Worldbeat

New Album Release Friday: Bicep (feat. Clara La Sun) – “Saku”

January 22, 2021 — Leave a comment

I know it’s January – but let’s not give this one the Cold Shoulder. It’s new post time…

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Isles” (Album/LP) (Released on 22nd January, 2020) (via Ninja Tune)

Good Morning to you – I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s now time for me to get typing up about your daily track on the blog, since it is routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day. It’s New Album Release Friday – which means it’s time for me to lead you into an in-depth look at one of the artists behind this weekend’s new album releases. This week’s selection includes the fourth album from the Canadian R&B outfit RHYE, as well as new outings from UK Grime rapper Bugzy Malone and US cult rockers Moon Taxi – along with the new EP release from Venezuelan Art-Pop enigma, Arca. However, the most high-profile new release in a while has arrived today from Bicep. The duo – which is made up of the Northern Irish electronic dance music producers Andrew Ferguson and Matthew McBriar – have been gaining a lot of traction in the UK Club scene, and rock-solid airplay from BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 6Music, in recent weeks, has exposed more casual ears to their layer-building sound. Bicep was formed in 2009 as a blog called “Feel My Bicep” where the two DJ’s used to post lost tracks of the Chicago House and Detroit Techno variety, along with forgotten Disco Pop and Italo Disco remixes. “Isles” is the title for the new LP, and it’s just been released via Ninja Tune. It represents a “snapshot in time” for the duo, and the guest list includes Julie Kent, Machina and Clara La Sun. The latter features on the new single “Saku” – and you can check out it’s video below.

So far, the reviews for “Isles” have been rather kind. Bicep said of the hotly anticipated new album, “We aim to pull influences from a broad range of inspiration when we write music, our tracks often go through many iterations and directions before we settle on the final ingredients”. The duo added that “Saku feels like a good example of a hybrid for us” to their press notes. “Saku” feels like an encapsulation of Bicep’s global influences, with 90’s IDM and 00’s Garage sounds creating a textured, dreamy vision. The drum programming evokes a light Hip-Hop breakbeat, while Clara La Sun’s vocals feel melancholic. She sings: “Can’t say the feeling was strong, Know you’re thinking of me” and “I just need to feel what I felt before, Can you help me feel what I’m waiting for?” with a minimalist delivery, as a whispered vocal unfolds below an animated percussion. Subtle layers of timbres and polished production glides above La Sun’s vocals, as she sings: “I just need to feel everything before, Can you help me feel what I’m searching for?” with a vagueness that feels provocative and ethereal. It isn’t immediately danceable, with abstract drum beats and hypnotic sonic loops building layers on layers of synth sounds. The slow-building soundscape builds to a crescendo, where the vocals are cut out, and we’re left with a vigorous backing vocal loop that faints softly in the background. Meanwhile, the sound gets more intimate and synth-driven, with a bright stream of hazy synth effects invoking an emotive atmosphere. The repetitive percussion sounds and the honeyed synth production retains a cinematic element. The vocals evoke a 00’s R&B aesthetic, before the flourishing synths take hold of the pacing. Although I’m a little bit less familiar with Bicep’s work – in comparison to Aphex Twin or The Chemical Brothers – I think that I can see the appeal to them. The layers build up to convey a dream-like aural environment – with polished synth instrumentals and tranquil vocals that hint at a science-fiction soundtrack feel. The idea of a home-listening trance record from the duo is a rather bold move – and I feel the album would have benefited more from the sweeping euphoria of a live summer stage – but I realise that is not viable right now given our current situation with COVID-19. All in all, I think there’s much to enjoy here.

  • Pictured: Andrew Ferguson (DJ/Producer) and Matthew McBriar (DJ/Synths) (2019) (via Facebook.com)

Ages ago – I posted an in-depth review of one of Bicep’s earlier offerings – “Atlas” – which was released last year. If you want to catch the euphoria of that track, be my guest here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/05/19/todays-track-bicep-atlas/

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Atlas” (Single/EP) (Released on April 3rd, 2020) (via Ninja Tune)

That’s all for today – Don’t forget that we’ve got a new addition to our Scuzz Sundays catalogue dropping in two days time! Before then, why not join me again tomorrow? Unusually for me, I’ll be going a little bit more mainstream tomorrow. We’re going to be taking an in-depth look at the sizzling new single from a US Rock band, which is comprised up of three brothers and their cousin, who have 12 Grammy Award nominations to their name – including 4 wins. You could say, then, that they are “Royalty” of the stadium Rock scene. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Way Back Wednesdays: AIR – “Kelly Watch The Stars”

January 20, 2021 — Leave a comment

Stephen Hawking is great at Air Guitar – he has solid String theory. Let’s go Way Back!

  • Pictured: Nicolas Godin (Vocals/Guitar) & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (Synths/Drums) (2012) (via FanArt.TV)

Good Afternoon to you – my name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up about this week’s pre-2000’s track for “Way Back Wednesdays”, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to get writing to you about a different piece of music every day! This week, I’m going to take you ‘Way Back’ to 1998… with “Kelly Watch The Stars”, the second highest-charting UK single to come from the French ambient pop duo, Air. This French electronic music duo are perhaps best known for “Sexy Boy”, which really managed to cross the lines between mainstream-friendly and alternative music appeal rather well, and the album that spawned both of these tracks – “Moon Safari” – went down as a classic of the downtempo music style when it was released back in 1998, via Virgin Records. These days, the Versailles-based duo of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel are still going strong, with festival appearances and rumors of a retirement circulating for within the new year. I believe that Air were heavily influenced by David Bowie, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop – and this track in particular reminds me of Daft Punk in it’s robotic electronic textures, and it’s strangely accessible Pop sounds. Air are a quietly very successful act, and I’ve only recently tucked into their discography – with reported sales of 386,000 copies for “Moon Safari” in the US – at time of writing. Check out “Kelly Watch The Stars” below.

“Moon Safari” went down as a classic album for the duo – with lush space-pop explorations and a heartening range of instrumental tracks garnering praise for the producers – and, in 2008, to mark the 10th anniversary of the record’s original release, it was re-packaged with a re-release that included a printed book, a DVD short film documentary about the duo, and an extra CD of live performances, along with some remixes of their old, classic tunes. For me, “Kelly Watch The Stars” sets up a Chic and Shiny theme, where visions of surreal fashion imagery and retro car drives with sunglasses in a Cadillac on a hot summer’s 70’s day flood to my mind – these imaginary pictures being supported by the dream-like sequences of the music video. The single manages to sound created in a time period between 80’s retro electronics and future, robotically enhanced instrumentals, with the two ideas feeling bizarrely commonplace. The four lyrics of “Kelly Watch The Stars” are continually layered above repetitive French synth grooves and the use of a Vocoder to give the music a strutting Funk feel. Combined, the mixing of the laidback bass guitar riffs and the syncopated keyboard riffs feel playful and have a bright tone, while the scatterings of Acoustically driven sounds give things a more Cosmic and sophisticated setting. Just over 20 years later – it still manages to sound original, high-tech and old-school at the same time. I think the Synth grooves may get tedious after a while, but I really enjoy the European dance touches and the surrealist, robotic vocals. It’s certainly more of a head-nodder, with a just-about-Pop style that is just pleasant – and free of nonsense.

  • Pictured: Air performing at the We Love Green festival in Paris, France (2016) (Photo via Redferns)

Thank you for joining me – on the “Moon Safari” to Way Back When. Meet me down the road again tomorrow, as we look to the future instead, with an in-depth look at a recent single from an up-and-coming Australian Folk/Country singer-songwriter who I can see huge potential within. You may know her for her work as a part of the band Phantastic Ferniture, and she’s released two solo albums following this period of her career. 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: Tycho – “Outer Sunset”

January 9, 2021 — 1 Comment

Better keep my grammar in check on this one. Nobody wants a ‘Typo’. New Post time!

  • Pictured: Tycho (aka Scott Hansen) at Greek Theatre, Los Angeles (in 2019) (Photo Credit: Jon Bauer)
    Pictured: Tycho (aka Scott Hansen) at Greek Theatre, Los Angeles (in 2019) (Photo Credit: Jon Bauer)

Good Morning to you – my name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to – once again – fulfill my daily duties of typing up your daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write to you about a different piece of music every day! A little bit like Boards Of Canada, Tycho is an ambient electronic music producer (currently based in San Francisco) who loves to blend multiple aspects of media tools within his disposal to fully realize vital themes of Nature and Environment within his compositions. From taking samples of weather broadcasts and pre-recorded dialogue, Scott Hansen usually creates a luscious set of rural soundscapes to allow his elements of downtempo guitar and analogue production to breathe. In fact, you may also know his work already – as the graphic designer ISO50. “Outer Sunset” was the lead single from his most recent album, “Simulcast”, which was released back in last February as a co-distribution between Ninja Tune and Mom + Pop Records. This work is connected to “Weather”, Hansen’s previous LP record, of which Hansen has removed the vocal sections, and Hansen had decided to expand upon the ambient instrumentation instead. It’s a very timely record to hear during Lockdown – a time where one of the few positives has been the re-positioning of nature and birdsong as one of the world’s beauties outside of our windows – and it sadly fell under my radar a bit beforehand. That’s about to change. Let’s have a listen to “Outer Sunset” below.

Many critics have attributed that “Simulcast” finds Hansen strip down his futuristic technology for a dip back into the dreamy, lo-fi electronica that originally bought him to the dance. Hansen said of the LP: “A Simulcast is the transmission of a program across two different mediums and two different languages”, expanding with, “With these two albums, I wanted to present the same ideas in two languages, one more literal, and the other more open to interpretation”, before explaining, “Simulcast expands on the concepts laid out in ‘Weather’, but shifts into the abstract, with instrumental soundscapes in place of lyrics, opening up a visual space and translating the message into a new language”, in his press notes. “Outer Sunset” fuses hazy guitar lines with a chilled-out electronic synth loop, although I feel the melodies are beat-driven enough to sustain an indie, ‘pop’ flair. The beats aren’t entirely off-kilter, but they feel serene and simple. There is a palpable sense of stillness about it, with some sun-licked guitar tones to add a fair rumble of bass, and a merticulously layered sequence of shuffle beats that are carefully plucked beneath them, to an almost DJ Shadow-ish degree of subtle Hip-Hop breakbeat influences. The melodies present a feeling of coming-of-age and nostalgia to me, and this leaves me cutting off from the outside world for a few minutes and delving into my own thoughts for a little while, this showing a visual effect of the mellow Indietronica stylings. These elements of Synthwave, modern Chillout and 10’s Vaporwave are upbeat enough to carry the airy Pop beats all of the way through, although the tone is still fairly laidback, and the chord progression remains simple. It shapes up to be perfect “In The Bathtub” music.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for "Simulcast" (Released on February 28th, 2020) (via Mom + Pop Records)
    Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Simulcast” (Released on February 28th, 2020) (via Mom + Pop Records)

Thank you for checking out today’s post – It was better late than never, eh? It’s already going to be time for a new entry in our Scuzz Sundays series tomorrow, and we’re going to be making up for the lack of notable new releases with a “big name” post from the past instead. It’s a less obvious pick from the band in question though, even if it is that legendary Grunge trio who used to feature now-Foo Fighter Dave Grohl in the drumming seat amongst the famous line-up. 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: Bent – “Friends”

January 5, 2021 — Leave a comment

The Sample-Delia duo who see nothing wrong with bending the rules! New Post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Up In The Air” (Released on November 14th, 2020) (via Godlike & Electric)

Top ‘O’ The Morning to you – I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to fulfill my duties of typing up about your daily track on the blog, because it is routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! As we see out the last year and enter the new one, it’s nice to look back at some of 2020’s lower-key releases that you might have missed. Unfortunately, Bent’s “Friends” falls under that category, and I don’t mean it lightly – because this one has really grown on me. Bent are the Nottingham-based Sample-Delia duo of Neil Tolliday and Simon Mills, who released “Up In The Air” last November, which marks their first LP release in 14 years – since 2006’s “Intercept”. When I first discovered “Friends”, I sadly did not know very much about the duo, because when you type up “Bent friends” into a Google search, it obviously came up with some questionable results. However, I have now learned that Bent were pioneers of the Chillout music genre, and I have also learned they are very influential to Electronica, and gained critical praise from major publications like NME, The Quietus and Mixmag. Their music has frequently been used in advertising, and they would sell copies of their records in the hundreds of thousands. Collectively, Bent have also become known for their sense of humor, which displays quirky ‘crate-digging’ results on their concept albums, including 2000’s “Programmed To Love”, 2002’s “Everlasting Blink” and 2004’s “Ariels”, and they have remixed artists including Dolly Parton, Hall and Oates, Faithless, and Morcheeba. Let’s stream “Friends” below.

Bent was conceptualized through Neil and Simon’s dis-satisfaction with the state of the electronic dance music genre in 1997, and they felt it wasn’t meeting their expectations. Released in November, “Up In The Air” has a rural, countryside vibe to it – through the transformative sampling production and the incredible promo art – which depicts nature and farm animals. Like a fresh cider on a summer’s day, “Friends” proves to be a slightly more upbeat ending to the chilled, gentle sounds of the rest of the album. Created through a sample of a track that was recorded way back in the 1930’s, the Bent duo manage to put a tropical, breezy spin on the recording. The album was recorded remotely from Neil in his UK studio in Sherwood, and Simon created four of the LP’s tracks in his rural Ireland studio, and I think that the album’s themes of countryside and farm life manages to feel timely and profound, in a time where many of us are isolated. “Friends” feels joyous and cheerful, with an old-fashioned female vocal crooning: “Just friends, we’re not lovers no more/Just friends, not like before” and “To think of all that’s been/Not to love again, It’s like pretending, this is our beginning” over the top of a slowly moving, but comprehensively layered, sequence of gently sweeping String sections and the cinematic, vintage set of Disco instrumentation – with lightly reverberating Synths. Oh yes – and there’s plenty of Bongo drums as well. The chorus is lightly catchy, but it still manages to sound pretty relaxed, opening up the gap for a slightly downtempo, sadly emotive quality to the vocals – While the mid-tempo drum beats and the summer-inspired bass rumbles veer the track just a little into Space Disco territory. I read some negative reviews for the album on places like Album Of The Year, with some users calling it “Spa music” and felt the “Background music” feel of the album was disappointingly dull. At first, it didn’t really quite manage to grip me, because the album is certainly not going to be the most visceral or quick-paced record that you’ll hear all year around, but with the frequent set of re-listens, it’s managed to connect with me. It makes for some greatly thematic listening, and it has an ethos of taking obscure, vintage material – with the clever uses of sampling to extract some more transformative and absorbing moods. It might be that it’s because I’ve spent a lot of life growing up in The Fens myself, and so it has almost been like revisiting my own wilderness. In any case, I definitely feel that it’s worthy of your time and a fair chance.

  • Pictured: BENT (Simon Mills and Neil Tolliday) in a recent press shoot (2020) (Photo via IDMmag.com)

Thank you for checking back with me on the blog today! Tomorrow’s post will be an exciting one – because it’s the first entry of a BRAND NEW weekly feature – right here on the blog! I bet that suprised you, right? This is “Way Back Wednsedays” (See what I did there?) – the time of the week where we dig our music collection for something which made it’s mark before the date of the 2000’s. Our first entry comes from an Alternative Hip-Hop trio originally led by an Experimental Trip-Hop/Funk artist who is now known as “Shabazz Palaces”. 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: Namy & Ayoni – “Disco Dancing”

January 2, 2021 — Leave a comment

The Usos. The Dudley Boyz. Demolition – all of the great tag-teams… New Post Time!

  • Pictured: Namy (DJ/Producer) in a photoshoot for an interview feature (2018) (via Tokyophonic.com)

The Road Warriors. The New Age Outlaws. The Young Bucks – and, yes, I’ve realized that if you are not a fan of pro wrestling like me, then, those references are probably falling onto deaf ears for you. Anyways, I am Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up about your daily track on the blog, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write to you about a different piece of music every day! Today’s team-up marks the collaboration the Japanese electronic music producer Namy, who has a love affair with Funk, Latino and Jazz music, and the vocalist is Ayoni, a Barbadian-born singer, songwriter and model who was mentored by Patrice Rushen. Their track is “Disco Dancing”, and although this is the first track that I’ve heard from either of the two musicians to be honest with you, I think their stars are on the rise. “Disco Dancing” was released as a one-off single back in October, but I wasn’t honestly too sure what tracks to pick on a “Nothing” day such as the 2nd of January, and so it’s nice to be able to take a look back at some of the missed gems – perhaps – that 2020 had to offer, as we wait for releases. Take a look at the Hanaé Sanchez-directed video below.

Ayoni described her link-up with Namy as a spontaneous, impulsive kind of deal, posting: “I was listening on the Spotify app and came across one of Namy’s collaborators. I loved the energy in his tracks, his production style and how his music really lends itself to movement” in the press notes, explaining: “We decided to work and create while he was in Japan, and I was in Houston, and it ended up being a very fun, collaborative experience”, said the currently Los-Angeles based Pop-Soul singer. It’s a tricky move to release such a dance-oriented track in these harsh times, but I also think they bring a sense of normalcy and warmth to a time that is awaiting the glorious re-opening of nightclubs and live music bars. For me, “Disco Dancing” serves as a very satisfactory contrast to the more hard-hitting experiences that we have been having throughout the last year. Opened by a groovy set of funk guitar licks and a two-step synth beat, Ayoni sings: “We don’t need no metrics, Just your hand will do” over the top of a hyper-melodic, sugar-coated 80’s snare beat. A soulful undertone is a large factor of the verses, before the bridge takes it up a notch with “Sparkling in Cosmic, Saccharine right through” bringing a Sci-Fi, virtual feel to the record. The chorus raises up the tempo, as Ayoni chants: “Just for tonight, Send me, send me higher love” and “How did you make me fall for you, When we’re disco dancing?” over the top of a syncopated drum beat and a mid-tempo bass groove that briefly starts and stops. An upbeat, anthemic Power-Pop chorus rings through the multicultural influences of the track, and a fragmented set of drum claps and light Acid synths add some percussive sounds to the mix. It’s got a slick, super-polished Funk style that reminds me of Skylar Spence, Tomo Nakayama and Skule Toyama, in the way that it refuses to deny indulgent Pop in being a key drive behind the melodies. On the flip side, the lyrics don’t particularly grab me, as they don’t seem to have anything particularly interesting to say. However, Ayoni does a nice job with what she has to work with, as a powerful voice commands the Pop elements of the track without bordering into too much auto-tune, and the structure of the track is a bit overly reliant on the mainstream Pop ballad layout for me, but the production still manages to sound well-inspired. There’s a lot of things that I like about this track, along with a few nitpicks that I don’t like so much, but it feels recent enough, and it makes for a decent listen overall, due to some solid electronic synth production that feels vibrant.

  • Pictured: Ayoni (Singer/Songwriter) in a photoshoot for a Get To Know Q&A (2019) (via DailyTrojan.com)

Thank you for checking out my latest blog post. As always, join me again tomorrow – When it will be time for the first regular weekly entry of Scuzz Sundays of the New Year, right here in 2021. We’re going to be kicking off, potentially, the next 52 weeks worth of the feature with one of the biggest singles that we’ve yet to revisit. It is one of my childhood classics, and it comes from a band who have had several line-up changes throughout the years – along with once recording one of the most divisive cult classics in pop-punk history, with an album that was heavily inspired by… The Beatles! 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: Baba Stiltz – “Running To Chad”

December 21, 2020 — Leave a comment

This is it – A chance to take! Nightlife scene, all the plans you’ve made. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Running To Chad” (LP) (Released on September 25, 2020) (via Self-Released)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time again for me to get typing up about your daily track on the blog, because it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to get writing to you about a different piece of music every day! Although his name makes him sound like he’s a French mime artist, Baba Siltz is an upcoming, 27-year-old Experimental Electronic Dance musician from Stockholm, Sweden. He started making electronic dance music at the age of 15, releasing quirky and experimental Alternative Pop records under the mantra of the “Bethlehem Beard Corporation”. That was 10 years ago, however. Fast-Forward to 2020, where his artist biography on Spotify reads as simply “No one puts Baba in the corner”. That, and he has also released his latest solo album – titled “Running To Chad”. This follows Baba’s unconventional songwriting through the explorations of Surf-Rock, Soft-Funk and Psychedelic Rock, and it plays out mostly like a Swedish artists’ take on the beach-ready California rock sounds of the 1960’s and the 1970’s. The EP was released back in September, which he self-released. Let’s check out the title single of the record below.

The “Running To Chad” EP also features remixes of the titular single from DJ Python and Jesse, the first being a minimalist Techno cut that slowly builds to a warmer, more pulsing House track, and the second remix cut – from Jesse – is a deeper and more meditative, ambient take on Baba Stiltz’s track. As for the original itself, the track feels like a love letter to the classic, summer-geared Rock sounds of The Beach Boys and The Surfaris, as Baba whips up a lighthearted, melodic track where he comedically drops in one-liners like “San Diego dreams, California love” with a slightly cerebral and ethereal, low-pitched croon delivery. He plays the sense of quirky humor very cool, and he wears it’s heart on his sleeve while keeping a straight face through the entire length of the track – an almost 6-minute fusion of percussive drum beats, laidback bass guitar grooves and a soft Techno acid section gradually forming in the centre. The lyrics of “What you running from? Indigo dreams and a pocket full of ones” and “Took a trip, It’s an easy out/Bleach-stained hair on a Bus down south” are whimsical and darkly rhythmic, as we build to the killer hook of “It’s your favourite game, Now you’re on a roll/No return, gonna lose control”, with a distinct and flat dance-not-dance form of vocal pitch. Everything builds up to an interlude of fluttering Acid synths and percussive, Tango-esque backing beats. The instrumental has a very light-hearted and warm texture, and it feels excellent for the grim weather that we’re currently receiving here in England, as my friend pointed out to me on the phone today when we had a quick chat about this one. I think this is a track that may take longer for some people, most likely the more casual listenership, to truly connect with – in fact, I didn’t really get it at first, probably because I wasn’t really born in the Surf-Rock era that the track is borrowing from. However, it’s very worth the time and the effort, because this track feels really ‘cool’, in the way that it walks the line between a Dance tempo and a Cerebral vocal, and it is unlike anything else that I’ve been hearing recently. Now I can’t stop playing it – and it doesn’t get old!

  • Pictured: Baba Stiltz in a photoshoot for a Inverted Audio feature (2014) (Photo via inverted-audio.com)

Thank you for checking out my latest blog post! I’ve got more music tomorrow – a last-minute addition to our schedule on the blog for this week, with a track that came out in 2010, and I think that it’s now super relevant again given the recent news about the Christmas season, especially here in the UK. The track, never released as a single, comes from one of my “Jacob Classics” – a poetic Swedish singer-songwriter from Gothenburg who once wrote an anecdotal track about the famous movie actress, Kirsten Dunst. 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 – “It Doesn’t Often Snow At Christmas” (2009 Version)

December 14, 2020 — Leave a comment

Everything I’ve ever done. Every place I’ve ever been. Every place I’m going to. A Sin!

  • Pictured: Neil Tennant (Lead Vocals/Producer) and Chris Lowe (Keyboards/Synths) (2016) (via PR)

Season’s Greetings to you! I am Jacob Braybrooke – and it’s now time for me to fulfill my daily duties of typing up today’s track on the music blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to get writing up all about a different piece of music every day! I have had a lot of fun seeking out some Alternative festive tunes to share with you via my daily means, and I have got a lot more of them in store for you this week as we build up to a very different Christmas. Pet Shop Boys, the English Synth-Pop duo of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, probably doesn’t need any real introductions to you, but aside from their obvious hits of “West End Girls” and “Go West”, I’m not too sure if you knew they recorded their own Christmas electronic dance track. “It Doesn’t Often Snow At Christmas” is the title of the tune, and it’s actually been recorded in two versions. The track was first released back in 1997 to their exclusive Fan club at the time, and it was later re-released, and re-recorded, as a new version of the track in 2009, and so the remastered work is still fairly recent. This version appeared on an EP, “Christmas”, which they released in 2009, as the B-side to “All Around The World”, a brand new single. The EP, which bundled the two tracks together, was also available in a Physical format. The cover artwork is nice, since it calls back to the balloon trademark of the Brazillian compilation, “Party”, which the duo also released in 2009. The EP just managed to crack the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart in 2009 – having reached the spot of #40. Let’s watch them perform it at the 02 Arena in London below.

Tennant and Lowe, as Pet Shop Boys, are officially the UK’s best-selling duo in music history… Sorry, Chemical Brothers… and the “Christmas” EP, which they released in 2009, also featured a remix of Madness’ “My Girl”, and a cover version of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida”, along with a re-worked version of “All Over The World”. The track in question today, “It Doesn’t Often Snow At Christmas”, is a sharper and slightly more pessimistic affair, as Tennant sings about the British national identity of Christmas and of taking a well-needed break from the commercial distractions that come along with the festive season. The synth-led instrumentation and properly “Flat” electronic sound of Kraftwerk come across as classic Pet Shop Boys, as Lowe combines vintage keyboard riffs with Choral backing vocals mixed with percussive Sleigh Bell melodies. The vocals border into Scrooge territory, as Tennant sings the likes of: “Christmas is not all it’s cracked up to be” and “Nothing on the TV that you’d want to see”, before a White Christmas lyrical reference, singing: “Bing Crosby, Are you listening to me?” before the chorus kicks in, where Tennant chants: “But, I’ll still have a glow at Christmas/Because I’ll be with you” in a quick, rhythmic fashion. He also sings: “Now, it’s all about shopping and how much things cost”, a small songwriting motif of melancholy that feels briefly profound. The tones are upbeat, and it plays up to the more melodic stance of the ultra-pop Synth dance beats and the social-realist vocals. Overall, it plays out most like you would expect a Christmas-themed Pet Shop Boys track to sound like, with Tennant using a Falsetto to give the perverse pop a more neo-futuristic vibe in light of the unashamedly 80’s style. There’s little new here, but that’s not a bad thing. What you get is two of the all-time greats sticking to their roots, but with all of the trimmings of a Festive theme. I don’t feel it’s quite as fun as 2020’s “Monkey Business” as a result, but it still sees the beloved national treasures making a fair point on the modern Christmas and it feels timely for our circumstance this year.

  • Pictured: Pet Shop Boys at the London Olympic Games Opening Ceremony (2012) (Photo via BBC.com)

It’s quite difficult not to recognize Pet Shop Boys for all they have done for British Pop music, and that means we’ve previously reviewed some of their other tracks right here on the blog. Don’t forget to peruse my feelings on 2016’s “The Pop Kids” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/04/todays-track-the-pet-shop-boys-the-pop-kids/, and 2020’s “Monkey Business”, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/01/27/todays-track-pet-shop-boys-monkey-business/

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Monkey Business” (Single) (Released on January 3, 2020) (via x2 Records)

Thank you for reading my latest Seasonal sprinkling on the blog! We’ll be taking a break from the Christmas music tomorrow as we return back to some usual output on the blog. Tomorrow’s track comes from an British indie folk singer-songwriter, who is currently based in Paris, who released her fifth studio album earlier on in the year. Her band, which she fronts, have once appeared on an episode of BBC One’s “Wanderlust”, with the group playing in a night club where Joy, a character who is played by Toni Colette in the television series, attended.  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: Robin Kester – “Sweat and Fright”

December 9, 2020 — Leave a comment

That title is reflective of my two reactions for an exam deadline date. New post time!

  • Pictured: Robin Kester in a publicity shot to promote “Sweat and Fright” (2020) (Photo via Podcart.co)

Good Afternoon to you – I am Jacob Braybrooke, and it is time for me to deliver yet another daily post on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! This single – “Sweat and Fright” – is a track that I set up for a review earlier, but I sadly never quite got around to covering it yet. I look forward to jogging my memory about it, since it sadly fell down the wayside of my mind a little bit ever since. Nevertheless, it comes from Robin Kester, who is an Experimental Electronic Folk singer, songwriter and producer, who is from Utrecht in The Netherlands. “Sweat and Fright” was the final single from her “This Is Not A Democracy” EP, which she released in September on the AT EASE indie label. Having previously recorded some work in a vacant psychiatric institution with retro guitars and vintage synthesizers to draw on 70’s pop and Shoegaze-influenced compositions, Kester decided to explore a dark variation of dream-filled tones for the EP, which she calls her “ode to Nightmares”. Let’s try not to fall asleep to “Sweat and Fright” below.

Kester’s “This Is Not A Democracy” EP was co-recorded and co-produced with Marien Dorlejn in his studio and it plays on the abstract themes of nightmares and shifting mental states – along with a glimmer of hope in it’s explorations of escapism and free voice. It’s an intriguing new direction for the up-and-coming Netherlander, who has previously toured with the likes of Villagers, Aleila Diane and Laura Gibson. Evoking a hint of Weyes Blood-like folk idioms, Kester cries out: “Woke up/Sweat and Fright/Dreams more violent with each night” as a textured synth line slowly flickers in-and-out of the centre. It becomes surprisingly Blues-inspired, with a line of steady bass guitar riffs and an up-tempo Drum signature gently pushing a melodic undercurrent to the forefront of the hypnotic, slow-building atmosphere. As if the track were a dream, these elements feel surreal, but structured enough to convey some semblance of a narrative and theme on needing self-empowerment in a waking life, as Kester calls out: “All my days, start with the same idea” and “Poisoned with an appetite/Carry on so carelessly/Singing haunted melodies” as if she is a dreamer within the lyrical framework. Her vocals are slightly distorted and never feel quite so clear, but the laidback instrumental beats and the accompanied sonic loops feel dramatic and theatrical to a point, enough to display the dream-laden thematically of the track. It feels psychedelic to a certain extent, but internalized due to the miniature synth beats that imply closed space and intimacy. Overall, it’s great to hear these moods coming across so vividly. Though it may be an over-used word in music press – it feels very ethereal. An interesting narrative and detailed production contribute to it.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “This Is Not A Democracy” (Released on September 11th, 2020) (via AT EASE)

Thank you very much for reading my new post – I’m sure you might agree that this was a great winter track to listen to. We’ll be getting back in the Christmas spirit tomorrow, for an in-depth look at a slightly more widely appealing indie pop/rock track that references the old 80’s Nostalgia of the season, coming from a British band who were formed in Sunderland. Their band name derives from the title of The Flaming Lips’ “Hit To Death In The Future Head” album, that was released back in 1992. 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: High Contrast (feat. LOWES) – “Rhythm Is Changing”

December 4, 2020 — Leave a comment

I can play this every night – but the beat don’t feel the same! It is time for a new post!

  • Pictured: High Contrast (Lincoln Barrett) at Let It Roll Open Air Festival (2015) (via Hospital Records)

Good Morning to you – It’s perhaps a bit early for this one, but that’s the way that my schedule goes! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get writing up about your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to get typing away up here about a different piece of music every day! Grammy-nominee High Contrast, the project of Welsh Drum-and-Bass artist Lincoln Barrett, is a name with a long resume – including remixed treatments for the likes of Kanye West, The White Stripes and, even, Adele. He also curated some music for the 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony in London. He is an artist who I have a little deal of familiarity with – I liked the throwback feel of “The Beat Don’t Feel The Same” and the semi-soulful vibe of “Remind Me”, two singles which have added a good share of variety to his back catalogue in recent years, but he is not really a guy who I’ve personally ever sat down and listened to a full-length album, front to back, from. “Rhythm Is Changing” was sent to me by a music plugger, of all sources. “Notes From The Underground” is out today – his ninth studio album release which features guest spots from the likes of Kae Tempest, Anita Blay and Ady Suleiman by the 3Beat Productions record label. He explores 90’s Dance revival, especially on “Rhythm Is Changing”. Let’s stream it below.

Barrett strikes me as a producer who always wants to engage with his instincts, whether that takes him down an experimental or pop-based approach, as he detailed in the making of his new record: “I used to think you could be more prescriptive making an album”, explaining, “I realized you can’t control it all in advance, you’re better off just following your heart and not overthinking it. Music is an escape from linearity and language and from a whole lot else”, per a statement on Primary Talent’s artist biography. “Rhythm Is Changing” takes a spontaneous route, with a series of electronic beats that unpredictably change every time the hook comes in, delivered by Northern Soul 4-piece group, LOWES. It starts off with a 90’s-centric Piano piece, before a sweep of Horn samples lead to a crescendo of Jungle beats and strobe effects that come into play when the vocal loop of “An I feel like the rhythm is changing” builds momentum for the bassline to kick in. There are some robotic, glitched Horn samples that come in at the next vocal intersection, before a Heavier tempo of drum beats and looped male vocals provide the next turn. You end up with a track that unashamedly takes cues from the Big Beat rave era of the late 90’s that housed names like The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy. The production feels notably subversive however, and it adds a sequenced layer of complexity beneath the surface. This is quite interesting because the music at the time was often dismissed as “cheap” and “disposable” fare to make for a “fun night in the club” and not much else, but it was later being established as an art form of music in it’s own right, and deservedly so. With “Rhythm Is Changing”, you get a cool track which sounds really impressive and appealing because it manages to consistently re-invent itself with it’s instrumentation and production. It’s also a gutsy move to be releasing this style of music when the government have actually closed the settings where you’re supposed to take it in and enjoy it more fully – but Barrett has still created a full-on club banger.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Notes From The Underground” (Album/LP) (Released on December 4th, 2020) (via 3Beat Productions)

Thank you for reading my new post! As always, I’ll be back tomorrow – and we are going to be getting festive again for the Christmas season now that we are officially into Advent! This is an older track from a collection of five EP’s worth of Christmas carols and Festive-themed tracks, all of which were recorded by an established American singer/multi-instrumentalist who has received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for “Mystery Of Love” from the 2017 film, “Call Me By Your Name”. 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: Confidence Man – “First Class B***h”

October 20, 2020 — Leave a comment

You’d think this single is all about my Bachelor Of Arts degree. It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “First Class B***h” (Released on October 16th, 2020) (via Heavenly Recordings)

Good Afternoon to you, my name is Jacob Braybrooke and I’m here to fulfill my daily duties of typing up your daily track on the blog, as per usual, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Confidence Man are an Australian Indie Electronic dance group from Brisbane, Australia who I’ve been following closely since my regional college years at Cambridge. Made up of Sugar Bones, Janet Planet, Clarence McGuffie and Reggie Goodchild, the band have never been afraid of taking a quirky and comedic route in their career to inject some vibrancy into the European and American club music scenes, and they’ve just released a new, one-off single “First Class B***h” on the Heavenly Recordings indie label. It’s also a possibility of a tease for a full-length follow-up LP to their 2018 debut, “Confident Music For Confident People”, which won the AIR award for “Best Independant Dance/Electronica Album” that year. Confidence Man have also performed at several popular Australian music festivals, including Falls Festival and Splendour In The Grass Festival. Their debut album really was a ton of fun, but their last single “Does It Make You Feel Good?” left me quite underwhelmed due to it’s more commercial, chart-oriented sound. You may say I’m more “Confident” about the results this time around, with the track receiving airplay from Jack Saunders’ Indie Show on BBC Radio 1, X-Posure with John Kennedy on Radio X, and a recent episode of BBC Radio 6Music Recommends, curated by Lauren Laverne. Give it a listen below!

Janet Planet, the first class b***h herself, found her inspiration for the tune when travelling to London: “I’d been thinking about this for a while now… It all started in London, when I saw a pair of socks with the words “first class b***h” embroidered on them, hanging in a shop front window. I suddenly realized, I too was a first class b***h. I rushed back to the penthouse and penned this hit. Ever wondered what you hear when you die? This is it.”, via press release from Heavenly Recordings. I feel releasing a tongue-in-cheek and feel-good, “dorky” dance single at a time like this is a nice idea, even though nobody can dance to it in clubs right now. But, it’s up to the talents of Janet that she still manages to sell it pretty well. Her vocals are dripping in narcissism and enthusiasm as she inhabits the character of Janet Planet, along to the beat of unashamedly pop-driven EDM production and bouncy drum beats. Her delivery is rhythmic, as she quips: “I’ve got the looks, I’ve got the brains, I’m in the spotlight” and “Yeah, I’m the best and all my friends say I’m sexy/I told you once, I told you twice, you won’t forget me” before claiming: “I’m on a boat with Leonardo DiCaprio” and leading us into a more involving, chant-driven breakdown as she claps along to “I get what I want, I don’t care”, before we’re led to a gentle tempo increase of the upbeat synth melodies and the percussive hip-hop-inspired backing beats. It feels like more-or-less a return to form for the Aussie favourites to me, with a fun and eclectic variety of pop-driven hip-hop elements and entertaining lyricism to boot. The male vocals are drowned in reverb, and Planet’s vocal performance makes the track work nicely due to her humour and energy. It doesn’t quite have the same smart humour that made their debut album an exceptional listen for me, and I think that a little bit more could have been done with Planet’s male counterparts of the band, but this is just a minor constructive criticism in regards to hearing the band make semi-interesting dance music again. Oh, and yeah, Janet Planet really is dead cool actually.

  • Pictured: Janet Planet (Vocals/Producer), Sugar Bones (Vocals/Guitar), Reggie Goodchild (Synths) and Clarence McGuffie (Drums) at Rock En Seine, Paris (in 2018) (Photo via Kitty Callaghan/RUSSH.com)

If you’re in the mood for checking out some of the band’s other work, you’re in a good place. You can check out their groovy festive tune “Santa’s Comin’ Down The Chimney” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/04/todays-track-confidence-man-santas-comin-down-the-chimney/. You can also peruse the link to my post about their single “Does It Make You Feel Good?” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/02/26/todays-track-confidence-man-does-it-make-you-feel-good/

  • Pictured: Janet Planet and Sugar Bones in a promotional photoshoot (in 2019) (Photo Credit: Zac Bayly)

Thank you for reading my new post! I hope that you’re still in the mood for a spot of new indie electronic dance releases tomorrow, because I will be listening to the very surprising new release from the electronic dance alias of an American movie and television actor who is most famous for playing the role of Steve Harrington in the Netflix original hit streaming TV series “Stranger Things”. 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/