Trance

Today’s Track: Aphex Twin – “#3”

August 18, 2020 — Leave a comment

Happy Birthday, Richard – I hope your card came! It’s time for a special Birthday post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Selected Ambient Works (Volume II)” (Released on 7th March, 1994) (via Warp Records)

Only the die-hards will get the reference above… Good Morning and a Happy 48th Birthday to Richard D. James, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m typing another daily post on the blog, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! As mentioned beforehand, August 18th marks the commemorative birthday of one of the best people to have ever lived, Richard D. James, mostly known as Aphex Twin, who is 49 years old today. If you’ve been following my blog and my other projects for a long while, you’ll be aware of my totally unprofessional Fanboy obsession for the guy. He is, without much doubt, my favourite male solo musician of all-time. Therefore, I have planned to look back at one of his most popular projects, “Selected Ambient Works Volume II”, to mark the occasion. Released in 1994, this was his second full-length album, which James claims to have literally made in his sleep… heavily inspired by melodies that he’s heard while he was Lucid Dreaming at night. He likens it to “Standing in a power station on acid”, and it enjoyed a relatively quiet release period based on my research (Since I wasn’t born then… So don’t quote me on it), before it gained a large cult following and it became one of the most critically-acclaimed albums of the 1990’s, appearing on all-time best lists from Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and Spin. There’s no lyrics whatsoever, and the sound sees James harkening back to the Easy Listening classics from Brian Eno, during the 1970’s, for inspiration. The main factor of significance related to this album comes from a service which allowed fans to mail each other and discuss the obscure sounds and deep, layered soundscapes of the record. In a time where social media simply did not exist, it was basically the first album ever to basically get talked about, thus becoming a social event. None of the track listings have official names either, and one fan – Greg Eden, has once popularized names of the track which get used by fellow fans and journalists based on a murky set of images that can be found in the album’s liner notes of each physical copy. “#3” is one of James’ most beloved tracks by fans and the press, and it is more commonly referred to as “Rhubarb”. Let’s have a listen below.

If you’re only recognizably familiar with “Windowlicker” and/or “Come To Daddy”, this would likely catch you off-guard and take you by suprise quite a lot! “#3” is not very beat-driven at all, instead offering to you a moment of serene beauty and timeless fascination, demanding your full attention as you stand still for a few moments and simply interact with the sound. It deeply moves many of James’ most dedicated fans, with a light tension which captures a feeling between distressing and comforting. “#3” consists of a static synth line that feels soft and consonant, with a peaceful tone and a very subtle rumble of Bass which gently alters the course of the key changes throughout the track. It shines in allowing you, as the listener, to associate the track with whatever nostalgic images or contemplative emotions that your mind can conjure up. To me, it reminds me of a well-kept lake of water, as a tide moves briskly, but slowly, outwards as the ripples of the wave form a small tide. This is due to the percussion-free electronica forming up a meditative sentiment, and the breezy Organ pipe melodies adding a semblence of a sun-soaked vibe to it. The album was a slow-burning word of mouth triumph in it’s success, and it manages to feel wholly original and highly different to James’ other works. Once you have interacted with the record by giving James your co-operation, it slowly unfolds and it becomes a record, with “#3” in particular, that replaces it’s initial uncompromising feel with a charm that gets slowly discovered. It requires the surrender of your brain cells to work it properly, but it’s well worth the effort because this is music that has a transcendent beauty of it’s genuine own. One of the most interesting selections from one of the all-time greatest!

  • Pictured: Richard D. James (aka Aphex Twin) at an undisclosed gig in his early days (1992) (via electronicbeats.net)

If you’re pining to hear some more Aphex material, you’ve come to a decent place! You can read up my thoughts on “Vordhosbn”, from 2001’s “Drukqs”, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/09/24/todays-track-aphex-twin-vordhosbn/, and you can also check out my festive write-up for ““XMAS EVET_10 (Thanaton3 Mix)” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/24/christmas-eve-special-aphex-twin-xmas-evet_10-thanaton3-mix/. Or, if you’re a first-time listener or you want to get more familiar with Richard’s beautiful music, you can check out my very own podcast here, which offers a guide of “5 Tracks To Get You Into Aphex Twin”. Once more, my heart goes out to Richard on his special Lornaderek day!

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

Thank you very much for reading my new post! It will be back to business as usual tomorrow, with an in-depth listen to a pretty recent track which I sadly didn’t quite get the time to cover nearer to the time of it’s release. This next cut comes from an Essex-based singer-songwriter who started writing her own music when she was around 7, before re-entering the scene at the age of 9… and she’s now currently signed to Asylums’ indie label, Cool Thing 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: 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: Julianna Barwick – “Inspirit”

July 25, 2020 — Leave a comment

Who needs a Zumba class when you can meditate to this? It’s time for your new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Healing Is A Miracle” (Released on July 10th, 2020) (via Ninja Tune)

Get yourself comfortable for the Zen-like trance! Good Morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m typing up your daily track on the blog, just like always, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! This is an emerging artist who I discovered through Mary Anne Hobbs’ recent episode of the BBC Radio 6Music Recommends evening show, and I was reminded of it by Lauren Laverne on her Thursday July 16, 2020 edition of the BBC Radio 6Music Breakfast show, as “Healing Is A Miracle” was the station’s album of the day. Her name is Julianna Barwick, and she is an ambient electronic composer who is based in in Brooklyn, New York. She was inspired to create her own music by her participation in a church choir at an early age while growing up in Louisiana, and she’s been active since 2006, of which she’s been using analogue synth equipment to record her own vocal sections over the electronic synth loops that she builds. “Healing Is A Miracle” is her third album, released on July 10th via Ninja Tune. The album includes contributions of work from Jónsi (the leader of Sigur Ros), along with Mary Littlemore and Nosaj Thing. Rest your weary head to the sound of leading single “Inspirit” below.

Recorded at a time where she was making the risky move to New York City from her childhood residence in Louisiana, Barwick commands a meditational presence that demands your relaxed attention on “Inspirit”, the opener of her new album. It seems suitably easy to sink your teeth into, but the multi-layered structure hides a soft, but meticulous complexity beneath. Her vocals are simply: “Open your heart, It’s in your head”, two lines that are drenched in a cascading, heavy reverberation effect. They get constantly repeated across the four-minute duration of the track, but they never get tedious or dull, to me. That’s because the vocal arrangement is kept refreshing at each turn, flowing with shaped stretches and loops that harmonize the breezy synth pads and the mellow, faint interplanetary pipe organ noises. The vocal loops are arranged in the style of a collage, and they are difficult to decipher, although easy to notice. This creates a subtle, aired ambience that evokes the Easy Listening music of Brian Eno, with a light texture of interweaving, discreet vocal loops and globally-influenced sonic direction that sounds comparable to the 90’s ambience of Enigma and Moby. The most intriguing part of the track, however, is the use of bass. A rumble of electronic bass synth effects splice harmoniously over the midway point, but the meditative and crystallized ambience never feels disturbed, as the thin waves of decaying bass add a somewhat dream-like trance that, for me, evokes science fiction and dystopia. Each of the different elements fit like a Jigsaw puzzle together, forming an ongoing crescendo that lightly adds new components to the fray. It provides a much-needed solidarity to a time where nothing feels certain, and everyday life can often feel bizzare, since it’s very effective in transporting you to a dream-like trance through the pretty, attention-to-detail production. It’s expression through a pure form of music. Simply put, I think it’s beautiful. Close those eyes – and just get stuck into it!

  • Pictured: Julianna Barwick recording her vocals in her recording studio (2020) (Photo Credit: Sister City/Vinyl Factory)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with your brand new edition of my weekly Scuzz Sundays feature. It’s the time of the week where we revisit either a pop-punk or emo-rock classic from the timespan of the late-1990’s to the mid-200’s to see if it can live up to modern standards, named in memory of the cancelled Scuzz TV freeview channel. 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: 박혜진 Park Hye Jin – “Like This”

July 10, 2020 — Leave a comment

Do you like it like that? I really like it “Like This”! It’s time for your new daily blog post!

  • Pictured: 박혜진 Park Hye Jin in a photoshoot to promote the release of the “How Can I” EP (2020) (via NinjaTune.net)

Good Morning, Afternoon or Evening – I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up about your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! You know how it works by now, I give you my honest thoughts on an interesting or exciting track, old or new. The latter is the case for today! 박혜진 Park Hye Jin is an emerging rapper, DJ and producer who has recently signed to Ninja Tune. Born in Seoul and later based in Melbourne, Jin has become a renowned producer by the internet music community for her work in light, ambient electronic textures that feel majestic, dream-like and influenced by a wide range of cultural movements from across the globe. She’s just 26 years old, and she’s already performed at international music festivals such as Primavera and Dour – a personal favourite of her’s. She has also performed alongside British Indie stalwart Jamie XX in London last year. Two Fridays ago, on June 26th, Jin released her latest six-track EP production – “How Can I” – which thematically deals with the conflicted emotions that came to life touring around the world, with infectious whispered vocals and new sonic directions. Let’s have a listen to the EP’s lead single, “Like This”, below!

“This lead single has no English lyrics in it at all”, says Ashley Yun, a project manager at Hye Jin’s label Ninja Tune, “It’ll be a really good benchmark for how ready society is to hear music that isn’t in English. That prospect is really exciting.”, she elaborates. It’s a statement that pushes well-deserved diversity in Asian electronic music production and sonic music development as a whole, but I also feel the result of the overall sound adds a hazy, slow-moving effect that plays off Jin’s strengths in her specific right. “Like This” sounds carefree and delicate, with widely scattered vocal effects and a soft, meditative ambience that seems freeform and gently minimalist. The grooving vocal section, particularly beginning from the first verse, has an intangibly sensual delivery and uses a simple gliding effect to form up a light crescendo of chiming melodies, creating a vivid dream-like effect. Her vocals feel tranquil and sweet, in contrast to the slightly chilling percussion. The tempo is slightly raised in the chorus, and it suddenly becomes easier to dance to. However, they also feel very hypnotic to me, and it creates a firm, albeit faint, melancholy. It’s almost as if Jin is contemplating her missing absence of her family or simple home comforts at a time when she’s in the middle of a rowdy, prime-time live DJ set. I like to intepret the textures in the ambient tracks like these, but I don’t think the production of this style of music is really meant to be discussed, but felt instead, so it’s open to your own ears too. In my case, the swelling synthesizers of the minimalist house vibe feels creatively layered, and the intricate methods she uses feels inspired by Aphex Twin’s work on Selected Ambient Works Volume II, while it sounds more beat-driven, akin to Peggy Gou, a similarly contemporary DJ of Asian origin. Overall, I think this makes for excellent background listening. Mild and lush, with a catchy Earworm hook.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “How Can I” (EP/6 Tracks) (Released on 26th June, 2020) (via Ninja Tune)

Thank you very much for reading this post! Don’t forget that I’ve got a new weekly edition of Scuzz Sundays coming up in two days time, but I will be warming you up for it tomorrow with a contemporary, recently released Alternative Punk track from a young, emerging 4-piece from Liverpool. The new track is named after the “Badside” of a very famous British-American musician, theorist and filmmaker who was the lead singer/guitarist of the influential 1970’s band Talking Heads. 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: Enigma – “Sadeness (Part 1)”

July 8, 2020 — Leave a comment

This interesting German-Romanian electronic music producer managed to crack the “Enigma code” of the mainstream singles charts in the 1990’s. It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Enigma (Michael Cretu) in a photoshoot to promote “The Fall Of A Rebel Angel” (2016) (via ParisMatch.com)

Remember this one? Good Morning to you, my name is Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up about your daily track on the blog, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! It’s a strange sight to behold – a composer managing to have a big chart hit with an ambient chillout track that was built upon Gregorian Chants and tribal Flute sounds, but somehow… before I was even born…. It happened! Enter Enigma, the alias of German-Romanian music composer Micheal Cretu. The inspiration for his experimental project was a product of his desire to make a kind of music that did not obey “the old rules and habits” of commercial pop music, and presented a new form of artistic expression with mystic and experimental components, according to his interview with Melvyn J. Willin. Thus, he produced atmospheric intercultural soundscapes which dabbled in elements of New-Age and Worldbeat. He became a very successful artist for doing so, selling a total of over 70 million records worldwide, and receiving three Grammy Award nominations. He’s still going, having released his eighth ambient LP – “The Fall Of A Rebel Angel” – in 2016. He burst onto the scene with his international hit “Sadeness (Part 1)” in 1990, a track that somehow reached the #1 spot of the singles charts in 24 countries, which includes the UK. Let’s have a listen back to his breakout track below!

I’ve always wanted to join the Gregorian monks, but I never got the chants! There is no denying that Engima’s “Sadeness (Part 1)” is probably the most profoundly odd track to reach #1 in the UK, but I feel there is a nice amount of artistic merit to it, as opposed to it being a ‘fad’, and just a novelty. Starting off with an ominous line of Gregorian monk chants, Cretu gradually adds the layers up to combine the Gothic themes with ambient dance beats that were in the contemporary boom period of the time. Cretu repurposes a sample of the drums in Soul II Soul’s “Keep On Movin'” to create a gentle hip-hop beat, and Cretu combines them with a shimmering Pan-Pipe hook to get a downtempo, sultry groove going. It creates a very multicultural and strange ambient texture, and Cretu expands the idea out with the sound of a woman panting after a breathy line of odd foreign language vocals, paired up with the unexpected, short burst of a guitar solo in the middle. The climax (No pun intended) matches the ongoing Flute melodies with the sequence of more beat-driven synthesizer riffs, and the bizzare Gregorian monk chants bring a full-circle effect to the cerebral, trance-inducing 4-minute duration of ethereal, rich sound effects and dense, world-based instrumentation. The Peruvian flute melodies are the highlight for me, and the combination of strange sounds are quite appealing in a surprising number of ways, such as the seductive vibe of the light female backing vocals and the chemistry the different sections have in creating the visionary style that amounts up to an ambient fantasia. I’m probably just reading a bit too much into it, but it does still sound imaginative, and deeply sensual. The layering is quite solid. Sadly, I have a feeling that – much like the ancient customs of an old Gregorian tribe – it will sadly be forgotten as time wares on, and ‘Chart Pop’ gets more meme-oriented by the second!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “MCMXC a.D.” (Released on 10th December, 1990) (via Virgin/Charisma Records)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as always, with an in-depth listen to the (Pssssst… it’s really bad) brand new single from a Scottish folk-rock band who originally performed the track, “When We Collide”, that The X-Factor winner Matt Cardle had the UK’s Christmas #1 Single with in late 2010. 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: Man 2 Man (feat. George Parish) – “Male Stripper”

July 1, 2020 — 2 Comments

Novelty classic, or “Stripped” of it’s quality in the years since? It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Man 2 Man: Hits & Rarities 1985-1990” (Released in 1995) (via Retro Disco Hi-NRG)

Good Morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up about your daily track on the blog – just like always – because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! I’ve been looking at a lot of very serious, big new releases for the last week or so, and so I thought it would prove to be a nice palette cleanser to kick off the new month, of July 2020, with a look back at a novelty club classic that became a big hit in the golden age of 1980’s dance and disco music. “Male Stripper”, by Man 2 Man Meet George Parish, was originally released in late 1986, prior to it reaching #4 in the UK Singles Chart after a re-release in 1997. The project originally started as a New York Punk-Dance band called The Fast, it was part of the HI-NRG movement of uptempo and risky club music around the time, but two brothers who were part of the band – Miki Zone and Paul Zone – continued the act as a duo, teaming up with cult electro-pop producer George Parish to record “Male Stripper”, a song which gained big steam on the European club circuit, under the aliases of Man 2 Man. Sadly, Miki Zone became a victim of the AIDS Epidemic and died in 1986, shortly after it’s release. Since then, Paul continued as a solo producer under the name of Man To Man, and released a few tracks that had moderate success, but didn’t trouble the Top 40 singles charts very much. However, Paul Zone did even get to perform “Male Stripper” on Top Of The Pops with George Parish, so it’s not entirely awful. Let’s have a listen back to “Male Stripper” with the original music video below.

Magic Mike will be pleased. You can have that for free, Channing Tatum. A single that sounds almost like the quintessential European disco club classic from the late-1980’s because it more or less was, “Male Stripper” aimed to draw a crowd to the dancefloor, and it succeeded. Beginning with the funny, recognizable Horn sounds, the Zone brothers take the lead with an upbeat synth groove which they interweave with a robotic backing vocal which repeats “I was a male stripper in a go-go bar”, before Paul Zone recites lines such as “Ripples on my chest/I never got an address” and “A modern day jock, A jock with an act” over looped, bouncy drum machine sequences and echoing Vibraphone melodies, with a neat Conga Drum solo added in the bridgefor the good measure. The chorus is absurd: “Strip for me, babe, Strip for you/Strip for you cause’ I want you to”, completed with dueling female backing vocals and the odd “OOh” or “Ahh” from Miki Zone. More gloriously moronic lines: “Built like a truck/I’d bump for a buck” and “Tips in my G-string/I made my living” add humor, layered over the consistently repeating drum machine hooks and synthesized instrumentation sounds. Whilst it’s clearly not designed to be an emotionally challenging display of fine art, it’s entertaining to listen to, and it stands out as a relic because nobody would really write a club track about a gay Male Stripper in this present era, because it’s seen as risky in the sense of modern cultural representation. Conclusively, it sounds like the quintessential 1980’s club track. It is, but it’s good fun.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Male Stripper” (Single/UK Mix) (Released in late 1986) (via Recca Record)

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, continuing to kick off the month in style, with an in-depth look at a track from a Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter and producer from California who is a huge fan of the Dragonball Japanese Manga/Anime series, and he uses it as a big part of his brand. 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

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: Ryuichi Sakamoto – “Riot In Lagos”

April 29, 2020 — Leave a comment

Kaiser Chiefs would never be able to Predict a Riot in Lagos! It’s time for a new post…

  • Pictured: Ryuichi Sakamoto pictured on the back cover art of a 12″ vinyl copy of “B-2 Unit” (1980) (via Plexus)

Good morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music each day! I’ve been listening to a LOT of American radio lately, as a way of broadening my horizons and exploring interesting music beyond the UK’s bubble. I was rather surprised to find that I’d never heard of Ryuichi Sakamoto, a Japanese electronic composer, prior to hearing “We Love You” being played in the early hours on KEXP, a Washington-based Community radio station. From co-founding Yellow Magic Orchestra in the late 1970’s to scoring the Oscar darling film “The Revenant” in 2015, the guy’s done a lot. My favourite release is “Riot In Lagos”, a funky track that was self-produced by Sakamoto for his second solo album “B-2 Unit” in 1980. For “B-2 Unit”, Sakamoto decided to ditch the compositional pop style of Yellow Magic Orchestra to explore his interest in ambient textures and tones rather than using Yellow Magic Orchestra’s more traditionally packaged-up formula. Check out “Riot In Lagos” below.

You could argue that nothing else really sounded like “Riot In Lagos” in the 1980’s and, in 2020, not much has changed at all because barely anything still does. This strange and experimental electro-dance record establishes a very futuristic aesthetic through it’s propulsive acid-house interludes and it’s restless, skittering breakbeat sections that make up the bulk of the verses. There’s no lyrics to speak of, but the abstract nature of the bustling, oriental techno-bleeps and an intriguing, uniquely post-modern take on the broad classical music genre, provides us with the result of a very timeless and sophisticated backdrop to the combination of an African dancehall-like energy and a more densely layered, science-fiction based Ambient House soundscape. In a few ways, Ryuichi Sakamoto also draws on the grooves of Afrobeat in his focus of creating repetitively composed, propellant melodies that feel danceable, in transporting the G-Funk mannerisms of Fela Kuti to a filtered electronic setting. The results are strikingly effective, with a nostalgic video-game soundtrack linking up with a techno-modernist House sound that feels influential for the likes of Plaid and Autechre 10 years later, along with Four-Tet and Peggy Gou in slightly later times. Basically, it’s Funk music, but created by machines – Count me as a fan already.

  • Pictured: Ryuichi Sakmoto pictured with the 2017 vinyl re-issue of his album “B-2 Unit” (1980) in Korea (via Facebook)

Thank you for reading this post! As always, I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at the brand new single from an English songwriter originally signed to Rough Trade Records who is also the son of Ian Dury and he modeled on the front cover artwork of Ian Dury’s debut album “New Boots and Panties” released back in 1977! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every daily new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/