmingham dub-plate group High Grade Hi-Fi, a band who describe their sound as a “Reggae Sound System like no other”, as they cohesively incorporate the different elements across old-school Dub-plate production techniques with the raw sound of Jamaican carnival and the beat-driven influences of Ska. I have previously covered “Warrior, a more politically infused hip-hop track, on the blog. Have a listen to “Turn Up The Heat” below, a more breezy and feel-good ska track, which also features the vocal talents of Kes D’ Jordan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8RYFcy4q8I

“Turn Up The Heat” is, comparatively, very different to “Warrior” – with a lighter emphasis on the hip-hop and a heavier focus on the influences of Disco and a warmer, more light-hearted tone. Jordan quips: “Turn up the heat/rock to the beat/living in a moment”, over the top of a golden line of sun-dripped synth pad beats and a vintage, dub-tinged kick drum beat. Jordan sings: “got to be ready/for anything that comes your way” as the underlying Ska tone welcomes a new mix of beach-glazed guitar riffs and honeyed two-step bass guitar melodies. Jordan puts the cherry on top of the cake, as: “you’ve been frozen in time” and “free the shackles from your regimented life/it’s a sterile component” ushers in a chorus of trumpets and more jazz-oriented instrumentation which kicks the pacing up to another notch, resulting in a more kinetic and slightly old-school rocksteady-tinged, effect of sequencing. The dub-plate melodies are very rhythmic and the lyrics have a very upbeat and positive message of leaving your worries behind and enjoying yourself, which is very relevant in today’s digitally-connected society. The lyrics encourage you to, for example, enjoy a swift jive to a track at a gig rather than spend the whole 3-4 minutes filming clips of it for your social media accounts. Turn up your stereo to this!

  • Pictured: Still image from the music video for “Doggies Dem (feat. Juggernaut”)” (November 2019)

For the purposes of making a comparison between “Turn Up The Heat” and their brilliant track “Warrior”, why not read my thoughts on “Warrior” down below?: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/13/todays-track-hi-grade-hi-fi-feat-richie-culture-warrior/

  • Pictured: Behind-the-scenes image of High Grade Hi-Fi filming the “Warrior” music video (June 2019)

Thank you for reading this post! As usual, I’ll be back tomorrow with a look at a track, released in support of their third LP released in 2016, from an Australian electronic pop duo who are comprised between one member of Pnau and one member of The Sleepy Jackson! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: A Tribe Called RED (feat. Black Bear) – “The OG”

January 13, 2020 — Leave a comment

Here’s a daily musing on a new single from a duo who surprised me out of nowhere in 2015 with “the seal of the Halluci Nation”. However, will they manage to retain my “seal of approval”? To answer that, you’ll have to continue reading below to find out!

  • Pictured: Tim “2oolman” Hill (Production/Engineering) and Ehren “Bear Witness” Thomas (Mixing/Percussion)

Good evening, Jacob Braybroke here! I first discovered A Tribe Called RED, a Canadian electronic hip-hop group from Ontario, through the KEXP Song Of The Day podcast resource a few years back, leading me to enjoy listening to their 2015 LP, “We Are The Halluci Nation”, an album which showcased the group’s very unique strength of bringing activism to the dancefloor in a way that’s fun and musically well-rounded. Named as a homage to hip-hop legends A Tribe Called Quest, A Tribe Called Red are back, releasing a string of new singles towards the latter end of 2019. However, as a duo now, since Ian Campeau left the band due to health complications in 2017. One of the biggest new singles, “The OG”, features frequent guest collaborator Black Bear, as the band return to their self-described “Stadium Pow-Wow” sound for good measure!

A very colorful and world-inspired track, due to the African tribal chanting and the two-step Taiko drumming, “The OG” is a new track which succeeds in re-establishing the experimental sound of A Tribe Called Red and reasserting, after a few years of hiatus, the band’s refusal of boxing their sound into one specific genre. “The OG” begins with the modulated vocals of Black Bear, before a pulsating sound of bombastic electronic snare trips and loud tribal chants. The track leads into a sample of Romeo Saganah’s speech in the United Nations in September 2018, before the potent – almost violent – drumming sounds and indigenous chants continue, right after Saganah’s speech about Indegenious rights and the Trans Mountain Pipeline. This is a track which pulls a lot of different genres together – as the bassline-driven rhythm crashes along to EDM-style vibrations, which viciously pulls further influence from the likes of Heavy Techno, all produced under a wide array of Reggae styles. It’s a track which really flourishes in encompassing several genres in one overall package, while modifying the influences of each – so that it doesn’t seem to lose much of an overall cohesive quality. The result is a track which feels very political and it may be likely to cause a little bit of controversy among certain groups of different religions, but, in terms of the sound and aesthetic, it’s an enchanting return to form for A Tribe Called RED and although it’s familiar to “We Are The Halluci Nation”, I’m still excited to hearing a fully-fledged LP release to see how they expand their “Pow-Wow” sound!

  • Pictured: A Tribe Called Red performing a live set at the Lost Lake Festival in 2017 (Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be continuing to introduce you to some more new music inspired by different sounds from around the world tomorrow, as I’ll be looking at a new solo track from the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the famous Liverpool band Bloc Party! 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 Jamaicans – “Things You Say You Love”

January 2, 2020 — Leave a comment

Here are the things I say that I love: Pyjamas, Bed, Cake, Alcoholic Drinks, Books, Art, Tea, Coffee, Chocolate and most importantly… Music! It’s time for your daily musing!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “This Is Trojan: Rock Steady” (Compilation LP Box-Set) (April 2018)

If I’m honest, it’s been a strangely difficult task for me, Jacob Braybrooke, to find a song to write to you about on such a peculiar day as January 2nd, so I ultimately decided to take you decades back for a Jamaican Rocksteady classic originally performed by The Jamaicans, a Ska/Rockfteady outfit that was formed in 1967. Not very much is known about their origin, besides the fact that it had three founding members: Derrick Brown, Martin Williams and Norris Weir, who tragically passed away at his home in Port Lucile in November 2018, following a lucrative career where he went on to release ten successful gospel albums. It still feels fairly recent, in my books. Later in the 60’s, Tommy Cowan joined the ranks of the line-up to form a quartet. At one point, it was a quintet with Flats Hylto and I Kong, with the group calling themselves “The Jamaicans” at the behest of Jamaican shipping agent Aston McKeaachron, as the studio felt it would increase their international appeal. “Things You Say You Love” is one of their most essential and well-received tracks, which recently had a re-release on their label’s compilation boxset, “This Is Trojan: Rock Steady”, in April 2018. The compilation album features golden classics from the likes of Desmond Dekker & The Aces, Phyllis Dixon, Alton Ellis & The Flames and Keith & Tex! I think it’s definitely well worth seeking out if you can find it in the January sales!

A shuffling horn-based arrangement and a low-tempo kick drum beat is the catalyst for the super-smooth harmonies and the jangly dancebeat tone. It provides the basis for a jazz-inspired tune and a two-step pace which makes it accessible to shuffle your body along to. The quartet vocally express the bluntness of happiness not always coming to pass and the theme is that, in life, you can’t win them all and you need to keep your chin up in acceptance that moving forward is always the best direction to go forwards. The verses are chronologically muffled, with the track being vocally performed in very tedious fragments, which come across as our way of thinking. “Things You Say You Love/You’re gonna lose” and “Can’t last too long” are repeated over quiet, down-beat soul melodies. It’s a highlight of a very truthful lesson in life which is still relevant decades beyond the original release of the track, as it’s a peaceful comment on the way that we, as humans, organise the good and the bad of our lives and the way that we, quite simply, do things. Along with the slick and soulful vocal harmonies, it sits very proudly amongst the other Jamaican classics of it’s time.

  • Pictured: The Jamaicans in 1967 – Derrick Brown, Norris Weir, Martin Williams and Tommy Cowan (All Lead Vocals)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at the new track from a Slovakian polyphonic vocal singer and songwriter who specialises in Dark Polyphonic Vocal music from the region of “Horehronle”, combined with light and breezy elements of neo-psychedelia and synthpop. 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: Hi-Grade Hi-Fi (feat. Richie Culture) – “Warrior”

November 13, 2019 — 1 Comment

Peaceful vibes across the whole nation! It’s time to liven up your day with a new post!

  • Pictured: Still Image from the “Warrior” music video (2019)

“Born as a warrior”, “grow as a warrior” and “raised as a warrior” are some very catchy lines indeed, from the single “Warrior” by Hi-Grade Hi-Fi, a UK Reggae group who are gaining a lot of traction in their local music scene of Birmingham. According to his own Facebook page, the aim is to be “a Reggae Sound System like no other” as “Hi Grade Hi-Fi bring the raw elements of Jamaican carnival and Sound System culture alongside live musicians to deliver ‘A class’ High Grade Reggae music”. “Warrior” features guest vocals from Richie Culture and it was released, alongside a black-and-white music video directed by Vafa Motamedi, by Reggaeville Records on July 2. It’s the follow-up to “Dreads”, which has amassed over 9.9k views on YouTube.

“Warrior” is a hip-hop track with a very distinct Jamaican ska vibe, which echoes throughout the rhythm of the track, as Bongo Drums and Clavinet melodies can be heard in the background of the fast-paced vocals, adding a layer of traditional Jamaican culture to the track, which is surprising and infectious for an indie record of it’s style. The vocals aren’t overly political, but they address a wide range of contemporary topics and subjects which affect the youth of today’s society, with a slight skew of appeal to the black youth ethnicity, although it can be heard and enjoyed by anybody. It ranges from educating the youth in poverty, to the knife threats on the streets and the messages of universal love and peace across different subcultures and counter-cultures, which is delivered as a verbal message of “togetherness in unity” at the end of the track. These issues are important and controversial, but the track never seems overly judgmental or preaches a way of teaching or speaking that feels biased or directed at a certain political party or any powerful individuals in a way that feels too in-your-face or defamatory. It’s instead replaced by a taste of here-and-now, aided by a sound based on the original fundamentals of Jamaican ska! Props to the dancing man at the end of the video too!

  • Pictured: Promotional Artwork for “Dreada” (2018) (Available via Bandcamp)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with a look at a new track from a British female solo artist who once worked as a teacher in a nursery in full-time for 4 years, before making the lifelong decision to commit to producing and recording her own music! 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: Bakar – “Hell N’ Back”

November 9, 2019 — 2 Comments

Life can sometimes feel like a big trip to Hell N’ Back, so here’s a post to cheer you up!

  • Pictured: Still image from the “Hell N’ Back” music video (2019)

Bakar is a hip-hop songwriter from Camden, who likes to describe his own music as: “schizophrenic”. This is because he incorporates a multitude of different elements of genres into his music to create his own unique sound, be it funk or soul, jazz or trip-hop, garage or alternative rock, drawing on his influences like Gorillaz, James Blake, Aaliyah and Foals, to create a very exciting and inviting mix of effervescent genre-hopping monikers to his own stock. In a recent interview with Complex, Bakar explained his sound with: “If people saw me and presumed the kind of music I make, 90% of them would say rap or hip-hop. I could be on every single playlist on Spotify and feel at home there.”, growing his confidence and finding his feet as a new artist who wants to shapeshift like a Chameleon and shatter preconceptions people may have of him. “Hell N’ Back” is his latest single. It was released by Black Butter Limited.

“Hell N’ Back” is taken from his latest EP release, “Will You Be My Yellow”, which was released on September 13th, 2019. The track opens with a whistling vocal tune, which builds up to a delayed trumpet solo which sounds ripe for a lazy stoner tune that sounds easy like Sunday morning! As Bakar’s vocals kick in: “Could you tell where my head was at when you found me?/Me and you went to hell and back just to find peace”, before he proceeds to tell an upbeat story of finding peace with a close friend or lover with: “I mixed a lot of love with a lot of drugs, then I found you/She liked petty crimes, she had green eyes like Mountain Dew”, with the track evoking feelings of an early 00’s jazz record from Curtis Mayfield or Leon Bridges, although it’s also ripe with hip-hop elements due to a spoken word chorus which interlinks the different contextual themes together: “Could you tell where my head was at when you found me?/Me and you went to hell and back just to find peace/Man, I thought I had everything, I was lonely/Now you’re my everything, I was lonely”, with a slight chill pop vibe being added to make the production work on the track sound cleaner and a little bit more polished than his earlier tracks like “Big Dreams” and “Chill”. The track definitely has a vintage and old-school tinge of soul to it, due to the jazz percussion, such as the horns, which is paired with the pop-ballad style of writing. Overall, it’s a solid track that reminds me of vintage classics, while pushing Bakar forwards into his future as an artist and each of the different elements flow together pretty cohesively.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Will You Be My Yellow?” (EP) (2019)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with another weekly installment of my Scuzz Sundays, late 90’s to 00’s punk anthems, blog posts, which will take you on a trip down memory lane and back to the history of the Scuzz TV channel! 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 Ethiopians – “Engine 54”

October 31, 2019 — Leave a comment

It’s time to get ready to rock steady with another Jamaican classic from the 60’s! Oh and Happy Halloween, by the way, I guess… On that note, it’s time for your new post!

Look, I know. It’s Thursday, October 31st. I know it’s Halloween. OOOOOOH! Spooky… Look, I’m just like Ebenezer Scrooge when it comes to Halloween! Bah Pumpkins! I’ve never really “done” Halloween to be honest, in fact, the traditional Halloween house decoration of the Braybrooke household is the sign from the local police saying “No Trick Or Treaters here thank you”. I just don’t get it. It’s so much hassle, encourages greed and vandalism. The most frustrating thing it boils down with for me is: What is it we’re even celebrating? Ghosts? Regardless of my grumpiness, if you are going out tonight, I hope that you have a great time and that you stay safe! On the blog, however, instead of doing the obligatory spooky track, I thought it’d be nice to do something lighter to counteract the witches in the dark as we cap off Black History Month with another Jamaican Rocksteady classic from 1968!

“Engine 54” is a track by The Ethiopians, who were one of the first Jamaican reggae groups to perform widely in the UK! The group previously had a hit with “Train To Skaville”, an even more upbeat anthem which barely touched the UK Singles Charts at #40 in it’s ’68 release. It didn’t receive lots of attention from the press, but it gained commercial success on the dance club scene, where it became very popular. As the title suggests, the main beat of “Engine 54” rolls along at an inseparable pace like a steam engine train. It builds up to be a slow number filled with male harmonies and a story based on leaving from a Kingston train station to ventures anew. The vocals of each male narrator blends harmoniously and neatly, which plays up to their strength of chemistry as a group. The track also has a slight soul ballad sensibility to it, which is created by the steady, highly melodic, rhythm of the steel drum beats and the woozy humming of the train noises from the vocals. It’s a track that doesn’t take itself incredibly seriously and it’s highly fun to bop your head along to. It may come across as a little “fuddy duddy”, as I like to say, due to the age of the record feeling a little bit outdated in this day and age and the quality of the record’s playout due to the old age of the media files, which have been digitally restored with care and attention to detail, but it’s still a groovy number that plays up to the strong vocals well and it’s a signature track of a genre which, although it may not seem like it at first, has left a significant mark on the mainstream pop formats that we’re all used to hearing today.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Engine 54” (1968)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at a new track that I’m personally very excited about, as it’s only being released today and it’s the new track from one of my god-tier artists who is releasing her first new material in just over 5 years! 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/