Today’s Track: Relaxer – ‘Narcissus By The Pool’

November 23, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Daniel Martin-McCormick in a Red Bull Studios Spotlight Session (2016) (Via RedBull.com)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come for you to slip into something more comfortable for your daily track on the blog, since it’s always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! A New York-based experimental electronic music producer, Daniel Martin McCormick has enjoyed a career that reads like a long list of small achievements. He’s also known for releasing specialist music under the alias of Ital, and he is known for his frequent collaborations with the fellow DJ Aurora Halal. He has also been a member of groups like Black Eyes and Mi Ami, and he is the co-founder of Climate Of Fear, as well as being the founder of Lovers Rock Recordings. In 2019, he established a new alias of Relaxer and he released ‘Coconut Grove’, an album which delivered something that felt more close to a pure Techno album than his earlier releases. The follow-up, 2021’s ‘Concealer’, is his first album to be released on Planet Mu in ten years. It drifts towards hyper digital sounds and it marks his return to using PC hardware. The album’s cover art, created by the NY-based graphic designer Bjorn Copeland, is an indication of his new album’s sound, which explores the sub-genres of Dark Ambient and Microhouse. McCormick notes that it reflects “this open, airy material squeezed and wrestled into a contorted shape, suspended in air with an empty center. That’s exactly how the album felt. In this sense, I wanted to take myself out of it, to let the materials bloom into their own shape, guided by my hand but not defined by my intellect or any market concerns”, in a press statement. Let’s check out ‘Narcissus By The Pool’ below.

McCormick has revealed that his latest LP was “made in a very private way” and he describes this process as being akin to “peering into materials – the materials defined the record”, adding, “Rather than making a record that’s about an emotion, or a political scenario, or the dance floor, or the empty dance floor, or any narrative, this record was about communicating with the materials and letting them speak with me” in his own press notes. Taking a mellow approach to proceedings on mid-album cut ‘Narcissus By The Pool’, McCormick takes influence from old-school 90’s Glitch and more forward-looking minimalist Techno. By disregarding traditional Dance music traits and the normal contexts of finicky textures and spacial tricks that characterize popular Industrial music, he creates a more detailed recording that is defined by how the music flows and the intimate textures that it creates on its own. Using a slightly acidic Synth line and a chiming Chiptune melody, McCormick creates something simple and effective that would not have felt out of place if it was originally released during the mid-2000’s. It is far from just a nostalgic throwback anthem, however, with some downtempo oddities in sound and a peak-time euphoria feeling that creates something that feels more firmly post-modern. In conclusion, this is a beautiful record that isn’t focused on big hooks and catchy melodies, so it falls into a bit of a niche. However, there’s absolutely nothing that is inherently wrong with that, as it feels diverse enough to appeal to different sub-sections of audiences, like those who study at their computer to the beats of Lo-Fi radio channels on YouTube and those who are likely to take things down a notch right before bedtime with their ear plugs tuned into a podcast like ‘Ambient Focus’ on the BBC Sounds app. Whatever the case, this is meticulous, very thoughtfully crafted music that is approached like a sculpture.

Pictured: Relaxer (Daniel Martin-McCormick) performing with Halal at Rewire Festival (2020) (via PR)

That leaves me with little left to say! Thank you for reading the blog today, and I’ll be back tomorrow to resume the ‘Countdown To Christmas’ this year. Our next entry is a cover version of ‘Frosty The Snowman’ which was released in 1993 by a pioneering Scottish Shoegaze outfit whose lineup featured the head boss of Bella Union Records.

Connect with One Track At A Time:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OneTrackAtATim1?fbclid=IwAR2demHDssZESnHDMi6gzTGNZJvdS42Ot930CA9Rttw7n4CJ5nvB8VJbWxE

Today’s Track: Daniel Avery – “Hazel and Gold”

June 14, 2021 — Leave a comment

Texture as smooth as the layer of Salted Caramel on a Wispa Gold bar. New post time!

Pictured: Vinyl Copy of “Together In Static” (LP) (Released on June 24th, 2021) (via Phantasy Music)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke – getting proceedings off to a start for the new week – with 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! A DJ known for his Andy Weatherhall tribute track, ‘Lone Swordsman’, and his production work for the likes of Metronomy and Little Boots, the Bournemouth-based electronic music producer Daniel Avery has announced the follow-up album to 2020’s ‘Love + Light’, which he “surprise released” last June in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, entitled ‘Together In Static’. A positive and relaxing ambient track, ‘Hazel and Gold’ is the new single from the upcoming album, which releases on June 24th via Phantasy Music and Mute Records. Avery’s new album was originally being composed specifically for a live performance which happened at Hackney Church in May, but, for those who could not get tickets for the socially-distanced show, Avery has a ticketed live-stream planned for June 23rd. Let’s give it a spin with the Tom Andrew-created visuals below.

Avery – who filled in for Mary Anne Hobbs on an episode of her BBC Radio 6 Music programme 6 Music Recommends in 2019 – spoke of the new LP release, “As with many things this past year, the project took on a power and a life of it’s own right in front of me”, adding, “I started to make music specifically for the shows yet, as plans continued to shift, I fell deeper into the waves”, concluding, “By the time I came up for air, I realized I had a complete record I wanted to share. I feel like it’s some of my best work and I’m gassed for you all to hear it”, in his publicity statements. His latest single, ‘Hazel and Gold’, reminds me fondly of ‘Lone Swordsman’ in the ways that it takes on a quite minimalist, honest approach. I wouldn’t say that it’s particularly basic or necessarily simplistic, but the formula remains intact. It’s different to many IDM or Techno tracks of the modern time in the way that it’s not hard, fast club music that aims to exploit the artifice of technology, but it rather embraces the electronic production to create a smooth and comforting tone in it’s soft, downtempo and lightly seasoned textures. We start off with a chiming, melodious Drum melody that eventually forms a smooth and relaxed bassline. The sound becomes more of a Techno-inducing trance during the midway point, as the warmth is stripped back, and the Synth melodies start to glisten. The atmosphere has an undoubtedly optimistic and emotionally-driven quality, with joyous Synth sequences and a whistling backing beat that conjures up a chilled, inviting atmosphere. The late stretch implores the listener to go down the rabbit hole, with a gently increased tempo that adds a dream-like tone to the mix, as the previously threatening drum melodies begin to mimic a bell-like percussion. It’s a short-and-sweet track which doesn’t overstay it’s welcome, and certainly fits the ideas of positive change and joy in attending physical shows that Avery is reflecting, and the cheer that comes from spending time in a crowd together.

Pictured: Daniel Avery photographed for Sonar Festival, Barcelona (2019) (Photo via Techno Archive)

If you haven’t heard enough of today’s ‘Golden’ artist yet – then you can also make sure to catch up on Daniel Avery’s Andy Weatherhall tribute track, ‘Lone Swordsman’, taken from his 2020 EP, ‘Dusting For Smoke’, which has been previously covered on the blog, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/11/12/todays-track-daniel-avery-lone-swordsman/

Pictured: Cover Art for “Dusting For Smoke” (EP) (Released on September 1, 2020) (via Phantasy Sound)

That has taken us to the end of your blog post for another day! Thank you for joining me – and please feel free to keep your eyes peeled for the site again tomorrow, for some brand new music from an emerging Art-Rock quartet formed in Manchester whose latest single has seen daytime airplay from BBC Radio 6 Music. They shared university halls together and studied popular music at the Royal Northern College Of Music in their hometurf, and they recorded a cover of Disclosure’s ‘White Noise’ for their debut mixtape. 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 Fridays: Andy Stott – “Hard To Tell”

April 16, 2021 — Leave a comment

The Manchester-based IDM producer who puts zero Faith In Strangers. New post time!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Never The Right Time” (Released on April 16th, 2021) (via Modern Love Records)

Good Morning to you – My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s finally time again for me to get typing up with today’s track on the blog, as always, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! This week’s new release schedule is a bit more subdued than usual for me, with nothing that immediately strikes a great deal of familiarity with me. Your options include the first new album from The Offspring in nearly a decade, the sixth studio album from unique Dublin-born multi-instrumentalist Imelda May, and also the tribalism-centric second studio release from the cult Michaigan band Great Van Fleet, who have drummed up some buzz overseas. However, the name that I am going to focus on today is Andy Stott, who rings a small bell with me because I enjoyed what he did with ethereal textures and haunting percussion on 2014’s ‘Faith In Strangers’. I haven’t kept tabs on him much since then, but the Manchester-based producer of Dub and Techno music has remained prolific, releasing five long-player albums on the Modern Love label. The cerebral new album was reportedly finished last year, but after dealing with a heavy set of personal issues, no doubt, worsened by the isolated nature of the Covid-19 pandemic, he decided to re-develop the record into one that he describes as a “kind of inner-world sadness trip”, and it follows up 2019’s double EP release of slow and raw ambient tunes, ‘It Should Be Us’. Check out the lead single ‘Hard To Tell’, with vocals from Stott’s Piano teacher and frequent collaborator, Alison Skidmore, below.

The Techno reformist has always been credited as a musician whose music draws from a snapshot of where he feels he stands creatively, functioning as a reflective spearhead of whatever curiosities have been nagging his mind persistently, and he says of the new release, “Definitely in the past, my productions were organic, quite dense and thick. There was something really false and thin and delicate about these new sounds”, adding, “At the same time, there was something really beautiful about it and it sparked my interest. It triggered these other things that I had heard in my mind and I realized I could get the same vibe with that sound”, to hint at the possible new music directions. Whereas ‘Faith In Strangers’ was a little more beat-oriented and strangely suited for a wind-down scene at a dark and dingy nightclub, his latest crawls towards more Dark Ambient and interior sounds. The opening feels reminiscent of a Nigerian or Taiko drum beat, building a sense of ‘Things are not as they seem’ before a polished, twangy bass guitar riff enters the scene. The vocals of “Don’t have to feel, No need to fight” are very depressive and grim, with washing waves of aching Synth melodies trickling their way into the fray. The vocals of “Sharp like a needle, This life I’ve bought” and “Street lights and cars gleam/Ferociously” sit uncomfortably and disorientingly in the mix, but the instrumental bed effects offer enough of a hint at Stott’s more melodic past work on ‘Faith In Strangers’ to feel strangely comforting at points, and act like an open acknowledgement of misery and pain, and a shoulder to cry on. We simply don’t hear a great amount of music about things like chaos and destruction these days, and ‘Hard To Tell’ also reminds me of The Future Sound Of London’s ‘Dead Cities’ from 1996 with it’s slow-building progression and it’s slightly Cinematic undertones, which makes me picture some post-apocalyptic imagery of urban decay. I think the track relies on a little co-operation from the listener to use ‘Theatre Of The Mind’ to get the strongest effect from this tune, and it’s probably not something that you would just slip on at some house party, but there’s an excellent balance of weight and light to the proceedings. If you are a listener like me who likes to just indulge in the sadness at times for melancholy therapy, however, this works pretty well for that situation. Dreary and Bleak – but in the most hauntingly solid way.

Pictured: Andy Stott at the live “Modern Love Showcase” (2014) (Photo via Detroit Metro Times)

That’s all for now – I’ll leave you to enjoy your weekend, or grieve along to this, either way, enjoy what you do. My first new Scuzz Sunday featured post in two weeks will arrive in two days’ time with style. Before then, however, I’ll be back tomorrow, for the second appearance on the blog from a slightly off-the-radar Folk multi-instrumentalist, signed to the Secretly Canadian indie label, who has released her latest single as an ode to the “Lost Musician” that is Nick Drake. 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 Wednesdays: Boards Of Canada – “Seeya Later”

March 17, 2021 — Leave a comment

Ripe for repeated listening, or is it easy to get Board of this instead? Let’s go Way Back!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Twoism” (EP) (Released in August, 1995) (via Music70)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and, well – you know the drill by this point – it’s time for me to get typing up for your weekly revisit of the sounds from the past which have influenced those of the present, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! If the name of Boards Of Canada seems familiar to you, you’re either already one of the beloved cult followers of the group who possibly paid $800 to obtain your own copy of their debut ‘Twoism’ EP following it’s release in 1995, since the original distribution was scarcely limited to 100 copies before Warp Records gave it a quiet re-issue in 2002, or you read my previous post about them back in October or November time. Whichever route applies to you – the fact remains that Boards Of Canada are, if not the most well-known in terms of mainstream recognition, still one of the most devotedly followed Electronic music acts of our time. Just for the record, the bandwagon for 1998’s ‘Music Has The Right To Children’ is one that I’ve definitely jumped onto, as I think that it is a truly exceptional record. Made up of the Scottish brother DJ duo of Marcus Eoin and Mike Sandison, BOC represent an interesting flipside for electronic music production practice for me, where the tropes of club music being developed in London or Birmingham are turned on their heads by the brothers originally creating their music with vintage synthesizers and dated samples in a rural community in Scotland, where they have since kept very reclusive from the media, with very little interviews or performances existing. I’ve been delving deep into the back catalog of the brothers over the last two months or so, and so it’s been interesting to see where their formula of nature centric themes and nostalgic qualities started for them. In the typical BOC fanbase fashion, you can check out the fan-made video for ‘Seeya Later’ – taken from their debut EP ‘Twoism’ – created for YouTube by Saint Santiago – below.

Eoin and Sandison took their name from the children’s educational films distributed from The National Film Board Of Canada which they grew up watching at a toddler-level age, and they also pulled off the most, if not one of the most, elaborate ‘Easter Egg’ hunts in the marketing campaign building to the release of their most recent release, 2013’s ‘Tomorrow’s Harvest’. There really is a lot of fascinating information about them out there, which is too lengthy for just a simple blog post, so I would look them up after you’ve read this if that sounds interesting to you, but, for now, it’s back to the matter at hand. ‘Seeya Later’ was originally released by the duo as part of the ‘Twoism’ EP on their own label, Music70, and it later appeared on their ‘Hi-Scores’ EP in 1996 as well, where you can also find earlier versions of a few tracks that later appeared on their aforementioned breakthrough release, MHTRC. Chris Horne, a since lost third BOC member, also contributed to this release. Although not as commonly talked about as ‘Sixtyniner’, I feel that ‘Seeya Later’ still makes for an effective insight into the core formula of BOC’s initial musical practice. The track has a slightly darker vibe to some of MHTRC’s most popular recordings for me. Although not as haunting as the anti-religion nods of ‘Geogaddi’, it sounds like something that you may expect to hear on Aphex Twin’s ‘I Care Because You Do’ all the same. The bassline lightly throbs among the high percussion sounds, with trickling synths that evoke a somewhat unsettling atmosphere. This instrumentation doesn’t fluctuate very much throughout the track, but it remains interesting enough due to the ghostly textures and the intriguing ambience that hold your interest. The melancholic drum beats and the more downtempo influences, like much of BOC’s work, is housed in a driving Hip-Hop breakbeat dressing, which gives it a sense of memorability and pushes the beats forward. I would say that it feels a little bit unfinished, but I think the BOC brothers primarily used the ‘Twoism’ EP as a demo tape to get interest from labels, and so I can forgive the very direct and singular beats being a little exhausting by the end here. Overall, though, it is still a fascinating companion piece to their later work, with less of a child-like feel, more of a dream-like trance. Although it may feel like a sonically incomplete Boards Of Canada, that can make this all the more appealing to seek out.

Pictured: Marcus Eoin and Marcus Sandison in a vintage press shot (unknown date) (via Warp Records)

If you think the BOC are brilliant, you can check out how I initially felt about their music through an early listen of ‘An Eagle Of Your Mind’ from 98’s ‘Music Has The Right To Children’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/11/03/todays-track-boards-of-canada-an-eagle-in-your-mind-1998/

Pictured: Cover Art for “Music Has The Right To Children” (LP) (Released in 1998) (via Warp Records)

Thank you for checking out my latest blog post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, with an in-depth look at a recent track from an emerging Folk/Blues singer-songwriter who, by day, teaches English in Boyle Heights but, after dark, gets busy writing tunes like ‘Swim Test’, which is based on her father who can’t swim, despite living next to the beach for decades. 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: Andy C & Shimon – “Body Rock” (2001)

September 24, 2020 — Leave a comment

Right. That is it. It’s time for us to quit the ‘Clowning’ around! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Andy Clarke performing with MC TONN PIPER at Rampage Festival (2019) (via YouTube.com)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and I am writing up about your daily track on the blog, as always, because it is routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! 2001, in September to be exact, saw the release of a polarizing little club track of the title “Body Rock”, which was a collaboration between Andy Clarke, the co-founder of RAM Records, and his RAM Records signee Shimon. Clarke, best known as Andy C, is a Wasall-based English DJ and electronic producer who was a pioneering staple of the Drum-and-Bass genre of EDM music. He was a part of the RAM three, a circle of artists who raised prestige for the Drum-and-Bass genre through this specialist record label, which also includes Shimon and co-founder Ant Miles. Most popularly, the likes of Chase & Status, Sub Focus and Wilkinson have found chart success through releases on the RAM Records label. “Body Rock” reached #28 on the UK Singles Chart, and it was divisive because of it’s unusual sound, which we’ll get to in a bit. For now, let’s have a listen to it below.

Just in case you hadn’t realized, “Body Rock” divided most of Andy C’s more hardcore fanbase because of the “Clown-ish” sequencing effects used as the sampled hooks, which combines with a swinging pendulum rhythm to form an oddly patterned loop of synthesized melodies. As a matter of fact, some listeners even went so far as to give it a derogatory term of “Clown-Step” as a phrase to describe similar tracks that arrived soon after “Body Rock”, as it was obviously a huge commercial success, so other producers who were just looking for hits were started to follow the sound as a commercial trend. One fun theory that has circulated around the internet is that Andy C and Sub Focus used a sample of Rocky Horror’s “Timewarp” to fit the tune when mixing the track live to form the beat, but it’s unclear whether there is any evidence to prove this to be the truth. In whichever case, “Body Rock” starts off with a swinging triplet rhythm that precedes a few strange vocal parts. It gets more off-kilter and bizzare when the Snare Drum kicks in, and hits on the recurring Synth loops. This is followed up by the introduction of a really Staccato-heavyweight bassline that calls upon Acid Techno and Alternative Jungle influences to create a fluid, fluctuating synth beat which feels acidic and meandering in it’s continous, skittering nature. A brief interlude of odd, slowed ambient wind samples follows up on the main bassline drop, before an eclectic Kick Drum beat and Hi-Hat snare drops make the proceedings a little more percussive and progressive in it’s textures. Overall, it’s certainly rather unusual for an experimentally layered Drum-and-Bass track such as this to reach the mainstream – with single CD/Vinyl sales of 38,000 copies in shops (Yes… Physical Shops!) to boot. However, I believe the most important point to take away from this is that whether different groups of music lovers loved it or not… It gained a strong reaction. For me personally, although I can see where most angles of the nitpicks of criticism were coming from, I think that it’s innovative and a lot of fun. It was something very different at the time, and it still retains a unique ring to it today.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Body Rock” (Single) (Released on 3rd September, 2001) (via RAM Records)

Thank you very much for reading my daily blog post! I’ll be back tomorrow with a switch of gears, as we move from Experimental Drum-and-Bass to a more Alternative form of Post-Punk and Industrial-Rock. Tomorrow’s track comes from a Japanese 4-piece Math-Rock and Noise-Rock group formed in London, England who have performed collaboratively with Savages, Damo Suzuki and Faust. They are currently signed to Stolen Recordings and they are licensed to Sony Music Associated Records. 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: PlanningToRock – “Jam Fam”

September 7, 2020 — Leave a comment

Strawberry, Blackcurrant, Apricot… Oh, not that kind of ‘Jam! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Jam Roston (a.k.a. PlanningToRock) in an official publicity shoot for her official website (2018) (via PR)

Good Morning! I am Jacob Braybrooke and, as per usual, I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Kicking off the new week’s worth of posts is Planningtorock, a Bolton-raised electronic music producer who is currently now based in Berlin, who first made her mark on the club circuit over Europe as part of the electronic ensemble Chicks On Speed, who had a hit in 2006 with “Have It All”. Roston has since remixed tracks for the likes of The Knife, Peaches, Robyn, Telepathe and AUSTRA. Roston now has three critically acclaimed studio albums to her name, and she continues to build up a dedicated following with every album release on DFA Records. It has since been bought to my attention, courtesy of BBC Radio 6Music’s Daytime Playlist, that Roston has unveiled her latest project, “PlanningtoChanel”, an EP full of compositions produced entirely for Chanel’s Autumn-Winter 2020 Fashion show. The EP contains five tracks created by Roston in conjunction with Michael Gaubert, the Fashion label’s sound director. Gaubert told the media: “I always felt that Jam incorporates operatic and cinematic elements into their unique sound”, later continuing, “The Chanel show was inspired by French cinema from the 70s and 80s and Planningtorock blessed the show with their sound and gave birth to ‘PlanningtoChanel’”. Without any more ado, let’s stream the single “Jam Fam” below.

Roston said: “With ‘Jam Fam’ I wanted to create an authentic 1980s sound, so no big kick or bass and plenty of high swimming synths. I recorded my voice and sung lots of ‘ohs’ and ‘ahs’ and then pitched them each individually to create a vocal melody. I wanted the track to be super up in feeling and fun and classic sounding”, before announcing that a portion of proceeds from all future Planningtorock releases will be donated to anti-racist organisations. Revenues from “PlanningtoChanel” will specifically be donated to the Marsha P Johnson Institute, which advocates on behalf of black transgender people in the US. It’s nice to see Roston making a lovely contribution to society through her work and it’s just as well that “Jam Fam” is a nice piece of work too. There are no vocals to be heard whatsoever, but there is the odd “oooh’s” or “ahhh’s” thrown in to add solid variation to the 80’s-leaning disco sound. The core melody reminds me a little of Lipps Inc. “Funky Town” hit from the 70’s, with a few Violin string sections to intersect a feel-good, joyous feeling to the two-step drum beat and the recurring loops of bouncy, upbeat Synths and natural, organic instrumentation. There’s some shaking Maraca’s in play through the duration of the track, and a glistening Synth rhythm which adds a lustrous shine to the cohesion, giving across a quality that feels cinematic and grand. Although the melodies are repetitous and continous, they never seem tiresome or monotonous due to the core beat forming an entertaining, recursive funk groove that adds rich infusions of Disco, Ambient House and Euro-Dance. The results feel very dense and, overall, it nails the visual connotations of Fashion and Glamour through it’s old-school New-Wave Pop sensibilities. This is a (mostly) instrumental treat, with a well-developed retro flavour.

Pictured: Jam Roston with Nemone for “The 6 Mix” in the BBC Radio 6Music studio (in Feb. 2019) (via BBC.co.uk)

As I mentioned in yesterday’s clues, as to who the identity of today’s artist is, I mentioned that I have previously covered another track from Roston on the blog before. That post is still alive and kicking, and you can still read up on my thoughts of “Beulah Loves Dancing” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/02/05/todays-track-planningtorock-beulah-loves-dancing/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Beulah Loves Dancing” (12″ Single) (Released on October 30th, 2018) (via DFA Records)

Thank you very much for reading this post! Don’t forget that I will be back tomorrow, as promised, with an in-depth look at an emerging singer-songwriter who recorded her debut album with Portishead’s Geoff Barrow in Bristol and supported The Sleaford Mods at a live gig on their recent tour. She told NME in a recent interview: “In a world of Yes Men, I’ll be a No Woman, thanks”. 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: Falle Nioke (feat. Ghost Culture) – “Barké”

August 31, 2020 — Leave a comment

If your pet dog likes this music, they will probably Barké at it. It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Outer case for Falle Nioke & Ghost Culture’s “Youkounkoun” EP (Physical CD available from Bandcamp.com)

Yeah… You can tell I struggled a bit to come up with the tagline for this one. Good Afternoon, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and, as per usual, I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! “Barké” is a recent release which I sadly didn’t quite get around to taking a spin earlier. It comes from the EP, “Youkounkoun”, a collaborative EP mixed together by Falle Nioke and Ghost Culture. Nioke is a singer-songwriter from Guinea Conakry, West Africa. He sings in both French and English, and in some traditional African languages like Susu, Falani, Malinke and Conagui. He is also a percussionist who plays cultural African instruments like the Gongoma, Bolon and Cassi. The latter, Ghost Culture, is the alias of London-based Electronic composer James Greenwood. He has always been a producer in the UK’s underground dance scene, but he turned heads with the release of his self-titled LP back in 2015, which was named as Rough Trade’s “Record Of The Month” in January 2015. Let’s have a gander to “Barké” below.

Falle Nioke was, reportedly, quickly inspired to link up with Ghost Culture, as his first electronically-focused project, soon after he moved to the UK and signed up with PRAH Recordings. “Barké” was the first sampler they shared from their recent EP, and it’s title roughly translates to “Blessing” in English. The sound of which they craft together comes off as quite intriguing. Nioke recites African chants over a luscious Lute melody, before Greenwood adds a synergistic range of syncopated beat melodies, with a kinetic bassline that melodically whistles over the top of a stuttering, glitched-out strobe rhythm that continually dips and weaves over the top of Nioke’s tribal vocals. These vocals feel upbeat, yet grounded, paired with a sensibility of Drum and Bass that clashes the two musical roots of London and Conkary together, with a decent flow that doesn’t feel too jarring, although it takes some co-operation for you to become accustomed to it. The electronic influences aren’t heavy, with a minimalist drum pattern and a simple, hand-clapped beat that keeps the track feeling poppy and beat-driven enough to access on a first listen. It provides for a good introduction to Nioke’s distinct vocal style, as he bases a large emphasis on high notes and a mid-tempo pitch, before the electronic beats gradually decrease in frequency, and the ongoing groove makes a key change, for a soulful outro that evokes a well-rounded finish. The style feels raw and D.I.Y, with an interesting style of lyricism that probably takes a bit of interaction or perseverance for a casual listener to get the most out of it. I think it makes for some superb diversity, and it’s addictive as a grower. A great palette cleanser for a year where, sadly, nothing has gone to plan.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Youkounkoun” (EP) (Released on July 10th, 2020) (via PRAH Recordings)

Thank you very much for reading this post! Don’t worry, as I will be kicking off the new month tomorrow with a new track from a talented independant artist who has really burst onto the UK Indie Rock scene with her new track, which has been curated for an A-list slot on BBC Radio 6Music, along with a strong airplay from X-Posure, John Kennedy’s evening show, on Radio X. It’s named after a popular lunchtime meal that you would probably enjoy as a comfort food while feeling poorly. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Lynks Afrikka – “How To Be Successful”

August 12, 2020 — Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

August 3, 2020 — Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today’s Track: Moses Boyd (feat. Poppy Ajudha) – “Shades Of You”

June 27, 2020 — Leave a comment

A South London Jazz/Grime blender with 50 shades of influences! It’s new post time!

Pictured: Moses Boyd in a press shoot for an interview feature with TRENCH (2018) (Photo Credit: Hyperfrank)

Good Morning to you, I am Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, because, as you know, it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Moses Boyd is an artist who is difficult to box into one category, since he does a bit of Jazz Fusion and a touch of Electronic Rock, along with a wider Grime influence. Boyd started playing the drums at the age of 13, taking as much inspiration from Jazz legend Miles Davis as 00’s British Grime pioneer Dizzee Rascal. Boyd was born in South London, and he graduated from Trinity College with a BMus (Hons) Jazz Drums in 2016. Since being one half of sax-and-drums duo Binker & Moses and fronting his own band, Exodus, Boyd has worked with the likes of Experimental Electronic Ambient artists Four Tet and Floating Points, and Jazz-and-Soul songwriters Lonnie Liston-Smith and Zara McFarlene to expand his role as a collaborator in 2017. Boyd released his debut solo album, “Dark Matter”, on February 14th, 2020. It’s a diverse record, which explores a variety of Jazz Fusion sounds, which also shows his abilities in Electronica, Neo-Soul and Industrial Hip-Hop. It features the likes of Poppy Ajudha, Obongjayar and Joe Armon-Jones. Let’s have a listen to the breakout single “Shades Of You”, which features the R&B singer Poppy Ajudha, below.

The South London-based award-winning drummer, composer and producer enlists the help of talented R&B/Neo-Soul voice Poppy Ajudha to draw from a melting pot of influences on “Shades Of You”. Their collaborative track has a gloomy, but stylistic, aesthetic, as Ajudha sings about self-acceptance in the beginning verse: “Don’t hide from yourself/There is beauty in your darkness/So much colour in your soul”, which gets layered above a bright bass-synth groove. The pre-chorus is affecting when Ajudha asks: “Are you afraid of the dark?/Could you bathe in my darkest?” and reaffirms: “You’re not alone” over the top of bright, percussive splicing effects and a central Techno melody which drops small drum beats at a regular pattern. Ajudha’s chorus goes: “I gave away all my colours/I’m left with shades of blue/I Can’t handle your darkness/But they all want the shades of you”, paired with the input of a Tuba that’s played by Theon Cross, whilst the ethereal drum-led groove carries the key melodies along. The second verse is much the same, while the repeated choruses end it on a high note, with the consistent drum notes and melodic Vibraphone sections creating a Kaleidoscopic effect, which feels dancefloor-primed. The complex Soul influences have the usual South London Soul sound, with an effective blending of Neo-Soul, Electro-Pop, Jazz and Grime elements fusing and pulling-in-and-out of each other together. To me, It manages to stand out on a typical daytime playlist of BBC Radio 6Music, and it feels both catchy and pop-friendly enough for you to hear it in a large-chain clothing shop. Meanwhile, it doesn’t lose it’s lush experimentation, and the overall sound points towards club culture with it’s soulful artistry and dance flair. It’s very engaging. The Neo-Soul, Dance and subtle Hip-Hop production is at the heart of the music, and this is a dazzling Jazz banger that was built for the dancefloor.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Dark Matter” (Released on February 14th, 2020) (via Exodus Records)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. I’ll be back tomorrow with your new weekly edition of Scuzz Sundays, the time of the week where we revisit an emo-rock or a pop-punk classic from between the late-1990’s to the mid-00’s to see whether it still holds up! This week, it’s a track from the US-Christian rock band who famously composed the theme song for legendary Mexican pro wrestler Rey Mysterio! 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