Today’s Track: Ibibio Sound Machine – ‘Got To Be Who U Are’

March 15, 2024 — Leave a comment

Whether you’re reading in Surulere, Isale Eko or Ikoyi to Yaba – its time for a new post!

Pictured: Pictured: Eno Williams (Lead Vocals/Chief Songwriter/Producer), Scott Baylis (Synths/Trumpet), Max Grunhard (Saxophone/Synths), Alfred Kari Bannerman (Lead Guitar/Occasional Backing Vocals), Tony Hayden (Trombone/Synths), Phillip PK Ambrose (Bass Guitar), Anselmo Netto (Percussion) and Joseph Amoako (Drums) performing at the Pool Recording Studio, London (2019) (Photo Credit: Kimberly Junod/WXPN)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and it used to be my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day before my adulthood got right in the way! I’ve got a multi-culturally appealing new release to share with you today from an 8-piece group called Ibibio Sound Machine, a contemporary Jazz project that was formed in 2010 by vocalist Eno Williams alongside producers Max Grunhard, Leon Brichard and Benji Bouton with the idea of fusing elements of 70’s jazz, traditional 80’s Afrobeat and modern Drum ‘N’ Bass together. After the first sessions were in the can, they diverted their attention to successfully completing the line-up by adding live musicians to form their initial live band. Since releasing their debut single on Soundway in 2014, the band have released four albums, performed at events such as KEXP’s commemorative World Clash Day in 2019 and collaborated with Alexis Doyle, the frontman of Hot Chip. Their new album – ‘Pull The Rope’ – has been set for a May 3rd release on Merge Records and a live tour in cities such as Cambridge, Birkenhead, Norwich, Leeds, Dublin, Brighton, London, Edinburgh, Nottingham and others will take place during the rest of the year. Seek identity with ‘Got To Be Who U Are’ below.

One signature element of Ibibio’s Sound Machine is how vocalist Eno Williams often sings in different languages because her mother’s native tongue was Ibibio. While she was born in London, she spent most of her childhood in Nigeria with her family. Her mother, in particular, would recount numerous stories concerning folklore to her and Williams has taken inspiration from these memories by crafting lyrics from these sources to use in her music with a modern twist. ‘Got To Be Who U Are’ gets off to a rapturous start by quickly pacing itself through the steps of emphasising the message of the songwriting to incorporating a percussive African mbira chord to the mix and introducing a more uplifting electronic dance tone to the track as the washing synths establish another groovy element. There’s a breakdown in the middle that gets the nightlife vibe across, before repeating the groove to the point of irresistance from the listener. Lyrics like “Down in London to Africa” and “From Surulere to Isale Eko” revolve around the point of how music connects us regardless of location as a result of a simple hook or a tasty instrumental. These name drops are here for a reason too because Surulere, Isale Eko, Ikoyi and Yaba are areas of Nigeria, thus symbolizing the childhood of Williams again as the band have done so articulately across four albums now. Overall, this is a highly enjoyable new release that truly kicks off the marketing machine for the new LP in fine, fiery style by connecting the dots between the band’s diverse music influences and by symbolizing how musical movements unite people across the world and deliver a fundamental connection between these parties with no concern about where they may be. All of the above and a catchy chorus helps too.

Pictured: Official UK tour poster of Ibibio Sound Machine’s ‘Pull The Rope ’24’ Tour (2024) (via Merge Records)

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Today’s Track: Toro Y Moi – ‘Postman’

February 15, 2022 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Mahal’ (LP) (Available from April 29th, 2022) (via Dead Oceans)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has arrived for me to virtually hand-deliver yet another daily track on the blog to your letterbox, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! We start the day with ‘Postman’ – a track that my mother is bound to enjoy since parcels are her thing. This is the new single from the South Carolina-born producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and graphic designer Toro Y Moi (aka Chad Bear), who is typically recognized as a figurehead for the Chillwave and Synthwave genres from the 2010’s, but his music also toes the line between a brevity of genres including Noise-Pop, Hip Hop, Post-Disco, Psychedelic Soul, Bedroom Pop, Ambient House and Alternative Rock. He has supported the likes of Ruby Suns, Phoenix and Caribou on tour and he has performed his single ‘Ordinary Pleasure’ on Ellen’s talk show. ‘Postman’ has been released as a double single that also includes ‘Magazine’ which features Salami Rose Joe Louis as the featured credit. These two singles are leading his new album ‘MAHAL’ that explores his Fillipino descent and it will be releasing on April 29th via Dead Oceans – the same label as the likes of Mitski, Shame, Khruangbin and Bright Eyes. The new record is a generous 13-track collection which includes contributions from Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Ruban Nielson, Sofie Royer, The Matson 2 and Alan Polomo (of Neon Indian). Let’s pay his ‘Postman’ a visit below.

‘Postman’ and ‘Magazine’ are the follow-up singles to 2019’s ‘Outer Peace’ – Bear’s sixth studio album. He also collaborated with Flume on ‘The Difference’ during May of 2020, a collaborative single that scored a Grammy nomination and it was used in a global Apple AirBuds advertising campaign. Channeling his inner Bootsy Collins with ‘Postman’, Bear lays out some slinky Psych-Soul beats and some low fidelity Funk grooves that are accelerated by some breezy percussion, like the rattling Tambourine melodies, and the more melodic, driving Bass melodies. Aside from some occasional electronic yelps that sound amusing in how comedically processed they are, the vocals are pretty spacious. Lyrics like “Just another bill today/Just another bill to pay” are direct and to the point, while the repetition of questions like “Mr Postman, did I get a letter?/Did I get a postcard” reflect on the good old-fashioned anticipation that you experience while waiting for an inevitable arrival of a piece of post, a time that we’ve all been through. The last verse, however, features a more emotive lyric of “Mama wrote a letter/A Long time ago/Then she hit her head/God bless her soul” that implies that something more dark is occurring beneath the surface, albeit in a playful way when mixed to the slow rhyming scheme of Bear’s vocal delivery, followed by the glitched outro that feels slightly futuristic by heading towards indie computer music in the brief sequence. Bear clearly leans into how post is a little non-existent in our modern day and age to create some fun and give his track a feel that is both nostalgic and a little progressive. We get a strong grower overall that is a little bizzare, but in a good way, because the composition is frisky and the repetition builds on you with a few repeated listens, and it is the kind of track that can annoy you by getting stuck in your head at work all evening – and that’s coming from my personal experience – thus becoming a catchy little ear-worm. I really liked it with subsequent listens, and I’ve enjoyed quite a lot of Toro Y Moi’s music in the past since it has an air of ‘Almost Pop’ to it where he has a knack for structuring catchy chords and writing high-spirited hooks by directing a decent diversity of various influences, yet it is within his Lo-Fi and Minimalist production that really controls the pace. It has also been a long time since we’ve heard some new solo material from him in comparison to most other artists these days, perhaps, too – and so it feels like a welcome breath of fresh air to hear from him again on ‘Postman’. An engaging and quirky letter of revival and return.

Pictured: Toro Y Moi with Flume in a PR photoshoot for ‘The Difference’ (2020) (Photo Credit: Joyce Kim)

If you want to hear how Toro Y Moi’s style meshes with Flume, you can gauge ‘The Difference’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/06/06/todays-track-flume-feat-toro-y-moi-the-difference/

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘The Difference’ (Single) (Released on April 30th, 2020) (via Future Classic Records)

That’s all that I have time for today, but I hugely appreciate your support by checking out the blog every day, or for the first time today, as you continue to spread the love to the site this Valentine’s Day despite it being finished. ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ is lined up for tomorrow, where we’ll be revisiting a classic of the Hip-Hop genre of the 1990’s by the Alternative Hip-Hop collective who made Charli 2na a household name.

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New Album Release Fridays: Remi Wolf – “Quiet On Set”

October 15, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Juno’ (LP) (Released on October 15th, 2021) (via Island Records)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and you are joining me for another daily track on the blog, which is the platform for my mission of writing up about a different piece of music every day! We’ve reached the third Friday of October, and the competition is heating up in time for the end-of year lists that will be rolling in by various music publications and YouTube channels shortly. This week – new albums from the likes of London-based, Art Pop-driven Psychedelic Jazz quintet Vanishing Twin, Swedish Electronic Pop producer and blog alumni Sir Was, Cumbria-born Wild Beasts multi-instrumentalist Hayden Thorpe, Billie Eilish’s beloved brother FINNEAS and retro international DJ Purple Disco Machine are all vying for a place on said lists. My pick for this week – however – is possibly the most vibrant one of the pack, and it comes from the California-born Alternative R&B and Synth-Funk singer Remi Wolf, who appeared as a contestant on ‘American Idol’ in 2014 and completed her studies at USC Thornton School Of Music in 2018. Earlier in the year, she made an appearance on a major US talk show – ‘The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon’ – to perform a medley of her hits. The follow-up to 2019’s self-released ‘You’re A Dog’ EP and 2020’s ‘I’m Allergic To Dogs’ major label debut EP, ‘Juno’ continues Wolf’s running trend of pooch titles since it was named after her adorable pet dog. The album was announced with two singles, including a catchy Pop number titled after a phrase that your favourite actress – mine are Kathryn Newton and Natalia Dyer – might mutter while shooting on location if they weren’t such sweet people. Be ‘Quiet On Set’ below.

Telling us about her debut full-length LP, Wolf states, “Every song on this record is a vivid snapshot into what was going on in my life and mindset the day I wrote each one”, adding, “The album is named ‘Juno’ after my beautiful dog I adopted during lockdown. He ended up being in every single writing session for this album and I consider him my partner, witness and support in the making of this record”, to her press release while explaining how Juno was her true companion when mastering her material.’Quiet On Set’ has a 00’s sound that reminds me of R. Kelly and Usher in tone, and her vocals feel very quippy, with one-liner lyrics like “I’ve been stealing Corvettes, stunting” and “Eating my ass like the human centipede” that have a playful Hip-Hop delivery on top of a Pop-oriented drum groove and some funk-oriented guitar licks that form a smooth, polished bassline. The lyrics veer strongly into over-the-top territory, providing a quirky and comedic dramatization of Wolf’s issues with ADHD and overworking, themes that my otherwise feel bleak or mundane. Wolf, however, uses lyrics like “I ain’t leaving my bed/The work be killing me dead” to spin the typical emotions into something more bouncy and quirky, with a hilarious refrain of “I don’t want to be a debbie downer” being played out right across the middle of the track. The overall package feels marvelously Beck-like and it reminds me of his 90’s LP, ‘Hollywood Freaks’ in its muddled pastiche of commercial Pop-Funk music. Pitch-shifted narration ends the track, where Wolf goes into a bizzare tangent reminagining herself as a baby, while earlier lyrics like “Wait, there ain’t no steeze if there ain’t no grease/Unless you order that sugarfish sushi” feel directly taken out of Beck’s late-90’s playbook by combining strange and obscure hooks with a false rhyme delivery. Overall, ‘Quiet On Set’ was a fun tune that makes me imagine what may happen if Beck and Brockhampton had a love child together, with Wolf displaying a frivolous personality while discussing the ruminations of her mental health. Some of these retro, Chiptune-like Synth melodies and unique lyricism could come across as irritable to some, but I feel that she would definitely appeal quite well to children and teenagers if she went a little bit easier on the bad language. She probably doesn’t want to target this mass audience, however, and that’s a really good thing because it allows her peculiar lyric elements and her throwback Synth Funk sounds to resonate without any restriction. Overall, this is mental health stigma represented in a fun way.

Pictured: Remi Wolf at a LA Drive-In Benefit Gig (2021) (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images/TNS)

On that note, that’s all I’ve got time for today. Thank you for heading to the blog for your daily fix today, and I’ll be back tomorrow to rave on about some brand new music from a UK electronic house producer who I honestly think is one of the most underrated musicians in the whole of history. I’ll be thrilled to present my post about the technological wizard, who is pretty prehistoric in his fashion and approach. Last year, he collaborated on a tune with Bonobo to signal the arrival of the ‘Outlier’ label. He’s also known for the launch of the Nice Age cross-platform label in 2014. The first release was a collaboration with gifted Aussie DJ and Apple Music 1 host, Anna Lunoe.

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Today’s Track: Genesis Owusu – “Same Thing”

June 7, 2021 — Leave a comment

The Genesis of a futuristic mega-star of Hip-Hop music in the making. New post time!

Pictured: Genesis Owusu in a general promo press shoot (2020) (Photo Credit: Bec Parson/OURNESS)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, 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 music every day! One of my true standouts of the year so far has undoubtedly been ‘Smiling With No Teeth’ from the Australian-Ghanian Hip-Hop rising star Genesis Owusu, who is the brother of Citizen Kay, which was released in March. In that case, I was absolutely chomping at the bit to cover ‘Same Thing’ on the blog as soon as I was aware of it’s release. An outtake from Owusu’s masterpiece of Funk-drenched and deeply contextual debut solo LP release, which he sent out through his own label OURNESS, which he reportedly spent 60 hours jamming with his Black Dog backing band to conceive. It’s nice to see, therefore, Owusu releasing some of the material which didn’t make the cut on the side. He tells the press, “The songs chosen for the album conveyed a very specific narrative, but we also made a lot of great music that didn’t necessarily fit the album’s narrative points”, alongside the release of the colorful Byron Spencer-directed video for ‘Same Thing’, designed to reflect Owusu’s themes for the track. Check it out below.

“Same Thing was one of the tracks born from the seemingly limitless SWNT sessions”, Owusu added to his press notes for the unveiling of ‘Same Thing’, adding, “The track is still in the realm of the album’s themes of mental health (more specifically, the crazy s**t the mind makes up”, to accompany the trippy visuals conveyed by the music video. The track itself veers more towards the Thundercat or MNDSGN 70’s Funk revivalist sound of the present times than the more aggressively focused angles that ‘Smiling With No Teeth’ took as a body of work, and so I can probably see why Owusu decided to leave it on the cutting room floor originally from his latest long-player project. He opens, “It’s still the same thing you want from me/It’s the same thing I fear to see”, as a shimmering Synth riff buckles ahead of the Funk-rooted guitar licks. He flows together the danceable instrumentation with vocals touching on internal disarray and the push-and-pull dynamic of a mental health struggle, rapping lyrics like “See, I thought that I crawled out of the void” and “Back out the black to the laughs and joy” and “I remember the scent of a happiness/I still smell it most of the time” with a quick precision. The later lyrics hint at a hesitant decision to enter a new relationship despite the promise of new happy memories going unfulfilled to the unknown, with lyrics like “Smile in the teeth but my trusting is skewed/PTSD from my soul, black and blue” and “Dance on the line linking love and bruise/My heart is terrified when I’m thinking of you” before a female backing vocal comes in to potentially add her perspective to the dynamic. The rhythms, with the vibrant Synth chords and the minimal drum basslines, are reminiscent of Prince. It’s almost like Owusu is telling us all a narrative, which he did very nicely on his solo album. I think it would be nice for him to explore themes beyond mental health in the future, but, as for the here and now, I’m very convinced that he can do no wrong. I really admire Owusu’s sheer perseverance when it comes to making music, and the ways that he links his own personal character with the personality of the backing music. He’s an incredibly versatile performer, and the focus that he puts into both lyrics and melody. This is the scent of somebody who is clearly not just your average artist, as he also does things very differently to the average modern rap artist. I will swear by this artist.

Pictured: Genesis Owusu in a press shot for the Red Bull House Party (in 2020) (Photo via RedBull.com)

If you’re new to Genesis Owusu, which makes sense because he seems to be a little slept on generally despite the very positive reviews for his work, I’d really recommend getting yourself acquainted with the rest of his craft. You can get started with my review of ‘Don’t Need You’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/11/06/todays-track-genesis-owusu-dont-need-you/, and the more aggressive themes of racism on the energetic outburst of ‘Whip Cracker’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/03/27/todays-track-genesis-owusu-whip-cracker/

Pictured: Cover Art for “Smiling With No Teeth” (LP) (Released on March 5th, 2021) (via OURNESS)

We’ve reached the end of my musical musings for Monday morning! Thank you for sticking with me to this point, and I will be here again tomorrow to share another track that marks the return of another favourite from recent times, as this certain Moshi Moshi-signed London indie girl pop/rock group return from a two-year hiatus with a new single that was co-produced in the studio with Joe Goddard & Al Doyle from Hot Chip fame. 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: CHAI – “Action”

May 22, 2021 — Leave a comment

Stirred in a milky heritage, “Chai” is actually the Hindu word for “Tea”. New post time!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “WINK” (LP) (Released on May 21st, 2021) (via Sub-Pop Records)

Good Morning! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, and it’s time for you to read all about your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! I played this one on my Thursday night radio show two weeks ago, and I still can’t get enough of it. ‘Action’ is one of the singles that was taken from CHAI’s new album, ‘Wink’, which is brand new out this weekend. The girls are a 4-piece Alternative Pop or Disco-Punk (It’s hard to pin them down to any one label, really) band from Nagoya, Japan – Who we previously explored on the blog with ‘Maybe Chocolate Chips’ featuring Ric Wilson, who they met at the Pitchfork Music Festival in 2019. For Western audiences, you’d probably more likely know CHAI from collaborating with Gorillaz and JPEGMafia on a track from Gorillaz’s ‘Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez’ viral video series and compilation, and they toured with Superorganism as their support act in 2018. Take ‘Action’ by viewing the video below.

“A person who winks at a person is one who lives with a pure heart, who lives with flexibility, who does what they want” is what the CHAI girls of Kana, Mana, Yuuki and Yuna penned in a press statement to explain the at-first-glance random title of ‘Wink’ for their new LP release. They added, “A person who winks is a person who is free. With this album, we’re winking at you. We’re living freely and we hope that when you listen, you can wink an live freely, too”. The band were, although half the world away, inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests that took place across the US last June, and so they decided to put their assessments of it into words for ‘Action’. The refrain feels like a nod to Chemical Brothers’ ‘Hey Boy, Hey Girl’, before CHAI intersect these echoes with lines like “Action is more than words” and “It’s okay, it’s okay, everything is okay/Because I believe in you and me” that get the message across simply, but effectively. The instrumentation is buoyant and charming, as shiny Disco-House motifs and a rolling Electronic breakbeat helps to turn ‘Action’ from a title into a self-affirming mantra. The chorus mixes Asian vocals with a punchy, shimmering Synth riff that replaces the strutting drum machine of the verses, building to an instrumental that encourages you to get your groove on. Shadings of R&B, Hip-Hop and Acid House help CHAI to set the mellower mood, but it’s still undeniably Pop music with a highly electronic, danceable series of beats. The lyrics call for a better future and turn these ideas into a sense of cross-cultural encouragement made with their own irresistibly playful edge where the nods to Acid-House and the huge reverb effects widen the scope of the Synth melodies. It’s message continue to show relevancy as people take to the streets to show solidarity with the situation in Palestine, and, for a variety of reasons, this is one of the best singles that I’ve heard all year. Just absolutely brilliant.

Pictured: KANA (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar), Yuuki (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals), MANA (Keyboard and Yuna (Acoustic Drum Kit) in a promotional image shoot for “WINK” (2021) (via Music.Mxdwn.com)

If you’ve not had enough of CHAI yet, why not take some ‘Action’ on it by checking out what I had to share about ‘Maybe Chocolate Chips’, an earlier single from the new album, where the band sing about changing their perspectives and viewing moles on their faces like the enhancements of your favourite cookie treat. Catch up here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/03/16/todays-track-chai-feat-ric-wilson-maybe-chocolate-chips/

Pictured: CHAI performing at Ameoba, San Francisco (2017) (Photo Credit: Jeff Clayton/YouTube.com)

That’s all for now! However, ‘Scuzz Sundays’ returns tomorrow for an entry that will have any players of the old WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 Xbox 360 video game chomping at the bit. 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/

Way Back Wednesday: Alexei Sayle – “Ullo John! Gotta New Motor?”

May 19, 2021 — Leave a comment

The British stand-up comedian taking no wind out of their Sayles. Let’s go Way Back!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Ullo John! Gotta New Motor?” (Single) (1984) (Springtime/Island Records)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, as per usual, and it’s time for you to read all about your daily track on the blog, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Today, we are revisiting the unlikely UK Top 20 chart success that was ‘Ullo John! Gotta New Motor?’ from Alexei Sayle. Sayle is a stand-up comic and novelist from Anfield, Liverpool – and a popular one at that. In 2007, he was voted by Channel 4 viewers as the 18th greatest gagster of all-time on their ‘100 Greatest Stand-Ups’ programme in 2007. He’s famous for his work in Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ on the West End, his ‘Imaginary Sandwich Bar’ radio comedy on BBC Radio 4, and his often surrealist comedy routines in TV comedy programmes like ‘The Young Ones’ and his appearances in the ‘Carry On’ series of films. ‘Ullo John, Gotta New Motor?’ was originally released in 1982, before receiving mainstream attention when it was re-released in 1984. Sayle produced the track with Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who have produced for Madness and Elvis Costello. The 12-inch Vinyl single package also saw many different versions arrive at shop shelves thanks to it’s profanities. He released two other albums prior to this single, and so it wasn’t a completely random venture into music. Sayle released two follow-up singles that were included on ‘Panic’, his third and final album, which is a parody of Michael Jackson’s ‘Off The Wall’ of 1979. See if John’s Gotta New Motor yet below!

By the time that ‘Ullo John! Gotta New Motor?’ was re-issued in 1984, Sayle had starred in the popular BBC sitcom ‘The Young Ones’ and the ITV sitcom ‘Whoops Apocalypse’, which explains the better commercial luck the second time around. There has also been loads of different re-workings of the track, and a re-working from Ian Dury was ordered by Toshiba for an advertisement in 1985 because promoters started to spot the success of the single. Set to a Synthpop or soft Funk backdrop with some New-Wave synths and a few guitar licks, Sayle proceeds to perform a Spoken Word or light Rap set of sentences playing the character of a loudmouthed Liverpuddlian. The lyrics are generally a mix of banal absurdity and seemingly unconnected jokes, with off-kilter references to Barry Manilow, Bongo Drums, Avon representatives and Billy Joel taking up the picture. “Is there life on Mars?/Is there life in Peckham” is my favourite line, but “I keep tropical fish/In my underpants” and “Ere you wanna brown ale/Mine’s a light and bitter” are good moments too. There isn’t much that you can sensibly compare this record too, but there’s a playful sensibility of Ian Dury here, an abstract jumble of puns that remind me of Dry Cleaning, and it’s all dressed up in a Monty Python or Horrible Histories sense of British wit and humor in obscurity. There’s no chorus, no story, and seemingly no point, but Sayle is mocking a stretched Cockney banter that people used to talk in a certain manner around the city nearer back to the time. It’s a bit obsolete now, but Sayle pulls it off with an enthusiastic performance and a musical backdrop that uses distorted vocal effects and delay pedals to warp things a little and add to the bizzare humor. There’s not much musically here and it’s not an artistic masterpiece of complex multi-layered art, but it was never trying to be. I couldn’t really understand most of the lyrics without looking them up, but this adds a little depth to the vocals. Overall, it’s still a fun throwback to the times when comedians recorded Novelty singles around BBC Comic Relief time to assert themselves as a comedic force and that’s rather quaint these days. That said, I probably wouldn’t be asking for Michael McIntyre to record a Metal-themed parody about his Wheel, although a Novelty single from Rev Richard Coles would make sense due to his past experience as a member of Communards. It’s still a track that had me laughing though, and I’m probably going to be sorry when I find myself repeating it around the kitchen all day tomorrow. I’m sure you will be too.

Pictured: Alexei Sayle pictured in an article for The Irish Mirror (2016) (Photo Credit: The Daily Mirror)

That’s all for now! Tomorrow, I’ve got some new music to share with you from an emerging female solo act from Los Angeles who describes herself as a “Jazz School drop-out” who is now making her very own Rock music independently. The 22 year old singer-songwriter may have just a handful of releases out there in the world, but she’s also known for working with her childhood friend, Marinelli, on lyrics that have pointed observation and self-deprecating pop culture references about the surreality of growing up. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Gilligan Moss – “Special Thing”

May 15, 2021 — Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for laying your eyes on my latest post! Scuzz Sundays is back tomorrow after an impromptu week off, as we pick up on where we left off last Saturday. It marks the second appearance on the blog from a group of Chicago-based Metal legends who scored a UK Top 20 hit in 2015 with a modern cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s 60’s seminal hit ‘The Sound Of Silence’. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

New Album Release Friday: Jane Weaver – “The Revolution Of Super Visions”

March 5, 2021 — Leave a comment

If could have any Super Power in the world – I would abolish Covid-19. New Post time!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Flock” (LP) (Released on March 5th, 2021) (via Fire Records)

Good Morning to you – I am Jacob Braybrooke, and as you may have guessed, it’s time again 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! Quickly, we’ve reached the end point for another week in Lockdown, but rest assured, there are always new things to do from Friday. Last week was a jam-packed point for new album releases, and so this week feels quite a bit lighter. There’s a new LP from cult Scottish Prog Rock duo Arab Strap, Norweigan Alt-Pop producer AURORA, and the most mainstream-targeted release comes from the reigning Kings Of Leon, as well as a new single to announce the upcoming new album from iconic female Alt-Rock singer St. Vincent. It’s slim pickings for me this week, but the one artist that I probably have the most familiarity with is Jane Weaver. Even that familiarity is not a large deal, but I remember enjoying the shape-shifting Synth-Folk sounds of her previous LP, “Modern Kosmology”, in 2017. Her ninth main album release, “Flock”, arrives today via Fire Records, with live touring dates all over the country to follow later in the year. The new record is also available on an olive-green vinyl and poster from Rough Trade, and a Crean-coloured Vinyl from Indie Store. Although you might not know her by name, Jane Weaver has been around for a long time. She was a former member of Brit-Pop band Kill Laura, who used to manage New Order in the 1990’s. She was also part of the Folktronica project Misty Dixon, and Weaver also fronts her own ambient chillwave side-project, Fenella. Let’s sample “The Revolution of Super Visions” below.

“The revolution accidentally happens because so many people visualize the same ideals and something supernatural occurs” is what the Liverpool-based singer-songwriter and electronic producer said of the lead single taken from her newly arrived album in a press release, continuing “Everyone is exhausted by social media, inequality and the toxic masculinity of the world leaders contributing to a dying planet” in her written analysis of the track’s core themes. Starting off with a simple “You look good” and a basic “Do you look at yourself and find nothing?” over the top of a strutting, 80’s-inspired Disco synth riff and a fairly acidic, yet mellow synth line. For me, there’s a real Bowie-ism found within this sound, with a lighter update of Glam-Pop than Goldfrapp gave us on “Black Cherry” in 2003. The vocals rely on long, shimmering harmonies as verse lines like “I wasn’t ready to say, but I danced to your beat for sixteen hours/I’m camouflaged at the scene” and “See you gaze in the haze, the line of fire” have a long and high-pitched tone, being recited over the top of a strutting bassline that fits the current vogue for retooled disco. Weaver, however, refuses to shy away from the themes of materialism and consumerist addictions that I can interpret in her lyrics, with subtle vocals like “You try to dress to impress, This occasion for me, it’s time to hide” landing a more significant impact on a more intent listen. Songwriting aside, the instrumentation matches the cosmic-themed visuals and the 80’s Synth-Pop aesthetics with a host of bold layers, as distinct psychedelic synthesizers and processed, discordant acoustics production give the track a rather progressive feel, instead of necessarily relying on the creation of a punchy hook. In the end, though, my imagination isn’t too hard-pressed to imagine Gwen Stefani or Jessie Ware performing the track as it’s centerpiece. However, it’s the well-timed fusion of Prog-Pop and Prince-inspired mid-90’s Synth-Funk that makes the melodies memorable to me. It’s a solid case of Weaver bending the rules of Pop to her benefits.

Pictured: Jane Weaver outdoors in Manchester for Silent Radio (in 2017) (Photo by Joseph Curran)

Thank you for taking up the time to check out my new post! What are the new music, film or TV releases that you’re going to be purchasing, downloading or streaming over the weekend? Let me know in the comments below. Don’t forget to join me again, in the meantime, tomorrow – where we’re going to take a look at some recently-released music from one of my childhood staples of the Scuzz era. Perhaps their most recognisable track, “Make Me Wanna Die”, was previously used as a featured track on the movie soundtrack of 2010 Hollywood comic book film “Kick-Ass”, which starred Chloe Grace Moretz and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. 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: SG Lewis (feat. RHYE) – “Time”

March 1, 2021 — Leave a comment

Let’s find out if his latest mix is worth jamming out to Time after Time. New post time!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Times” (LP) (Released on February 19, 2021) (via Jasmine Music Limited)

Good morning to you, I am Jacob Braybrooke and it’s time for me to get writing up or your daily track on the blog, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to get typing up about a different piece of music! New month, new music – and that sentiment feels certainly true for the Reading-born electronic dance music producer, SG Lewis. Samuel George Lewis has just released his debut studio album, “Times”, through Virgin EMI and PMR Records, becoming his landmark full-length release after he began posting his own retrospective, uplifting club anthems online to streaming formats like Soundcloud. Inspired by the Sophisti-Pop of James Blake and Bon Iver, and the club-oriented Hip-Hop sounds of artists like Common and Timbaland, Lewis made a name for himself on viral platforms, while sharpening his live mixing skills by getting involved in the nightlife of his local scene in Liverpool. The superb Orlando Higginbottom (a.k.a. TEED) has a production credit on “Times”, but you will also find collaborations with Nile Rogers, Channel Tres, Robyn, Frances and more on the record too. SG Lewis has also established creative partnerships with Raye, LANY and Bruno Major over the course of his young pro career as well. The opening track, and fourth single, on the LP is “Time”, a laidback Disco-House fusion track that features a soulful vocal performance from Canadian R&B singer-songwriter RHYE, who featured on the blog with his new solo work on this blog just two weeks ago. Let’s take a listen below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT01-5HxgDk

A record that pays loving tribute to Deep House, Chillwave, Synth-Funk and Dance-Pop music, SG Lewis announced “Times” as his first high profile release since his interconnected suite of “Dusk”, “Dark” and “Dawn” EP’s over the last two years, through his popular social media accounts back in late-October. With the announcement, he clarified that “This album is an ode to the present moment, and the finite chances we have to celebrate it. It’s an exploration of escapism and euphoria, and the memories attached to these experiences”, in conveying the moods and tones explored within the 40-minute recording. Kicking us off, “Time” is a taster that sets the scene for the rest of the track listing, with a vocal sample taken from “Don’t Look Any Further” by Denis Edwards. It paves the way for the light Garage beat to drop in, with a gentle and soothing Acid melody that reminds me of the late-90’s overly played hit “Music Sounds Better With You” by Stardust. RHYE’s vocals fit the mid-tempo template nicely, with lines like “Sun’s coming up, I wanna play” and “See me fadin, Come on and love this false horizon, babe” carrying the message to make the most of every day and not to take the nice little moments in life for granted. It’s nothing too deep, but it resonates clearly. The chorus is a little more involved, with a beautifally mid-volume arrangement of strings incorporating some classic Disco beats into the tune as the Violin strings swell and soar over the beaming synths of the mid-tempo bassline. An understated series of Conga drum beats is the cue point for the big finale of the track, where the Funk-inspired grooves dip below the vocals of “Somebody says, come over here” to replicate the sounds of vinyl crackles as the beat gently begins to fade away. With club doors currently closed around the world, we can only hope that SG Lewis will be able to take these sounds to festival stages late in the summer to make the most of this music. However, I’d rather he release this music than keep delaying it, like the new Bond movie because it allows a feeling of normalcy to breathe through the harmonies. RHYE’s vocal performance is strong, while the production of the track feels inspired and tinkered with. This sounds a little more commercial than the type of electronic music that I would typically choose to listen to, but I still think that it would sound great on mainstream daytime radio. It’s easy to like, there’s clear inspiration in the sound and it feels well-produced overall. It was – basically put – well worth spending 4 minutes and 20 seconds of my Time with.

Pictured: SG Lewis backstage at Coachella Music and Arts Festival (2019) (Photo via the360mag.com)

That’s all for today! I’ll be back tomorrow, just like every day, with an in-depth review of some more brand new music – this time coming from an Israeli-born singer, songwriter and self-producer whose track was once used in an advertising campaign for Apple’s music streaming service, and in her earlier years, she used to studied composition at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. 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: Oneohtrix Point Never (feat. The Weeknd) – “No Nightmares”

February 20, 2021 — Leave a comment

The star of 2020’s Super Bowl half-time show makes a 180° point turn. New post time!

Pictured: Daniel Lopatin at an MOMA screening of “Good Time” (2017) (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and – like always – it’s time again for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, and that’s because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! A veteran of the Experimental Electronic music genre and a mainstay of the iconic Warp Records label since 2013, Oneohtrix Point Never – aka Daniel Lopatin – has been in the game for the long haul. Exploring the vivid styles of kitschy MIDI production and pushing the boundaries of sample-based music cliches, his ninth studio album, “Magic Oneohtrix Point Never”, was released last October, and it draws from the psychedelic aesthetics inspired by the Magic 106.7 radio station. It’s an ambitious project for the well-reviewed Brooklyn-based producer, who has worked with artists such as FKA Twigs, Anonhi and Ishmael Butler previously. One of his most frequent collaborators, however, is the “Man Of The Moment” in the media – The Weeknd. Joining the contributions of Arca and Caroline Polachek for the recent album, The Weeknd (aka Abel Tesfaye) and Lopatin’s history goes way back. Lopatin and Tesfaye have traded in the favours for numerous guest spots on each other’s records in the past, and Tesfaye also appeared in 2017’s “Uncut Gems”, a critically acclaimed film that Lopatin scored, and it became the highest-grossing film at the box office for it’s distributor, A24. Paired by a hallucinogenic video, check out “No Nightmares” below.

Lopatin’s latest long-player reached the best-of-year end lists from a breadth of reputable publications, and the cinematic-inspired video was also conceived by Tesfaye and the madcap producer as a trilogy of short clips – The “Midday Suite” – that are influenced by postmodern art and film, and if you hadn’t been sold on their friendship yet, it also turns out that Lopatin was also the musical director of The Weeknd’s huge performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, which millions turned in droves to watch on their TV sets just a short while ago. Paired by a fictional universe of CGI monkeys and trippy Avatar visuals of the two musicians, “No Nightmares” sits between the multiverse of retro and futuristic in it’s approach. Opening with highly processed vocals and a thick layer of slowly dissipating synths, the production feels oddly comforting. The gradually dropping drum beats and the thick reverb of the synths give off a soothing feel, which are accompanied by the gradual revealing of the backing vocals and the chirping bird sounds. The vocals are almost unintelligible in most cases, with lines like “I’ve been missing from my own dream” and “It’s what happens so close” feeling artificial and otherworldly. The most recurring line is “Wait, in time, no nightmares”, which glides softly below the unsullied, experimental percussion of the nifty synth work. The arrangement seems suitably animated, with robotic vocal harmonies and long vocal notes from Tesfaye, who also shares a co-production credit for Lopatin’s latest album. His performance is good here, with an intriguing blend of vocal tones that suit the methodical synths and the Psych-Pop feel of the overall package. As far as mainstream artists go, I quite like The Weeknd and I think he’s a good stage presence in the role of his fame. Through his collaborations with Lopatin, such as “No Nightmares”, I think it gives him the platform to show some credibility as a true artist. “No Nightmares” is a decent example of this, with a good synergy between the two artists, where either man doesn’t feel like they are outshining the other. When all is said and done, I dig this track. Not necessarily everyone would “get it” – but it’s a unique spin on the heavy synth sounds of the 80’s, and it feels well-suited for the mantra of Warp Records, and with growth through repeated listens, it could potentially join the essential suite of Lopatin in becoming another of his most innovative productions of electronic work within the past decade.

Pictured: Cover Art for “Magic Oneohtrix Point Never” (Released on Oct 30, 2020) (via Warp Records)

Whew – time for a breather! There’s another day promptly catered for, but I’ll be back tomorrow, to add yet another entry into our long-running “Scuzz Sundays” series of featured posts tomorrow, where I’ll be throwing you back to the stuff of the lost Scuzz TV channel yet again. Tomorrow’s artist is pretty difficult to guess because it was a fairly short-lived burst of fame for it’s Norweigan Rock quartet. However, they still managed to upsell 55,000 albums worldwide for their two LP releases after being formed out of the ashes of two former outfits: Explicit Lyrics and Squid. 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/