Today’s Track: Lorenzo Senni – “Discipline Of Enthusiasm”

June 23, 2020 — Leave a comment

Will this Italian DJ/Producer pick up an extra life or is it game over? It’s new post time!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Scacco Matto” (Released on April 24th, 2020) (via Warp Records)

Good Morning to you, my name is Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! I’m opting for something a little bit different today, as we’re going to explore some of the latest work from Italian Electronic Dance music producer Lorenzo Senni. Describing himself as a “Tireless investigator of dance music’s mechanisms and working parts” on Resident Advisor and “a sadistic scientist that is ripping the spinal cord out of trance and dangling it in front of our eyes” on his Facebook bio, Senni is best known for dabbling in shapeshifting styles of Heavy Techno and Acid House, with further influences in Breakbeat and Power Electronics that can often make his deeply layered beat-driven style feel brash and abrasive. He is also the founder of Presto?! Records, an indie Techno label which houses the likes of Florian Hecker and Marcus Schmickler, along with DJ Stingray and many other artists. His debut album, “Quantum Jelly” was released to a widespread critical acclaim in 2012 and, thus, he signed up to Warp Records in 2016. His latest album release is “Scacco Matto”, his fifth album, which was released on 26th April by Warp Records, earlier in the year. Let’s have a listen to the anthem “Discipline Of Enthusiasm” below.

I reckon it’s fair to say that he doesn’t take his own music that seriously! On “Discipline Of Enthusiasm”, Lorenzo Senni capitalizes on the freeform sounds of a JP-8000 Supersaw synthesizer arp to create a Techno crescendo that builds nicely to a sound that feels akin to a final boss fight of an arcade platformer video game straight from the 1980s, such as Pac-Man or Galaga. A feeling of tension and anticipation is established through a frenetic, chaotic drum loop that dips in-and-out of Breakbeat-style production and distorted strobe effects. The second third of the track fuses in elements of Techno and Deep House, introducing a soft BPM shift with a calming line of synthesized classical sounds. This develops a melodic break that glues the jigsaw pieces together, before the crescendo starts to glitch and the unrelenting opening takes a hold of the picture again. The third, and final, third provides a fuzzing instrumental section that mixes in a slow pace through a carefully nurtured synthesized guitar riff, but the overall line of electronica is still stuttering to the Techno-dominated beat of Staccato lines and small shards of Breakbeat pacing. The overall result of the three sections create a sound that feels very old-school and retro, seemingly delighting in the lack of a futuristic approach. The genre has a niche appeal and the masses of the mainstream aren’t likely to connect with it very easily, but as a fan of techno artists like Aphex Twin and Squarepusher – the latter of which explored a similar style in his latest album – I dig Senni’s abilities in carefully nurturing an overarching feeling of sensory tension, and constructing the release of his crafted anticipation through the harsh electronic bass drop. I don’t want the masses to get it!

Pictured: Lorenzo Senni producing music in his office recording studio (2020) (Photography by Piotr Niepsuj)

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 a look at another recent track, this time from an English Jazz legend who became known to the world as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd., which preceded a successful and prolific solo career that began in the late 1970s and continues to the present day. He published an autobiography, “Memories Of A Geezer”, in 2009. 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: In Love With A Ghost – “We Were Friends”

May 14, 2020 — Leave a comment

I am not In Love With A Ghost, but I am in love with this soft sound. It’s new post time!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Healing” (Single Release) (in 2017) (Cover design by @Salisart) (via Bandcamp)

Good afternoon to you! Indeed, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because, as always, it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! Yesterday, I wrote about Skule Toyama, a little-known Chillwave DJ from Mexico who only has a small following and he’s one of my latest little discoveries on Bandcamp. Another artist from the same genre who I’ve also recently found on Bandcamp is In Love With A Ghost. However, it turns out that In Love With A Ghost has a much larger following and has become a bit of a viral sensation. Nonetheless, their 2016 EP release “Let’s Go” was my first introduction to this artist. “Let’s Go” is classified as a digital album, but it’s only very short, at four tracks with a 12 minute run time. There’s an old-fashioned IDM-style aura of mystery around this French composer, as the artist tends to only give cryptic teases towards the production and meaning behind their music. Their name is unknown, so is their backstory, and most importantly, they never reveal their face! “Flowers” featuring Nori is their most popular track from “Let’s Go”, with over 9.6m views on YouTube – but my favourite track from the album is the low-key and sad keyboard-driven “We Were Friends”. Let’s give it a listen below!

So.. That was “We Were Friends”. I feel that In Love With A Ghost manages, through the spacious synth riffs and the embellishing keyboard sequences, to create vivid, emotive feelings of closure and finality on this short track. In comparison to Skule Toyama’s track yesterday, the pacing is a lot slower and the melodies, although sweet and heavily electronically-produced, are more downtempo and less free-form in their structure, creating a highly stripped back sound, despite achieving the same aims of soothing you down and putting your mind into a state of relaxation. There’s no lyrics at all, but the distorted effects of the looping synths and the glitched-out basslines, enveloped in a pure and intoxicating Piano melody, create a gentle ambient texture that acts as a comforting bed for the beat-driven electronic effects to sit under. This results in an ambient texture that feels vaguely melancholic and reminiscent of a more innocent time. Maybe it makes you think about seeing an old friend for the first in a very long time? To me, it does, bringing an emotion of meeting up with somebody who you feel you might not truly “know” anymore and coming to terms with the nervousness and the fun you used to have, but also the happiness that comes from soon recapturing these memories. In any case, it’s completely up to you what this track is about. I think that’s where the strength of the sound lies. There’s attention to detail in the slow rainfall effects and the crackles of twigs breaking in the background, creating a feeling that is overall somber and contemplative. It feels like it has a super-sleek production behind it, of which I can tell it was a more expensive album to be produced than some of the earlier work, but it doesn’t lose it’s artistic identity or forget the roots of the music in the first place, a criticism that I point towards mainstream acts like Ed Sheeran or Drake, who just make totally generic and VERY commercial pop now. A “ghostly” presence – but a rewarding and excellent one!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Let’s Go” (Digital EP) (Released via Bandcamp on March 3, 2016) (via Z-Tapes Records)

Thank you very much for reading this post and I hope you enjoyed it! Please stay safe, “Stay Alert” and keep on washing those hands! I am really excited about tomorrow’s post because I’m going to be covering a brand new track that marks the return of one of my top favourite artists in the past couple of years! I still remember when she brought her mum on-stage to celebrate it when she won Best British Album at the NME Awards last night! Watch and learn BRIT Awards, that’s how you treat a real Best British Artist! 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: Skule Toyama – “United In The Night”

May 13, 2020 — Leave a comment

This one’s hellbent on destroying some EDM “Stereo”-Types – It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Promotional Cover Artwork for “Stereo” (Single Release) (Released in 2020) (via Business Casual)

Good morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing your daily track on the blog, as always, since it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music, whether it’s old or new, every day. It’s quite a dull backstory of how I found Skule Toyama, as I was just scrolling through my recommendations on Bandcamp and I came across “Stereo”, his new album. With names like “Disco Roller”, “Fantasy Synth” and “Take A Break”, I gave it a chance. The anime-style drawings put me off a bit at first, but after a few listens, I’ve come to really like it. Barely anything is known about Toyama at all and I couldn’t even find any photos of the real man himself. However, it’s implied that Toyama is a male solo producer on their Bandcamp biography. According to this, Toyama is a Mexican artist, of the Chill-Wave genre, who started producing Ambient House music inspired by disco/funk music and the “melancholic aesthetics” of the 1980’s in Mexico. His sound also extends to “Soft-Funk” and “Future-Funk”. Let’s have a listen to the track “United In The Night” below.

I think that “Stereo” is a very appropriate name for a track which sounds so unashamedly EDM Disco-Pop in it’s visuals of lying down with a big speaker on full blast, on a very hot Beach somewhere in Thailand or Jamaica. I’ve never travelled so I don’t know what I’m really going on about there, but I DO know that it’s a very bold move to release a dance record when there’s no market for it since you know… we can’t actually go to a club, but I feel it’s justified by the seamless blending of Toyama’s influences in creating a very calm and relaxed, but still upbeat and danceable, atmosphere which is easy to access and soothing to escape with, but there’s still a hidden complexity and a non-commercialism to the overall textures that demand your further attention in repeated listens. “United In The Night” has a very beat-driven, looping bassline which moulds over a luminous, washing synth line and very groove-ridden drum machine sequences. There’s an unashamedly pop sound on the surface, but I picked “United In The Night” to analyse because it has a slightly rougher texture and it evokes a slightly more somber feeling than a lot of the other tracks found on “Stereo”. This is due to the whimsical, fantastical element of the vocal sample which is unintelligible, but mutters phrases with “Live in your Dreams” and Japanese words, in a way that feels akin to the old game of Chinese Whispers us Brits used to play in primary school, in it’s cheeky vocal layering. There’s a syncopated guitar riff in here, with even a slight use of Jazz instrumentation in the later stages of the track. The clear EDM pop style, the funkish grooves, the vivid, if typically Anime, visual aesthetics and the eclectic sonic palette create a sound that is very enjoyable. It was a great find. Please don’t go mainstream Toyama – you are just right as you are!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Stereo” (Released via Bandcamp on April 10, 2020) (via Business Casual Records)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at a slightly older track, released in 2017, by another artist of the Chill-Wave genre that I also recently found on Bandcamp. He’s from Paris, France and he’s signed to the Z-Tapes indie label. He seems to have a much larger online following than Skule Toyama and he has a single called “Flowers” feat. Nori which has over 9.6m views on YouTube. 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: Yu Su – “Every Star Has It’s Own Story”

May 11, 2020 — Leave a comment

This is a track from a DJ who is astronomically blowing up! It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Yu Su in an independent photoshoot for Beatportal.com (2020) (Photo Credit: Michaela Dutkova)

Good afternoon to you, I’m a slightly-less-energetic-than-usual Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! “Every Star Has It’s Own Story” is a hidden gem that I found out about from the Resident Advisor website. It’s an ambient electronic house track created by Yu Su, a DJ and sound engineer, who was born in Kaifeng, China but has now relocated to work in Vancouver, Canada. Yu Su is also known for being a part of the duo “You’re Me” with Canadian producer Scott Johnson Gailey. I can’t say that I’m very familiar with her work beforehand, but you can buy “Every Star Has It’s Own Story” as part of the seven-track compilation EP “Dreaming With Friends” produced by the Eating Music independent dance label and created entirely by female Asian Techno DJ’s like Cocoonics, Dodogo and Huan Huan. It was released on February 20th 2020. Let’s listen to “Every Star Has Its Own Story” below…

“Every Star Has Its Own Story” is a groove-led Heavy Techno mix of Cosmic proportions, with a spacious looping bassline interspersing with acutely layered drum notes to create an Earthly and Oriental variety of soft ambient textures. There seems to be a West African inspiration in the sound of the Conga-like steel drum beats and the subdued production style, but it also sounds contemporary and somewhat futuristic. The chorus section is led by an upbeat groove which has a consistently bubbling bassline, teasing a full-blown breakdown of Synthesized keyboard riffs and breathy guitar licks, but the dreamy vocals keep it bubbling under the surface, to create a Deep House quality. It sounds experimental in it’s design, but there seems to be a more Soulful element which gets obscured by the stop-and-start nature of the Acid House influences and the bright, luminous synth effects. Overall, it might seem to be rather quiet and subdued on a first listen, but the layers unfold on repeated listens to create a very airy and well-spaced sequence of sound effects that feel self-contained within the bassline, but still manage to evoke a hazy, warm feeling through the wide attention to detail in each of the production touches. The result is nostalgic ambience at it’s least expected, but a very melodic and sharp World sound at it’s best.

Pictured: Yu Su in a promotional photoshoot for a Triple J “Mix Up” feature (in 2019) (Photo Credit: abc.net.au)

Thank you very much for reading his post! I hope you really enjoyed it! Stay at home, don’t do anything silly and keep washing those hands! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, with an in-depth look at a more well-known track from an English Indie Rock band from Chesire who are named after a type of bird and reformed following a long hiatus for a charity concert at the Royal Albert Hall set up in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust last year! 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: DJ Shadow (feat. Run The Jewels) – “Kings and Queens”

March 14, 2020 — Leave a comment

Just like “Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker”, another trilogy finally meets it’s end – I really hope this is a slightly more satisfying one – it’s time for your Saturday blog post!

Pictured: DJ Shadow (Joshua Paul Davis) going record shopping and no doubt looking to add to his personal collection of over 60,000 records (2016) (Photo Credit: Derick Daily)

Good morning to the “Kings and Queens” – you, dear readers – who read my music musings every day! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! I’m really fond of DJ Shadow, particularly “Endtroducing…”, his all-time classic album which he created with just a tape recorder and a turntable and an MPC-60 sampling machine and released in 1996 to universal acclaim. His latest album, “Our Pathetic Age”, is another belter – a double album comprised of instrumental tracks on one side and collaboration-heavy vocal tracks on the second side. I’ve previously covered “Rocket Fuel” and “Urgent, Important, Please Read”, two other tracks from the album, on my blog – so I thought I’d cover another one to cap off a nice little trilogy over the weekend on the blog for you! Have a listen to “Kings & Queens”, featuring hip hop duo Run The Jewels, below.

Run The Jewels are close friends to Joshua Paul Davis, having frequently collaborated on the bass-heavy single “Nobody Speak” from Davis’ previous album, “The Mountain Will Fall” from 2016, adding a dynamic to the new record which crafts a contrasting tone to the back half of the double album compared to the first side – it’s as if Davis has stopped creating melancholic drill ‘n’ bass beats and thrown a party, where he’s having a grand old time with his friends instead. “Kings & Queens” evokes a very celebratory, upbeat mood – even if the subject matter is dark – hinting at a hopeful future. El-P raps about his late grandmother: “I heard the story, just once with my mom/She said the bottles you held didn’t last very long/When you gave out, no one knew that you gone/Or knew that you couldn’t bring food to the dog” as Davis composes a skittering drum loop and a warm EDM trip, which he wraps around a soulful string sample. Killer Mike pays tribute to his mum, mentioning Denise (“Somethin’ bout the feel of this beat/Makes me think about Denise”), also mentioning his other family members like Lenny and Shonda, before he raps about the lessons his mother taught him: “‘Told me stand like a man/And never fold for these hoes”, before Shadow arranges an inspirational chorus filled with gospel-choir vocals, which are inflicted with string melodies and given more depth by a stuttering breakbeat pause. The topical humor is witty and anecdotal, with a personal flavour of storytelling and narration which feels appropriate given the wider themes of the album as a whole. A bright past is reminisced about and a peaceful future is less distant on “Kings & Queens”, an outstanding hit of string-based hip-hop that manages to be dance-oriented and lyrically impactful in equal measure. The art work of “Our Pathetic Age” is incredible too – I’d really like to get a physical copy for my collection!

Pictured: Run The Jewels (Killer Mike & El-P) posing backstage at Fortress Fest in Fort Worth, Texas (2017) (Photo Credit: Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

If you haven’t caught up with the rest of my DJ Shadow trilogy of posts yet, you can read my thoughts on “Rocket Fuel”, featuring 80’s hip-hop legends De La Soul here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/08/19/todays-track-dj-shadow-feat-de-la-soul-rocket-fuel/, and “Urgent, Important, Please Read”, featuring the combined talents of Rockwell Knuckles, Tef Poe and Dameon, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/07/todays-track-dj-shadow-feat-rockwell-knuckles-tef-poe-daemon-urgent-important-please-read/

Pictured: Cut Chemist (Lucas MacFadden) producing with DJ Shadow in their studio (2014) (via Flood Magazine)

Thank you for reading my post – I hope you have a nice day! Make sure you check back with the blog tomorrow, where I’ll be taking you on a leisurely stroll down memory lane with a new “Scuzz Sundays” blog post – where I revisit a late 1990’s or mid 2000’s emo-punk track in honor of the late-great Scuzz TV freeview rock music video channel. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: DJ Seinfeld – “Electrician”

January 28, 2020 — 1 Comment

There are a couple of dodgy lightbulbs dotted around my house, so I think that I might be needing an “Electrician” in my house soon! It’s time for your new blog post!

Pictured: DJ Seinfeld (Armand Jakobsson) producing his own “After Party Playlist” mix for BBC Radio 1 (April 2018)

Jokes aside, I played this little trance gem on my show just a few hours ago. Jacob Braybrooke here, as always, with your daily track on the blog. This track comes from Swedish disc jockey and electronic music producer Armand Jakobsson, who goes under the alias of DJ Seinfeld. He’s also been creating EDM tunes under the aliases of Rimbaudian and Birds Of Sweden over the years, having become known for his emotive cuts and sweeping ambient breaks as part of his own Lobster Fury label. Seinfeld’s made a definitive career for himself in the American house scene, also taking influence from Acid Techno pioneers and vintage Jungle artists of the 1990’s. “Electrician” is taken from his recent “Galazy” EP, a four-track EP release which sees DJ Seinfeld explore a mellow Acid Techno sound. Let’s check out “Electrician” below!

A DJ who has received a bit of flack from working in the lo-fi house scene, a controversial genre in the music industry at times, Seinfeld learns to craft a haze-dipped, maturely earnest pop house sound for his first release on the Young Ethics label. A repeated “I love you” line repeats and swirls on the top of a sonically identifiable line of ocassionally placed cowbells and a swollen build of atmospherically introspective moods and a low-key bassline. The vocals are later replaced by the digital sound of bird calls, which chirp in the background, adding an important layer of comfort and warmth to the textured sound. Running at just under seven minutes in length, the constant spiral of pop-heavy treble inflictions and soft, Aphex-influenced drill ‘n’ bass sections are given a breather by the propelling Breakbeat snares, which are used in a quality-over-quantity manner, along with a slight Jungle sound. It may not be Seinfeld’s most experimental work to date, with a lack of noisy Techno percussion or off-kilter snare stabs, but “Electrician” is a well-paced, gradually building layer of slow-dance sounds which end up being more interesting than they may seem when taking from an analytical point of view. A lush, spacious synth backdrop is the highlight of a track which is safe, but nicely produced.

Pictured: DJ Seinfeld (Armand Jakobsson) at an undisclosed rave (March 2019)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with a look at another track from an Australian singer-songwriter who’s returned from a six-year hiatus who gained over a million plays on Soundcloud for one of his earliest tracks and he’s often been likened to Morrisey, Lana Del Rey and Gotye! (remember him?) 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: Jon Hopkins (feat. Kelly Lee Owens) – “Luminous Spaces”

January 22, 2020 — Leave a comment

Lighting up the sky with this space-ious electronic maverick! Time for your new post!

Pictured: Jon Hopkins in a photoshoot for a Q&A with Red Bull Music (2013) (Photo Credit: Sarah Ginn)

A sci-fi themed EDM anthem that will transport you to an alternate galaxy, “Luminous Spaces” is the new single from Surrey-born DJ Jon Hopkins, also featuring guest vocals from Welsh artist Kelly Lee Owens. Good evening to you, Jacob Braybrooke here! I’ve just arrived back from a university trip to the WB Studio Tour in London, where I saw a lot of the props, costumes and sets designed and used for the Harry Potter films. I’m not a huge fan, to be honest, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would! I’m a little exhausted, so I’m going to keep it short and sweet today, but it’s easy for me to write to you about Jon Hopkins since he’s one of my heroes. He’s mostly known for just making noises on his laptop, but his improvisational style is impressive and it results in the creation of a cinematic, theatrical sound, which really makes him stand out from the other fellow DJ’s working in the IDM genre. He received his major breakthrough from scoring the 2010 Gareth Edwards film, “Monsters”, before going on to release studio records like “Immunity” in 2013, which was nominated for the Mercury Prize Award that year. He’s recently announced a new “Polarity” tour, stopping off at tour dates in Bath, Dublin, Edinburgh and London, in March. No further details of a new LP have been confirmed. However, I think it’s safe to assume that we’ll be hearing a follow-up to his Grammy-nominated album “Singularity”, released in 2018, fairly soon. Hear the edit of “Luminous Spaces” below.

Once again proving that, in music, there are two sides to every coin – this is a wonderful electronic, Leftfield-inspired, IDM track which begins as a light, trance number and later evolves into a more danceable house anthem, but the track doesn’t lose the soft-spoken charm and the echo-drenched delights created by the first half. Owens opens: “Did you notice? Fill up the spaces…”, above a gently resonating line of synths and a low-tempo bassline, creating a sparkling effect of soundscapes. This gradually builds in it’s pacing and it’s structure, but it never feels slow, as the pop-laden backdrop creates a sense of 90’s nostalgia which pushes the programming of the ambience forwards at a brisk pace. Before long, layers upon layers of different synth melodies are being added to the vocal hook, as Owens renders: “To feel again”, before the track drives a sharp turn, as Hopkins takes over the music machine. He replaces Owens’ soft-spoken vocals with a deafening helping of kick drums and a vibrant, sweeping sequence of methodically formatted snares, as the slow-trance melody is replaced by the embracing of a more thunderous set of sounds. Overall, it’s a wonderful little single which showcases Hopkins’ at the best of his theatrical abilities, but it also adds new elements to his sound courtesy of Owens’ gentle vocals!

Pictured: Jon Hopkins in an interview with FACT magazine (Photo Credit: Dan Medhurst) (2015)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with a look at a dubplate reggae track from an underground Birmingham act, of which I’ve covered a track on the blog before, who publish dubplate remixes for all of their featured artists on their Bandcamp.com page! 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: Squarepusher – “Vortrack” (Fracture Remix)

January 11, 2020 — Leave a comment

As seen below, your Saturday post is finally up! So – you better be there or be Square!

As usual, Jacob Braybrooke here! Fancy a rave? I’m just asking that because a HUGE bombshell dropped over the last few weeks of December 2019… as Squarepusher, Warp Records-affiliated heavy techno genuis, is back! Tom Jenkinson, otherwise known as Squarepusher, is an Electronic Dance DJ known for crafting landmark releases in the genres of IDM, Drum-and-Bass, Drill-and-Bass and Electroacoustic Rock. Also known for his very industrial sound and mischief when it comes to behind-the-scenes interviews for his craft, Squarepusher also has a signature live set-up, which features a mix of electronic sound outsourcing, live instrumental playout and digital signall processing. He’s back with “Vortrack”, with the Fracture Remix paving the way as the lead single for his upcoming album, “Be Up A Hello”, due for it’s release on January 31st. Did you know that Jenkinson also provided the ambient music soundtrack for the Olivia Colman-narrated CBeebies 60-minute wind-down programme “Daydreams”? I guess that you do learn something new each day! Although that’s an interesting little tidbit, I don’t think you’ll be hearing “Vortrack” on children’s TV… For reasons that will become incredibly obvious from the video below!

A gifted ambient technician and a master of his musical craft, Jenkinson has conjured up a storm of buzz amongst motivated EDM/IDM fans for the new release from his return to the scene on “Vortrack”. The Fracture Remix is an undeniably traditional Heavy Drum-and-Bass anthem which certainly isn’t lending itself all that freely to the faint-hearted crowds of mainstream pop. However, on “Vortrack”, I feel the old-school sensibilities of the remix may be it’s biggest strength. According to publicity materials, the new record will bring a return to a “bewildering array of vintage analogue and digital hardware”, which implies, to me that Squarepusher is developing a product of nostalgia and DIY culture, which are the joyous elements which gave the way for his big breakthrough in the early 90’s. The crowd-pleasing, heavy techno jolts on the “Vortrack” remix have a discernibly murky quality to them, which brings an implication of political influence, in it’s eclectic mixing of it’s sonic palette. The tension, as a result, is very dramatic and the effect of the heavy tone is marginalized to a very solid and effective level. At the 2-minute mark, Jenkinson adds a swelling of computer-controlled bass melodies and pushes (if you mind the pun) the feeling of tension at the front seat of the track. An unabashedly retro sound, with an appealing stab of nauseous intensity, results in a solid and effective comeback from a master of his craft, who clearly knows exactly where he’s going to push his signature IDM sound.

Pictured: Squarepusher (Tom Jenkinson) performing a live DJ set at Donaufestival in Austria (2012)

Thank you for reading this post and… if you are going out raving tonight – have fun and stay safe! Also, make sure you’re ready for tomorrow’s Scuzz Sunday post, as I’ll be looking at a throwback emo tune from a band who have sold over 40 million records worldwide! 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: Floating Points – “Anasickmodular”

January 8, 2020 — Leave a comment

Is it science, magic or great music? a combination of all three? Time for a new post!

Pictured: Sam Shepherd in a photoshoot for an interview on the RedBull.com website (January 2018)

Jacob Braybrooke here! It’s not Rocket Science! Well, for this guy, it’s Neuroscience! Seriously, he has a degree in it! I’ve been listening quite a bit to Floating Points recently, a DJ of all things acid techno whose real name is Sam Shepherd, the co-founder of the Eglo Records label. His recent album, “Crush”, was released last November on the Ninja Tune label. It’s an experimental piece of music which dynamically mixes a range of improvisational sounds and electronic ambient works recorded around the world. It’s January, so there isn’t going to be much out until the early Spring heats up. That gives you the perfect excuse for you to go and check it out!

“Anasickmodular” is one of the singles from the album, which has made the A-list of BBC Radio 6Music for several weeks. It was named after the team who did the visual projections, the fact that he was feeling poorly on the day and how he bought a modular out of the box to record it! For me, “Anasickmodular” draws a heavy comparison to the likes of Aphex Twin and Squarepusher. Since the genre of this single is of a similar tone and style, it reminds me of several Warp Records releases from around the mid-90’s, which partially contributes as to why I like it so much. The mixing and production of the track was created during Shepherd’s live improvised set at Dekmantel Festival in 2017, with other engineering stages completed during a tour date in Sydney. For me, this gives the track it’s freeform and carefree style, which echoes throughout the strange break-beat melodies and the ethereal, percussive garage beats. The texture, as a result, sounds very warm and euphoric, due to a hypnotic trance transition which feels like the music equivalent to a child’s drawing. A twitching, off-kilter drum pattern harkens back to Warp’s late-90’s IDM exports. The midway point is a real standout, as the assortment of ambient sounds swell up to form a synth tendril which forms the effect of an orchestral crescendo. It feels like Shepherd has definitely put his club sensibilities to the test and really pushed himself, as an artist, to deliver this track. He adds a layer of scientific IDM to make it essential!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Crush” (October 2019)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with a look at a new track from an Irish singer-songwriter and music producer who is known for being part of the Irish Trip Hop duo Moloko, who were responsible for the chart hits “The Time Is Now”, “Sing It Back” and “Familiar Feeling”! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

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

December 24, 2019 — 1 Comment

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

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Syro” (2014)

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

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

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

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

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

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