Worldbeat

Today’s Track: Blue Lab Beats (feat. Fela Kuti, Killbeatz, Kaidi Akinnibi & Poppy Daniels) – ‘Motherland Journey’

April 4, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Namali Kwaten (aka NK-OK) and David Mrkapor (aka Mr DM) (2019) (Photo Credit: Blue Note Records)

Good Afternoon to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, as usual, and I’m writing fresh off this marathon of a WWE WrestleMania 38 weekend with yet another 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! Pitching their sound as “Jazz-Tronica”, Blue Lab Beats are the North London-based experimental electronic music duo of sampler and producer Namali Kwaken (aka NK-OK) and multi-instrumentalist David Mrkaor (aka Mr DM) who have sat in the additional production seats for their work with artists like Ruby Francis and Age Of Luna, and they have remixed A-list pop culture superstars like Dua Lipa and Rag ‘N’ Bone Man. The follow-up to 2021’s ‘We Will Rise’ EP is the Grammy award-winning and MOBO-nominated musicians’ latest full-length studio album ‘Motherland Journey’ which they released in late February on the legendary Blue Note Records label. The new creative project explores a whole suite of Avant-Jazz, Prog-Jazz, Afro-Funk, Trip Hop, Boom Bap, Northern Soul and Contemporary R&B influences, and it has been described as an “extremely special album” to the duo, who say, “This album took us two-and-a-half-years to finish, or longest process to make an album, but it was so worth it. On this album you’ll hear many fusions of genres and inspirations that we gathered throughout that time frame and especially to work on so many of the songs during the first lockdown, it was a test in itself”, about their recent release. The title track samples Afrobeat activist icon Fela Kuti’s 70’s song ‘Everything Scatter’ and they were given permission by the BLB estate themselves to use that sample. It features guest contributions from Kaidi Akinnibi and Poppy Daniels, while they also travelled to Ghana to record it along with Killbeatz as the producer. Let’s give it a spin.

Much like all of the classic Afrobeat music releases of the 70’s and 80’s, ‘Motherland Journey’ is designed to replicate a communal experience where all of the different influences and the guest contributors are welcome as long as the album’s flow is not disrupted, and the duo also comment, “When we got confirmation to have Fela Kuti’s vocals from his publishers in Nigeria we were honestly blown away that he could really feature on our tracks. An absolute dream come true.”, on Kuti’s featured artist credit for the eclectic track. The track gets off to a bright and warm start immediately, with a quickly established groove formed by the percussive African drums and the prominent Amapiano stabs that pulls apart the standard tropes of their favourite genres with the introduction of the electronic music elements and the sparse guitar melodies to give the classic sound a more modern, updated feel. The pair layer up some of the Trumpet samples and the Afrobeat-tinged backing vocals together to blur the contrasted electronic and organic sounds together occasionally, but the rotating instrumentals and the upbeat textures creates the most dominant impression where we’re witnessing something improvisational and organic from a live house band, like the performers who used to visit Kuti’s shrines at the heart of the Afrobeat cultural movement, who are simply taking to center stage and jamming with one another, creating a timeless feeling as opposed to overtly recycling outdated ideas for simply nostalgic effect. It is not necessarily futuristic, but it feels well-built and structured neatly, with new melodies being bought into the mix to keep the grooves from getting a little tiresome. Overall, ‘Motherland Journey’ is a wonderfully encouraging listen that pulls off a fresh re-boot of it’s ideas by blending the organic percussion of the classic Afrobeat days with the progressive electronic production standards that we’re used to hearing more often from the west. The final results feel quite accessible and engaging to a fairly wide audience, without the feeling of commercialism ever truly dominating their sound in a blatant way. It just feels timeless and eminently buoyant.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Motherland Journey’ (LP) (Released on February 25th, 2022) (via Blue Note Records)

That brings us to the end of another uplifting track on the blog, and thank you for continuing to support the site. I’ll be back tomorrow to discuss the new single from an Oxford-born classically trained electronic music producer who has been covered more than once before, since I’m such a huge fan of his work. He’s going to release his first album in a decade this July, and his collaborative single ‘Heartbreak’, which he created with Bonobo, was nominated for this year’s ‘Best Dance/Electronic Recording’ honour at the Grammy awards. The British musician is currently based in Los Angeles.

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New Album Release Fridays: Hembree (feat. Bodye) – ‘Operators’

February 4, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘It’s A Dream!’ (LP) (Released on February 4th, 2022) (via Oread Records)

Good Afternoon to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for us to take a quick peek at one of the weekend’s most compelling album releases for yet another weekly entry of ‘New Album Release Fridays’ on the blog, given that it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! With new LP’s coming out from the likes of Black Country, New Road (Whose frontman Isaac Wood has just decided to leave the band), Mitski, The Animal Collective, Bastille, Cate Le Bon, Rolo Tomassi and Hippo Campus coming from left, right, front and center of the release spectrum today, it looks to be the first truly stacked week of the year from where I’m standing. However, there is also the sophomore album release from Hembree, a Kansas-based indie rock band whose music has been featured in a variety of ad sync placements for Bose, NFL and Apple ever since they gained national attention in the US with ‘Holy Water’ in 2018. Since then, Hembree have supported higher profile names like Phoenix, Cold War Kids, Joywave and Vance Joy on the live touring circuit. You may have also heard their material on the soundtracks of ’13 Reasons Why’ and ‘Outer Banks’ on streaming television. ‘It’s A Dream’ arrives today from Hembree, who were named one of NPR’s Slingshot Artists To Watch in 2018, and the band describe the LP as a record about getting freaky even while you’re freaking out, a quotable sentiment that is relatable to everyone who was left down in the doldrums while the album was written during the pandemic in 2020. A Funk-led single, ‘Operators’ owes a featured credit to Bodye. The band were also joined on a Saxophone section by Henry Solomon, who has previously linked up with Haim. Let’s hear their final results below.

Lead vocalist Isaac Flynn explains, “I wrote it right when all of the protests started in the summer, and the chorus in particular is about when the officers, national guard and even some of the city officials would act like they were with the protesters in solidarity, and then turn around and gas and attack them”, when he spoke about ‘Operators’ in a press release, adding, “They were acting like they were there to help, but it was all for show. It all felt almost cartoonishly villainous to me. I wanted to reflect that in the lyrics and in the dark, dance heavy groove of the song”, to his press statement. Starting off with the headstrong lyric of “Maybe, this time we’ll open our eyes”, ‘Operators’ quickly establishes itself as a track that is directly about 2020, which is fitting given how it was written in Hembree’s hometown in Missouri and recorded remotely from home studios during lockdown. It rolls along with a chirping Saxophone-led groove that is decorated by light percussion that ticks along at a brisk pace, while overtly political lyrics like “What do they want and who are they trying to please” emerge in the chorus. The drums kick along in the uptempo verses, although lyrics like “Overcalculated villains/They’re tying up, What everyone wants” and “Sundown to sunrise, we see the antithesis” find Flynn crooning with a subtle brutality that carries the point across. The rhythms come to life with the Baritone-style saxophone riffs by Solomon, while a more Hip-Hop led verse by Bodye continues to add some variety to the recording in terms of mixing the Funk influences with some Post-Disco vibes and making the lyrics feel as violent or aggressive as they should, given the subject matter of the songwriting. Overall, it’s pretty fantastic as a complete package. The chorus feels punchy and upbeat, but the verses have a tone of brutality to them which make them stand out among more light-hearted Pop offerings. The instrumentation sounds fresh and diverse, yet the Saxophone riffs are constant but not tedious. It feels like a mature pop song overall that offers something fresh to the market, with the lyrical messages about duplicitous law enforcement agents never feeling at odds with the brisk, snappy rhythms of the saxophone and the percussion since the instrumentation has a heavy edge to it as well. Full of violence and vibrancy.

Pictured: Isaac Flynn (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar), Garrett Childers (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals), Alex Ward (Lead Guitar), Eric Davis (Keyboard/Synths) and Austin Ward (Drums/Percussion) (2021) (Photo by Jonny Marlow)

That brings us to the bottom of the page for another day, and I’ve got to go to work now. Thank you, as always, for taking a moment out of your day to visit the site, however. I’ll be back tomorrow, just like I always am, with something nice and easy since it is Saturday. We’ll be listening to the brand new single from a rock band from Oxford in the UK who have toured internationally for a decade. They told us ‘What Went Down’ in 2015 and had a UK #1 album with ‘Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 2’ in late 2019. They also performed a surprise set at Glastonbury Festival in 2019.

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Today’s Track: The Halluci Nation (feat. Chippewa Travellers) – ‘It’s Over’

January 6, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Tim Hill (Producer/Engineering) and Ehren Thomas (Mixing/Percussion) (2020) (Photo via PR)

Good Morning to you! You are tuned into the text of Jacob Braybrooke, as we ready ourselves for yet another daily track on the blog, since it’s always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Music you may have missed from last year headlines the page today, and it comes your way from an Ottawa-based Canadian experimental electronic dance music duo known for blending Ethnotronica, Moombahton, Reggae and the ‘Brostep’ term of post 2000’s Dubstep with elements of First Nations music, particularly known for their vocal chanting and high-speed drumming – and their name is The Halluci Nation. It wasn’t always that way, however, as the band used to be titled A Tribe Called RED, a homage to the legendary Hip-Hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Last year, however, they decided to scrap their old alias in light of “as we move into this next phase of our evolution, we also find it necessary to remember our past”, in their own words. Now a duo comprised of Tim Hill and Ethren Thomas, their name is a phrase borrowed from activist/artist John Trundell to “describe the vast global community of people who remember at their core what it means to be human”, in Trundell’s quote. The group describe their own style of music as a “Stadium Pow-Wow” sound, which is a style of contemporary club music for urban First Nations (A society of Canadian indigenous people who are classified distinctly from the Metis and Inuit groups). My first experience with The Halluci Nation was hearing their stellar third album, ‘We Are The Halluci Nation’, released in 2016. The follow-up, ‘One More Saturday Night’, was self-released last July, which finds the duo collaborating with the likes of Black Bear, The Beat and Northern Voice – some of which they have frequently recorded material with before. The band’s latest album pays tribute to the Electric Pow-Wow gatherings at Ontario’s Babylon nightclub the group ran between 2007 and 2017. Hear more about their change of identity below and skip to 1:05 to hear the new track ‘It’s Over’ below.

“We wanted to pay homage to the Electric Pow Wow and wrap that whole decade of the experience up and close the cycle, and in doing so give direct co-ordinates of where the future was headed. In a nutshell, that’s what this album is about”, says co-founder Ehren “Bear Witness” Thomas in a press release, explaining, “We just wanted to make a party record, as well, one that people could dance to while still having the strong message we are known for”, about the planning and recording behind the record. Going for a more psychedelic take on their older material, Hill and Thomas combine stretched samples of vocal chants performed by Chippewa Travellers with EDM-inflicted Dubstep to explore the memories of the club nights that brought their Canadian community of indigenous people together back in the 2000’s, but the ferocious pace of the brisk Drums also imply a regret concerning the abrupt disbandment of the Babylon nightclub’s scenes. Some fragmented Synth effects are sprinkled throughout the song that evokes the vibrant nostalgia and anti-colonialism surrounding the club nights. Meanwhile, the driving melodies of the instrumentation are there to remind you that it is a positive dance record, as their signature style of moulding Septia-toned vocals from Chippewa Travellers together with visceral drum and bass melodies that set things into motion with a commanding Bassline, while the trickling Trap snares and the some declarative EDM drums that gradually incorporate reverb-drenched Dub and righteous vocal chants into the equation. ‘It’s Over’ suffers from repetition a little, but it does a fantastic job of spreading the message that forms the emotive core of the album that breathes new life into a memory or dream that settler colonialism and its extractive violence have attempted to erase, and ‘It’s Over’ provides a club-heavy but contemplative moment that gives the affirmations and goals of The Halluci Nation a reasonable amount of space to take root, as the band continue to cement themselves as one that needs to exist to serve the social purpose.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘One More Saturday Night’ (Released on July 30th, 2021) (via Self-Released)

I have previously shined a small spotlight on The Halluci Nation before their rebranding, with a detailed post about another track that aims to get more indigenous people represented in the media. Find out more about ‘The OG’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/01/13/todays-track-a-tribe-called-red-feat-black-bear-the-og/

Pictured: The Halluci Nation performing at the Lost Lake Festival (2017) (Photo Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

That’s everything I’ve got lined up for you today! I’m still working on my year-end Albums list of 2021 and it is coming soon. In the meantime, thanks for checking out my latest post, and I’ll be back tomorrow to get you re-acquainted with a Grammy-nominated Texas-born Jazz artist and a Houston trio who host the ‘AirKhruang’ radio show on Facebook Live and NTS Radio. They will be releasing a direct sequel to their earlier collaborative EP ‘Texas Sun’ on 18th February through the Dead Oceans label.

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Way Back Wednesdays: Massive Attack – ‘Karmacoma’

January 5, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Robert “3D” Del Naja, Grant “Daddy D” Marshall & Andrew “Mushroom” Vowles (Date n/a) (Photo via Classical Album Sundays)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke and, of course, it’s time for the return of ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ on the blog as we remember some seminal (or simply hidden) gems of yore to help me fulfill my goal of writing up about a different piece of music every day! Massive Attack are recognised as one of the most important and influential acts in 90’s British Music history as the original Trip Hop trio of Bristol, and so they are a great choice to kick off our regular throwback fixture again. Having won two Q Awards, two MTV Europe Music Awards, a BRIT Award for Best British Dance Act, as well as placements on greatest-of-all-time lists compiled by NME and Rolling Stone, Massive Attack were also a really successful commercial crossover act having sold their way to over 13 million records worldwide. ‘Karmacoma’ is one of their signature closing tracks during live performances and it was originally issued as the final single off their second LP – ‘Protection’ – that earned critical acclaim in 1994. ‘Protection’ saw the group lean into the Dub and Trance aspects of their pre-established sound, as well as seeing Tricky joining 3D and Grant Marshall on their musical journey by joining their ranks. DJ Mad Professor created a remixed version of the album that was released one year later, and ‘Protection’ was included in the book ‘1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die’ in 2011. 3D and Tricky say that most of the lyrics for ‘Karmacoma’ were written while high on a drug trip while backstage at a music festival somewhere in England and the music video saw the debut of British film director Jonathan Glazer – who went on to direct 2013’s ‘Under The Skin’ as well as music videos for Radiohead and Jamiroquai. Let’s remember ‘Karmacoma’ below.

‘Karmacoma’ – known for a wild and experimental music video that probably freaked a few poor children out during the mid-90’s – was so popular that Tricky later recorded his own solo version of the track that he renamed as ‘Overcome’ for his debut solo album ‘Maxinquaye’ that he created in 1995. Full of bizzare cinematic references to ‘The Shining’ and ‘Reservoir Dogs’ among other titles, Massive Attack have also name-checked Patrick Swayze in the lyrics for the enigmatic track and they say it was dedicated to him. I find it difficult to believe that the bass-heavy, middle eastern Drum beat that runs throughout the track was entirely manufactured at the hands of the Bristolian group because it sounds so authentic, and yet, it creates a catchy but cerebral groove that understandably gained some mainstream attention for the band at the time. The lyrics are very discreet and give next to nothing away, but powerful lyrics like “I won’t lie and say this love is best, leave us in emotional peace” and “Your troubles must be seen to see through money” that seemingly form a social commentary comparing the interests of lovers to the authorities of the world in some way or another, to the best of my guesswork. Either way, the instrumentation was quite spellbinding as the thunderous snare sample sounds very realistic and the group keep introducing more elements, such as the alluring Bass melodies and the loping rhythm, that maintain an unpredictable feel to the record although the main loop gets very hypnotic as the duration progresses. The most alluring line of all comes when “I must be crazy/see I’m swazy” as the key cinematic reference comes to light. The lyrics, with hooks like “Karmacoma, Jamaican aroma” and “You’re sure you wanna be with me I’ve nothing to give/Take a walk, take a rest, taste the rest” are almost erratic at times, complementing the psychedelic oscillation of the unique pacing. The dynamic between Tricky and 3D, however, still feels new, as they recite their sequences with a mild Spoken Word feel that delves into a gently Poetic flair while the trippy instrumentals keep the proverbial room spinning. They form the important adhesive to the track that melds the laced looping of the relentlessly spiraling Drums and the adventurous songwriting, for the lack of a better term, together thematically. While reclusive and challenging, ‘Karmacoma’ was an off-kilter anthem that gives you just enough time to get used to the ongoing melodies before another strange, but key, element flips the switch halfway again. A chilling spectacle.

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Protection’ (LP) (Released on 26th September, 1994) (via Circa/Wild Bunch Records)

That’s all for now! Thank you for spending the beginnings of your new year with me, and I’ll be back again tomorrow for some more unique music from a Canadian Ethnotronica group who blend Instrumental Hip Hop, Reggaeton, post-00’s Dubstep and Moombahton together with elements of First Nations music for their own brand of “Stadium Pow-Wow” sounds. Their earlier name was a nod to A Tribe Called Quest.

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Today’s Track: Ibibio Sound Machine – ‘Electricity’

November 25, 2021 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Eno Williams (Lead Vocals/Chief Songwriter/Producer), Scott Baylis (Synths/Trumpet), Max Grunhard (Saxophone/Synths), Alfred Kari Bannerman (Lead Guitar/Occasional Backing Vocals), Tony Hayden (Trombone/Synths), Phillip PK Ambrose (Bass Guitar), Anselmo Netto (Percussion) and Joseph Amoako (Drums) performing at the Pool Recording Studio, London for NPR’s ‘World Cafe’ (2019) (Photo via Kimberly Junod/WXPN)

Good Morning to you! I am Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come for me to take you through yet another eclectic variety of sounds with yet another daily track on the blog, because it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Led by Eno Williams, Ibibio Sound Machine are a ten-piece Afro Jazz collective that she formed with producers Benji Bouton, Leon Brichard and Max Grunhard in 2013 with their idea of combining the unique vocals of the Ibibio language that she used to speak whilst growing up in Nigeria with both traditional West African and more modern electronic music elements. Although currently based in London, Williams sings her lyrics in both English and the Nigerian tongue of Ibibio, and the group are known for taking their musical inspirations from the golden ages of West African Funk and Dance music, modern Post-Rock and Electro-Pop music. Since forming, the band have been interested in creating music which fuses elements of 1990’s Drum & Bass and 1980’s Afrobeat. The band also notably performed at KEXP’s ‘International Clash Day’ event in January 2019, and they have since linked up with Merge Records to issue 2017’s ‘Uyai’ and 2019’s ‘Doko Mien’ for release, with their self-titled debut album being released on Soundway Records in 2014. Their latest single, ‘Electricity’, was premiered by Lauren Laverne during her breakfast show on BBC Radio 6 Music a pair of weeks ago, and it was recorded in Hot Chip’s studio. The group will also be embarking on a UK tour next March and April, including dates in Bath, Birmingham, Worthing, Newcastle, Manchester, London and Leeds. Let’s give it a spin.

Giving her insight into the direction of the new single ‘Electricity’, frontwoman Eno Williams says, “This one started out as an idea to mix Afrobeat with Giorgio Moroder-style synth vibes”, explaining, “The end section with Alfred’s korogo (Ghanian 2-stringed Folk guitar) solo was already there when we got into the studio, but then we added the big kick drum that happens underneath and Owen from Hot Chip’s crazy drum machine percussion at the end, which gave it a futuristic Afro feel when mixed with the more talking drum parts”, in her press statement. More or less doing my job for me with the press release, ‘Electricity’ is lyrically exploring the connection between different people and the power resource. The instrumentation leans towards an 80’s Synth Pop style, with a buoyant bassline and some tight drum melodies undercut by some more grounded, progressive Synth loops courtesy of the drum machine sequences. The pace builds gradually, starting off with mid-tempo beats and purely Synth-based rhythms before introducing a decent amount of variety with sparse Saxophone melodies and short Horn sections towards the middle. A big crescendo of danceable Synth riffs and more cerebral Jazz production creates a burst of energy in the third fourth of the track, before a longer instrumental section of ritualistic chants and quick, extravagant Horn scatterings rounds off the track before we get a final repeat of the chorus. It brings a somewhat new element to the chorus, where Williams talks about love and speaking from the heart as the simple answer to life’s complexities. An uplifting track with a slightly rougher edge that reminds me of Soccer 96’s ethereal Prog-Jazz production during brief intervals, ‘Electricity’ is a single that is lyrically radiant and evidently listenable. A focused and charming return.

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Electricity’ (Single) (Released on October 26, 2021) (via Merge Records)

That’s all for now! Thank you for reading my latest post, and it is ‘New Album Release Fridays’ tomorrow, meaning that I’ll be guiding you through one of the weekend’s most notable new album releases. This week’s pick gives you a taste of the new posthumous album by a cult favourite Alabama-born singer-songwriter who sadly left us in March. Encompassing a variety of styles including Blues, Rockabilly and Country – you may know him for opening on-tour for The Hives and The White Stripes in 2007.

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Today’s Track: Vanishing Twin – “Phase One Million”

October 19, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Blue Vinyl Copy of ‘Ookii Gekkou’ (LP) (Released on October 15th, 2021) (via Fire Records)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and now is the time for me to get typing up for yet another daily track on the blog, because it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! I hadn’t heard of Vanishing Twin at all until I spotted ‘Phase One Million’ during a recent episode of The New Music Fix, but my research tells me that the Cathy Lucas-led London-based Psychedelic Pop Quintet are one of the few successful groups from the dwindling UK Psych market over the last half decade or so. Although based in London, their line-up features members from across the globe – from Italy to Japan – and this inspired them to explore their global influences when writing their fourth studio album – ‘Ookii Gekkou’ – during the worldwide lockdown months last year, by exploring shifting strands of Afro-Jazz and blending a melting pot of Afro-Jazz and Shoegaze to create a veritable concoction of sounds for the new record, which is the follow-up to 2019’s ‘The Age Of Immunology’, and it was finally released over the past weekend on Fire Records. The quintet’s sound instantly strikes the ears as a blissful combination between Khruangbin and Stereolab, and, according to Pitchfork, “The group’s cosmopolitan membership initially reflected its mission to synthesize psychedelic traditions around the globe, from Tropicalia to Kosmische Rock”, in their approach to non-traditional Pop-Jazz songwriting. Drummer Valentina Magaletti has previously worked with Bat For Lashes and Gruff Rhys on their Neon Neon project, while you might also know leading lady Lucas as a previous member of Fanfarlo. To promote the new record, Vanishing Twin will also be performing gigs in locations like Birkinhead, Edinburgh and Bristol in the coming weeks. Let’s spin ‘Phase One Million’.

The new album has been described by the group as “The sound of ordinary life under a different set of rules, in a place where it’s always night” in a press release, and the imaginative title of ‘Ookii Gekkou’ translates simply to ‘Big Moonlight’ in Japanese, an imaginative title for a record that is determined not to come across as fanciful, instead opting to go down the Stargazing Jazz route that may also draw comparisons to Air and The Comet Is Coming in terms of detailed sonic composition. ‘Phase One Million’ is a soft and rich single that builds up swiftly from an understated groove into something altogether more assured, with lyrics that glide smoothly between intrigue and meanderings. There’s a clear air of Trip-Hop about it throughout the laidback near 5-minute duration, which finds Afrobeat sparring with Electro-Soul in a way that finds the two wrapping up neatly like a comforting blanket, with ambience and Synths that dip into a slightly 80’s Synth Pop feel at very particular points. The percussion fits the visual theme vividly too, with some woozy Synth sequences and a hushed Cowbell melody that gently pulls us through to the end of the track with a confident ease. A set of poetic lyrics like “Lightning striking in the same place twice” and “We are looking for a sign” are contemplating brief ideas of nature and discovery with a light meander, as if we’re travelling through different locales at a brisk, yet otherwise relaxed, pace. It feels accessible in a peculiar way, and it certainly makes me think of acts like Portishead and the type of bands that Oklahoma label Colemine Records would usually promote in how the soothing elements of Disco and Afrobeat mould together in a generous Jazz dressing. In conclusion, ‘Phase One Million’ is an excellent single because it sounds laidback and easy to listen to, while never quite feeling bland due to the slightly more psychedelic and haunting tones that hold the different influences together tidily, and so there is a decent amount of variety to keep the repetitive soundscape from outstaying its welcome. An eclectic, cute, soft Pop hit.

  • Pictured: Cathy Lucas (Lead Vocals/Production), ‘Zongamin’ Susumu Mukai (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals), Elliott Arndt (Flute/Percussion) & Valentina Magaletti (Drums) (2021) (Photo via Giglist.com)

That brings us to the bottom of the page for another day, and thank you for joining me on this journey. I’ll be back for a slice of something retro tomorrow with our weekly ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ selection, where we’ll be rediscovering a 70’s British Folk star who I came across on a recent installment of Cherry Red Records Radio. Her debut album was produced by the famous late BBC Radio 1 host John Peel, and she performed alongside other Art-Folk and Alternative Rock luminaries of the time like David Bowie and Nick Drake in her time on the festival circuit too. In 1974, she was voted as the fifth most popular female singer in that year’s Melody Maker readers poll.

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Today’s Track: Sans Soucis – “On Time For Her”

September 30, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Sans Soucis in an official photoshoot for ‘I’m On’ (2021) (Photo via PR/GetInHerEars.com)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up for yet another daily track because, as you’ve already guessed, it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! It looks like you’re right on time for ‘On Time For Her’, the main title track of the debut EP from the brand new Neo-Soul/Avant-Pop singer-songwriter Sans Soucis. She is a London-based songstress of original Italian-Congolese heritage who moved to the UK at the age of 20. Her new EP – which was self-released last Friday – explores the end of a traumatic period of depression for Sans Soucis, caused by racial issues and childhood anxiety. This short-form project tackles her search for identity in Western society and her challenges of finding her authentic self, set to some soft Synth-led backdrops that are built upon a goal of “effortlessly blending the sounds of Congolese Rumba, Electronic, R&B and Alt-Pop with her perceptive lyricism” according to the official Sans Soucis website. The irony is that her creative alias of Sans Soucis is taken from her childhood nickname for “Carefree”. She is also notably part of the iluvlive Artist Development scheme, an initiative designed to support new artists to further their careers through their platform and networks. Check out her latest single below.

Sans Soucis’ real name is Giulia Grispino (Which is the Italian version of the English name for Julia) and her new EP is a life-affirming statement for her development. She tells us, “Regardless of how proficient you can be in a foreign language, it does take time for you to authentically convey your personality through it”, explaining, “Understanding culture and feeling in a foreign country can leave a person in limbo for a few years of their life and that’s what happened to me”, in her press notes. Luckily for Soucis, her music has received well-deserved praise from publishers like Wonderland, The Fader, BBC Radio 6 Music, Clash, Spotify’s New Music Friday, BBC Introducing London, The Line Of Best Fit, and a handful of others online. ‘On Time For Her’ feels more like a relaxing massage to your eardrums than a particularly harsh exploration of tense human introspection, with Soucis reciting her poetic lyrics with a tone of an unfurling, crystalline shaping. Her breathy, spacious vocals are given plenty of time to sink into your ears nicely with a radiant feel, with a warm sense of breeze being created by the stilted backing vocals. It is unclear if the backbeat is formed from a sample or a purely looped vocal originally created by Soucis, but it feels rather eclectic in terms of genre and it adds some entrancing warmth to the proceedings. The instrumentals are woven together by a multi-layered array of Staccato effects and tuneful Synths, which creates a nice sense of intimacy and vulnerability when the more ethereal vocal arrangements – within the chorus – begin. The lyrics are quite introspective, yet ambiguous, with a Lo-Fi Hip-Hop style of delivery that allows sequences like “No answer if you don’t look right” and “Feast in the darkness, sing alone” that imply some themes of displacement and self-security, and the titular refrain of ‘On Time For Her’ evokes the meaning of being committed to doing right by your own standards. Overall, this made for a lovely listen. I don’t think we’re quite there yet in making the instrumentation a little more interesting, but this is some feedback that Soucis will build upon constructively as her time goes on. The track feels hard to really box into a specific genre, and that is really appealing to me. I think that she simply has a very nice voice as well, and her perspectives on living in Western society as a foreign native allows her to convey a diverse variety of emotions. A rich combination of 00’s Bjork and Fana Hues – which is a kind compliment by itself.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for ‘On Time For Her’ (EP) (Released on September 24th, 2021) (via Self-Released)

Thank you for reading my latest blog post, and I’ll be back tomorrow for an in-depth look at one of the weekend’s most hotly tipped new album releases for the ‘New Album Release Fridays’. This week, we’re tasting the debut LP release from a Brooklyn 5-piece who have gained serious popularity from NME and BBC Radio 6 Music in recent months. Brooklyn Vegan calls them one of New York’s “hardest working and most reliably fun bands”. They’ve even opened up stages for Beck and James Chance.

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Today’s Track: Mochipet – “Godzilla League Of Legends”

August 19, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Godzilla Resurgence’ (EP) (Released on May 11, 2021) (via Daly City Records)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the text of Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come around again for me to get typing up for 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’ve probably read the title of today’s track, and it looks pretty absurd, but this is a little EP release that I genuinely felt was pretty cool. My mother reads the blog every single day, and so this one’s also a not-so discreet nod and a wink at her, since we’ve been having a few little jokes about the ‘Godzilla’ franchise lately. She was very thrilled to see the latest one was added to Prime video. This one comes to you from the Taiwanese-American electronic house/EDM producer David Wang, who uses his own musical alias of Mochipet, which was based upon his long-term obsession with dinosaurs. As Mochipet, he has released music for several different labels – including Peace Off, Violent Turd and Death $ucker, and he is also the founder of the Daly City Records indie label. Wang’s latest EP, ‘Godzilla Resurgence’, was released in May as a tribute to his late father, who passed away as the project was nearing its completion. It is, of course, named after the mythical Kaiju who has starred in many films since the 1950’s. Proceeds are going towards his dad’s burial costs. Give it a Kaiju breath below.

“I saw my first ‘Godzilla’ movie when I was around 10 years old in Taiwan”, Wang told MixMag Asia late last year, later adding, “I actually didn’t like it at first. I didn’t understand why Godzilla was destroying Japan and I didn’t like that it was in black and white. It was not till later in my life, I began to appreciate Godzilla for its representation of human need for control and the Atomic Bomb that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki and destroyed many lives during World War II”, Wang spoke of how Godzilla’s symbol of death and destruction due to mankind’s quest for power has become an influence for his heavy blend of psychedelic EDM and no-nonsense ‘Brostep’ style of electronic production. On ‘Godzilla League Of Legends’, Wang really doesn’t pull back any of his skills for another day, and he instead mimics the fire-breathing giants of the EP’s namesake through the variety of weighty Bass sounds. The slower fade out at the beginning sets the tone for a cinematic affair, before the instrumentation comes in and displays a much more fiery side by putting the harsh distortion and the thick basslines into full throttle. The gears are changed slightly, in intervals, by a whimsical female backing vocal that goes for a little ethereality, and I felt this part of the equation was a nice touch since it was textured more gently than the core drum and bass melodies. The tune, in its entirety, is a solid evocation of Japanese manga animation series or action-heavy video game soundtracks, with a sonic palette that feels packed with rather aggressive melodies and it creates a very Animated feel to the heightened atmosphere overall. There’s plenty of tension found in the segmented decrease of the overall tempo, while the synths feel pretty playful at times. The drums feel smooth, and the long fade-out brings a cooling energy to the tune when it nears its conclusion. It may drag on just a little bit, but I rather enjoyed the unique style that it goes for and the subject matter feels pretty original, as this is not a single about typical topics like a break-up or a night out, and so it demands some attention to get the most out of. If you enjoy the heavier stuff, this one’s for you.

  • Pictured: Mochipet (aka David Wang) at a monster’s tea party (2019) (Photo via aaronswartzday.org)

That brings us to the end of the page for another day, and many thanks again for sticking with me until this point. If you’re looking for some exciting new releases to get a hold of tomorrow, please look no further than the blog as we delve into ‘New Album Release Fridays’ tomorrow. This week’s pick comes from a Dublin-formed indie folk band who will be performing at The Junction in Cambridge in October. They have been shortlisted for the Mercury Prize twice, and won the Choice Music prize in 2010.

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Way Back Wednesdays: Lady Saw – “Sycamore Tree”

August 11, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Passion’ (LP) (Released on June 12th, 1997) (via VP Records/CoverMyTunes)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, and it’s time for me to get typing up on the blog for this week’s ‘Way Back Wednesday’ flashback, as we revisit the seminal sounds of the past that have been influential to the present, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! It has become a rather multi-cultural week on the blog so far, and that lovely trend continues with ‘Sycamore Tree’ by Lady Saw, which was released as a single from her 1997 album, ‘Passion’, which reached the #8 spot on the US Billboard Reggae Top Albums Chart. It, therefore, officially became Saw’s first album to chart. Formerly known as ‘The Queen Of Dancehall’, Lady Saw was a Jamaican vocalist and producer whose career has spanned for two decades, and she holds the distinction of being the first black female DJ to be certified as both a Grammy-winning artist and a Platinum-selling artist. In more recent times, Saw converted to Christianity in late 2015 and announced that she would now identify as “Marion Hall”, and she has began a career in writing Gospel music – which Hall has performed at The White House. Revisit ‘Sycamore Tree’ below.

Ever since the peak of her popularity, Hall has been known for her ‘Slack’ performance style that has been controversial to the authorities in Jamaica, a battle that has also influenced Hall to write protest anthems about freedom of speech and double standards between how vulgarity is perceived in music from male and female Jamaican artists. Hall is also known for her socially conscious lyrics, and one of the biggest examples of this trend was her 1996 track, ‘Condom’, a track that warns young girls about the dangers of unprotected heterosexual sex. She has, therefore, never been afraid to speak her mind with her music, and 1997’s ‘Sycamore Tree’ is another decent portrayal of this attitude. The lyrics are about an obstructive woman who will not participate in oral sex with a love interest, and tries to convince him that she is a more honest person than we’re led to believe, with some occasionally lewd lyrics like “Remember, it was under the Sycamore tree” and “The sun stopped shining for me” that discreetly show the cracks of her true intentions. This style of lyrics are recited underneath her famously high-pitched bass that she was known for frequently producing. Her raw vocals continue to reflect upon one of the most contentious musical topics in her country for a number of decades, but the sound maintains a rather joyful and bright personality, with some light, yet classic Dub toasting and shimmering, percussive rhythms, which turns her assessment of Jamaican sex taboos into a more refreshingly wicked, playful affair. A potent and firmly female-focused effort, the Reggae backing beat is rather catchy, with Hall bragging about a ‘false innocence’ with lines that feel fully aware of her sexuality, such as “Mi a gal wi gi yuh all di wickedest ride”, while also proclaiming lyrics like “a nuh everything mi like” in later sections. On the whole, it’s not something that I would usually choose to listen to, since it’s simply not in my typical wheelhouse of favourite genres, so to speak, but I enjoyed a few minutes of the time that I spent with Saw’s song. The vibe is pretty sexual, but joyously defiant and character-oriented. A seminal salute to her free spirit.

  • Pictured: Lady Saw (aka Marion Hall) performing at The White House (2016) (Photo via Jamaicans.com)

That’s enough of my musical musings for another day, and thank you very much, as always, for reaching the end of the page. I’ll be here to catch up with you once again tomorrow with some more information about, possibly, one of my favourite new albums in recent memory. It is really good, and it takes us to South Korea for some Shoegaze sounds. The young adult artist, however, likes to keep his proverbial cards quite close to his chest. We know very little more than his recording name: Parannoul.

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Today’s Track: Pachyman – “Destroy The Empire”

August 10, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Cover Art for ‘The Return Of…’ (LP) (Available from August 16th, 2021) (via ATO Records)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come for me to upload yet another daily post about a track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! A university-trained Reggae musician, LA’s Pachy Garcia is perhaps best known as the drummer and vocalist of the LA-based Prog-Punk band Prettiest Eyes, although he was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. During his upbringing, Garcia was obsessed with vintage instrumental Dub recordings from his greatest influencers, Scientist and King Tubby, and he now aims to recreate their vibes with his own unique take on the genre. His latest album, ‘The Return Of…’ is set for release on Friday, August 13th, through ATO Records – the same label where you would also find the likes of Nilüfer Yanya, Allen Stone and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. He’s been gaining traction lately, with airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music and KCRW, and he won the ‘2021 Discovery Award’ at this year’s Latin Alternative Music Conference. Check out ‘Destroy The Empire’ below.

With ‘The Return Of..’, Pachy Garcia wants to show how the ‘Caribbean flow’ of his heroes can be transnational, and he tells the press, “With this project, I was looking to make positive music and radiate good energy; something to kinda disconnect from the negative things that were happening at the moment”, Garcia – aka Pachyman – explains. He adds, “I am trying to make this product a service for humanity in the sense that I just wanted to shine a positive light” to his notes, and his sound is built from a rich tradition of musical forms that resounds from Jamaica and San Juan, to Mexico and Southern California. With a simple, reverberated shout of “Destroy The Empire”, we’re immediately off to the races with the beginning of his latest single. Garcia radiates some good energy with the opening drum riffs that begin to just effortlessly scatter themselves around some more traditional Dub instrumentation, creating an initial soundscape that subtly develops throughout the rest of the track’s duration. Garcia delicately introduces Twangy rhythm guitar riffs and sultry Drum beats to the mixture that add a soulful, honeyed skew to the bright, summertime sound. Another highlight is the wobbly Cuíca melody, which gives proceedings a more quirky and, perhaps, falsely exotic lift. There’s also some gently rattling Maraca melodies to add some more spacious percussion to the laidback mood of the sound, and more shimmering sounds that seem to be coming from the Guiro, although I’m not entirely sure whether this is the correct instrument he uses or not. Either way, when thrown together, these sounds create a globally influenced atmosphere that feels bright and inviting, but Garcia pays homage to these Dub and Latin American sounds of old with his tongue in his cheek a bit, although he is absolutely believing in the music that he is making. He just manages to provide a light-hearted take on these heroes of his, and so his hazy and breezy melodies radiate with a quirky personality throughout. It probably falls under a niche overall, but I find that approach rather charming and likeable, and it’s clear that he’s done his research to pull it off. It’s not entirely clear who the ‘Empire’ is, and my gut tells me that it’s a nod towards Brazil’s Tropicalia movement, but I certainly am quite excited to destroy it with him on Friday.

  • Pictured: Pachy Garcia (Pachyman) in a ‘At 333 House’ PR shoot (2021) (Photo by Total Control/AUS)

That brings us to the end of the page for another day, and thank you very much, as always, for reaching this point. I’ll be back tomorrow for ‘Way Back Wednesdays’, as we take an in-depth visit back to one of the sounds of the past that have been influential for the present! My next pick comes from a Jamaican vocalist, producer and songwriter who was known as ‘The Queen Of Dancehall’, and she was the first female DJ to become a Grammy-winning and Platinum-selling artist during her peak.

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