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: Moby – “Power Is Taken”

March 7, 2020 — 1 Comment

In the words of the great Scott Pilgrim in the 2010 Edgar Wright-directed cult classic film, “Once you were a Vegan and now you will be gone”! – It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Moby (Richard Melville Hall) with his “Vegan For Life” neck tattoo (2020) (Photo Credit: Jonathan Nesvadba)

Did I mention that he’s a Vegan? I’m Jacob Braybrooke, writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! “Power Is Taken” is the 90’s EDM-rave new track from American electronic composer Moby, who is also a famous animal rights activist and a bestselling author, having published four books, including two memoirs and a photo gallery. He was born in 1965 and raised in Harlem, before moving over to New York City in 1990 to pursue his interest in Electronic music and he then became a very prolific DJ after finding his roots in the underground Punk scene in the decade prior. “Go” and “Porcelain” were his breakthrough hits, before the release of his fifth album, “Play”, in 1999 – an album which is still regarded as one of the all-time best. His seventeenth album, “All Visible Objects”, is set to be released on May 15th via Little Idiot and Mute Records, with the new LP record facing a two month setback, as it was originally set for release in March. The album’s sales will go to eleven not-for-profit organizations. Let’s hear the new single, “Power Is Taken”, below.

The music video for “Power Of Taken” begins with a gleaming array of light ambience, before the comic-art drawings lead to a dramatic shift in tension, as a frightening strobe synth line and a beat-driven punch of siren noises, mixed with a Prodigy-esque, unashamedly mid-90’s drum machine melody. D.H. Peligro powerfully recites: “We who hate oppression/Must fight against the oppressors/Power is not shared/Power is taken”, a line which hints at a call of political action. That’s more or less it for the vocals, as an aggressive line of heavy synthesizers and energetic jolts of acid-techno beats maintain the forefront of the track. It slows down for a breather at the 3-minute mark, before the heavy layer of raved-up dance beats call for a final run, to the imagery of real-world brutality in the video. It has a very daring and aggressive nature, with a clear defiance in focus. The problem is how the vocals feel brief and vague, along with a repetitious EDM beat which doesn’t feel very contemporary. A rebellious and youthful spirit is created, adding a decent sense of tongue-in-cheek fun, but it lacks the meticulous production of Moby’s down-tempo phase. I’m also struggling to really identify who it’s for, as these kinds of rave tunes aren’t being played in mainstream venues anymore and the 90’s kids who fell in love with Moby in his peak era might not really go clubbing anymore and it’s not really the kind of track that you would sit and play at home either. The general gist is that it feels outdated, a sentiment of sadness since the underground trance genre still has a niche. I think that it’s fun and entertaining for a little while, but it’s sadly not very original or interesting!

Pictured: Moby (Richard Melville Hall) in a press shoot (2019) (Photo Credit: Mo Kaufer/www.dancingastronaut.com)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with another weekly installment of my Scuzz Sundays blog series! Be prepared to take a stroll down my personal memory lane of late 90’s to early 00’s emo punk anthems! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: The ORB – “Daze”

February 29, 2020 — Leave a comment

A track for you to vibe out to under the little fluffy clouds? It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Alex Paterson (Programming) and Michael Rendall (Effects) (Photo Credit: http://www.theorb.com)

It’s quite the sunny Stoke day for me – which gives us the perfect excuse to stream the latest track from one of Britian’s most established Chillout acts – The Orb, an ambient electronic house duo originally set up by Alex Paterson and The KLF’s Jimmy Caulty in 1988 – which is now comprised of Paterson and Michael Rendall. The Orb are best known for their 1991 classic “Little Fluffy Clouds”, which led to the duo becoming known for their following inside drug-induced clubs where their fans would “wind down” by listening to their neo-psychedelic remixes of Dub and Chill sequences. Their new LP record, “Abolition Of The Royal Familia” is currently slated for release on March 27th via the Cooking Vinyl label – with the title seeming like one of the obscure science fiction references which The Orb have become very synonymous for, in their long career since the late 1980’s. The new LP, their sixteenth studio album release overall, features guest appearances from the likes of Roger Eno, Nick Burton (former rotating member of The Orb), Andy Cain, Gaudi, Violetta Vicci and more – who will all be bringing their talents in a collaborative effort with the British humor and the witty sample-based elements of The Orb’s old-school psych-funk sensibilities. The most vital of which, however, is… Leika The Dog! Let’s watch her go on a cosmic canine trip to the moon and back in the music video for “Daze (Missing & Messed Up Mix)” below.

Fairly low production vales aside – the video for “Daze (Missing and Messed Up Mix)” elicits a few decent chuckles out of me, and I feel like the single is reasonably good as well. I particularly enjoyed the opening, as a sample-led blast of vocals, drowned in echoed reverberation, proudly exclaims: “A soul sound sensation”, before a swirling strobe of Balearic synths take control of the melodic hook, leading to a slightly down-tempo affair of genre-blurring composition, as a soulful refrain leads the vocal part: “You’ve been missing for days/missing..”, a simple line which is given a little more depth through an unashamedly 70’s disco element, as a vintage sample adds enough ooh’s and wooh’s to also craft a dance-able pop rhythm. The track also contains a light hop-hop element under a 90’s ambience glaze, which is created from a subtle strings arrangement and a modulated Conga drum sound. It mostly sounds like an eclectic and meticulously engineered affair of The Orb doing their classic dub-psychedelia twang best. It’s business as normal for The Orb, with an uptempo groove put together by a jam-packed sample part, which reminds me of the nostalgic adventure sound of The Avalanches “Since I Left You”. However, I don’t think it’s engineered in as much detail and in a peculiar sense, I don’t feel it really goes anywhere else, the soulful melodies are consistent but lacking in a vigorous quality to push it forwards slightly more than it’s been presented, as I feel the vocal refrain gets a little too repetitious for it’s own good. This is more the style of track that I would sit down and have on during a long train journey, rather than before a big night-out, as it does have an upbeat, traditional Chillout pop texture, but it doesn’t veer so much into free-spirited dance territory. Although I do think the track is missing another element of sound to give the overall sound a touch more excitement and just a little bit more oomph, I think the track does what it sets out to do very adequately. The slight infliction of wit is a twinkling highlight and it’s very engaging how the sound mixes elements of hip-hop, dub, ambient house, psychedelic soul and good, old-fashioned pop without losing much of it’s cohesive structure. A likeable little anthem.

Pictured: Alex Paterson and Michael Rendall enjoying a garden day… in the bushes! (Orb-approved press shot)

You can also read my thoughts on The Orb’s 90’s classic “Little Fluffy Clouds” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/02/18/todays-track-the-orb-little-fluffy-clouds/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Abolition Of The Royal Familia” (Available on 27th March, 2020) (via Cooking Vinyl)

Thank you or reading this post! I’m writing a new installment of my weekly Scuzz Sundays series on the blog tomorrow – a weekly thowback to the late 90’s and early-mid 00’s punk or emo rock anthems of old that you might remember seeing on the defunct Scuzz TV Freeview music video channel. It will be a mainstream chart hit from a band who, as a running joke in their music videos, use their previous singles during the introductions of their videos! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Caribou – “Never Come Back”

February 28, 2020 — Leave a comment

Suddenly… Dan Snaith has a brand new Caribou LP out! It’s time for your Friday post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Never Come Back” (2019)

It’s Friday, which means it’s the end of the week, but it also signals the release of a dozen new albums and singles, with Caribou’s “Suddenly” taking the spotlight on the blog this week! In case you’re unaware, Caribou is an electronic project set up by Canadian composer Dan Snaith, who also writes and records material as Daphni and Manitoba. It’s been a long time since we’ve heard from him, with 2014’s “Our Love” becoming a beloved LP record in the years since. “Suddenly”, released today on City Slang Records and Merge Records, is a photo album of a record where Snaith analyses the events in his life which surround him, such as his daughter being born in a Car on the way to the hospital. The album also deals with loss and memory, in the form of carefully textured soundscapes. I’ve recently been introduced to Snaith’s work with the release of “Home”, the lead single of the album, as Snaith has drummed up enough interest with me for me to own a physical copy for my record collection, which I’ve only just started. Let’s have a listen to the track “Never Come Back” below.

A sophisticated and enthralling track which veers into slightly commercial territory, but it confidently manages not to lose the vocally emotive trademark of Caribou’s sound, “Never Look Back” is a synthetic dance-pop delight that doesn’t miss a step in it’s stabbing EDM strobes and it’s uptempo pacing. With a sultry tone, Snaith repeats: “And you never come back to”, in sequenced timing with a consistent House trance, which is layered over the top of a 90’s-esque keyboard loop. The melodic stricture keeps stuttering, but Snaith adds the sound of a happy-go-lucky Cowbell and an unrelenting drum machine chord, which kicks into full-throttle mode near the end of the track. Before proceedings get too repetitious, Snaith refrains: “I can never forget it/Promise me you don’t regret it/You and I were together/even though we both knew better”, as the pop-filled rhythm begins to settle into a slower pace, before Snaith quickly pushes the makeshift-disco sound to the center of attention again. The track does sound a little poppier by his typical standards, but I feel that Snaith manages to cross over to a casual audience, who might be seeing him at festivals this summer, fairly wisely because he manages to effectively control the chaos by letting it sound familiar to his existing fans, while adding a crowd-pleasing, throwback dance sound to his existing repertoire. The single also translates the cohesive themes of the album, as the sultry vocal hook is kept consistent to contrast the breakneck changes of tempo and rhythm. It’s an ace track from an album which is set to deliver on it’s hype.

Pictured: Dan Snaith recording in his home studio

I’ve previously covered a few of Caribou’s other singles taken from the new record on the blog! Click here to read my thoughts on my discovery of “Home” (https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/10/28/todays-track-caribou-home/) and click here to read my thoughts on “You and I” (https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/09/todays-track-caribou-you-i/)

Pictured: Dan Snaith pictured in front of a mural to accompany the announcement of “Suddenly” (2020) (via PR)

Thank you for reading this post! It’s almost time for another weekly Scuzz Sundays post, but, before then – make sure that you check back with the blog tomorrow, where I’ll be writing an in-depth review, for you, on the new single from a legendary British electronic dance duo who are known for producing Dub and Chillout anthems which have been described by Alex Paterson as “ambient house for the E generation”! 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: Ross From Friends – “Pale Blue Dot”

February 22, 2020 — Leave a comment

This is like something straight out of a TV sitcom…oh wait! It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Ross From Friends (Felix Cary Weatherall) in a press photoshoot for his own Facebook artist page (2018)

Good evening to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke, writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my everyday pleasure to do so. If you’re looking to find a new Saturday rave vibe, you’re in the right place, as I’m sharing my feelings of “Pale Blue Dot” by Essex-born British producer Felix Clary Weatherall, who goes under the alias of Ross From Friends. Alas, this is not David Schwimmer’s character from the beloved TV sitcom Friends, it’s the work of Weatherhall, who chose the name because a recording studio he used had a DVD of Friends stuck inside the TV, meaning it was the only form of entertainment that was available to him. “Pale Blue Dot” is a single taken from his debut LP, “Family Portrait”, which he released in November 2018 via the Brainfeeder music label. The official music video for “Pale Blue Dot” is embeded below and it’s put together from archival You’ve Been Framed-style home videos which tell the story of Weatherhall going to spontaneous raves set up by his mum and dad, using his dad’s homemade sound-system, which they took out on a tour bus with them around Europe in the 90’s. Let’s have a listen to “Pale Blue Dot” by watching the video below.

Weatherhall, labelled by The Guardian as “one to watch”, combines hints of lo-fi jungle, Latin disco-pop and Techno house, to create a vibrant electronic dance anthem which feels reminiscent of the abstract melancholy of Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and the synthesized drum lines of DJ Seinfeld. The track is entirely instrumental, with no lyrics or vocals to be heard. This allows Weatherhall the space to experiment with different hints of several genres, with a shuffling acid strobe which stutters around the pop-oriented layers of the track, married by a neo-psychedelic synth line which takes inspiration from the leftfield disco side of Mount Kimbie. There is a subtle narration in play, as the high-pitched squeals of a disc scratch and the wash of the core bassline fizzle to a tropical kilter. The texture is domineered by a glitched arrangement of violin strings and strategically-placed ambience. It expresses a hint of Weatherhall’s personality, with a cohesive structure that feels like a nostalgic backdrop to the overall nu-disco rhythm. It’s clear the keyboard riffs have been lovingly crafted and the music video adds a more intimate layer to the track than you might expect at first glance, although I don’t find the electronic instrumentation to be hugely interesting, with the track pulling influence from the emotive composition of Caribou and the ever-shifting beats heard in The Knife’s music to entertaining effect, even if it doesn’t go beyond these peers in as much detail as I would have liked. On the positive side, it doesn’t sound too commercial or generic and I think the track’s fairly listenable on repeat due to the hidden complexities underneath the surface. I think he could probably do with a better stage name, but he sounds as solid as a rock!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Family Portrait” (Released in July 2018) (via Brainfeeder)

Thank you for reading this post! Make sure you check back tomorrow, as it’s nearly time for another Scuzz Sundays post on the blog – and I’ll be looking at an iconic track from an American heavy metal band whose lead vocalist once appeared on an episode of BBC 2’s TV quiz series, “QI”! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: The ORB – “Little Fluffy Clouds”

February 18, 2020 — 1 Comment

These guys sharpened up their “Orb-anization” skills for this! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “The Orb’s Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld) (Released in 1991) (via Big Life)

I hope you’re not getting soaked in the rain too much! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, writing about your daily track on the blog, as with any other day! Although I’m not very familiar with The Orb – a landmark 1990’s ambient electronica project set up by English producer Alex Paterson – with his partner-in-crime being changed over the years, with Thomas Fehlmann currently in the seat, taking over from original co-founder Jimmy Cauty, a former member of the KLF – I can still appreciate everything that the act has done in progressing their ambient electronica genre to new heights since the duo released their debut album, “The Orb’s Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld”, in 1991. A total of 15 LP records have been released ever since, with a sixteenth set to drop in March this year. The Orb are a pioneering spirit of the 90’s psychedelic EDM music and drug-infused clubbing scenes they’ve become very beloved for channeling a hefty part across the last two decades, where they used to perform live with digital audio tape machines which they’ve programmed live sampling and beat mixing with, a technique they still perform with the use of laptops, since everything’s moved on from analogue production to digital effects. The Orb have been embarking on a recent 30th Anniversary Tour and they’ve been confirmed for this year’s All Points East Festival lineup. “Little Fluffy Clouds” was a landmark in their discography, a chilled ambient folktronica-style track which reached #10 in the UK Singles Chart following a reissue in 1993. Let’s listen to the edit of the track below.

A melodic sci-fi anthem which stands up to the heavyweight influences of The Prodigy and Aphex Twin in the early 90’s time of it’s ilk – “Little Fluffy Clouds” sounds instantly familiar, with the track receiving heavy licensing use for many films and television series. The lead vocals have a whimsical quality which feels reminiscent of a lullaby you might tell a child before bedtime, as a female vocal narrator recites a story of adventure and maturation with “Little Fluffy Clouds” as the centerpiece, she reads: “What were the skies like when you were young?/They went on forever and they, when I lived in Arizona/And the skies always had little fluffy clouds”, with the chronological structure of the narrative being obscured by virtuosic sampling effects and complex synth patterns. It’s the kind of track you’d be best off listening to on a good pair of headphones to experience every little nuance of sound, as the layers are meticulously programmed on top of of an irregular keyboard riff and erroneous tones of chilled house. This quality is lyrically referenced in the track: “Layering different sounds on top of each other”, leading to a pulsating bass vibration to the tune of: “The sunsets were purple and red and yellow and on fire”, with the refrain broken up by a sample of an airplane taking off. There’s also a light sample of a weather documentary and a rooster clucking in the beginning, blatantly creating a dream-like opening which transpires as a recurrent theme in the euphoric arrangement of strings and mid-tempo synth pads. Due to it’s eclectic range of assorted samples, with their highly manipulation composition – the track is a complex work of true art and a dream-scoped soundscape rewarding of multiple listens to shape your own interpretation and experience of. It’s very easy to get obsessed about – and The Orb’s fandom really are! It’s fitting since the track was listed at #40 in Pitchfork’s Top 200 Tracks Of The 1990’s and also #275 in NME’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs Of All-Time.

Pictured: Alex Paterson (Programming) and Thomas Fehlman (Effects) (Photo Credit: http://www.theorb.com)

Whew, there’s a lot to talk about! Don’t forget to join me tomorrow, where I will be introducing you to a fantastic independent singer-songwriter who has previously been collaborating with Arctic Monkey’s Alex Turner and she also performed her own track for the second season of the “True Detective” crime-drama TV series under a different name! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Holy Fuck (feat. Nicholas Allbrook) – “Free Gloss”

February 13, 2020 — Leave a comment

It’s so R-Rated, they’ve already made me drop an F-bomb! It’s time for your daily post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Deleter” (Released on January 17th, 2020) (Vinyl copy available from myshopify.co.uk)

I don’t think they take themselves very seriously…! A still-quite-tired Jacob Braybrooke here, getting your new post sorted for another day on the blog. “Free Gloss” is the new track from Progressive Electronic Pop pioneers Holy Fuck (I have to say Holy F on the radio…), who have returned after 4 years with the release of a new LP, “Deleter”, which was released last month via the Last Gang Records independent label. This is the follow-up LP to their comeback album, “Congrats”, which was released in 2016 after the band took a six-year hiatus to focus on their solo careers. Although the band have never crossed over into the mainstream before, they have built their career around their sizeable cult following and their unique live performance set-ups, which have seen the band use improvised instruments like toy lasers and 35mm film synchronizers to loop and splice their own sound effects into the format of their tracks, rather than using laptops or pre-produced backing tracks. They’ve recently been working alongside Nicholas Allbrook, who is the front-man of the Australian psychedelic rock band Pond and he used to go on tour with Tame Impala as their live bassist. Let’s have a listen to the radio edit of “Free Gloss” below.

With the “Deleter” LP also featuring the talents of Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor and Liars’ Angus Andrew, it seems to be that the Montreal electronic outfit are carving out a niche themselves in the “Electronic 90’s” style of genre. I feel that “Free Gloss” is sequenced distinctively enough to stand out though, as Pond’s Nicholas Allbrook delivers his faded-out vocals under a pummeling keyboard riff and a flickering guitar rhythm. With an undecipherable line of lyrics, Allbrook delivers the stuttering arrangement of half-crooned, 90’s dance stylized vocals layered above a dramatic template of vibrant, digitally-created melodies which drill against the light-hearted club energy of Allbrook’s vocals to create a push-and-pull effect, balancing an energetic synth bassline with the heavy guitar riffs, which have been mastered below the domineering keyboard effects, to sound futuristic and progressive. At the halfway mark, the complex sequence of electronic riffs drown to a quaint halt for a moment, before the amalgamation of keyboard melodies and drum sequences ascend back to their domineering position on the track, as it fades to a close. It’s ultimately a tricky song to write about due to the complex plethora of effects that it conveys in it’s sound, but I feel it’s ultimately an intriguing and satisfying journey through an experimental sonic soundscape, which reminds me of the Big Beat era of the late 90’s featuring British dance acts like The Chemical Brothers and Basement Jaxx. It would have been nicer to hear the lyrics more clearly, but the sophistication helps it to work.

Pictured: Brian Borcherdt (Lead Vocalist/Sequencing), Graham Walsh (Keyboard/Programming), Matt “Punchy” McQuaid (Bass Guitar/Effects) and Matt Schulz (Drum Kits) (Photo Credit: Fortitude Magazine) (2016)

Thank you for reading this post! Make sure you kick off your weekend with the blog tomorrow, as we’ll be celebrating the release of Tame Impala’s new album “The Slow Rush”, with an in-depth look at “Lost In Yesterday”, whch is the most recent single to be released in support of the record! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Gary Clail (On-U Sound System) (feat. Bim Sherman) – “Beef (Future Mix)”

February 10, 2020 — 1 Comment

I’ve got no issue with this beef! A new week, a new set of posts, starting with this one!

Pictured: A still image featuring Gary Clail in the official music video for “Another Hard Man” (1995)

I would usually be cooking a meatless meal in aid of the Meat Free Mondays campaign tonight, but since I’m covering a track with the title of “Beef”, it’s hard to know whether that’s necessarily gone out of the window this week! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, covering your daily track on the blog, as always. I’ve noticed that I’ve been covering a lot of new tracks on the blog lately and so I thought it would make a nice change to share a little 90’s house track which I’ve recently found out about, which comes courtesy of Gary Clail, An English DJ and recording producer who made a name for himself from the Bristol music scene in the 1990’s, a little before the late 1990’s IDM movement featuring the likes of Aphex Twin, Plaid and Boards Of Canada. The founder of On-U Sound Records and the producer of early 90’s club hits like “Human Nature” and “These Things Are Worth Fighting For”, Clail established himself as an important fixture of the underground electronic music side of the 90’s dance craze. “Beef” is an interesting old record which is taken from his second LP, “End Of The Century Party”, which he released as Gary Clail On-U Sound System in 1989. There was no music video, but the future mix audio of “Beef” is available on YouTube below.

Clail repeats: “Beef, how low would you go?” over a fluctuating snare line as he reminds me of the Limbo games that I used to play at the end-of-term party at Primary School. It’s an upbeat, groove-driven synth hook which is used to anchor the diverse arrangement of the track. The instrumental disco sound is heavily infused with light elements of nu-disco and dark-wave synthpop, with an overall Dub-plate format. The pacing is noticeably inflected with Reggae and Clail adds a sense of ambient techno vibes to proceedings with his gradually building layout of BPM rises and synthetic funk-tinged vibrations. The vocals float above a layer of politicized themes and minor-key drum-and-bass sensibilities which provide a catalyst for the propelling drum waves and the building tempo of the vibraphone riffs. I’ve heard a story that Clail nicked the lyrical refrain from an old Public Enemy classic, “Bring The Noize”, released in 1988. He reworks the phrase: “Bass, how low can you go” and he replaces the line of “Death row, what a brother knows” with the intercepting vocals of “Hear the cry/Cattle row”, led by a chant-based question of “Would you kill it yourself?”, a not-so subtle comment which supports the ideas of Vegetarianism. Overall, I believe it’s a cohesive house anthem which brings the best out of the different elements which it musically pulls it’s influences from, as the track sounds uniformly structured and it effectively pulls a wide array of talent together. Constructively, I find the vocal hooks to sound a little under-cooked, if you pardon the pun, as the slow build doesn’t necessarily lead to a fast payoff, but it sounds like Clail has some fascinating political views to express – which I’m inclined to explore further.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “End Of The Century Party” (1989/On-U Sound Records) (Photo from eBay.com)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with a look at the new track from the leading man of REM – I was in a curry shop when I heard the band had split up and I fell in the Korma! 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: Pet Shop Boys – “Monkey Business”

January 27, 2020 — Leave a comment

We’ve officially entered the “Hotspot” era! Here’s a new post to kick off the new week!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Hotspot” (2020)

It’s the start of a new week, as well as another new era for Pet Shop Boys at the dawn of a new decade! Good day to you – I’m Jacob Braybrooke, wishing you a happy Monday with a new daily post, as always! “Hotspot” is the new LP record from Neil Tennant & Chris Lowe, also known as British national treasures Pet Shop Boys, which was released last Friday. This is their twelfth overall album and it’s the final part of their Stuart Price-produced trilogy of albums which also included “Electric” in 2013 and “Super” in 2016! They’re still going, but given that January is usually a “dump” spot of bad releases, is it a bad sign of things to come for the 60-year-old duo in their ageing career? It turns out not so, as it’s actually a very decent little album for what it is. The lead single’s called “Monkey Business”, a track which the two performed on last Friday’s episode of BBC 1’s “The One Show”, following an interview to promote the new record. An interesting tidbit was also revealed on an interview with Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 6Music, where Tennant told the story of a pimped-up gambler in Las Vegas who spoke the main hook of the track. Tennant thought: “Thank you” and he based the lyrics on the odd conversation. Let’s have a look at the video below.

Tennant, in his instantly recognizable speech-based vocal twang, starts: “I’m here on monkey business/just playing around”, over the top of 70’s disco, propulsive violin strings. There’s lyrical nods to an ageing raver or gambler: “Everybody get on board/I’m back in town/and I’m not leaving till’ the last joint has shut down” and “People tell me I’m a legend round these parts/I start the party and I end up breaking hearts”, in the first verse, seems to have a self-aware and pompous attitude about it. The video shows a bunch of mature party-goers and shiny-topped hustlers in a half-filled nightclub. Tennant chants: “Bring me margaritas/champagne and red wine/we’re gonna have a party where we all cross the line”, before a repeat of the infectiously poetic chorus, with an added layer of orchestrated synthpop beats and groove-stepped helpings of catchy refrains and old-school pop sensibilities. Overall, it’s fairly cheesy, but not overly, and it definitely has a very old-fashioned pop sound to it, so I’m not sure if students like me would really “get” it. However, I think that it works well and I really like it. It sounds more like something that you’d dance to at a wedding than at a club, with a certain family-friendly vibe. It’s a good thing though, as the result is a track which plays to it’s maturity as it’s biggest strength. There’s also a subtle, but distinct, British humor in the overall package. It’s a fun track and I was listening to it on repeat numerous times on Saturday. It likely won’t go down as one of their classics, but it’s a good piece of evidence to prove that Pet Shop Boys can still take their sound in interesting directions this late in their career. Also, watch out for Chris throwing shapes with the crowd of dancers in the video. It’s gold! Not bad at all!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for the “Monkey Business” single (January 2020)

If you’d like to have a read of my thoughts of one of their previous tracks, “The Pop Kids”, follow the link here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/04/todays-track-the-pet-shop-boys-the-pop-kids/

Pictured: Pet Shop Boys (Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe) in a photoshoot for “Hotspot” (January 2020)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at a slightly heavier electronic dance track from a Danish disc jockey who specializes in mixing techno, ambient and jungle to a tee! He’s currently signed to the Lobster Fury record label and he also shares his surname with the famous US comedian Jerry Seinfeld! 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/

One Track At A Time

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